George V Eatertainment

George V by Raymond Visan

No one, from Paris to Los Angeles and New York, has mastered the art of creating hip, fun, upscale nightclubs better than Raymond Visan. Born in Paris, Visan opened the Barfly (1995) and Buddha Bar (1996) in his native city, and then extended the concept to the Buddha Bar in New York (2002), using a more global approach. “I love to create new concepts,” says Visan. “I like to come up with a crazy idea and make it work; that’s what you call a challenge.”

It was the environment of the tax-free perfume company managed by his family that developed Vigan’s “nose” for great perfumes and eventually led him into the fragrance-filled kitchens of the restaurant business, “After 16 years in the perfume business, I wanted to do something completely different,” says Visan who knew strictly nothing about restaurant management until 1985 when he took out a franchise on L.A.’s Hollywood Canteen, a chain of small American-style restaurants. Shortly after, Visan launched a restaurant/bar inspired by “Barfly”, one of his favorite films – the very first restaurant in Paris with a “live” DJ. A year later, he opened the doors of the Buddha Bar, putting California Pacific Rim cuisine on stage in a restaurant/bar setting.

“My goal was to create a restaurant/bar where people can eat what they want and, at the same time, get the impression that they are spending the evening in a nightclub, even if they have to leave early to go to work the next day,” explains Vigan, who hit the bull’s eye by mixing good food and cool music in a cozy and comfortable place with dark, warm colours.

Visan’s settings were inspired by his trips to Asia and South America, and by films. For the New York Buddha Ba, Visan called in the architect David Rockwell to create special Asian-inspired futuristic effects. Visan is currently working on new concepts for a Caribbean bar and a Russian venue.

Music is Visan’s other passion, evident in the record label he launched 2 years ago and which produces the famous Buddha-Bar compilations. Visan adds: “Our aim is to develop our own lineup of composers and recording artists and transform George V Records into a real record label.”

“I try to make people happy,” says Visan. “You feel truly successful when you’ve attained that goal.”