The French Riviera's famous white and gold horse restaurant: the chic and fabulous La Rotonde
In the heart of a region of timeless beauty and the capital of the Côte d'Azur, Nice is a city of history, architecture, culture and art, preserving the charm of a Mediterranean city with a wide variety of places to visit.
For over a century, Le Negresco Hotel has been writing the legend of Nice and the French Riviera. Built in 1912, the hotel is a magnificent, privately owned Belle Époque palace, the facade and the Salon Royal are classified as a National Historic monument. The hotel is ideally situated on the seafront promenade overlooking the scenic Bay of Angels on the Mediterranean Sea.
The legendary hotel is named after Henri Negresco (1868–1920), who had the palatial hotel constructed in 1912 and immediately attracts the international Jet Set. Artists, politicians and crowned heads, many of them sign the guestbook...
Socialite life and chic evenings, the myth is perpetuated with Jeanne Augier’s father who bought Le Negresco in 1957. She continues the brilliant history of the Palace. The painter Dali, Princess Grace of Monaco, the Beatles, Louis Armstrong, Elton John... she receives celebrities personally and undertakes to collect works of art and precious furniture. Even today it is not uncommon to come across a celebrity enjoying a discreet summer break on the terrace of 37 Promenade des Anglais.
La Rotonde, the legendary, contemporary brasserie on the Promenade, occupies a special place in the hearts and collective memory of the people of Nice. The later has been recently modernized, the main dining room a perfect balance between contemporaneous chic and delicate nostalgia of the previous decor, with its white carousel horses that seem to jump out of the walls or to gallop in the center of the room.
As an affectionate homage to Jeanne Augier, who owned the hotel from 1957 to 2019, the wooden horses of the original 19th century carousel have been faithfully replicated and now protrude from the walls covered in gold leaf.
This large brasserie combines a warm atmosphere with a touch of glamor, where the brightly colored furniture, the 18th century carousel, and its wooden horses transform the venue into a place of the unexpected. The elegant, refined charm of the marble effect comes to life inside the restaurant thanks to a combination of soft and strong tones, for a result with a bold character.
Ornate walls embellished with gold leaf blend to achieve a gradient treatment. Adding to the sensory experience are video projectors showcasing the riviera sky moving in slow motion. Luminous by day and star spangled by night fall, the interiors bring out originality and creative genius, where dining is a surprising and magical affair.
La Rotonde draws inspiration from dreamlike carousels, the vivid sculptural animals and their make-believe, imaginative world. An acknowledgement to Madame Augier and the design style represented at the hotel, the restaurant evokes a sense of surrealism. Composing deluxe and imaginative spaces emphasized by fantasy elements, the hotel and restaurant outlines a signature design style to captivate guests. Tastefully blending art and history, the design instils the sentiment of joie de vivre.
