Underground Atlanta is welcoming another beloved Atlanta staple to the Downtown destination – Pigalle by Paris on Ponce.
Four years ago, the eclectic Paris on Ponce – which offered everything from antiques, to poetry readings, to food – was heavily damaged by fire and forced to close. Its most recent home was in the Healey Building in Downtown.
Skip Englebrecht and Nicolette Valdespino, the partners behind Paris on Ponce, are collaborating again to bring the new concept to Underground.
For Valdespino, her role will be to program Pigalle’s theater concept, while Englebrecht, also the owner of Fishmonger, will curate the absinthe-themed speakeasy hidden behind the theater space.
Pigalle will occupy 6,000-square-foot space at Underground Atlanta, filled with whimsical and sexy Parisian artifacts.
Pigalle will open its new digs on Oct. 6 with a celebration during Underground Atlanta’s popular First Fridays. Chef Darryl Taylor, of Next Level Chef fame, and owner of Epicurean Drama, will provide the food for the grand opening.
Property owner Lalani Ventures says the new venue will open in the space that once-upon-a-time was home to Mick’s restaurant.
“When people experience this new location at Underground Atlanta, we believe they will see, as we do, that this will be our long-time home,” said Valdespino, who will manage the destination.
Located on a key corner of the property’s Lower Alabama Street next to artist galleries and across from FUTURE Nightclub, Pigalle will stay true to Paris on Ponce’s quintessential French inspiration. The wraparound porch, lit by real gas lamps, will give patrons a view of all the happenings at Underground while they sip champagne, beer or wine.
Valdespino says to expect servers in retro cabaret attire. The venue will be part staged shows and part cocktail lounge and speakeasy, as well as an invitation-only members’ night for people who get the exclusive membership. Programming will include a members’ speakeasy nights on Mondays, Tiki Thursdays, chanteuse Fridays, ticketed jazz, cabaret and burlesque theater shows on Saturdays, and occasional catered Sunday brunch experiences with the delicious imaginings of Chef Darryl Taylor.
“Almost every Atlanta native has a story that begins with Underground Atlanta,” added Valdespino. “Our destination has been a staple in Atlanta for more than 25 years. To us, there was no better setting for our next location than Underground Atlanta – a place that fosters unique synergies between creatives and artists. Underground Atlanta is currently experiencing a resurgence of energy, partnering with some of the most iconic businesses in the city and welcoming other historic concepts. We’re so honored and thrilled to be a part of it all.”
The décor will shift throughout Pigalle’s space, with a more opulent, traditional Parisian-aesthetic in the front rooms, and a more modern, fashion-forward design in the back speakeasy with a 33-foot bar, leopard wallpaper, and vibrant shades of blues and greens. