In the Roaring Twenties, Paris bustled with parties and exploded with options for entertainment. One of these was a cinema nestled right in the center of the eclectic Barbès neighborhood. Inspired by Egyptian artifacts, the Louxor movie theater was an exercise in Egyptian iconography with stonework, metal decoupage and opulent balconies that made it as exciting to look at as the films it showed.
In the 1930s, the theater was covered up in a Greek revival style and it officially closed in the 1980s. By the early 2000s, though, plans were under way to bring the theater back to life. In 2013, the Louxor finally reopened its doors to reveal impressive restoration and preservation work. Buy a ticket to any of the theater’s art cinema showings and take it all in: gilded motifs of the Egyptian phoenix, sand-yellow walls and bright, sunny mosaics.
If architecture, interior décor, and a good movie just aren’t enough, head up to the third floor bar, accessible only to ticketholders. There, you can snack on bread from famous restaurateur Thierry Breton with platters of cheese and charcuterie. When it gets warmer, the Louxor’s terrace is the place to go for a picturesque view of the Sacré Coeur. History, architecture, culture, and food all in one: why wouldn’t you go?
