His name is synonymous with success. Lionel Bensemoun is a creator of ambiance and atmosphere, an iconoclast gifted with the ability to imagine and develop emulative concepts. Whether creative (the Villa Lena), festive (Le Baron, La Mano, the Petit Palace, the Isla – Les Embiez festival), gourmet (the Nanashi restaurants) or socially committed and involved (Le Consulat, La Base). his numerous ventures always evoke something in your mind. And if this isn’t the case, see instead. The mischievous renegade has just recently opened La Folie Barbizon just a stone’s throw from the forest of Fontainebleau. A multifaceted venue, standing at the crossroads of his various aspirations, at which you sleep, enrich your knowledge and culture, meet and exchange ideas with others and feast and enjoy yourself. Above all, it’s a personal place, one guided by a thirst for new encounters, “…a thread that runs through all my ventures” writes Lionel, who deep down has just one desire at heart: to share them with others. La Folie Barbizon is conceived as a kind of artists’ residence, with the intention behind it thus being to bring musicians, painters and sculptors together with the curious passing visitors who come to take part in this unique immersive experience. Unless it’s actual hotel guests that is, who have come to spend time fully enjoying what the place has to offer. A philosophy that impregnates each of the spaces. Where furniture items have not actually been made by the residents themselves, the decor and decoration have been largely achieved using things found on second-hand websites. An organic and participative construction process, complete with an excellent menu made up of local, organic and mainly vegetable-based cuisine, which the chef will therefore be changing from season to season. A different way of approaching the “residence” concept, and something of a nod to the original sense of ‘folie’; namely, a pleasure palace built on the outskirts of a town or city by the aristocracy in the 18th century and notable for its architectural eccentricity and the extravagant nature of the use to which it was put… You can verify this for yourself.
La Folie Barbizon, 5, grande rue – 77630 Barbizon.Reservations by phone on +33 (0)1 64 38 54 92 or by email to bonjour@lafoliebarbizon.com. La Folie Barbizon restaurant, open 12:00–2:30 p.m. and 7:30–10:30 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday and 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sundays. La Cabane takeaway, open 12:00–8:00 p.m.
Photography: Valerio Geraci – Text: Caroline Balvay @thesocialitefamily
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