La Nouvelle Seine, a floating theatre

  • October 23, 2019
  • Parisian theatre
  • Jocelyn Wensjoe

Looking for food and a show? Why not try something eccentric like reserving a table at La Nouvelle Seine, a restaurant set up inside of a boat floating on the Seine river with a wonderful view of the Notre Dame and the Sainte Chapelle. Just picture that beautiful panorama of the oldest gothic church in Paris, if you can’t go inside the church yet, might as well have a perfect view of it, am I right?

restaurant in Nouvelle Seine

If you are not familiar with the word Nouvelle, it translates to “new” in English and this makes a lot of sense considering La Nouvelle Seine was inaugurated not too long ago, back in 2013 to be more precise. The background of the boat’s history is quite interesting. Left abandoned on the banks of the Seine river, owner Jessie Varin who was only 30 years old at the time decided to transform it into an authentic hot spot that everyone can enjoy, currently, there are seven partners on board. She saw its potential to become something other than just an uninhibited ship. Previously a place committed to magic, the keeper of the locale decided it needed some humor. The predicament was finding the right acts that would complement the theme of the boat, that will fulfill its artistic outlook. With almost 6 years of successful business, this magical boat has attracted more than 500,000 spectators.

Taking into consideration that this little restaurant is located in a very central spot in the 5th arrondissement, you might have had a glimpse of it while walking by the seine river. While taking a quick look at it you’ll notice the fine adornments, clean deep white table clothes, extravagant and spotless wine glasses, cushiony chairs surrounding each table, and impeccably clear tall windows bordering the boat. It would be a luxury eating in a place like that, but the truth of the matter is their menu really isn’t that much more expensive than any other restaurant in Paris.

brunch

The restaurant’s menu carries a variety of dishes with seasonal ingredients starting off with their appetizers such as their Crispy fresh goat cheese with eggplant caviar that will melt in your mouth and make you see stars, their many options of salads each with different toppings, the restaurant’s main dishes consisting of your choice of meat: Fish, duck, beef, or chicken. They have something for everybody, the restaurant also offers vegetarian options like their Sicilian linguini with bits of parmesan and fresh basil, we don’t know about you, but we can taste the food just by reading the ingredients. If you’ve been having some difficulties finding a place in Paris to have a nice Sunday brunch, look no further because La Nouvelle Seine offers delicious Sunday Brunch for only 28 euros.

stage

This chic boat transformed into a restaurant can be misleading, it may look as if there was only a restaurant situated inside but what you might not have known is the fact that it also comprises of a small theater. Where you might ask? In the bottom section of the boat of course. I guess you can say this is a floating restaurant/ theatre, one of the most unique concepts found in the city of design. Though space isn’t of utmost priority considering it fits 110 guests, the multiple shows being displayed on board will surely make up for it. Once you sit in those soft red cushions and those velvet red curtains open up, you’ll immediately be charmed by the performance.

laughing crowd

Varin’s idea was to bring American comedy into the French culture, which is why she decided to welcome Sebastian Marx onboard. Famous comedian Sebastian Marx produces hilarious skits, he is the creator of the one of the best one-man standup comedy shows playing in Paris, The French Language explained by an American. The name of the programme says it all. Sebastian Marx is a comedian straight out of New York who has been in France for over 10 years now. His humorous act teaches the crowd a little bit about the French culture, for example why Parisians look at you funny when you start talking or laughing aloud in public, how can you tell if a French girl is into you? Why are some letters at the end of a sentence not pronounced? yeah, we’ve all been there. If you pronounce words horribly in French, no worries he will just make you stand out in the audience and correct your vocabulary. If you’re in town to have a good laugh, this show may just be the thing you need.

Laugh out loud with The French Language explained by an American

cabaret burlesque

La Nouvelle Seine is full of surprises, it offers quite a few numbers of comedy acts that alter throughout the week. Every month there is something new. One of the surprising ongoing shows has got to be The Cabaret Burlesque. You definitely don’t need to know French nor English to enjoy this programme. Cabaret Burlesque carries a twist of sensuality and humor, the perfect combination. To give you a little behind the scenes taste, the actors dress up in quirky costumes that will have your head spinning, and not mention their provocative yet humorous performance makes the crowd go wild, filling up the cozy space with cheers and whistles. Similar to cartoon characters you will also see some audience members have their eyes popping out of their eye sockets in a surprised manner, maybe were exaggerating but there will be some intense stares. Don’t get us wrong, this may be a cabaret, but nothing vulgar. The ladies on stage dance and sing with class.

Get tickets to watch Cabaret Burlesque, you know you want to!

Other programmes can be found on the Nouvelle Seine website. So, now that you’ve got a brief insight into one of the rare venues in Paris, why not reserve a table and a ticket? It will be worth your while.

 

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