There are places that stand out from the crowd. By their history, their vocation or their architecture, they redefine the word “unusual”. Le Caveau de la Huchette ticks all the boxes. Before the legendary jazz club got the crowds swinging under the Parisian pavement, it had a mysterious and macabre past. From Robespierre to La La Land, we tell you the crazy story of this emblem of the Latin Quarter.
Behind the door of the 5 hides the Caveau de la Huchette
In the heart of 16th-century medieval Paris, 5 de la rue de la Huchette was already home to some curious characters. Legend even has it that the Rosicrucians and Templars held secret meetings there. Even more mysteriously, the building is said to have been used as a Freemason’s lodge in 1772. With its low-ceilinged rooms and cellars, the building was the ideal venue for secret, little-tolerated gatherings. Regulars could even take advantage of two underground passageways, leading to the Saint-Séverin cloister and the Châtelet, respectively .
During the French Revolution, the Caveau de la Terreur, now a tavern, was used by the Montagnards and Cordeliers clubs, and later by members of the National Convention. Robespierre, Danton and Marat met here on more than one occasion. The establishment never lived up to its name as much as it did at that time, as many trials and executions took place there, as witnessed by the remains of the various rooms and the deep well of the cellar.
Fast forward to more modern (and less sinister) times. We’re in the middle of the post-war period, and a new wind is blowing through the capital. An unprecedented musical style, straight from the USA, is sweeping through Paris. Jazz invaded the clubs and bars of the City of Light, and legend (once again) has it that Le Caveau was the first venue to get audiences swinging across the Atlantic. The rest is history, as the tavern officially became a jazz club, welcoming Lionel Hampton, Count Basie, Sydney Bechet, Maxim Saury and Claude Bolling, to name but a few.
Even today, the legacy of jazz’s heyday still resonates in the vast cellar of the Latin Quarter. An ambassador of the style, 5 de la rue de la Huchette ‘s red banquettes welcome the curious from an unusual Paris as well as confirmed jazzmen. The establishment’s influence has even reached America, since Damien Chazelle used its sign and decor for the final scene of La La Land.
Legendary for countless reasons, the Caveau de la Huchette is also the perfect idea for a night off the beaten track. Whether you venture there by chance or keep it jealously guarded in your address book, you’ll always find a reason to return.
📍 Location: Caveau de la Huchette – 5, rue de la Huchette, 75005
📆 Opening hours : open every evening
💶 Price: Admission from €14