You could say Australian film director Baz Luhrmann knows a thing or two about how to set a scene–he’s the mastermind behind iconic films including Moulin Rouge, Romeo + Juliet, The Great Gatsby, Elvis, and Strictly Ballroom, though his latest venture doesn’t involve any cameras–well, besides your camera phone, because it’s certainly worth a photo-op.
A new cocktail bar, Monsieur, recently opened in the East Village, and its over-the-top gothic slash medieval vibe comes directly from the mind of Luhrmann. The bar opened on Tuesday, January 21st and has already seen a star-studded clientele, including pop icon Madonna who shared photos of the space on her Instagram with the caption “When you’re feeling down, go to Monsieur. 🎩🐒”
The gothic new space is a collaboration between Luhrmann, his Oscar-winning wife, designer Catherine Martin, and Jon Neidich, who’s behind Le Dive and The Nines. The space feels very much Game of Thrones-esque with a spritz of rock-and-roll, featuring stained glass windows, candelabras, medieval artwork, and a suit of armor decked out in costume jewelry.
The bar is based on the legend of the fictional character Monsieur. Hailing from the mind of Luhrmann, Monsieur is a Middle Ages-era man who never ages as he travels through time with his loyal companion, a pet chimp named Thibault, adopting various personas along the way before becoming a nightlife impresario. As legend has it, Monsieur has even bumped elbows with Andy Warhol and Lou Reed along the way.
A press release reads:
He was the kind of fellow who looked like he’d just stepped out of his own self-portrait; a fabulist, a trickster, a man who made fiction feel more truthful than fact, a true impresario of East Village nightlife in the 1970s.
Monsieur’s story comes to life throughout a series of rooms within the opulent space, all of which aim to revive the the spirt of NYC’s once rebellious nightlife. Luhrmann reportedly came up with the vision for the bar while touring castles in Cologne for his upcoming Joan of Arc film project.
Why the East Village? It’s reportedly Luhrmann’s favorite NY neighborhood; he’d dream about its grittiness as a kid growing up in rural Australia. “I’ve never lost a feeling for the romance of the East Village, the creativity that exuded from here, and what it brings to New York City,” he said, according to Vogue.
Whether you’re cozying up underneath a taxidermy bird sipping on cocktails like the Acapulco Gold or biting into pub-style bites such as flaky, palm-sized meat pies or truffle grilled cheese, Monsieur is everything you’d expect it to be coming from someone like Luhrmann.
A self-proclaimed “medieval lair”–that’s according to the bar’s Instagram–you certainly won’t experience anything else like Monsieur. We have a feeling it’s going to be our newest go-to date night spot.
📍 86 East Fourth Street