A brief history of Paris's great restaurants: Grand Café Capucines, in the heart of the boulevards

Since 1875, the Grand Café Capucines has embodied the timeless elegance of Parisian brasseries. Opened the same year as theOpéra Garnier it faces, this iconic 9th arrondissement venue perpetuates French art de vivre with pomp, regularity and a Belle Époque soul that has never left the premises.

Born in the heart of Haussmann's Paris

Le Grand Café Capucines was born in 1875, in a Paris transformed by Baron Haussmann's major construction projects. Boulevard des Capucines, lined with theaters and cafés, became a chic, busy promenade, and the recent inauguration of theOpéra Garnier gave the district unprecedented cultural influence. The brasserie, located at 4 boulevard des Capucines, became a favorite address for artists, journalists, spectators and the bourgeois "Tout-Paris". It quickly established itself as one of the hotspots of Parisian life, with theater breaks, business meetings and late-night dinners.

An address combining Belle Époque splendor and modern life

What immediately appeals about Grand Café Capucines is its well-preserved Belle Époque décor: majestic stained glass windows, sparkling chandeliers, finely carved woodwork, velvet banquettes, smoked mirrors... Everything here evokes theopulence of the great brasseries of the 19th century. The main room, bathed in light, offers a direct view of the boulevard. In the evening, the ambience becomes more subdued, ideal for elegant post-show dinners and late-night get-togethers. The spirit of the place remains alive, thanks to constant entertainment, seven days a week, from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. the following day.

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A generous selection of seafood and Parisian classics

True to its heritage, Grand Café Capucines offers traditional brasserie cuisine. The menu features the great bourgeois dishes: homemade foie gras, filet au poivre, sauerkraut, sole meunière, as well as seafood platters served on ice. Pâté en croûte, onion soup and classic desserts complete this timeless culinary score.

An anchor for Parisians and visitors alike

In its more than 150 years of existence, the Grand Café Capucines has seen generations of customers pass through its doors, from men of letters to international tourists, night owls and neighborhood regulars. It remains an emblematic landmark on the Grands Boulevards, a place where décor, service and cuisine together tell the story of a certain idea of Paris.