La Brasserie du Théâtre

When Slavik worked in Montpellier in 1988 at the request of Marcel Salerno to design the decor for La Brasserie du Théâtre, he did not seek to impose a Parisian model on a southern city. On the contrary, he wanted to capture the local energy, the meridional clarity, and the effervescence of a square open to culture and life. Located on Boulevard Victor Hugo, directly facing the Opéra-Comédie, the brasserie was intended to become an echo of the theater, a place where the staging continues… around the tables.

He therefore designed a decor that was both open and sophisticated.

Mirrors extend the space and catch the eye. The tones are sober—warm browns, discreet coppers, golden vanilla—

I discovered this brasserie thanks to a Facebook friend who posted photos of the establishment. Indeed, it is a place she enjoys very much and where she hosts family meals to celebrate special occasions.

It was upon seeing the light fixtures (tulip glassware from Maison Vianne), the armchairs, and the vanilla-lacquered walls with highlights in a deeper tone that I identified this restaurant as being by Slavik. This was confirmed when that friend gave me the address.

In fact, I had included the Brasserie du Théâtre in the chronology of restaurants at the end of my book. I only knew the name, the opening date, and the address of the establishment thanks to Slavik’s Argus de la Presse archives. I had never heard of this place because Slavik never spoke about his work.