Timeline

Key figures

Origin and history

The building on 99 avenue des Champs-Élysées, built in 1863, houses in 1899 the bar The Criterion-Fouquet's Bar, founded by Louis Fouquet, a limonadier. This place replaces an ancient estaminet for checkers and is inspired by the fashion of Americanism, reflecting the cultural influence of the United States in Paris at that time. The bar quickly becomes an emblematic space, marking the beginning of a history linked to Parisian social life.

In 1906, the Brazilian aircraft Alberto Santos-Dumont opened the Escadrille bar at the bottom of the ground floor, adding an aeronautical and cosmopolitan dimension to the establishment. In 1913, Léopold Mourier, Fouquet's successor, opened the restaurant at the entresol, consolidating his reputation. The decor was entirely redesigned in 1958 by Jean Royère, renowned decorator, modernizing the space while preserving its historical soul.

Today, Fouquets is the last witness to the great cafes on Avenue des Champs Elysées. Ranked a Historical Monument in 1990 for its rooms and salons (ground floor and intersoil), it embodies a place of memory associated with French literary, artistic and film life. Its architecture and decor reflect the stylistic evolutions of the 19th and 20th centuries, from initial eclecticism to 1950s design.

The building, owned by a private company, also illustrates the urban evolution of Paris, between Haussmannian heritage and modern adaptations. Its location, at the crossroads of Avenue des Champs-Elysées and Avenue George V, makes it a central point in the 8th arrondissement, frequented by an international clientele and a circle of intellectuals and artists.

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