La Mère Catherine

[1] It is situated in a building that previously served as the church presbytery of Saint-Pierre de Montmartre.

[3] A plaque at its entrance gives a folk etymology of the word "bistro": that on March 30, 1814, while a group of Russian soldiers were dining at Mère Catherine, they asked for drinks, bystro (Cyrillic: быстро; Russian: "quickly").

[4][5] In the early twentieth century, the bistro was managed by Mr. Lemoine and owned by Père Labille.

The interior is characterized by dark wood walls, terra cotta tiles, and exposed wooden ceiling beams.

It is furnished with large crocks, framed oil paintings of Montmartre landmarks, wooden chairs, and red-and-white checked linens.