Café Lapérouse

Description

The eclectic 18th-century inspired concept functions seamlessly from day to night.

Legendary Parisian eatery Lapérouse has announced the launch of its first offsite destination: Café Lapérouse. Located within the newly renovated Hôtel de la Marine on Place de la Concorde, the new café boasts a striking Romanesque flair, crafted by Dior Maison artistic director Cordelia de Castellane, that shimmers at all hours of the day. The interior design also draws inspiration from the adventures of Jean-François de Lapérouse, the restaurant’s namesake, who served as an explorer and officer of the French Royal Navy in the 18th century.

“Lapérouse was an invitation to an imaginary voyage,” de Castellane says. “The fact that he never returned from his travel expedition made me want to tell the story from right here in Paris: the things he must have seen at faraway islands, as if we were reading his letters in a salon at the court of King Louis XVI.”

Café Lapérouse comprises a dining room, bar, wine cellar, gourmet market, and ice cream and chocolate shop. The versatile all-day venue features an eclectic style aimed to entice a range of clientele, and is characterized by 18th century-inspired décor, colorful prints, and Art Deco-style elements. The restaurant’s signature blue hue establishes a backdrop for wood and rattan furniture and nautical prints.

In the bar area, shells details abound and inform the shape of the backs of barstools installed beside the iridescent counter. Inspired by a smoking lounge out of the 1700s, the Salon Orient is lined with heady wood panels offset by shades of pink, coral, and deep red, while chandeliers accent mahogany and leather surfaces and novel backgammon tables. Sheltered beneath arcades, two terraces flank the café. Canework chairs populate the Concorde patio, which overlooks the Luxor Obelisk, and pistachio-toned metal furniture is paired with print cushions and lush foliage on the courtyard side.