Carl Hap Grand Restaurant de la Bourse
Buy this print on Etsy →A wonderfully atmospheric slice of old Paris, this Belle Époque poster by Carl Hap advertises the 'Grand Restaurant de la Bourse' at 47 rue Vivienne - a real establishment beside the Paris stock exchange, in the heart of the city. Beneath a big, hand-lettered title in glowing red, a well-dressed family enjoys a meal while an attentive waiter presents the wine, the crowded dining room stretching away behind them in soft, gaslit colour. It is advertising as storytelling, and it makes you want to pull up a chair.
What makes this sheet especially charming is that it was aimed squarely at tourists. Right there in the copy, in English, it asks: 'Englishmen and Americans staying in Paris: Do you want a good breakfast and a good dinner? Come at the Restaurant de la Bourse.' The fixed-price menus are spelled out with irresistible clarity - 1.50, 2 and 3 francs for a hors d'oeuvre or soup, two dishes of your choice and two desserts, 'vin compris' (wine included). Little speech bubbles have the diners praising the value: 'excellent - and not expensive - we'll come back!' It is a delightful window onto the golden age of Parisian dining and early tourism.
The poster is a classic of the French affiche tradition - lively line work, warm colours, a bustling human scene and that bold, decorative lettering that turned commercial printing into an art form. Printed in Paris and signed by the artist, it belongs to the same world of café and restaurant advertising that gives vintage French posters their enduring appeal.
On a wall it brings instant Parisian warmth. It is a natural for a kitchen, dining room or breakfast nook, a bistro-style bar cart, a coffee corner or a restaurant, and it makes a lovely gift for Francophiles, foodies, chefs and anyone who dreams of a table in Belle Époque Paris. It groups beautifully with other vintage café, wine and travel prints.
Because the original dates to the turn of the twentieth century, it is now in the public domain, which is why we can reproduce it at full museum quality.
Each print is produced on premium 189 gsm museum-grade archival matte paper, faithfully capturing the warm reds, soft interiors and aged paper tones of the original lithograph - ready to frame and enjoy for years to come.
