The plumes
The plumes
L'Oiseau Paradis unfolds as a run of fifteen tableaux, each with its own set, costumes and choreography.
- I
A waiter's daydream
The revue is built around a waiter who dreams of leaving the tables and taking the stage himself — the thread that opens and closes the ninety-minute show.
- II
The Cancan, made modern
Choreographer Marie-Laure Philippon built a new French Cancan for L'Oiseau Paradis with director Kamel Ouali, danced by the cast in Belle Époque-inspired costume.
- III
Fifteen tableaux
Sets by designer Alain Lagarde carry the cast through around fifteen distinct tableaux, each one a fresh stage picture rather than a single continuous scene.
- IV
Feathers and haute couture
Costumes are made by On Aura Tout Vu, a Paris couture house, for a cast that press describes as thirty international dancers, singers, acrobats and comedians.
- V
Special effects and stagecraft
Stage effects and illusions run alongside the dancing, a modern take on the traditional Paris revue.
- VI
The finale
The show runs from 9:30pm to around 11:15pm, closing the evening on the same stage Gustave Eiffel raised for the 1889 Exposition.
The revue runs for over ninety minutes without an interval, from the 9:30pm curtain.
From Napoleon's theatre to Gustave Eiffel's cabaret
From Napoleon's theatre to Gustave Eiffel's cabaret
A theatre built for the First Consul
In 1802, the First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte had a theatre built on rue des Fossés-Saint-Victor in the Latin Quarter; it opened the following year and, by the 1830s, was drawing figures such as Honoré de Balzac and Alexandre Dumas.
Burned, and rebuilt by Gustave Eiffel
The original theatre burned down during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870 and stood in ruins for seventeen years. Gustave Eiffel rebuilt the hall between 1887 and 1889, ahead of that year's Paris Exposition, and the renamed Paradis Latin reopened on 20 January 1889 with singer Yvette Guilbert on its bill.
A warehouse, then a cabaret again
The cabaret closed around 1900, and the building spent most of the twentieth century as a warehouse and small factory. When developer Jean Kriegel bought the site in 1973 to build apartments, he found Eiffel's original ironwork still standing under later additions and restored the 720-seat theatre instead, reopening it as a cabaret on 14 November 1977.
L'Oiseau Paradis, on the same stage today
The current revue, L'Oiseau Paradis, has run since May 2019, directed and choreographed by Kamel Ouali, with a modern French Cancan created for the show by choreographer Marie-Laure Philippon. About thirty performers move through some fifteen tableaux, in sets by Alain Lagarde and costumes by the Paris couture house On Aura Tout Vu.
Dinner, by tier
Dinner, by tier
All three dinner menus are built by Guy Savoy, the three-Michelin-starred chef, and served in the dining room ahead of the 9:30pm curtain; alternative menus cover common allergies and vegetarian diners.
The Eiffel menu
A starter, a main course and a dessert, with red wine and a glass of Champagne Pommery per guest.
The Prestige menu
The same three courses, with a dessert created for Paradis Latin by pastry chef Pierre Hermé, named the world's best in 2016, alongside red wine and Champagne Pommery.
The Napoléon menu
The top tier: a Guy Savoy menu with desserts by Pierre Hermé and Champagne Bollinger, skip-the-line entry, a souvenir photo and GOLD-category seats with a privileged view of the stage.
Children and the family show
Children's pricing runs across all three menus, and the cabaret also stages a separate, shorter family show, Mon Premier Cabaret, earlier in the day.
Three ways into the same evening
Three ways into the same evening
| Ticket | What comes with it | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Show only, with a drink | Arrival around 9pm for the 9:30pm curtain, with a glass of Champagne (or two soft drinks) and no dinner | Guests who've already eaten and want the revue on its own |
| Dinner and the revue | Arrival at 7:30pm, a three-course dinner with wine and Champagne from 8pm, then the 9:30pm curtain | A full evening on the Left Bank, dinner and revue together |
| The Napoléon dinner and the revue | The Prestige menu with Pierre Hermé desserts and Champagne Bollinger, skip-the-line entry and GOLD-category seats with a privileged view of the stage | Anniversaries, proposals and anyone who wants the evening at its most polished |
Want the Napoléon menu and GOLD-category seats? See the Napoléon VIP listing ↗
Finding Paradis Latin, and what to wear
Finding Paradis Latin, and what to wear
28 rue du Cardinal-Lemoine
The cabaret sits in the Latin Quarter's fifth arrondissement, between the Panthéon and the Seine, near Notre-Dame. Metro Line 10 stops at Cardinal Lemoine; Lines 7 and 10 both stop at Jussieu, a short walk away.
