Anahi in Paris is a place of interesting juxtapositions: An Argentine chef serves Argentine food—with ingredients sourced entirely from France. It's owned by a man who's all about authenticity—but meanwhile he's developing three dozen shops and restaurants in the neighborhood. The interior still sports its original tiling, with cracks patched with gleaming copper and chairs gilded in bronze.
Anahi was founded by two sisters 20 years ago as an authentic Argentine restaurant in the Marais. When they retired, the pair sold to a French businessman named Cédric Naudon—to say he has an ambitious plan for the Marais is an understatement. Naudon is developing La Jeune Rue, his vision for a design-oriented neighborhood full of sophisticated shopping and dining experiences. He's creating or overhauling almost 40 restaurants and shops in the Marais, and Anahi is his first.
To redo Anahi, Naudon hired Barcelona-based designer Maud Bury, a former editorial stylist for World of Interiors and a Philippe Starck apprentice. Bury's has transformed Anahi into a glamorous dining room while preserving its existing architectural features—an Art Deco ceiling, frescoed windows, cracked tiles. To address the tiles, Bury repaired them with grout made of copper leaf. The result is both compelling and chic: Anahi is resolutely glamorous while charmingly falling apart.
Photography via Yatzer and Anahi.
Above: Framed black and white photos of the restaurant's original owners adorn the walls.
Above: Among his many changes at Anahi, Naudon shifted the Argentine menu to include only ingredients grown in France, roasted in a charcoal oven.
Above: The building dates from the early 20th century, as evidenced by subtle frescoes at the top of each window.
Above: Dining chairs are capped in solid bronze.
Above: The copper leaf grout will oxidize over time for a subtle effect.
Above: The Art Deco ceiling is painted glass.
Above: At night the dining room is almost entirely lit by candles.
Above: A green velvet curtain blocks the chill at the entrance.
Above: The Anahi space was once a charcuterie. Gilded meats at the rear of the restaurant are a nod to the restaurant's former life.
Above: In the enclosed back dining room, aging white tiles were swapped for solid bronze ones. This room is heavily lit, and the effect is magnified by the metallic wall tiles.
Above: Tall antique church candelabras line the windows facing out to the street.
Above: Copper-patched broken tiles next to minimal, modern artwork.
Above: According to Zagat, Anahi is "the kind of place 'to meet models' and other local fashionistas."
Get lost in Paris. See:
- A Cafe with Soul, Paris Edition
- Hotels & Lodging: Hotel Daniel in Paris
- Shopper's Diary: Merci in Paris
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