Brasserie Excelsior Nancy

Overview

The Brasserie Excelsior in Nancy is one of the finest surviving Art Nouveau restaurant interiors in Europe. Opened in 1911 opposite the city railway station, this classified Monument Historique represents the full flowering of the École de Nancy movement. Every surface — from the Gruber stained-glass ceiling panels to the Majorelle furniture and Daum lamps — was designed as a coherent decorative whole. Today it remains a working brasserie, serving Lorraine cuisine beneath its extraordinary decorative canopy.

Architecture

Designed by Lucien Weissenburger and Alexandre Mienville, the building pairs a confident Beaux-Arts street façade with a radical Art Nouveau interior. The structural ironwork is concealed behind organic carved woodwork and ceramic panels. Jacques Gruber supplied the masterwork: a series of large stained-glass panels depicting water lilies, irises, and wisteria that flood the dining room with tinted natural light. The overall composition avoids the excesses of high Jugendstil, favouring a warm, amber-and-green palette of considered luxury.

History

Nancy in 1911 was the capital of the École de Nancy, an Art Nouveau movement founded by Émile Gallé and sustained by industrialists, glassmakers, and furniture designers who made the city a byword for the new style. The Brasserie Excelsior was conceived as a showcase for local artisans: Louis Majorelle supplied the sinuous mahogany chairs and banquettes; Daum Frères created the amber glass lamps; and Jacques Gruber designed the stained glass. Classified as a Monument Historique in 1976, it narrowly escaped modernisation pressures that gutted comparable interiors across France.

Interior

The dining room unfolds as a continuous ornamental surface. Gruber stained-glass panels line the upper register, casting shifting coloured light across Majorelle mahogany and pale ceramic walls decorated with stylised floral reliefs. Daum lamps in moulded amber glass hang at intervals, supplementing natural light with a warm artificial glow. The mosaic floor, the carved wooden screens between seating areas, and the original bar counter complete an interior that has survived almost entirely intact since its inauguration, making it a living museum of the applied arts as much as a restaurant.

Visiting

The Brasserie Excelsior is open daily for lunch and dinner, with service continuing through the afternoon — unusually for France. No reservation is required for the bar and counter seating; table bookings are recommended for evenings. Admission is free; a meal is your ticket to the interior. Check the official website for current hours and seasonal closures.

Getting There

Address: 50 Rue Henri Poincaré, 54000 Nancy, France. The brasserie faces Nancy railway station directly — a two-minute walk from the main entrance. Local buses and the tramway serve the station square. Street parking available on adjacent streets.

In the Area

Nancy offers a remarkable concentration of Art Nouveau heritage. The Place Stanislas, a UNESCO World Heritage baroque square, is a ten-minute walk. The Musée de lÉcole de Nancy houses the finest collection of École de Nancy furniture, glass, and ceramics, including works by Gallé, Majorelle, and Daum.