Dining in the Nude in the City of Light

Dress for nudist success at O’naturel.

By Ethan L. Johns
November 07, 2017

Image: O'naturel/Facebook

No tie? No problem, at least at one Parisian restaurant that’s been in the news this week for having no dress code. Or should we say, rather, that they have a no-dress code?

O’naturel opened in Paris’ 12th arrondissement on Thursday to a crowd of hungry folks who all had two things in common. First, they were all members of the Paris Naturist Association, and second, they were all naked.

As some of you might have determined from its name, O’naturel is a place where diners can eat their dinners while dressed au naturel—just like the day they were born. The eatery is the first of its kind in the City of Light to welcome the country’s growing nudist contingent—over two million-strong, according to Le Parisien—which this summer received its very own secluded naturist area in the Bois de Vincennes, a large forested park in the suburbs just outside of Paris.

Free-spirited diners must make reservations in advance to eat at O’naturel, which serves a gastronomic-style three-course meal for 49 euros ($57). Unlike the nudist park, which closes for the winter, the restaurant is opened year-round. Clients deposit their coats (and all the rest of their clothing) in a locker before finding their seats, which are topped with hygienic, single-use cushion covers. Though the restaurant’s staff stays dressed, the buttoned up flâneurs on the street cannot see inside, thanks to heavy curtains that cover the windows.

According to the restaurant’s owners, they have already accepted a good number of reservations, and the online reviews have been positive so far. And the neighbors—including the crèche next-door—seem not to take issue with the restaurant’s mission.

They’ll just have to hope that nobody forgets their pants at the coat check.

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About Ethan L. Johns

Ethan is the Food News Writer at Genius Kitchen. An expert on the Parisian bistrot, he likes bitters and salted butters, and is no fan of dessert unless it's made with fruit. His hobbies include reading up on the history of borscht and attempting to roll perfect couscous by hand. Twits & Instagram @EthanLJohns