Dress
Sportswear, beachwear, tank tops, flip-flops and shorts aren't admitted. A proper outfit is required and an elegant one is appreciated; clean trainers and classic jeans are tolerated.
Arrival and timing
Dinner-and-show tickets are called from 7:30pm, with dinner served from 8pm ahead of the 9:30pm curtain; show-only tickets are called from around 9pm. The evening runs to roughly 11:15pm.
Photos and access
Filming and photography aren't permitted once the revue begins, though a photographer works the room during the pre-show. The theatre has a dedicated entrance and accessible restrooms for guests with limited mobility — worth flagging when you book.
FAQ
What to know first
What time should we arrive?
Dinner-and-show tickets are called from 7:30pm, ahead of dinner at 8pm and the curtain at 9:30pm. If you've booked the show-only ticket, arrival is later, from around 9pm.
What's the difference between the Eiffel, Prestige and Napoléon menus?
All three are built by chef Guy Savoy and served at the same tables. The Prestige and Napoléon menus add a dessert created for the cabaret by pastry chef Pierre Hermé; the Napoléon menu also pours Champagne Bollinger in place of Champagne Pommery.
Is there a dress code?
Nothing is compulsory, but shorts, flip-flops and sportswear aren't admitted on the door. Most guests dress smartly for the evening, and many go formal.
Can children come to the show?
L'Oiseau Paradis is recommended from around age six. The cabaret also runs a separate family show, Mon Premier Cabaret, earlier in the day for younger children.
Can we take photos or video during the performance?
Filming and photography aren't allowed once the curtain goes up, to protect the performance and the room. A photographer works the pre-show and prints are sold afterward.
How do we get to the theatre?
Paradis Latin is at 28 rue du Cardinal-Lemoine in the Latin Quarter. The closest Metro stop is Cardinal Lemoine on Line 10; Jussieu, on Lines 7 and 10, is a short walk away.
What's the Napoléon VIP option, and is it worth booking separately?
It's the same revue and the same room, with the Napoléon menu, skip-the-line entry and GOLD-category seats. It's sold as its own GetYourGuide listing rather than an add-on to the standard dinner ticket.
Is there parking nearby?
The closest public car park is Saemes Maubert – Collège des Bernardins on Boulevard Saint-Germain, about five minutes' walk from the theatre. The cabaret doesn't run valet parking.
Your night at Paradis Latin
Your night at Paradis Latin
A Paradis Latin evening, step by step
From the door on rue du Cardinal-Lemoine to the last number, roughly in order, whichever ticket you've booked.
Read this cabaret guide →the building's historyThe house: from Napoleon's theatre to today
A theatre built for the First Consul, burned in 1870, rebuilt by Gustave Eiffel, and reopened as a cabaret more than a century later.
Read this cabaret guide →the show itselfL'Oiseau Paradis and its numbers
Kamel Ouali's revue, its cast, its Cancan and the fifteen tableaux that carry a waiter's daydream to the finale.
Read this cabaret guide →choosing your menuThe three dinner menus, compared
Eiffel, Prestige and Napoléon: what each tier adds, and why the top menu comes with the room's best tables.
Read this cabaret guide →choosing your ticketShow only, dinner or the Napoléon VIP: choosing
Three tickets to the same 9:30pm curtain, and what actually changes between them.
Read this cabaret guide →after the showThe Latin Quarter after the curtain
Where the evening sits in the fifth arrondissement, and what's still open nearby once the finale ends.
Read this cabaret guide →More of Paris after dark
See dates and book
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