‘Layers of History’: Dersou in Paris, Distressed Surfaces Included

Designed by Tokyo firm Daikei Mills, Parisian restaurant Dersou is named after the title character in the 1975 Akira Kurosawa film. According to Daikei Mills, the project “began with an email from Amaury Guyot and chef Taku Sekine, who came to us with a potential location and an idea for a restaurant open to eclectic influences and bouts of inspiration, centered on a nightly tasting menu paired with cocktails.”

Located near the Bastille, the original restaurant space was centuries old and had “layers of history,” as the designers say. “We were inspired to adapt our ideas on site to achieve the kind of space we aspire to create—one that feels ‘undesigned,’ with no unnecessary frills.”

Here’s a look.

Above: One Yelp reviewer notes that the restaurant has a “Brooklyn, Tokyo, Paris vibe.” The ceiling pendant is similar to the

from Brooklyn/Charleston–based Workstead, and the live-edge bar is made from a single piece of wood.

Above: The designers installed a metal backrest against one wall; it’s an “inserted element that quietly punctuates the space, which is otherwise filled with natural materials,” they say.

Above: The bar, with industrial and warm wood elements.

Above: Hand-shaved ice, used in cocktails.

Above: The designers stripped away layers of wallpaper to reveal the original walls.

Above: An informal flower arrangement in a recycled jar.

Above: Japanese ceramics.

Above: Japanese-born chef Taku Sekine and restaurateur Amaury Guyot.

Above: The nightly menus are hung up with butcher’s twine. Photograph by @isariert via @dersouparis.

Above: The restaurant at night.

For more low-key, characterful Parisian restaurants, see:

• Expert Advice: 11 Under-the-Radar Parisian Dining Spots
• Fashion’s Favorite Restaurant in Paris: Clover on the Left Bank
• Scandi Meets Shaker in a Parisian Japanese Restaurant by LSL Architects

N.B.: This story has been updated with new photos and information; the original post ran on July 12, 2018.