Le Camondo, a Slice of History

Le Camondo, a Slice of History

A secret garden, a museum of the same name and the incredible story of a family of bankers, the Le Camondo restaurant has barely opened its doors and is already one of the restaurants you should waste no time in discovering. Located a stone’s throw from the Parc Monceau, the restaurant is housed in the former garage of the family mansion. Behind the creation of this extraordinary venue, we find l’Agence Favorite, whom we first met at the superb C.O.Q Hotel, and the talented Pauline d’Hoop and Delphine Sauvaget. Featuring a cheerful mix of seventies sofas and vintage rugs, an original concrete floor, and a ceramic bar, they have created a decidedly contemporary, warm and elegant space The chandelier, a masterpiece of lines and light that dominates the central bar, was designed by the duo to respond to this unique space within an architectural gem. The team is taking a new approach to ‘bistronomy’ in the kitchen, combining Mediterranean flavours and French classics with brio and great delicacy. Whatever is on offer, it is hard to resist.

Le Camondo, 61 bis rue de Monceau – 75008 Paris. Open: Monday to Saturday. Reservations by phone at +33 (0)145 634040 and by email at reservations@lecamondo.fr

Salle de restaurant Le Camondo Paris
Le Camondo, a Slice of History
Bar Restaurant Le Camondo Paris
Bar Tapis et siège Restaurant Le Camondo Paris
Salle de restaurant Le Camondo Paris

What’s the story behind this place, Pauline and Delphine?

Pauline & Delphine

Le Camondo is the old garage of The Hôtel Camondo. The basement, which has now become the restaurant’s kitchen, was a mechanics’ workshop and the apartments above it used to house the drivers and mechanics. The Hôtel Camondo, which was left by its owner, Moïse de Camondo, to Les Arts Décoratifs, is a mansion built in the early 1900s. The building has been preserved in its original condition and houses a large collection of 18th century objects and paintings.

How did Agence Favorite design this space? What did you want to achieve with this project?

Pauline & Delphine

We looked at this place as a link to the mansion and endeavoured to make reference to that via a range of signs. We were struck by the modernity of its kitchens and bathrooms (the ceramic finish of the bar, made to measure by céramiques du Beaujolais, is a nod to that), we reworked it all in a contemporary style, with a graphic motif on the bar to create a focal point in the centre of the restaurant. Another thing we wanted to do was to echo the materials of the furniture in the mansion: the caning of the chairs, the marquetry on the tables, the velvet cushions, the wooden panelling on the walls, the old carpets, once again reinterpreted in a modern way. Of course, we had to preserve the things that make this outbuilding so majestic: its size, its raw attributes (concrete floor, basement lighting via glass blocks, metal girders, concrete walls), inhabit it without the interior design overtaking the place, and approach it with humility. The brass structure and the ceiling light accentuate its verticality.

Le Camondo, a Slice of History
Plat Alexis Le Tadic Restaurant Le Camondo Paris
Le Camondo, a Slice of History
Salle de restaurant Restaurant Le Camondo Paris
Bar Restaurant Le Camondo Paris
Le Camondo, a Slice of History
Salle de restaurant Le Camondo Paris
Salle de restaurant Miroir Le Camondo Paris
Salle de restaurant Le Camondo Paris

Which part are you most proud of?

Pauline & Delphine

We concentrated essentially on the bar, to make an element that would structure the space. It inhabits it to its full height thanks to the ceiling light and its structure in brass and coloured glass, designed for the place.

Is there an Agence Favorite signature?

Pauline & Delphine

There is always that same preoccupation with creating a liveable, personal space (most of the fittings are specially designed for the place (tables, benches, ceiling light, ceramic finish on the bar, mirrors, etc.), to design public spaces as private spaces. That same desire to use beautiful raw materials as they are (linen, velvet, brass, etc.), to create contrasts between those materials but also to bring them together.

How would you describe the world of Le Camondo in a few words?

Pauline & Delphine

The world of Le Camondo is a contemporary version of the mansion, both noble and raw. It is intended to be both stylish and welcoming, without unnecessary flourishes.

Portrait Agence Favorite Restaurant Le Camondo Paris
Applique Restaurant Le Camondo Paris
Lampe Restaurant Le Camondo Paris
Toilettes Restaurant Le Camondo Paris
Jardin d'hiver Terrasse Restaurant Le Camondo Paris

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