Traditional bouillons, which were born in the 19th century and served as affordable snack bars for the working class, are regaining popularity in France.
In several cities in France, several restaurants inspired by traditional “bouillons” are opening their doors. Dating back to the 19th century and designed to feed the Parisian working classthese cheap and cozy places to eat have fallen out of favor for some time. Why are they coming back into fashion today? What makes them so special and what is the story behind these “old fashioned” restaurants?
Providing affordable, nutritious meals to the many workers of Paris was a genius and avant-garde idea of the Dutch East India Company in the 19th century. In 1828, the company opened a chain of small restaurants in the French capital to serve cooked beef bone broth (or “bouillon”) to the growing working population. Thus, the concept of bouillon was born, along with an early form of cheap “complete meal.” In 1854, the company went bankrupt and it was at that moment that Baptiste-Adolphe Duval made history by becoming the founding father of the bouillon phenomenon.
In the 1850s, Baptiste-Adolphe Duval owned a butcher’s shop on rue Coquillière, in the 1st arrondissement of Paris. As his customers only bought prime cuts, Duval looked for a way to take advantage of lower quality cuts that he couldn’t sell. He had the idea of preparing a high-quality broth with cooked meat and the cheapest cuts.
Thus, in 1854, he opened an establishment on rue de la Monnaie, in the historic heart of the city. It was there that he served hot, simple, comforting meals that were easy on the wallets of even the tightest of workers, like those who lived at the Les Halles wholesale market – formerly known as the “belly of Paris“, a name inspired by the novel by Émile Zola. The urban planning and renovation works promoted by Baron Haussmann attracted thousands of workers from all over France to the capital. With even more mouths to feed, Duval’s initiative was an instant success!
O precursor do fast food
Duval opened other cantinas around the city, including one in an extravagant cast-iron hall in 1855, in an 800-square-meter (approximately 8,610 square feet) warehouse at 6 rue de Montesquieu, near the Louvre Museum. The location could serve up to 500 peopleoffering uninterrupted service by waitresses dressed in distinctive black uniforms, white aprons and tulle bonnets.
Nicknamed “the little maids” (the young ladies), these waitresses personified the Duval broth experience and became the subject of many artists and novelists, such as Auguste Renoir and Joris-Karl Huysmans. A new clientele was formed, eager for good value for money, flexible opening times and fixed-price menus. Customers came from middle-class families and the petite bourgeoisie. The meals on offer evolved over time: oysters, poultry and fish were added to the menu, along with traditional pot-au-feu dishes, boeuf bourguignon or braised veal.
These places, which became known as “bouillons”, were impeccably clean and paved the way for modern gastronomyinaugurating a completely new restaurant model, based on simple cuisine and quality ingredients. They were considered one of the precursors of fast food.
A completely new business model
The economic success of Duval’s bouillons is mainly due to its inventory management model. They operate like a chain of restaurants, using economies of scale to manage supply chain practices, bread production, butcher shops, etc. In 1867, Duval founded the Compagnie anonyme des établissements Duval, which included 9 establishments. By 1878, the number had grown to 16, with a further dozen stores opening in the capital by the end of the 19th century.
Duval’s success story inspired many restaurateurs. Although the Parisian capital had around 400 of these restaurants in 1900, they actually encompassed a range of diverse establishments with different purposes, from simple street food vendors to communal soup kitchens for workers, such as those at the Duval restaurant such as Boulant or Chartier.
Chartier, opened in 1896 in the Grands Boulevards region of Paris, is still in operation. Its huge dining room, lined with carved woodwork and magnificent art nouveau chandeliers, is classified as a historical monument. Chartier never closed its doors or changed its name; and unlike its competitors, it has continually stood the test of time and changing fashions, even with fluctuations in customer numbers.
This is how the popular broth restaurant concept became an established Parisian institution. Its initial success lasted until the interwar period, before it began to decline. During France’s 30-year post-war boom (1945-1975), broths seemed old-fashioned and unfashionable, and customers preferred brasseries, which they considered more modern and sophisticated. Then came the fast food boom (Editor’s note: from the 1960s onwards).
Bouillons: back by public demand since 2017
The flame of bouillon and the legend that surrounds it have never been completely extinguished and, in November 2017, the Moussié brothers proved this, when they opened Le Bouillon Pigalle (Paris 18e), in Paris.
His wish was reinvent the essence of experience gastronomy in a bouillon: comforting dishes such as boeuf bourguignon, salted pork with lentils, sausage with mashed potatoes or exquisite desserts such as profiteroles with hot chocolate sauce, served at affordable prices in a retro atmosphere with large canteen-style tables, in a relaxed atmosphere, with continuous service and no reservations required.
The initiative was a success and, little by little, other restaurants were (re)opened in renovated spaces, such as Bouillon Julien in 2018 and Bouillon République in 2021, in the former restaurant space that previously housed the Alsatian brasserie Chez Jenny. These affordable restaurants attracted many French and foreign customers who were delighted with eat well and at an affordable price in times of inflation. Many of these restaurants offer a three-course meal for less than 20 euros. Simplicity and authenticity are the basis that supports the rebirth of this gastronomic experience.
Many bouillons insist on serving homemade food, often working with local producers and short supply chains.
Back-to-the-future phenomenon now spreading across the country
These places, inseparably linked to a welcoming atmosphere and typically French cuisine, are also arise outside the French capital. And although, for the most part, its chefs continue to focus on classic and comforting dishes from French cuisine, some restaurants maintain their focus on regional cuisine: the “roasted Maroilles cheese”, served at Petit Bouillon Alcide in Lille, or the “traditional Savoyard sausage with creamy polenta”, offered at Cantine Bouillon de Seynod, in Haute-Savoie, in the French Alps, are excellent examples.
