Maison Gainsbourg — Attraction in Paris

All the tickets to Gainsbourg’s house were sold out for weeks, so I settled for the museum opposite. My experience here contradicted with many reviewers as I found it quite unpleasant to visit on a hot day. My low rating is not related to the contents but rather the design and management of the museum. The exhibition area is a narrow corridor painted black and crammed full of photos and memorabilia behind the glass on one side, and videos on the other. On the day of my visit, the place was packed, and it was very stuffy… worst of all, the people in front simply did not move. They just stood there for 10-15 mins reading/ watching videos, and did not bother about the people behind. I waited so long before I could move a little forward, and it was impossible to get past them as the place was crowded, so in the end I had to skip a part of the exhibition because I needed to get some air! I was shocked to see that there is a roomy cafe/bar at the end of the visit, so why crammed everything into such a narrow space - it makes no sense! There needs to be crowd control, someone to regulate the lines and some ventilation system inside when it is hot. Or simply don’t let so many people in at...

My husband is a massive Serge Gainsbourg fan. Unfortunately we couldn't get tickets for the house tour (fully booked till January 2025!) so we visited the museum instead. It's not very big, in fact it's mostly a long corridor, but it is packed with artifacts. As you move down the space, on your right hand side there are a number of screens showing films detailing different decades of Serge's life. Then, on your left, are artifacts relating to what you've just watched. It's very well done, and it did take us a good hour to move through. Then you go down to a cellar area, where there are two immersive 'booths' where you can hear the music to 'Melody Nelson' in one and Serge's voice track from the song in another, along with another display of artifacts. Finally, you ascend some stairs and you come out into a small, but very swish, piano bar where you can purchase drinks and food. Then you exit through the gift shop....

The place is sophisticated and very well located on a quiet street. A highlight is the German bartender—extremely friendly and skilled. I’d like to give a special shoutout to this young man who made a tomato-based cocktail for my boyfriend and served me a delicious French Pinot Noir wine. He was very attentive, chatting with us and constantly checking in to make sure everything was okay.

When we first arrived, we were greeted by a waitress who told us to stay at the bar rather than moving to the lounge chairs and tables. We didn’t really understand why, as we wanted to enjoy more drinks and maybe some food. Because of that, we ended up having only one drink—but thanks to the excellent service from the German bartender (unfortunately, I forgot his name).

I give 5 stars for the venue, the drinks, and especially the bartender. Zero stars for the waitress, who definitely needs to learn how to communicate better...