Dating to at least the mid-19th century, the famed Montmartre cabaret nestled in an iconic pink cottage on the quiet Rue des Saules was at one point taken over by a guy named "Gilles", who painted a rabbit jumping out of a pan on its exterior; thereafter, it was referred to as "Le Lapin a Gilles" (Gilles' rabbit). Following either a mistaken transcription or a willful tweak, the storied nightlife spot's name evolved to become Au Lapin Agile-- literally, the Nimble Rabbit.
Once the haunt of struggling local artists, from Picasso to Modigliani and Toulouse-Lautrec, the cabaret has been careful to maintain its tenured position as one of the city's most traditional cabarets, offering up a program of entertainment that some will call "classic", others, outmoded and tired. If you're a fan of chanson française, and don't mind sweltering temperatures and crowded conditions (as Contributor Nicole Smith recently discovered), make sure to give the ol' nimble rabbit a try. As Smith also notes in her review of the Rabbit, reservations are de rigueur.
Read More: Review of Au Lapin Agile Cabaret
Related Features:
- Montmartre in Pictures
- Top Paris Cabarets
- Review of Moulin Rouge
- Vendanges de Montmartre (Paris Wine Harvest Festival)
Image credit: Courtney Traub/Licensed to About.com.