Say bonjour to O’Naturel, Paris’ first nudist restaurant
Phones and cameras are strictly banned in naturist haven
Paris has welcomed its first nudist restaurant, where patrons swap dinner jackets for birthday suits in the heart of the City of Lights.
The fittingly-named O’Naturel opened its doors in south-east Paris last month, serving a menu of classic French cuisine including foie gras, rack of lamb and creme brulee.
But it isn’t the food that has set tongues wagging - at O’Naturel, all diners enjoy their bill of fare in the buff.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Once they arrive at the restaurant, guests are ushered into a changing room with lockers for their clothes and valuables - including mobile phones and cameras, both of which are strictly prohibited in the dining room.
A white curtain hangs over the frontage of the restaurant, but this is almost certainly for the benefit of passers-by rather than diners, many of whom enthused about the freedom to bare all.
The president of the French Naturist Federation, Yves Leclerc, admitted that stripping off in an upmarket Parisian bistro was “a little surreal” but welcomed the chance to live the nudist lifestyle in the city.
“It's like when we're on holiday, but it's even better,” he said.
London’s only nude restaurant, The Bunyadi, closed its doors just a few months after opening, but O’Naturel’s owners, Mike and Stephane Saada are hoping Paris will prove a more fertile ground. “More than 3.5 million people - including two million foreign tourists - practise naturism in France every year,” ABC reports.
Online reviews for the restaurant have been mixed, with one reviewer complaining that the presence of clothed waiters dampened the atmosphere.
Reservations are mandatory, and a list of rules is prominently displayed inside the restaurant to minimise the risk of any visitors getting the wrong idea about the strictly platonic nature of the bare-all dress code.
“We might reject someone or explain to him that if he is looking to hook up, he should go somewhere else,” Stephane told AFP.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
7 beautiful towns to visit in Switzerland during the holidays
The Week Recommends Find bliss in these charming Swiss locales that blend the traditional with the modern
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
The Week contest: Werewolf bill
Puzzles and Quizzes
By The Week US Published
-
'This needs to be a bigger deal'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Has the Taliban banned women from speaking?
Today's Big Question 'Rambling' message about 'bizarre' restriction joins series of recent decrees that amount to silencing of Afghanistan's women
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Cuba's energy crisis
The Explainer Already beset by a host of issues, the island nation is struggling with nationwide blackouts
By Rebekah Evans, The Week UK Published
-
Putin's fixation with shamans
Under the Radar Secretive Russian leader, said to be fascinated with occult and pagan rituals, allegedly asked for blessing over nuclear weapons
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Chimpanzees are dying of human diseases
Under the radar Great apes are vulnerable to human pathogens thanks to genetic similarity, increased contact and no immunity
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Deaths of Jesse Baird and Luke Davies hang over Sydney's Mardi Gras
The Explainer Police officer, the former partner of TV presenter victim, charged with two counts of murder after turning himself in
By Austin Chen, The Week UK Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 24 February - 1 March
Puzzles and Quizzes Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will mounting discontent affect Iran election?
Today's Big Question Low turnout is expected in poll seen as crucial test for Tehran's leadership
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Sweden clears final NATO hurdle with Hungary vote
Speed Read Hungary's parliament overwhelmingly approved Sweden's accession to NATO
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published