Maison Baccarat Paris – Ducasse Dining & Crystal Style
Once a glittering showcase of Baccarat crystal in a Philippe Starck design, the historic mansion at 11 Place des États-Unis has entered a new chapter. The museum has closed, the Cristal Room cafe has been retired, and in its place has emerged an immersive culinary and design experience under the direction of Alain Ducasse. The new Maison Baccarat in Paris is part showroom, part salon, part stage set — where artistry in light and crystal meets the theater of French cuisine.
The transformation is complete. A contemporary bar by Margot Lecarpentier now welcomes visitors with shimmering cocktails and sculptural glassware. Upstairs, Ducasse's new restaurant serves a quiet spectacle of seasonal precision. In the garden, a leafy terrace hums with more relaxed service, while dramatic Baccarat chandeliers still light the ballroom for private events and the occasional performance. For those hoping to browse the legendary crystal, the boutique is open by appointment. It may no longer be a museum, but it's still a show.
The Baccarat Mansion in Paris
The garden of Maison Baccarat, photo SortirParis
The Baccarat mansion is located in the 16th Arrondissement, just off Avenue d'Iéna in a quiet square lined with elegant façades. It once belonged to Marie-Laure de Noailles — patron of Dalí, Cocteau, and Man Ray — whose legacy still lingers in the surreal flourishes scattered through the building. Baccarat acquired the property in 2003 and originally transformed it into a combined showroom, museum, and destination restaurant.
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Restaurant Alain Ducasse Baccarat
Inside restaurant Ducasse at Maison Baccarat
Upstairs, super chef Alain Ducasse presides over a jewel-box of a dining room. This is no grand palace of gastronomy — it's a series of intimate salons, each cloaked in velvet and crystal. The menu is seasonal, inventive, and understated, with elegant dishes that shift with the market.
The kitchen is led by chefs Christophe Saintagne and Robin Schroeder, whose work here reflects Ducasse's signature: ingredient-forward, precise, and restrained. Lunchtime is quiet and formal. Dinner turns slightly more theatrical. In either case, the star is the setting — sparkling crystal, vintage Baccarat service pieces, and softly glowing chandeliers.
Le Jardin Ducasse Baccarat
Dining al fresco at Le Jardin Ducasse Baccarat
In the warmer months, the garden becomes a second stage. This is Le Jardin, Ducasse's terrace restaurant concept, offering lighter fare in a leafy outdoor setting. The hours are longer, the service is more relaxed, and the tone is playful—grilled vegetables, seasonal fish, and unfussy desserts, served under the flicker of Baccarat lighting fixtures.
It's a welcome shift from the formal restaurant upstairs and one of the few places in Paris where you can drink vintage champagne at a picnic-style table surrounded by curated hedges and glass sculptures.
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Bar Midi-Minuit
The bar at Bar Midi-Minuit, photo by Yannick Labrousse
The ground floor bar is open daily from noon to midnight, as its name implies, and it's far more than a place to wait for your table. Run by mixologist Margot Lecarpentier (known for her work at Combat, Double Club), Bar Midi-Minuit plays with color, clarity, and glass like an alchemist.
Expect signature cocktails served in Baccarat pieces, inventive non-alcoholic drinks, and a handful of pastry accompaniments in the afternoon. By evening, the lights dim, the music deepens, and the bar shifts into a moody salon. It's open to the public, no appointment necessary — but a reservation is smart.
The Baccarat Ballroom & Events
The Maison's grand ballroom remains one of the most visually stunning private event spaces in Paris. The Baccarat chandeliers still glitter overhead, and the original carved woodwork has been preserved. The space is used for private dinners, receptions, fashion events, and, occasionally, ticketed performances or artist residencies.
It's not always open to the public, but those lucky enough to attend an event here get to see Baccarat's legacy in full theatrical form.
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Booking Your Visit
Inside the boutique at Maison Baccarat
Visiting Maison Baccarat isn't like walking into a gallery. You'll need a reservation for the restaurant, garden, or bar, and an appointment to enter the boutique. There is no longer crystal pieces on display that you can browse. If you're only hoping to shop or admire the crystal work, contact the Maison ahead of time to schedule. But, be aware that the boutique is mainly for collectors of Baccarat pieces. You know: people who spend money there!
Maison Baccarat Paris Resource Guide
Monumental crystal vase at the foot of the grand staircase, photo by Jean Guillaume
📍 ADDRESS
11 Place des États-Unis, 75116 Paris
Métro: Boissière, Iéna (Line 9)
⏰ OPENING HOURS
• Bar Midi-Minuit: Daily, 12:00–24:00
• Restaurant Alain Ducasse: 12:00–13:30 and 19:30–21:30
• Le Jardin: Open seasonally, 12:00–24:00
• Boutique: By appointment only
📞 CONTACT & RESERVATIONS
• Restaurant & Bar...
• Maison Baccarat Paris website...
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The Story of Baccarat
This legendary crystal workshop was founded in 1764, when Louis XV gave the royal oui for the creation of Baccarat in Lorraine, France. At first they made everyday items like window panes, mirrors, and stemware. In 1816 the first crystal oven was installed that kept 3,000 employees busy with royal commissions. (Louis XVIII was back on the throne by then, after the Revolution, Napoleon, and all that.) Baccarat won its first gold medal at the International Exhibition in Paris in 1855.
Sometime during the 1800s, Baccarat began labelling its work with a registered trademark placed on the bottom of the crystal. (After World War II a rare paperweight with a Baccarat trademark from 1853 was found in a damaged church in the town of Baccarat.) Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra became fans during a Paris stopover in 1896. The tsar was fascinated by an candelabra made with 3,300 pieces of crystal, which he ordered for his palace in Saint Petersburg.
In Istanbul at the Dolmabahce Palace, the world's largest chandelier and a staircase lined with crystal was made by Baccarat. From royal chandeliers to perfume, Baccarat became an iconic luxury brand of France. During the Belle Époque (1875-1910), 4,000 decorative glass bottles were made every day for a variety of perfume makers.
Madame Marie-Laure de Noailles
Baccarat's flagship boutique and the Ducasse restaurants are housed in a spectacular mansion in Paris. The prestigious hôtel particulier was once home to Marie-Laure de Noailles, a descendant of Marquis de Sade.
De Noilles was a eccentric writer, painter, and patron of the arts and lived at 11 Place des Etats-Unis for forty years, until her death in 1971. She was famous for hosting decadent parties attended by A-listers of the time — Jean Cocteau, Man Ray, Gertrude Stein, Georges Braque, Alberto Giacometti, Salvador Dali, and Yves Saint Laurent. Often guests would take up temporary residence in the rambling mansion.
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