Le Mary Celeste: Coastal Cool in the Middle of the Marais - Remodelista
Photography by Alexa Hotz for Remodelista. On my last visit to Paris, everyone told me that I needed to visit the new oyster and cocktail bar, Le Mary Celeste, in the Marais. After a day spent wandering the angular streets of the neighborhood, circling back on the same blocks by accident, I finally came across the curve of Rue Commines, and just at the point in the triangular street was Le Mary Celeste. Fontaine described the origin of new restaurant’s namesake to Vogue: “It was a boat in the 19th century that left New York carrying a cargo of pure alcohol and then was found adrift, all provisions on board, except for the crew.” Large windows are on either side of the restaurant make for an open-air feel. The menu are designed by Rager and have collages on the back by Rosemarie Auberson. The interior, formerly a video editing office, was stripped down by Rager and Messerli, who built it back up again from scratch. The brick was reclaimed from building sites around the area and whitewashed. A custom-built modular hex table. The barstools and slatted backlit banquettes were also made for the bar. Above L: Glassware is wrangled with rope tied with proper nautical knots. A vintage stereo setup is matched with vintage LPs. A bucket of just-watered succulents behind the bar. Whitewashed bricks are color-blocked with seafoam green paint. Watercolor flags hang above the back stairs. White chevron parquet on the ceiling. The bar top and surrounding deck flooring were made from wood palettes previously used for shaping cement forms. For more places to visit in and around Paris, see our Travels with an Editor: Paris series, and visit our Paris City Guide. Take a look at Clamato in the 11e.