Sipping in Saturday: Dellaville Cafe

One of the really lovely things about going just about anywhere in Paris, is that every place seems to have a story. It is not always easy to find the story behind the story so you can imagine the amount of urban myths that exist.

A friend of mine (a former Parisian), invited me out for a drink suggesting as the halfway point, the Dellaville Cafe on Grand Boulevard (more specifically Bonne Nouvelle). I had passed in front of this cafe many times before. Its location close to the Rex cinema/club and countless theatres and other clubs make it a great location to start off a night of folie.

When I walked in I was wowed by the size of the place. Two upper level landings - one for the restaurant and one for the bar beyond which is another room with animal heads on the wall. Um! Where was I? The look reminded me of a slick club setting and the walls were amazing to behold. I asked my friend who had been a frequent patron of the cafe when he used to live around the corner for a number of years, what the story was. He explained to me that before it became Dellaville Cafe it was a Chinese restaurant, before that a maison close (I was not able to confirm this but it does sound titillating. The superb walls had once been covered with some sort of carpeting, floor to ceiling! What?!

This former hotel particulier in the hands of its new owner was transformed into the chic space it is today, bringing out the 19th century edifice's former glory. Throwing in a DJ playing cool sounds (even on a Wednesday night), and a bartender serving up the usual liquid libations. The place fills up quickly and the happy hour special at 8 euros for a double mojito among other selections (instead of 15 euros), may seem steep to some but it is well worth it if just to get a chance to take in this amazing space.

Dellaville Cafe
34 blvd Bonne Nouvelle
Paris 75010 (10th district)
Metro: Bonne Nouvelle (line 8)
Open: Monday-Saturday 11am-2am; Sundays 12pm-2am
Tel: 01 48 24 48 09


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