'[Salis]....decided... to combine art and alcoholic beverages, thereby creating the idea of the modern cabaret. Salis’s idea was for patrons to sit at tables amid clouds of tobacco smoke, drink mugs of Bavarian beer, and enjoy a variety of stage acts, introduced by a master of ceremonies who interacted with the audience.
'Le Chat Noir supposedly acquired its name in one of two ways. One claim was that its name came from the discovery of a dead rat under a divan. The second claim is that it was named after a picture which appeared in one of the exhibitions in Paris, which was bought or presented to the inn by the artist and described in the following way: “A black cat is represented standing on the shoulder of a woman, whose white skin and corsage are liberally displayed.”...
'The interior of Le Chat Noir was as inferior as the wine that was served... [The] style was described as a blend of rococo and the commonplace. Inside it had the appearance of an old curiosity shop and Salis’s friends soon covered its walls with some of their best artworks. It also had recessed lighting that was filtered through stained glass, and Salis decorated it in the Louis XVIII style, as described:
'“Tapestries, panels, tables, chairs, settles [settle is an old-fashioned piece of furniture with a long wooden seat and a high back and arms, often also with a box for storing things under the seat]... decorated all around with cats in ceramic. As for the cats, they were to be found everywhere, living and painted. On the sign-post a cat ...[greeted] you at the entrance. On winding your way among the tables you stumbled over cats, while the great Chat Noir herself stood by the ...[fireplace], mysterious and serene like the goddess Sokhit of Egypt.”...'
'Le Chat Noir supposedly acquired its name in one of two ways. One claim was that its name came from the discovery of a dead rat under a divan. The second claim is that it was named after a picture which appeared in one of the exhibitions in Paris, which was bought or presented to the inn by the artist and described in the following way: “A black cat is represented standing on the shoulder of a woman, whose white skin and corsage are liberally displayed.”...
'The interior of Le Chat Noir was as inferior as the wine that was served... [The] style was described as a blend of rococo and the commonplace. Inside it had the appearance of an old curiosity shop and Salis’s friends soon covered its walls with some of their best artworks. It also had recessed lighting that was filtered through stained glass, and Salis decorated it in the Louis XVIII style, as described:
'“Tapestries, panels, tables, chairs, settles [settle is an old-fashioned piece of furniture with a long wooden seat and a high back and arms, often also with a box for storing things under the seat]... decorated all around with cats in ceramic. As for the cats, they were to be found everywhere, living and painted. On the sign-post a cat ...[greeted] you at the entrance. On winding your way among the tables you stumbled over cats, while the great Chat Noir herself stood by the ...[fireplace], mysterious and serene like the goddess Sokhit of Egypt.”...'
Sounds like my kind of place.
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