So many famous figures in the worlds of art and literature have stepped onto the floor of La Maison Rose and most of us have no idea! Some of these people have been immortalized in paintings and others contributed to one of the turning points in art.
If La Maison Rose – the Pink House – is now the center of attraction for tourists visiting Montmartre, it was at some point the heartland for many artists, such as Bernard Buffet, Maurice Utrillo, and of course Pablo Picasso.
Corner rue des Saules and rue de l’Abreuvoir
Laure Germaine Cargallo, who was Picasso’s model, friend, and lover in 1901, opened the Maison Rose in 1905 with her husband and painter Ramon Pichot. The couple was part of a love triangle with Carles Casagemas, a triangle that Picasso illustrated later in his famous work The Three Dancers, in 1925. Casagemas, a painter and poet was Picasso’s close friend, and in 1901, in despair, committed suicide because Germaine, with whom he was deeply in love, spurned his affection. It is said that his suicide generated the blue period of Picasso.
In 1925, when her husband Pichot died, Germaine – better known as tante Laure – was left alone to take care of the establishment. With time, her beauty faded; toothless and in a condition of premature aging, she died in December 1948 from Syphilis. She is present in many of Picasso and Casagemas’s paintings.
Laurence Miolano
Laurence Miolano, the current owner of La Maison Rose, is the granddaughter of Beatrice, who bought the place in December 1948 just after the death of Laure Germaine Cargallo. With time the place began to lose its charm and became a tourist trap, leading to its eventual close.
At the beginning of 2018, however, La Maison Rose came back to life with Laurence. Her goal is to revive the place based on archival documents, pictures, and family memories. The place has now regained its charm of yesteryear, and we are easily seduced by the antique furniture and original materials.
Laurence didn’t want to stop with the décor, she wants to attract the Montmartrois, residents of Montmartre, the same way her grandmother and Germaine did. She offers traditional dishes, simple and delicious.
We started our lunch with an assortment of charcuteries and homemade pickles. It’s just what we needed after being abroad for a few months.
My husband and I had the broccoli soup with Parmesan cheese and a touch of paprika. It was as good as mine! That summarizes it all!
My daughter had the einkorn wheat with bacon, mushrooms, and Parmesan cheese. It was tasty and unique.
Her friend had the Giant flageolet bean in tomato broth and poached eggs. It’s the vegetarian version of the cassoulet. It was warm and comforting. You could feel the desire to create homemade dishes.
For dessert, we had the apple crumble and the gluten-free chocolate cake.
It was such a pleasure to be in this charming house in Montmartre, a place I had taken pictures of so many times from the outside without ever venturing inside. Laurence Miolano did a fabulous job renovating the place with her heart
and soul.
Hopefully, after reading my blog post on La Maison Rose, you won’t, like me, take pictures of this iconic house and simply pass by, but rather stop by and have lunch, dinner, or tea time with a little pastry. It is such an adorable place that it’s worth adding to your schedule!
La Maison Rose
2 Rue de l’Abreuvoir, 75018 Paris
📞+33 1 42 64 49 62
Price: $$
Subway: Line 12 – station Lamarck-Caulaincourt
Monday, Tuesday: closed
Wednesday: 6 – 11 pm
Thursday: 12 – 11 pm
Friday, Saturday: 12 – 11:30 pm
Sunday: 11:30am – 8 pm
Great review. We were there in January 2018 but didn’t realise it was open again. Took a photo of the exterior of the building in January but the building appeared white, not rose coloured.