At Bouillon République, in September 2021. BENOIT LINERO
It was 8 pm at the Bouillon République in Paris, and at least 40 people were queuing outside the entrance. It was a motley crowd – groups of students, Spanish and Italian tourists and pairs of friends – ready to wait in the cold for one promise: to fill their stomachs for cheap, with traditional, hearty and uncomplicated food.
In Paris, Bouillon République, opened in late 2021 by brothers Pierre and Guillaume Moussié, is a well-oiled machine: 2,000 covers a day, on two floors, in brasserie decor reminding of Alsace. A sausage over mashed potatoes costs €9.60, a 50-centiliter pitcher of Côtes-du-Rhône wine €7.60. Escargot in parsley butter and rice pudding are also on the menu. “This year [2024], we’ve grown by 10%,” said Enguerran Lavaud, the 34-year-old operations manager of Les Bouilllons Pigalle and République, who is planning further openings, including in Lille, northern France. The establishment is emblematic of the revival of the bouillon concept. “Initially, these were very tourist-oriented restaurants, but we’ve managed to make the switch and attract lots of locals,” explained Christophe Joulie, owner of Bouillon Chartier, which has multiple locations in Paris.
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