Maxim's

Maxim's is a historic restaurant in Paris, at 3 Rue Royale, known for its Art Nouveau interior. Opened as a bistro in 1893, it became one of the most famous restaurants in the world during much of the twentieth century.

History

The restaurant opened in 1893 under Maxime Gaillard, a former café waiter, in premises that had previously been an ice-cream parlour. Its early reputation grew through a worldly clientele drawn in part by the actress Irma de Montigny, and in the Belle Époque it became a meeting place for Parisian high society. For the 1900 Universal Exhibition, the owner Eugène Cornuché commissioned the Art Nouveau decor that still defines the room.

From 1932 Octave Vaudable, who had bought the business, chose his clients carefully, required formal dress and favoured famous or wealthy regulars. His son Louis Vaudable led the house to its peak of fame in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. During the German occupation it was frequented by German officers, a controversial chapter in its history. In 1981 the family sold it to Pierre Cardin, who developed a network of restaurants under the same name.

Culture

Maxim's has been a stage for Parisian social life and for literature and theatre. Feydeau wrote a comedy about it, and Franz Lehár set the third act of The Merry Widow there. Its guests included artists, writers, royals and film stars, and for decades the room was associated with luxury and nightlife.

Today its interior is protected heritage, and an Art Nouveau museum on the upper floors displays furniture and objects of great value. The name remains a symbol of French luxury dining, with restaurants in several cities around the world.