The Foyer de la Madeleine in the 8th arrondissement, a place for insiders? Not exactly, but it’s exchanged among friends, colleagues, in student circles, as well as in the world of business and politics (the neighborhood being what it is!). It’s even mentioned in some travel guides. The place is incredibly unique and historic: the foundations (the crypt) of the prestigious Madeleine church, facing Rue Royale and Concorde Square, behind the Opéra Garnier, and just a stone’s throw from the Élysée Palace.

For €13.50 (€9 children’s rate), a complete, balanced, and healthy lunch.

Here, a team of volunteers (120 volunteers* and 5 full-time employees) offers a complete, balanced, healthy, and warm lunch (no processed foods). Victoire, the young chef, likes to say (it’s her mantra): “eat seasonal, eat homemade, eat French.” However, she and her team also offer themed meals, such as for Saint Patrick’s Day, crepes for Candlemas, a special Christmas menu, or even Mexican, Indian, Vietnamese, Chinese, Italian, Turkish, and African dishes. World cuisine is also on the menu: “I want to open my guests’ palates to spices,” she says.

*Long-term and intergenerational volunteers.

Every day, a vegetarian dish is offered

Well, the line at the entrance may get long, but the wait is worth it. For vegetarians (who are quite well taken care of), a dish is offered on the menu every day. Today, we are more vegetarian than meat,’ says Victoire. And what about the famous madeleines made by Reiko, a Japanese pastry chef, when she is at the café (usually on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when she is in Paris)?

Clients from all walks of life and all ages.

Here, at the Foyer de la Madeleine, you can find, at lunchtime, a mix of lawyers, bankers, employees, secretaries, students, tourists, and retirees. It is even said that the Court of Auditors has its own table (they are neighbors). There are lonely people, those who have been through hard times, the rich and the poor, all of whom find solidarity and brotherhood here (a €1 rate for the most destitute) * and, above all, the smiles and good cheer of the volunteers who cook, seat you, and serve you. We greet each other, wish each other a happy new year, and spread out into two of the three large rooms (a total of 60 meters long) all vaulted with clouds and blue, decorated by the artist JR (a French artist born in 1983, a photographer and filmmaker who became known for his photographic collages).

*People in need coming from various charitable organizations under agreement with the foyer.

Coffee at Lili’s, the barista and matriarch of the household

Madeleine’s foyer, kitchen side

The “Dream Team” brigade of the shelter around its leader.

Victoire*, the young head of the household, is 35 years old. She is originally from Bordeaux and comes from a family of restaurateurs. From a young age, she felt the need to explore the world (Erasmus in Turkey). Later, she was trained by her uncle and attended the Bordeaux Hotel School (CAP) as a private candidate. She then spent three years in London working in various restaurants, including one at Borough Market. She later returned to Paris. Her partner is also in this industry.

*Victoire also holds a law degree and has a master’s in communication for the creative industries.

The chef is also on dishwashing duty

Victoire then found a job as a head chef at a catering company. It provides for the household. Very quickly, to her great joy, the deal was made (since November 2024) with the restaurant La Traversée. She will cook directly at La Madeleine with her right-hand man, Sofiane (who is currently on vacation in Bangladesh). Both are employees and paid per meal served. Victoire can count on a team of volunteers in the kitchen, including (among others) Cédric, and on Wednesdays, Christophe, who attended Ferrandi in Paris (the Harvard of gastronomy). Here, there is no waste. It is always possible to make something out of leftovers. Teamwork is key, and people are interchangeable. It’s not uncommon to see Victoire doing the dishes.

The team that turned the association’s finances around

When Patrick Cruciata took over the management of the Foyer de la Madeleine as a volunteer administrator in 2020, the association was on the verge of collapse. With the help of Delphine, an “outstanding” manager, he managed to get it back on its feet. Today, since 2023, he has been its president. The former banker (a former BNP employee) is the one who inspires his team to always strive for excellence, from the quality of the meals to the activities at the center. He is the president of the association (under the 1901 Law) of the Foyer de la Madeleine, and its vice-president is the parish priest of the Madeleine Church, Mgr Patrick Chauvet. Alongside him is a young communications specialist, Nina, who has successfully attracted social media networks, traditional press, and even some TV channels to the center.

*Mgr Patrick Chauvet supervised the reconstruction of Notre-Dame de Paris before being appointed parish priest of La Madeleine Church. He wrote his memoirs in “Journal d’un curé de Paris”, published in April 2025 by Fayard.

When the 100 musicians and singers of Julien Cohen’s flashmob meet at the Foyer de la Madeleine

On November 25, 2025, during the inauguration of the Christmas lights in Paris, pianist Julien Cohen held the largest flashmob of his career. He brought together one hundred musicians and singers at the intersection of Rue Royale and Rue Saint-Honoré to perform a new orchestral version of the famous Ukrainian Christmas carol, Carol of the Bells. The popular success was incredible. Just next door, the Foyer de la Madeleine was there to provide a three-course lunch for all the artists.

A home born under the auspices of an empress!

The construction of the Church of La Madeleine began during the reign of Louis XV and was completed in 1842. The Second Empire gave the church its social aspect, particularly through Empress Eugénie. This initiative was part of the policy of Napoleon III, the emperor who sought to “overcome pauperism.” It’s worth noting that he authored a book that marked his reign: De l’extinction du paupérisme (On the Extinction of Pauperism), published in 1844. Empress Eugénie, with the approval and support of the parish, embarked on a charitable mission to help the poor: creating workshops, distributing clothes and snacks, as well as providing meals. This charitable activity survived through the years in different forms, and to this day, a priest at La Madeleine, with the help of laypeople, created this charitable work in 1969.

The architect of the Madeleine has rested in one of the rooms of the foyer since 1829

Refettorio at la Madeleine’s shelter

Since March 2018, the Foyer de la Madeleine has hosted Refettorio Paris, which serves free meals to the most disadvantaged every evening from Monday to Friday. Already established in Milan, Rio, and London, the refettorii are created by the Italian Michelin-starred chef Massimo Bottura* and his team from Food for Soul. Strongly committed to fighting food waste, Massimo Bottura uses his fame and expertise to support these communities.

*Chef of Osteria Francescana in Modena, ranked among the best restaurants in the world.

 

In London, you will find the atmosphere of the Foyer de la Madeleine in Paris in the crypt of St. Martin in the Fields in London

Café in the Crypt

Located in the stunning crypt of St Martin-in-the-Fields, at the edge of Trafalgar Square, this popular café has been a favourite of tourists and locals alike for 30 years. Original brick-vaulted ceilings and historic tombstones lining the floor provide the backdrop to a daily changing menu of freshly prepared food, sustainably sourced whenever possible, and is great value for money for all to enjoy. It’s also the atmospheric setting of the Crypt Lates, where the iconic vaulted Crypt transforms into an atmospheric music and cabaret venue, with a fully stocked bar and great food options.

Join the café for delicious food and drinks, be it for a hearty lunch or just coffee and cake and support the work of St. Martin’s with every £1 you spend.