The royal kitchens

Paris, January 6, 1378, day of the Epiphany, imagine an army of cooks and marmitons busy preparing the dishes offered by the king Charles V to his guests. No doubt, you are in the kitchen pavilion!

Built around 1353 under the reign of John the Good and intended mainly for the "common" of the King's Hotel - the service people - the kitchen pavilion included two superimposed rooms: the king's kitchens on the first floor and the common kitchens on the first floor. For exceptional feasts, the common and catering kitchens worked together. The dishes were brought upstairs by an external ramp connecting the services of the royal hotel to the Grand'Salle, a ceremonial room located above the present Salle des Gens d'Armes.

Food and drink were delivered directly by boat to the port of embarkation, which adjoined the nearby Seine. Only the first floor room remains today.

Built on a square plan of 280^m2 and vaulted with arches, the kitchen is divided into four bays. It houses 4 large corner fireplaces. The floor is paved with stones, and 2 large windows light the room. Originally, there were 8 of them. Look closely, the walls still show the traces of them!