Timeline

Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The building housing the former Chartier broth (now restaurant Le Vagenende) was built in 1885 on Boulevard Saint-Germain, shortly after its extension. In 1902, a Chartier broth was installed on the ground floor, taking up the architectural codes of Art Nouveau dear to the Chartier family, already owner of other Parisian establishments such as the Bouillon Racine or the Faubourg-Montmartre. The interior decoration, marked by chiseled woodwork, bevelled mirrors and forged iron plant motifs, reflects the influence of Hector Guimard and the know-how of the artisans of the time.

In 1920, the broth was taken over by Mr. Vagenende, giving his current name instead. The exceptional quality of its original decor, typical of Parisian Art Nouveau, motivates its inscription to historical monuments in 1983, covering the facade and rooms with their furniture. Unlike other Chartier broths, this site maintains a tangible record of the golden age of popular restaurants, where workers, students and employees of the nearby Sorbonne were mingled.

The building illustrates the evolution of urban food practices at the beginning of the 20th century, when broths — places of economic restoration — played a major social role. These establishments offered moderate-priced meals in a neat aesthetic setting, democratizing access to architecture and design previously reserved for elites. Their gradual decline after the 1920s coincided with the transformation of lifestyles and the disappearance of family broth networks such as the Chartier's.

Today, Le Vagenende restaurant continues this culinary and heritage tradition, while at the same time witnessing the adaptation of historic sites to contemporary uses. Its classification protects a rare architectural ensemble, where workers' memory, decorative art and history of Parisian gastronomy overlap.

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