Its existence came under threat as early as 1830, when the quarter slowly fell into decline. And even if, later still, the beautiful Otero 3 graced the restaurant and performed among its tables, the high society of the Belle Epoque chose other quarters of Paris to take up residence. Procopio the alchemist Stranger still is the story of an Italian, Francesco Procopio, who, at the end of the 17th century, sought to make his fortune in France. Events took a dramatic turn in 1689. The fruits of fate However, these long episodes of unshakeable loyalty between men of letters and culinary venues are by no means the rule.
Stories sometimes unfold through interest, whim or frivolousness.
When, in 1870, capons, turkeys and other sundry fowl took flight for the new Halles markets in the heart of Paris, his business seemed doomed to disappear. No such thing happened. The intimate atmosphere of his salons, formerly so popular with local merchants and traders, began to attract publishers, booksellers and writers, among them Emile Zola, Guy de Maupassant, Alexandre Dumas and Victor Hugo. In fact, Victor Hugo was fond of taking his place in the La Fontaine salon, at tea time, in the company of his grandson. Legend also has it that these private salons, hitherto devoted to business affairs, became the setting for a lighter form of commerce and that a hidden staircase discreetly led politicians and intellectuals up to the lovely ladies of the day.