On 27
October 1880, Léonard Lipp and his wife Pétronille opened the brasserie on the
Boulevard Saint-Germain. Their speciality was a cervelat rémoulade starter,
then choucroute garnie, served with the finest beers. The brasserie's
atmosphere and its modest prices made it a great success. Anti-German sentiment
during the First World War led to a change of name to Brasserie des Bords for
several years. Of Alsatian origin, Lipp left Alsace when it became part of
Germany.
In July
1920, the bougnat (Paris immigrant) Marcellin Cazes redesigned the brasserie,
which had become frequented by poets such as Paul Verlaine and Guillaume
Apollinaire. He decorated it with tiled murals by Léon Fargues, with painted
ceilings by Charly Garrey, and purple moleskin seating. In 1955, Cazes passed
the baton to his son Roger.
On 29
October 1965, Mehdi Ben Barka, a Moroccan anti-monarchist politician opposed to
King Hassan II, was abducted by the Moroccan Secret Service in front of the
brasserie, probably with the help of the French. The 'Ben Barka Affair' became
a political scandal which fundamentally changed France–Morocco relations.
Since
1990, the brasserie has been progressively developed by the Bertrand family of
Auvergne, owners of the Angelina tea house, of fast food chain Bert's, and of
the Sir Winston pub chain.
More than
a restaurant, it's a true Parisian legend.
Founded
in 1880 by two Alsatians, Léonard and Pétronille Lipp, Brasserie Lipp has been
a staple of the chic Saint Germain district for 140 years.
Everything
is in its original form.
The
sumptuous Art Nouveau decor earned it a historic monument designation in 1989,
and especially the menu, unchanged for over 60 years! Here, traditional cuisine
is served, according to a fixed weekly schedule; otherwise, regulars revolt:
pepper steak on Mondays, veal blanquette on Tuesday evenings, or cassoulet on
Thursdays.
Another
tradition: the clock is set ahead exactly seven minutes! Why? Is that how long
it takes for members of parliament to get to the National Assembly?
We'll
follow Pascal Jounault, the chef, as he tries to change two recipes without
incurring the wrath of the celebrities and politicians who know him well. The
first maître d'hôtel, who is also a physiognomist and who decides as soon as a
guest walks in the door whether they deserve to stay on the ground floor or
send them to "purgatory," meaning the first floor, where it's always
too hot or always too cold.
His head
waiters, who are numbered from 1 to 27 according to their seniority, and who
argue very often. And finally, Cindy, the oldest member of staff in the
establishment, who takes care of the evening cloakroom.
- Arrival of Luc, the first maître d'hôtel, arriving at 8 a.m. at the brasserie and starting by filling out his forms for the seating plan; Interview with Luc Pignon
- Preparation by Frédéric Gindre, head waiter donning a log jacket
- Pascal Jounault, head chef, explains that he doesn't change the recipes or daily specials
- Followed by Christian Leprette, a Lipp customer, walking through Saint Germain des Prés
- Marc Cerrone, a VIP customer, at his table
- Delivery of products including sauerkraut, 100-day-old chicken, Petrossian marinated herring, Joel Dupuch oysters, and reception by Pascal Jounault; the latter shows us the storerooms and the second kitchen in the basement
- Jauffrey Beauclair, director of the Brasserie, shows us the wooden revolving door and the three dining rooms "Paradis", "Purgatoire" and "Enfer"
- Luc tells us the story of the tables: Belmondo's No. 1, Picasso's No. 39, Lovers' No. 8
- Luc choosing the wrong table when seating Michel Lafon; Bruno Lemaire sitting at a table
- All clocks set forward 7 minutes, the time needed to reach the National Assembly
- Pascal visiting the butcher shop of Jean-Baptiste Bissonnet, official supplier to the Élysée Palace; Visiting the carcasses in the cold room, pierced by Rolling Stones music
- Louis Giscard d'Estaing and Alain Pompidou tasting the new veal blanquette
- Interview with Cindy Doniguian, cloakroom manager, making trips to the basement
- Followed by Patrice Le Cudennec, maître d'hôtel this Saturday
- Interview with Marie-Françoise and Monique, long-time customers
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