L’Opéra’s Art Café at India Art Fair 2020

L’Opéra, India’s most popular & authentic French Pâtisserie, Boulangerie, Salon de Thé (Tea Room) and Café Restaurant was granted a special place at the India Art Fair this year as the only art exhibition to feature the culinary arts as well as the only place to enjoy a meal, snack or drink within the exhibition area next to paintings, sculptures, photographs, and other works of art.

The India Art Fair features special exhibitions and events from many of the most prominent artists of the country, as well as a number of select artists from around the world. It took place from January 30th to February 2nd, 2020. L’Opéra also participated in the 2019 Art Fair, but this year’s Art Café was even larger and more beautiful, with seating for up to 40 guests, colorful flowers displayed on fabulous Louis XVI-style marble tables, vibrant photography of Paris displayed on classical wall panels, and a 10-foot tall white model of the Eiffel Tower loaned to L’Opéra from the French Institute and facilitated by the French Embassy itself.

Designer Paul Mathieu from France, visiting Delhi in order to attend the Art Fair enjoyed a Sandwich and remarked on the authenticity of the L’Opéra installation and its Salon de Thé menu. He favorably compared them to the style he was used to back home, calling it “a ‘Paris moment’ just like cafés of France”.

L’Opéra Executive Chairman Kazem Samandari explained how the L’Opéra Art Café fits into the larger picture of the Art Fair, not merely as a place to enjoy a meal, treat or drink within the exhibition area, but as an art exhibition in its own right: “Culinary art, in the French view, is perceived not only as an experience for your tastebuds and palette, but a complex harmony of delights for eyes, ears and palette. This Art Café represents a total immersive experience: a holistic combination of the visual arts, in terms of the authentic French ambience, as well as a contribution to the sense of taste that only the culinary arts can offer.”

The L’Opéra culinary exhibition received an abundance of guests, and was often filled to overflowing throughout the day. Mr. Samandari himself enthusiastically engaged with customers during the India Art Fair. Also among the guests were a number of recognizable names, such as actress Sonam Kapoor, and Ambassadors from various countries, such as Brazil, South Korea, and Canada.