La Closerie des Lilas

A bar, brasserie and restaurant in one, La Closerie des Lilas stands out for its lavish décor, reminiscent of the heyday of Parisian intellectual life: lush veranda, leather seats, mirrors, mosaic floor, period woodwork, piano, and more.

From Verlaine to Hemingway

At the end of the 19th century, the Closerie des Lilas café became a meeting place for artists, especially painters, many of whom lived in Montparnasse. Writers also frequented the establishment: Zola, Baudelaire, Apollinaire, Verlaine and other luminaries.

Little by little, La Closerie des Lilas forged its reputation as the intellectual meeting place of Paris’s Left Bank. During the inter-war period, it was a haven for bohemian life, where personalities such as André Breton, Aragon and Picasso remade the world. They were joined by the group of the Lost Generation, American authors expatriated to Paris, like Ernest Hemingway. A plaque in the bar commemorates his extended visits to the Closerie des Lilas.

Bar, brasserie and restaurant

Ideally situated in Paris’s 6th arrondissement, close to the Jardin du Luxembourg, La Closerie des Lilas has maintained the spirit of its beginnings: to the sound of the piano, evenings pass happily in the cocktail bar. This is the historic heart of the establishment!

For those who appreciate traditional French cuisine, the menu of the brasserie will delight their taste buds. Created by Chef Johann Staskiewicz, the menu features the must-try dishes, such as celeriac remoulade, marrow bones, a shellfish platter, pike quenelles, beef tartare, and more.

As for the culinary restaurant, also run by Chef Johann Staskiewicz, it skilfully mixes land and sea, and revisits classic recipes. A must? Let yourself be tempted by the Hemingway beef fillet flambéed with Bourbon!
Have a drink at La Closerie des Lilas and feel the history of the place and of all the artists who have frequented it, or taste one of the dishes offered at the brasserie or at the restaurant. Whatever you choose, this is a place to discover!