Brasserie Mollard, brasserie on Rue Saint-Lazare since 1867

Brasserie Mollard, on Rue Saint-Lazare opposite the station, dates back to 1867. That year the Mollards arrived from Savoy: he delivered coal, while she served wine, beer and absinthe at the counter of a bistro facing the station.

The district grew, business boomed, and thirty years later Monsieur Mollard could transform everything. In 1895 the Gil Blas announced the opening of the new house, the smartest meeting place in the area. The architect Édouard-Jean Niermans, of the Negresco, designed everything, from the mosaics to the chairs and the cashier’s desk; the Sarreguemines workshops depicted life around the station.

After 1918 the customers vanished, and the décor, thought old-fashioned, was hidden behind paint and large mirrors, which preserved it. The Gauthier family bought the house in 1928. After 1945 merchants from Rouen and Le Havre held court here, then the omelette surprise formula drew all Paris. In 1965 the 1895 décor was uncovered; it was listed as a historic monument in 1989.

An independent house, Mollard is open all year, serving all day in its Art Nouveau setting of water green, royal blue and gold. Its traditional cooking favours seafood, shellfish and fish.