Maxim's Art Nouveau "Collection 1900"

The restaurant at number three Rue Royale is recognizable by its vivid red awning. Known as Maxim’s, it began as a simple bistro in eighteen ninety-three, opened by a waiter named Maxime Gaillard. Its transformation into a masterpiece of Art Nouveau occurred in eighteen ninety-nine, when owner Eugène Cornuché commissioned artists from the École de Nancy to redecorate the space ahead of the nineteen hundred Paris Exposition. The result featured undulating woodwork, stained glass ceilings, and intricate mirrors, creating an atmosphere that drew celebrities and aristocrats throughout the twentieth century.