France already boasts hundreds of beaches, campsites, and spa centers meant to be enjoyed in the nude, and now, the famously clothing-optional country is breaking new ground in naturism. According to local newspaper Le Parisien, the first nude restaurant in Paris opened to the public on Friday—and local naturists are already big fans of the new spot.
Per a translation from English-language outlet The Local, the new eatery is aptly named O'Naturel and is located in the City of Light's largely residential 12th arrondissement, on Rue de Gravelle. O'Naturel seats 40 diners and offers meals for around $35. Before entering the main dining room, guests are asked to remove all their clothes and leave them in the restaurant's wardrobes. The view into the restaurant is blocked from the street, and the neighborhood's residents, so far, seem perfectly at ease with the new addition. "It doesn't bother me at all, or my neighbors," one local man told the newspaper. "We don't see anything from the street. We know what's happening. It's not a massage parlor."
Managers Mike and Stephane Saada told Le Parisien that they kicked off their restaurant's grand opening weekend with a dinner exclusively for the Paris Naturist Association. "They've supported us from the beginning, and we reserved our first soirée for them," the Saadas said, adding that the club members who were present seemed to be happy with the experience.
While this is the first nude restaurant to break ground in France, there a few clothing-optional restaurants already exist around the world. Bunyadi, London's first nude pop-up restaurant, opened last year and is currently fundraising in order to reopen for a second season, and at Innato, located on Spain's Tenerife Island, some parts of the "aphrodisiac menu" are served on the waitstaff's nude bodies.
It may be surprising that the opening of O'Naturel marks France's first foray into nude dining, as the country has become something of the naturist capital of the world. Besides the many nude beaches and resorts found along the French coastline, there's also a public pool in Paris with designated clothing-optional hours and, as of August 2017, a "nudist zone" within the city's largest public park. The area has since closed for the winter, but the soccer field–sized area in the Bois de Vincennes "is part of our open-minded vision for the use of Parisian public spaces," said Penelope Komites, a deputy mayor in charge of Paris's parks.
Per a translation from English-language outlet The Local, the new eatery is aptly named O'Naturel and is located in the City of Light's largely residential 12th arrondissement, on Rue de Gravelle. O'Naturel seats 40 diners and offers meals for around $35. Before entering the main dining room, guests are asked to remove all their clothes and leave them in the restaurant's wardrobes. The view into the restaurant is blocked from the street, and the neighborhood's residents, so far, seem perfectly at ease with the new addition. "It doesn't bother me at all, or my neighbors," one local man told the newspaper. "We don't see anything from the street. We know what's happening. It's not a massage parlor."
Managers Mike and Stephane Saada told Le Parisien that they kicked off their restaurant's grand opening weekend with a dinner exclusively for the Paris Naturist Association. "They've supported us from the beginning, and we reserved our first soirée for them," the Saadas said, adding that the club members who were present seemed to be happy with the experience.
While this is the first nude restaurant to break ground in France, there a few clothing-optional restaurants already exist around the world. Bunyadi, London's first nude pop-up restaurant, opened last year and is currently fundraising in order to reopen for a second season, and at Innato, located on Spain's Tenerife Island, some parts of the "aphrodisiac menu" are served on the waitstaff's nude bodies.
It may be surprising that the opening of O'Naturel marks France's first foray into nude dining, as the country has become something of the naturist capital of the world. Besides the many nude beaches and resorts found along the French coastline, there's also a public pool in Paris with designated clothing-optional hours and, as of August 2017, a "nudist zone" within the city's largest public park. The area has since closed for the winter, but the soccer field–sized area in the Bois de Vincennes "is part of our open-minded vision for the use of Parisian public spaces," said Penelope Komites, a deputy mayor in charge of Paris's parks.
