Par
Julie Bossart
Published on
Jan 4, 2025 at 6:04 a.m.
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That midday, the sun was not yet shining on rue Guillaume-Apollinaire, in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. Passers-by quickly tread the cobblestones of the small artery located behind the square Saint-Germain-des-Préswithout a glance at the long, pretty and chic cobalt blue storefront. Large potted plants gracefully outline an outdoor terrace desperately empty of furnishings and customers. The main entrance, at the corner of rue Saint-Benoît, is blocked off by an iron curtain, without any mention of its definitive closure.
“The place seems to be cursed”
Le Silencio des Prés has fallen silent, which was confirmed by the Paris commercial court on November 21, 2024, revealed The Informedby recording the transfer of this iconic address on the left bank consisting of a restaurant attached to a cinema glorious past.
Opened in 1969, the single-screen projection room, recognizable by its armchairs and blue walls dotted with a few stars, has had many owners (Le Bilboquet, Frédéric Mitterrand’s Olympic, the Étoiles Cinéma network, etc.) and names (Le Bilboquet , Étoile Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Le Beau Regard…). Its programming has never varied, promoting Art house cinema.
As for the neighboring restaurant, integrated into the room when it was purchased in 2019 by Étoiles Cinéma, the results are less impressive. Passed under the banner of the Silencio group two years later, the establishment was unable to find its customers, despite its many assets. Its location, of course, in a chic and touristy area, its Art Nouveau architecture, its trendy brasserie menu…
“The place seems cursed, it has never worked too well,” says Jean-Pierre Lecoq, the mayor (LR) of the district. The initial idea of combining a restaurant and a cinema was a good one, however. It must also be said that, in the field, there are a lot of competition. » Let’s mention the direct neighbors that are Le Relais de l’Entrecôte, on whose sidewalk you line up despite the cold, Le Bonaparte, with its packed terrace, or the incomparable honeypot of Deux Magots.
As for the cinema part, it was profitable, we are told, even if it was no longer accessible to the general public. Converted into a rental room, it could be used for private screenings or even CNC previews.
The end of the Silencio des Prés adventure does not sadden Jean-Pierre Lecoq, since both activities have already found a buyer. In December 2024, Losange Films have in fact bought the cinema, which “will retain its arthouse programming”, the production company tells us. How could it be otherwise for a structure created by Barbet Schroeder, Éric Rohmer and Pierre Cottrell and which contributed to the rise of the New Wave by participating in the financing of numerous films?
The “revitalization of the cultural offering in the neighborhood”
As a return to basics, the cinema will be renamed Le Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Its inauguration is coming – the planned date is January 15, 2015 – and will be marked by the screening of Spectators!the latest film by Arnaud Desplechin.
“We want to take advantage of the discourse of the film, and of its director, to symbolize the rebirth of cinema and the revitalization of the cultural offering in the neighborhood, which had become a little impoverished,” underlines a connoisseur of the screening room . The synopsis: “Arnaud Desplechin finds his alter ego Paul Dédalus, hero of his autobiographical work begun in 1996 with How I fought over… my sex life and continued years later with Three memories from my youth. This time he returns to his character’s childhood, and will tell the story of how he got introduced to cinema: first as a spectator, then a film buff, and finally a director. »
So much for heavenly foods. When it comes to terrestrial foods, the menu is promising. At the end of a bitter battle between heavyweights in the sector such as Paris Society (Accor) and Aveyron businessman Jean-Louis Costes, it is SA Hospitality Group who won the bet.
Italian gastronomy
Among the signature brands of the American catering juggernaut, Sant Ambroeus, a New York institution of traditional Italian gastronomy which, after returning to its city of origin (Milan) in 2022, is crossing the Alps for the first time.
Contacted, the American group did not respond to our requests. On his Linkedin profile, Gaetano Guarducci, son of the group’s co-founder and vice-president of development, expresses his “pleasure to open their first establishment in Paris, where customers will be welcomed in the third quarter of 2025”. And added: “Since our beginnings with an establishment in New York, our vision has always been to create spaces where hospitality meets authenticity. Today, as we look toward Paris, we maintain the same spirit that has guided us through years of growth and more than 25 locations. »
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