The Bistrot

Established in 1902 in the heart of the historic Bastille quarter, the Bistrot du Peintre displays all the charm of typical Parisian bistros in an Art Nouveau setting inherited from the 1900’s.  The oldest bistro in the neighborhood, throughout the century the Bistrot du Peintre has experienced an eventful history which has contributed to its renown. 

A little background... A symbol of the French Revolution in 1789, the Bastille is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Paris and a place favored by artists.  From its famous prison to its opera house, from the Colonne de Juillet to the barricades of 1848, over which Victor Hugo had his Gavroche die in Les Misérables, from the port of Arsenal to the Saint Martin canal, the Bastille quarter has established itself as one of the most popular places in Paris.  

At the dawn of the 20th century, artists and craftsmen of all trades installed their workshops in the numerous alleys which line the quarter. Hector Guimard himself, emblematic figure of the Art Nouveau movement, designed the entrance of the Bastille Metro at the beginning of the century.  It was this ambiance of modernity at the heart of the working class neighborhood which saw the birth of the café bar "À Jean-Pierre". At that time it was already attracting a diverse clientele which loved to meet and talk.  

Between the two World Wars, the upstairs room was even home to political meetings! Renamed in the interim “Au vrai Saumur,"(The true Saumur wine) the bistro switched names again during the 1970's to “Au Carrefour,” (At the crossroads) then to “La Palette Bastille” (The Bastille paint pallet) in the 1980’s.  In 1989, the Bastille regained its artistic tradition with the opening of a second Parisian opera house to make opera available to all. Artists and craftsmen then retook ownership of the quarter and numerous workshops and galleries opened in the area.  The painters' pallets found by the owner of the bistro gave it its name in 1993: le Bistrot du Peintre (The Painter's Bistro).