1889 was a big year for Paris. The Eiffel Tower was built, an International Exhibition was staged, and Moulin Rouge opened its doors. Exactly as old as the Eiffel Tower, this famous cabaret is more popular than ever. You can't miss its signature bright red windmill at the foot of Montmartre, on Place Blanche along Boulevard de Clichy.
Today, Moulin Rouge is still the number-one rated show in City of Night and it sells out weeks in advance. One hundred performers, including the legendary Doriss Dancing Girls, are resplendent in feathers, sequins and rhinestone costumes.
Combine the Moulin Rouge with the best of the city's nightlife. You start our with priority access to the Eiffel Tower, where a table has been reserved for you beneath the glass dome on Level One. Next up, a nighttime cruise the Seine river to see all the sights of Paris alit. Then you are spirited to the legendary Moulin Rouge for the evening cabaret.
Everything is included — cruise, Eiffel Tower dinner, Moulin Rouge show, champagne at Moulin Rouge, and transportation back to your hotel at the end of the evening.
We particularly like this option because you're treated as a VIP in the best seats at the Moulin Rouge. In fact, there are only twenty-four of these exclusive seats on the balcony, with clear views to the stage, sets, and dancing. The night also includes skip-the-line entry plus the show, a four-course French dinner, and fine wines and champagne selected by the sommelier.
This nighttime Moulin Rouge activity is another favorite and we recommend it for a number of reasons — an important one is it includes pickup and transportation back to your hotel at the end of the night, which we consider a must.
The fun starts at 7:00 PM with a leisurely multi-course meal featuring classic French food and champagne. After dinner, settle back and enjoy the amazing cabaret show.
Best part — you don't have to worry about arranging any details. Everything is included — tickets to the show, dinner, champagne and transportation to and from your hotel. (Actually, another advantage to this activity is that it lets you choose either the hotel transportation we described, OR transportation from a central Paris location, OR no transportation at all !) This sells out weeks in advance, so be sure to book early!
Paris is fantastic by day but it is absolutely magical by night. See the city lights on your way to Moulin Rouge. Your driver takes you on a best-of-Paris route from Place de la Concorde, Place Vendôme, Opera and Champs-Elysées to Pigalle, Montmartre, and everything in between.
Once again, all the details have been arranged — pick-up and return transportation to your Paris address, illuminations tour, tickets to Moulin Rouge, and champagne, of course.
Start your night with a dinner cruise aboard one of the glass-enclosed boats from Marina de Paris on the River Seine. We like this evening activity because you're able to dine at your own private table as you admire the monuments of Paris passing by. Then you are driven to Moulin Rouge for a dazzling show.
Everything is included, as you might expect by now — transportation to and from your hotel, dinner, Moulin Rouge show and, of course, champagne!
Want to see the cabaret show without dinner? Bien sur! Same great show with transportation to and from your hotel and some bubbly to enjoy while you take in the number-one rated show in Europe. It's the easy way to go, no need to figure out how to get there on the Metro or what to do when you're ready to leave.
Complete with champagne, hotel pick-up and return after the show. Choose the 9:00 PM show or the 11:00 PM show.
Want dinner and the show but you can manage your own transportation? Pas de probleme! This combination dinner and show includes everything except getting to and from your hotel.
Dress code at the Moulin Rouge is elegant attire. Dress your best, you're in Paris!
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Sure, it's a cabaret but you probably didn't know that the Moulin Rouge is also known for its dining. The menu continually changes but here's a sneak peek of what you can expect when you dine at the world's most famous cabaret.
There are several menus to choose from, each is named after a pivotal actress, artist, or époque. Of course, it being France, a half bottle of champagne per person is always included!
Mistinguett was a star of the Moulin Rouge in the early 1900s and one of the highest-paid female entertainers in the world. Mistinguett (Jeanne Florentine Bourgeois) started her career as a flower seller and became so popular that she toured the US and appeared in Time magazine.
