September 25, 2025
The Cirque d’Hiver
The Cirque d’Hiver was inaugurated by the newly crowned Napoleon III on December 11, 1852, and is said to be the oldest circus in the world.
Duc de Morny, half-brother of Prince Louis-Napoleon, obtained a building permit to build on the site of an old water tower on the boulevard du crime, the nickname of the Boulevard du Temple. Its sponsor, Louis Dejean, entrusted its construction to Jacques Hittorf, architect of the Gare du Nord and the Place de la Concorde. It was then named Cirque Napoléon in homage to the new Emperor of the French.
The ticket gate
On November 12, 1859, Jules Léotard from Toulouse, known as the “flying artist,” made history by performing a flying trapeze act for the first time in the world.
The Clown Bar
Next to the Cirque is a very unique restaurant—the Clown Bar.
The ceiling of the clown bar
The bartender has the very best seat in the house in this tiny establishment, meaning pictures were extremely hard to take.
If you look closely you can see the original zinc bar
Founded in 1902, it is situated two doors from the Cirque d’Hiver. The Circus Bar was once an old dining room used to feed performers from the circus next door.
The delightful tile wall
The bar has a frieze of ceramic panels showing clowns, put together in the 1920s by a factory in Sarreguemines.
In 2014, Sven Chartier and Ewen Lemoigne, acquired the bistro and hired the Japanese chef Sota Atsumi. The food is outstanding.
The Mobster Bar
Nothing to do with clowns, but around the corner is another extremely unique find.
The Mobster Bar
It is rather difficult to find, and entry is not that easy.
There is no address, and this telephone is set back from the street, making it a tad difficult to find. – Entry is granted once you answer a history question. The only way to get the question is to lift the receiver and listen.
It is a very, very small and intimate bar, with highly unique cocktails. The bar, created by brothers Francisco and Javier Lozano, features an art deco interior designed by the wife of one of the brothers.