Paris – native land of the real restaurants

It is quite probable that many of us do not even guess that the first restaurants have appeared in Paris. However, according to the historical data Paris is the native land of restaurants which have replaced a great number of various taverns which have lost a considerable part of the visitors in the beginning of the eighteenth century. And the reason for it was the desire of well-founded Parisians to have their personal cook at home.

Originally restaurants were places where visitors could try dishes from eggs and meat, and also broths. If to speak about restaurants, differing in personal servicing (a la carte) similar institutions have started to appear in the second half of the XVIII century in Louvre vicinities. The quantity of beloved by inhabitants of Paris and city visitors restaurants increased very fast, and there soon enough appeared the “premium-class” institution – a tavern in English style in Palais Royal. In the magnificent halls of this institution, there were mahogany tables, on ceilings smart crystal chandeliers hung, clothes have been embroidered by magnificent Damask patterns, waiters in beautiful dresses, and excellent dishes and remarkable wines on tables.

With the restaurant boom in Paris, the delicatessen actively developed. By the end of the eighteenth century, there was a restaurant in Paris which offered the visitors of the menu from more than a hundred various dishes, the known cook Meo was its owner. Such Parisian restaurants, as “Fevrier”, “Couver Espanol”, “Jure”, “Veri” and others were open at that time and were greatly popular. From institutions of that time at present in Paris, there is only one remained – «Cafe de Shartre», known today as “Le Grand Véfour”.

Almost all restaurants in Paris at that time had the distinctive culinary features, somewhere it was possible to try remarkable mutton legs, somewhere – dishes from fish, pubs where fans gathered is noisy to spend time also existed.

1804 became significant in the history of the French capital; the first edition of “The Almanac of gourmets” was published. It contained the list of the best restaurants in Paris.

In various decades the new restaurants appeared in Paris, some of them in due course disappeared completely, and others became rather cult.

For example, during the Second empire time the restaurant “Cafe Angle” became very popular after 1867 when three European Emperors had a supper there. Also, such places, as “Duran”, “Vuazen”, “Fuajo”, “Mani”, “Mayor” were known.

The Third Republic was characterized by the occurrence of the most prestigious Parisian restaurants such as «Pavilion de la Cascade», “Pavilion d’Armanville”, “Laurent”, “Prune”, “Weber”, “Laperuz”, “Drouant”, “Maxim’s”, “Fouquet’s”, many of which please the fans of delicatessen nowadays. It was then when popular guidebooks to the Parisian restaurants “Michelin” and «Gault et Millau» were published.