Mascotte Montmartre - Restaurant Brasserie, fish specialities

La Mascotte Montmartre is a very special place, part bar, part brasserie. It's the last authentic bistro on rue des Abbesses, in the heart of Montmartre, on the south side. Established in 1889.

It all began in 1889, the same year as the Eiffel Tower and the Moulin Rouge

That year, in the heart of rue des Abbesses, Le Pompea opened as a small two-storey hotel, with a large counter on the first floor. It was a troquet in the purest Parisian popular tradition, where everyone could meet.

In the 1930s, the owner, a certain Père Teissier, had the building raised three storeys to create a second hotel, the Antinea, to accommodate his sons. At the time, this was what was known as a "hôtel de préfecture", otherwise known as a "garni" or "meublé", which, for the record, in 1953 hosted the love story of Edith Piaf and her pianist.

In the 1950s, a billiards room for Montmartre customers

The business was run by Laurent and Mézia. At the time, the back room housed four billiard tables, and the place was frequented by a Montmartre clientele made up of shopkeepers, craftsmen and artists, all attracted by the quality of the wine served at good prices, but also by the small stall selling snails run by the Marchal couple, founders of the Escargot de la Butte, the gastropod farm located on rue Joseph de Maistre. Today it's a coworking space, a place to work, share and collaborate. (Minca Coworking).

The Aveyronnais move into the place

The first Aveyronnais family, the Comtes, took over the place, before it was bought by Irène and Maurice Campion in 1965.

At the time, the bar was already on the left, and apart from the snails and seafood takeaways for which the establishment was famous, it served only sandwiches. Except that Irène is a good cook, and dreams of being able to offer her customers real hot dishes. Her husband didn't believe in it, but she took the plunge anyway, and started cooking in a tiny room at the end of the counter, first omelettes, then a few traditional dishes. The whole neighborhood flocked to taste the boss's fried potatoes and cherry clafoutis!

The real start of La Mascotte Montmartre in 1975

Following the success of Irène's cuisine, in 1975 the Campions decided to transform the place by enlarging the bar, which was now on the right, and the dining room by removing two billiard tables. This was the golden age of La Mascotte, and the establishment became the lively heart of the Rue des Abbesses, a meeting place for both local regulars and Parisians who shared a love of simple, tasty things in a convivial atmosphere. The bar, which at the time extended almost the entire length of the room towards the back, had a lot to do with this, and many Montmartre residents still remember the interminable evenings spent at the bar... It was in the family apartment just above the bar and in the midst of all this "fauna" that Thierry, Maurice and Irène's son, grew up. When Maurice died prematurely in 1988, Thierry was too young to take over the business, and his mother too distraught to continue on her own. The business was then placed under management.

The Campions return to La Mascotte Montmartre

Four years later, Thierry and his wife Ghislaine decided to take over La Mascotte. The young man's background (he was 29 at the time) was not insignificant: after completing a BAC in agriculture, he graduated from a business school and went on to work as a salesman for Pernod-Ricard, then Perrier.

Both his family history and his professional background make him a legitimate candidate for this adventure, even if he confesses to regretting not having attended a hotel school. Nevertheless, La Mascotte is in his blood, and he's living proof that hard work, passion and determination can make all the difference!

La Mascotte Montmartre today

The billiard tables have gradually disappeared, and La Mascotte has gone from being a neighborhood bistro to a renowned restaurant, without losing its profoundly Montmartre soul. From his Aveyron origins, Thierry has retained a taste for good food and tradition. He works directly with producers and winegrowers, and is proud to have been awarded the Coupe du Meilleur Pot by the Académie Rabelais in 1999.

In the relaxed atmosphere on the slopes of Butte Montmartre, the mood is not gloomy, and there's no shortage of true Parisians who come to La Mascotte for a drink at the large zinc bar lining the entrance. What Montmartre resident hasn't sipped a glass of white wine on a Sunday lunchtime, accompanied by some seafood at the counter?

La Mascotte, Montmartre's emblematic retro-style bar-brasserie

But people also come to Thierry Campion's for a pleasant meal in the large dining room, once decorated by Thierry's parents in the Arts Déco style, with mirrors and marquetry. Thierry Campion also remains faithful to his favorite winemakers from the Beaujolais and South-West regions.

La Mascotte Montmartre specialties

La Mascotte's other specialties include seafood (the bench is only closed in July and August due to the heat) and the unmissable cochonnailles fermières du Cantal. Very French, half-canailles, half-homemade, the menu's suggestions are numerous, appetizing and sometimes original. And here, they don't skimp on quality, with fish arriving directly from Brittany.

We also liked the simple originality of Père Duval's andouille sausage tartare seasoned with mustard seed, and a tasty chuck cooked in a pot-au-feu pan-fried "back and forth" with baby onions and carrots.

To whet your appetite: Seafood platters, Sole meunière, Live lobster a la plancha, Beef tartar, Mussels à la Normande, Mascotte-style Fish & Chips, Ice creams and sorbets from Maison Berthillon.

Approx. €70 excluding à la carte drinks. Menu €49. Set lunch menu at €32, drinks included, Monday to Friday. Children's menu €22

L'Ecaille or the extension of La Mascotte

After purchasing the premises adjoining the restaurant in 2011, we created L'Ecaille. After major renovations in 2012, the space was enlarged and modernized to offer seafood and other regional products, freeing up the terrace. The counter has been returned to its original position on the left as you enter, and the décor has been designed in an Art Nouveau style, combining period woodwork and traditional tiling. A room has also been created upstairs, which regularly serves as a meeting place for numerous local associations.