Oh! to be in gay Paris!
Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
We love to hear of new openings in Paris.
Hotels, restaurants or bars: they’re always that little bit different and special.
And the French publicity agents enthuse like no others.
Mondaine isn’t just a new two-story restaurant and bar.
It’s totally unique, comforting, mysterious and romantic.
To be fair the interiors do look gorgeous but the description of Mondaine, as penned by their French public relations agency, is so warm and tempting that it makes you want to hop on the next flight out and experience it for yourself.
The following article is printed verbatim. Merveilleux, isn’t it?
She is mysterious and wild. She doesn’t fit into any box, doesn’t answer to any definition. Invitations are not for her, and she never appears when asked. She loves to be desired. She is mythical, but very much real. Tonight, she is meeting you at Mondaine. She is the essence of the Parisian night. Resisting her is useless.
A NIGHT AT MONDAINE
Mondaine is an extraordinary experience, free of rules and conventions.
A very private party, straight out of the 70’s, with a sultry scent and an artistic vision.
It is a parallel world where sophistication overcomes reality.
One could meet Serge Gainsbourg, Grace Jones or Yves Saint-Laurent without batting an eye.
It is not surprising to meet in the flesh, other larger-than-life characters, permanent residents of this extraordinary apartment, your guides for the night.
Who takes center stage?
Who is the simple spectator?
In this immersive and joyful Parisian neo-cabaret?
The lines quickly blurred, and one plays along with delight: at Mondaine, reality and fiction form a perfect combination.
LOVE ON THE BEAT
What would Mondaine be without music?
That is the real star of the show.
Exceptional live musicians incite you to let it go.
The tone is set as soon as you enter, where the drummer welcomes the evening’s guests with a captivating rhythm.
Like nomads, the other band members move freely in the space.
As they play together, the whole of Mondaine holds its breath, fully immersed in the irresistible musical atmosphere, experienced with a new intensity.
PARTY HQ
Opening the doors of Mondaine is entering a temple of luxury, a place that is strangely familiar… and familiarly strange.
Orchestrated by the talented Daphné Desjeux, this XXL apartment with its subdued lights has been imagined as the luxurious Parisian bachelor pad of a lover of art and parties: deliciously chic and superbly decadent.
“I sought to infuse the decor with my love for the “pas de côté”, the evening’s secrets, the effervescence of the night, as tonight was our very last.”
Spread out over two floors, the rooms and their nooks unfold their unique ambiances throughout night.
The Smokeroom, the Bedroom, the Bar, the Alcoves, the Library, every room is an opportunity for unexpected encounters and electric moments.
ARCHI & DECO
“I imagined the decor of Mondaine as a fantasy… That of a beautiful bourgeois woman, adept at the big world, who organizes memorable receptions for select friends, alongside the magnificent Yves Saint-Laurent, the indomitable Serge Gainsbourg and other emblematic characters.
“I wanted to create a warm, inhabited and multiple place, which invites you to not want to know what time it is.
“Everything here is round, as an illustration of the intoxication that erases and softens our perceptions.
“The decor reflects this: the curved shape of the lighting fixtures, the curved shapes of the soft carpets with moiré and poppy patterns, respectively seen at Yves-Saint Laurent and Serge Gainsbourg.
“Everything is also curved in the seats and benches.
“The ‘heart’ chair is inspired by the back of the vertiginous dress of Mirelle Darc in ‘The Tall Blond Guy with one black shoe’.
“Finally, the roundness is also illustrated in the fresco of the staircase mirror where breasts, mouths and buttocks intermingle, like the projection suggested of a chic decadence.
“The details participate in inviting a domestic atmosphere.
“The 180 frames that line the walls, the bevelled mirrors on the bar, the plush velvet on the benches, the floral cotton for the lampshades, the dark leopard print on the stools; but also the four-poster beds, and the many antique objects nestled in the bookcases…
“I looked for the sexy without the vulgar, the drunken without the inebriated, the chic without the too much.”
Daphné Desjeux
SEXY FOOD
At Mondaine, indulgence and familiarity play a central role.
The most noble products, from lobster to caviar are made to be shared, and luxury is enjoyed in a festive and playful way.
It is the pleasure of simple and comforting sharing dishes, executed to perfection – Scallops carpaccio, caviar; beef fillet with cafe de Paris sauce, beautiful dover sole to share…
Lovers of fine wines will find something to satisfy their wildest desires, while the cocktail menu gives tribute to the iconic drinks of the Parisian night scene.
They are served by a bar team that has perfectly mastered the art of mixology… and showmanship.
The Parisian night has just given herself a name: Mondaine.