Neon

February 7, 2010By Nick HammondArchive

Paris Update Art Notes

BURNT BAR BLUES

Paris Update Neon Maison Rouge

A Nana Mouskouri album cover amid the debris.

A much-loved institution in Paris’s ninth arrondissement, the corner bar Chez Sylvain, went up in flames last week. Although Sylvain himself got out safely, his dog was killed in the fire. The messages of support scribbled over the boarded-up shell of the building – rivaling the tributes to Princess Diana at the entrance to the Alma-Marceau tunnel – demonstrate the esteem in which Sylvain, who doubles as a bar proprietor and an

Paris Update sylvain

Sylvain in happier days.

occasional drag act, is held in the neighborhood. The charred remains of a Nana Mouskouri LP bear sad testimony to Sylvain’s enjoyment of all things kitsch. We are all hoping that, phoenix-like, Sylvain will rise from the flames and reopen his bar very soon. Nick Hammond

Favorite

What do you think? Send a comment:

Your comment is subject to editing. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe for free!

The Paris Update newsletter will arrive in your inbox every Wednesday, full of the latest Paris news, reviews and insider tips.