ENTRÉE
• Terrine of foie gras with fruit chutney, or
• King prawns with smoked spices & herb vinaigrette
PLAT
• Sautéed chicken breast with morel cream sauce & fresh pasta, or
• Baked salmon filet with French white butter sauce & roasted grape tomatoes
DESSERT
• Compote of red berries, meringue & raspberry sauce, or
• A trio of chocolate creations garnished with chocolate pearls
Dedicated to the artist who popularized the gaiety of Moulin Rouge. Henri Toulouse-Lautrec accomplished a lot in his brief 36 years. You'll probably recognize his popular Moulin Rouge posters — Reine de Joie, Aristide Bruant and La Goulue.
ENTRÉE
• Norwegian smoked salmon & caviar with toast points, or
• Stuffed dover sole on a bed of baby greens
PLAT
• Steamed sea bream with champagne sauce & dauphinoise potatoes, or
• Sautéed veal with suprême sauce & rice pilaf
DESSERT
• Moulin Rouge Opera cake with chocolate hazelnut sauce , or
• Compote of red berries, meringue & raspberry sauce.
Opera Cake — Opéra gateau is an elaborate almond sponge, soaked in coffee syrup, layered with ganache, coffee buttercream, and chocolate glaze. A French invention, it makes for a showstopping dessert.
Belle Épôque is French for the "Beautiful Era". This menu is dedicated to the period between the Prussian War (1870) and World War I (1914) when France's economy flourished and the arts, restaurants, culture and entertainment gained recognition.
MISE EN BOUCHE
A little appetizer specially prepared by the chef to tease the palate
ENTRÉE
• Foie gras with mango vinaigrette & roquette salad , or
• Lobster à la Parisienne with baby greens
PLAT
• Sea bass filet with porcini mushroom sauce & risotto , or
• Sirloin steak with French beans, fresh butter & pan-fried baby potatoes
DESSERT
• Saint Honoré cake with raspberries, whipped cream & caramel, or
• Moulin Rouge Opera cake with chocolate hazelnut sauce, or
• A trio of chocolate creations garnished with chocolate pearls
Privilege Dinner Cruise with Hotel Pickup |
Marina de Paris Dinner Cruise on the Seine |
Founders Joseph Oller and Charles Zidler had a vision of creating a place where rich and famous Parisians could let their hair down in the shabby/chic part of town, Montmartre. Their extravagant design included a gigantic elephant sculpture in the garden and the early shows were inspired by circus acts. Instantly, Moulin Rouge became a magnet to tout le monde — women, workers, artists, the bourgeoisie, businessmen and tourists.
Enter Parisian artist Toulouse-Lautrec. It was his posters and paintings that boosted the Moulin Rouge to international fame.
The Moulin Rouge has been the spot for entertainment in Paris since it was built at the height of the Belle Epoque, the re-flourishing of Paris after France's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War. The French Cancan with its furious rhythms and scintillating costumes, along with a champagne-fueled audience, made the nightclub a sought-after destination.
Controversy has also been a part of the Moulin's history. Colette's 1906 performance Egyptian Dream caused a sensation. The Chief of Police threatened to close down the cabaret if the two-minute act was ever performed again. What was all the fuss about? A long kiss between Colette and her fellow performer, Missy, AKA Yssim, AKA the Marquise de Morny.
The Moulin Rouge, the birthplace of the can-can, has entertained Parisians and pleasure seekers from around the globe with its risqué and elaborate shows for 130 years. Those years haven't all been easy — over the decades the cabaret has faced many trials, from scandals and a major fire, to world wars and near bankruptcy.
Established during the Belle Époque, the Moulin Rouge made its debut the same year as another Paris icon, the Eiffel Tower. Both were launched in 1889, a time when the bourgeoisie was creating the art of travel, leisure, dining, and entertainment.
Decades passed and Moulin Rouge continued its famous revue, but it was not drawing the same size crowds. Bankruptcy loomed in the 1990s. Then something unexpected happened, a deus ex machina in the form of Baz Luhrmann's 2001 film Moulin Rouge starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. The film brought new audiences to the night spot and new energy to the team. Since then Moulin Rouge has continued to be a top destination in the City of Light.
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