It is in the district of St-Germain-des-Prés that this embassy of Parisian nights is located, opened at 15 rue Princesse (75006) by Jean Castel in 1962. We can no longer say enough about what this private club, nestled in a 3-storey mansion, no more than its international reputation. Now, alongside its club and restaurant activities, it hosts fashion shows.
To access this private club which has crossed the ages and trends, you must above all be in possession of a membership card like all its customers whose notoriety is no longer to be proven. Famous clients include Yves St Laurent, Serge Gainsbourg, Sacha Distel, Jack Nicholson, Salvador Dali, Mick Jagger, Johnny Hallyday, Françoise Sagan, Françoise Hardy or Jean Dujardin, etc…
Growing fame
Thanks to the collective of 16 associates, founding members and recognized personalities who run it, Castel has found its grandeur and fame. They decided to rethink the place on « the mode of pleasure, body and mind », in an elegant and « arty » decor, based on the artistic avant-garde.
Castel is divided into several parts, on several floors:
- The Castel bar, reserved for members registered for the year and friends. There is the « Wall of Fame », signed by Jean-Philippe Delhomme
- The Elite bar and the Foyer located on the ground floor
- The club in the basement
- The mirror lounge
- The restaurant on the first floor
- The Library Lounge on the second floor
Jean Castel, a former rugby player who liked to party, had imagined a cozy place out of sight so that his clientele made up of crowned heads, ministers, artists and more or less wealthy customers could meet and having fun over a drink.
After leaving the Montparnasse district (rue Vavin), he comes across this dilapidated and unsanitary hotel in -Germain-des-Prés. He acquires the nearby grocery store and the bar on the ground floor which will become discreet luxury places then buys the hotel and transforms it into a nightclub and restaurant which attracts all of Paris, around his clan, made up of happy lads surrounded by pretty girls.
Reconstruction after a fire
In 1979, a fire broke out because the carpet caught fire. Unfortunately, the establishment was not insured and Jean Castel resorted to a call for funds to redo everything. Thanks to his night owl friends, more than 800 letters go to the 4 corners of Paris and the money received exceeds his expectations, thus allowing work to begin. Thanks to an association of 2,600 handpicked members, the notion of » private club » is born. For ten years, the Castel family led a life at full speed but following the Gulf War in 1991, the accounts were at zero and 5 years later, the club was in liquidation and bought by Philippe Fatien, Emperor of the Parisian nights. of the time.
New decoration with new owners
In 2015, a group of friends including Charles Beigbeder, Thierry Costes or the Houzé brothers bought the establishment, revamped the decoration while keeping the spirit of yesteryear. The restaurant returns to its initial decor and brasserie atmosphere with its checkered tablecloths, while the door returns to its traditional red color and the mural fresco evokes the passage of time and the Parisian night. We see portraits of customers like Andy Warhol or Yves St Laurent. On the carpet, we distinguish male sexes (« la moquequette ») and the basement is covered with lips…
Revival of the Temple of Night
The concept of a club only open to members with a name and numbered card is back for an intergenerational clientele. Showcase concerts are organised, DJs invited to off-party evenings and the musical direction blends into a festive and trendy trend. In 2019, G. Wen, director of « La Galerie » is driving a new concept of evenings mixing modern and contemporary art, performers, artists, DJs and personalities from the art world. « La Galerie » is transformed into an artistic club as during the evening of July 4, 2023, L.H.O.O.Q (« She’s hot in the ass »), dedicated to contemporary art and electronic music. The evening was hosted by DJ G.Wen and live on the internet on FG Chic, music radio with a playlist and nu.disco mixes, house music, lounge, chill out,… in partnership with « The Edge Magazine » . The Fashion show was led by model Jérémy Bellet.
The July 11 show, L.H.O.O.Q xAlain Snyers (photographer)xCéline Aviani (live musical show)xDeed Julius (performance) was hosted by DJ set G. Wen, from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m.
Castel – 15 rue Princess, 75006
reservations: [email protected] 01 40 51 52 80
Copyright ©2023 IMPACT EUROPEAN
Copyright ©2023 IMPACT EUROPEAN. All rights reserved.
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