Maxim's

[2] At the end of the 19th century, in la belle époque, Maxim's "became the social and culinary centre of Paris.

He gave the dining room its Art Nouveau decor, installed a piano,[5] and made sure that it was always filled with beautiful women.

In 1913, Jean Cocteau said of Maxim's clientele: "It was an accumulation of velvet, lace, ribbons, diamonds and what all else I couldn't describe.

He started selecting his clients, favouring the regulars, preferably famous or rich, beginning a new era of prestigious catering under the Vaudable family which lasted more than half a century.

Famous guests of the 1930s included Edward VIII, Josephine Baker and Jean Cocteau, a close friend and neighbour of the Vaudables.

Due to the support of officials, Maxim's enjoyed protected status during the occupation: its employees were not deported and it was exempt from food restrictions.

"[8] Maxim's was also immensely popular with the international celebrities of the 1950s, with guests such as Aristotle Onassis, Maria Callas,[1] the Duke of Windsor and his wife Wallis Simpson, Porfirio Rubirosa, Max Ophüls, and Barbara Hutton.

When the restaurant was renovated at the end of the 1950s, workmen discovered a treasure trove of lost coins and jewelry that had slipped out of the pockets of the wealthy and been trapped between the cushions of the banquettes.

[12] Other guests of this time period were Sylvie Vartan, John Travolta, Jeanne Moreau, Barbra Streisand, and Kiri Te Kanawa.

François Vaudable, who had been directing the restaurant by his father's side for years, pursued the work of his family which gave Maxim's its era of glory.

Other items included table linens, china, glassware, furniture and flowers, in around 200 boutiques in France.

[2] When the Michelin Guide, which had awarded Maxim's three stars for years, were rumored to be considering reducing the number to two, Vaudable says they "demanded a special symbol because we're not a restaurant like others.

[2] The same year, upset at the idea of its falling into foreign hands, the Vaudables offered to sell Maxim's to fashion designer Pierre Cardin.

For the location, material was imported from Italy and France, and craftspeople were brought in from Japan, with total decorations costing $3.5 million.

In March 2023, Laurent de Gourcuff, CEO of Paris Society, announced that his company had been selected to revive the restaurant, and that a cocktail bar and terrace would be created on the upper floors.