La Cigale is a brasserie located in Nantes, France, on the same city square as the Théâtre Graslin. The locale has been classified as a historic monument since 1964.[1]

La Cigale
La Cigale sign above the door of the brasserie in Nantes
Map
Restaurant information
Established1895
Owner(s)Private party
Food typeBrasserie
Dress codeCasual
Street address4 Place Graslin
CityNantes
Postal/ZIP Code44000
CountryFrance
ReservationsNo
Websitelacigale.com

History

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The restaurant was designed by the architect and ceramicist Émile Libaudière in the exaggerated Art nouveau style of the era.[2] On 1 April 1895, the brasserie was opened for business by its first owner, Mrs. Calado.

From the beginning the restaurant attracted a bourgeois clientele that mixed with artists from the nearby theater. The surrealists Jacques Prévert and André Breton were regular patrons.[3] Scenes from several films have been shot there, including Jacques Demy's 1961 film Lola,[4] Debout les crabes, la mer monte ! by Jean-Jacques Grand-Jouan (1983),[5] and Jacquot de Nantes by Agnès Varda (1991).[6]

In 1964, the brasserie was turned into a fast-food restaurant, but the decor remained unchanged due to the protections afforded by its status as a historical monument. During the 1970s, the restaurant was neglected and eventually abandoned. However, a new owner restored it back to its original brasserie form in 1982.[2]

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References

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  1. ^ brasserie La Cigale. Consultée le 11 novembre 2009
  2. ^ a b Site officiel
  3. ^ Garrett, Martin (2010). The Loire : a cultural history. New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press. p. 193. ISBN 9780199768394. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  4. ^ Taboulay, Camille (1996). Le cinéma enchanté de Jacques Demy. Paris: Cahiers du Cinéma. p. 36. ISBN 9782866421670. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  5. ^ La Cigale brochure
  6. ^ Sight and Sound: Film review volume. British Film Institute. 1992. Retrieved 3 August 2015.