Speakeasy Cocktail Bar in Nantes , L'Univers Café since 1852
Nantes' oldest cocktail bar · since 1852
Our Cocktails
Classics, originals and sours , a thoughtfully crafted menu
The Bites
Because a great drink deserves great bites
Our Story
24 July 1852
Birth of Nantes' oldest cocktail bar
L'Univers Café opens its doors steps from Place Graslin, in the heart of cultured 19th-century Nantes. It quickly becomes a meeting point for artists, travellers and theatre-goers. The oldest cocktail bar in Nantes, it is also the first venue to host live jazz in Europe, in February 1918.
1900
The golden age of Café Graslin
During the Belle Époque, L'Univers shines in the Graslin district. Its terrace, shows and society gatherings make it a landmark of Nantes nightlife , an embodiment of local elegance and the art of conversation over a drink.
February 1918
Europe's first notes of Jazz
An American soldier and musician with the US Navy band drops by L'Univers after a concert at Place Graslin and plays what are said to be the very first notes of jazz ever heard in Europe , written into our walls.
What our guests say