In 1843, he purchased the Prado d'Été located 31 avenue de l'Observatoire in the 5th arrondissement of Paris.
In 1847, he finished remodeling the place and opened it to the public under the name Closerie des Lilas.
The ballroom was a hangout for students where they could dance, play billiards, practice archery and shooting.
Bullier added an oriental touch in 1850, and a Gallic rooster in 1895 with the Latin posting "salvatit et placuit" (he saves and soothes).
The three-act lyrical comedy La Rondine by Italian composer Giacomo Puccini, premiered in 1917 at the Monte Carlo Opera House, takes place in the second act in the Bal Bullier.