A sumptuous fusion of Neo-Gothic and Neo-Renaissance proportions, the Palais Bénédictine in the French port of Fécamp was built by architect Camille Albert at the end of the 19th century for local wine merchant Alexandre Le Grand. It was Le Grand who reinvented the eponymous tipple Bénédictine, having re-discovered in 1863 an age-old recipe for it originally formulated by Benedictine monk Dom Bernardo Vincelli in 1510. Containing a whopping 27 plant extracts and spices, the elixir became so popular that it remained in production by the monks until the outbreak of the French Revolution.
In the hands of Fécamp’s very own “Alexander the Great”, the liqueur gained worldwide repute, and the grandiose Palais Bénédictine was erected to provide a prestigious backdrop to house a most extraordinary distillery. A dreamy and visionary character with sharp business acumen and marketing ingenuity, Le Grand pioneered the use of international advertising for his liqueur, commissioning eye-catching graphic posters by renowned commercial artists such as Alphonse Mucha.
As bars go, they don’t come much more chic than La Verrière. Encased within a wrought-iron frame sitting between two giant red-brick towers of the palais, the stunning glass pavilion is like a grand exhibit in itself. This natural-light-infused space was reimagined in 2021 by architect Pierre-Cyrille Acquier. Cosy and bright, the den of mixology has a central standalone bar fringed by a living green wall and ceiling-suspended art installation.
Much like the palais itself, La Verrière is an architectural ensemble designed to encourage moments of relaxation and conviviality, where guests can take their pick from a choice of Bénédictine-infused cocktails. Ranging from “monk swizzle” and “Normandy sling” to “Néo B&B”, they can be paired with delicious crêpes, as well as sweet and savoury snacks made entirely from local ingredients sourced from the surrounding Seine-Maritime region. And what’s not to love about that? Teetotallers, meanwhile, can sip on mocktails. Plus, there are ice-cold Bénédictine x Ragnar beers, Chantilly-topped Bénédictine coffees, and tisanes flavoured with some of the plant extracts and spices that go into making the liqueur.
110 rue Alexandre Le Grand, 76400 Fécamp, France; flamboyant-palais/cocktailbar/
Lee Osborne is creative director of Secret Trips
