The Excelsior Brasserie

With its dignified façade, grand windows, and wide red awnings weathered by time, everything about this place tells you you’re standing in front of a Nancy institution. With a Latin name meaning “higher” or “more elevated,” Brasserie Excelsior wears its ambitions on its sleeve. Opened in 1911 by Louis Moreau, a brewer from Vézelise, it was quickly hailed by the regional newspaper L’Est Républicain as “a splendid new public venue,” destined for “a brilliant and fruitful career.” They weren’t wrong. For over a century, the Excelsior has been a point of pride for the entire region, with a name known far beyond its borders. It’s earned its fame not only for its food, but also for its extraordinary cultural and artistic value. A living tribute to the great brasseries of the Belle Époque, the Excelsior is a masterpiece of Art Nouveau. This artistic movement from the turn of the 20th century is known for its flowing lines, organic forms, rich colors, and intricate details inspired by nature. Beyond the façade—designed by architects Lucien Weissenburger and Alexandre Mienville—the interior is truly something to behold. Its remarkable decor was the result of a collaboration between three of France’s greatest artisans: Jacques Gruber, who created ten stunning stained glass windows filled with natural motifs; Louis Majorelle, who designed the Cuban mahogany furniture; and Antonin Daum, who crafted no fewer than 300 chandeliers and other lighting fixtures. Incidentally, both Majorelle and Daum were also vice-presidents of the École de Nancy, the city’s proud Art Nouveau collective. Miraculously spared during World War II, narrowly saved from demolition in 1970 thanks to the efforts of renowned auctioneer Maurice Rheims, and officially listed as a historic monument in 1976, the Excelsior remains one of the finest and most charming examples of French cultural heritage.