Project by: Joseph Dirand
Project Name: Monsieur Bleu
Place: Paris , France Photographer: Adrien Dirand
Publications: Yatzer 13 May 2013
Monsieur Bleu is the latest restaurant addition to the ever-evolving Palais de Tokyo in Paris, the exciting anti-museum par excellence that reconciles Paris’ immense heritage with contemporary art which is one of the largest sites devoted to contemporary creativity in Europe. With its enviable location in the Palais’ new wing, perched right on the quays of the Seine and blessed with an unrivalled view of the Eiffel Tower, Monsieur Bleu is a new versatile restaurant destination that offers a complete culinary and artistic experience.
Timeless, international and offbeat - just like the Palais de Tokyo - French architect Joseph Dirand envisioned and shaped the space around a fictional character, Monsieur Bleu. Elegant and cultivated, mysterious and suave,Monsieur Bleu is a true bourgeois gentleman, artist, gastronome and dandy that lives simultaneously within and outside the codes of the city, culture, conventions and everyday life. In this vein, the restaurant encompasses his cosmopolitan lifestyle becoming his ultimate playing field.
Staying true to the tone of sophisticated timelessness, the space is structured around the core values of simplicity and understated elegance. Smooth lines and lustrous surfaces feature in this signature Dirand space defined by a colour palette firmly rooted in black and white, yet gracefully punctuated by noble shades of green along with gold detailing. Marble is the stand-out material of choice and it is everywhere. From adorning the floor and the fireplace to encasing the backs of sofas and delineating imposing frames of colossal proportions, the restaurant’s marble features add a subtle decadent edge to an otherwise unadorned space.
The menu resonates with the ‘brasserie-chic’ culture that is immensely synonymous with France. Benjamin Masson, formerly of exquisite Parisian restaurant ‘Petrus’, has carefully designed a diverse menu where ‘traditional’ dishes sit in perfect harmony alongside ‘international flavours of exception’. However, as a true global jet-setter, Monsieur Bleu moves in time with the seasons to greater places and things. From May to September the restaurant opens onto one of the most impressive terraces in Paris to allow for alfresco dining under the grand Parisian skies, of course without neglecting to update its menu by sourcing the dishes and products that best respond to the changes in our appetites.
Delectable in every sense, Monsieur Bleu is an alluring living space, a place of exchange and of culinary delights. Gazing at the sparkling Eiffel Tower through those dramatic, grand windows, we rejoice as we get ready for lively Champagne-filled late-nights of fine dining and tête-à -tête socializing. Timeless Parisian elegance has never been so irresistible.
