Paris, city of romanticism, soon to be the capital of eroticism? If this happens, we can say that “Chez Lulu” will have brought its stone to the building. Open since February 23 in the 1st arrondissement, this club defines itself as a “disco-erotic-70s” bar-restaurant.
You have to approach the middle of rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau to distinguish the establishment. Only the red neon lights on the front show that you have arrived. At the entrance, the welcome is provided by two young women dressed in rhinestone jumpsuits. The tone is set. A few steps down, visitors are directly immersed in the world of Lulu: sensual red light, bossa nova in the speakers, dark carpet with multicolored flowers…
An omnipresent atmosphere
This first space is reserved for the bar, the guests who have just arrived sip a few drinks in a decor that is both pop and vintage. On the walls, many nods recall the claimed erotic touch, such as these mechanical characters with an SM profile.
On the wall facing the counter, there are long openings. What they reveal surprises the most curious. Behind these cracks in the walls is a sort of boudoir where dancers get ready and put on make-up. “I have the impression of having put my eye through the peephole of a forbidden place”, laughs a customer who seems more exhilarated than guilty.
From surprise to surprise
“It’s the desired reaction, comments Lulu introducing herself, we wanted to create this voyeur effect. ” The surprise is successful, at least as much as that of seeing a 31-year-old woman introduce herself as the hostess of these places: “Seeing the place, many people expect to see Lucien, a man over 60 years. However, she claims her youth and her femininity in the inspiration of the place. No porn here, she wants to inspire glamor and nuance.
After a first career in ready-to-wear, Lucile Clergerie became interested in interior decoration during the first confinement. While her family is forced to close the doors of her club “Jean-Louis la nuit” because of the Covid-19 crisis, Lulu chooses to take it over to recreate a club in her image. “It’s an atmosphere in which I find myself. »
Explicit references
Customers also obviously. It must be said that every detail brings back to the theme of the place. The “Whiplash”, the “Saint of breasts”, the “Forbidden fruit” or even the “So fresh, said” even the cocktails have evocative names. For those who would like to soak up more, a hairdresser-make-up artist with the look of Huggy les bons tips is ready in a corridor adjoining the bar. Nicknamed the “Maestro”, he can concoct a Farrah Fawcett blow-dry or make-up touch-up in minutes. The look, Lulu insists on it, even in her reservations which specify “Not undermined, no entry”. “The goal is not for everyone to come in costume, but I don’t want anyone to come in jeans and sneakers. I want people to make an effort, to put a bit of glitter in the way they dress. »
While the DJ gently switches from Brazilian music to a more decided disco, many guests slip into the restaurant area a few steps away. No question of forgetting the erotic spirit of the evening. There, around the dance floor, the tables are brought together in an intimate way, surrounded by cozy armchairs and benches. The atmosphere then becomes more explicit. Faced with customers who choose between “preliminaries” (starters), “act” (main course) and “finishes” (desserts), erotic films are projected on the walls of the restaurant.
Dancers warm up the floor for customers
If the guests are not yet swaying on the dance floor, the latter does not remain empty for long. Highlight of the show, the arrival of two dancers leaves no one indifferent. Lascivious and sensual, they stroll in rhinestone leotards (again) near the tables, capturing the attention of the audience. Be careful, nothing out of place in their show, Lulu is keen on it: “Everything is in the nuance, there is no vulgarity. And if it is necessary to specify it, it is forbidden to touch them. “The show is very “1970s”, but is not very “#MeToo” as specified by a customer, located in the first row, with his companion. Reported to Lulu, the remark makes her smile. “I understand the situation. But let this client be reassured, it’s only a matter of timing, we have two dancers due to arrive this week. We will have a good parity. »
After a few mouthfuls swallowed and a few cuts down, some let themselves go to the vibrations of the music and begin to stand up. Little by little, the dancers regain the top of the steps, a podium for the occasion, to continue to set the pace for the customers who take over the dance floor. It’s hard to know if the future of Paris is erotic, but the club “Chez Lulu” seems to have found its audience.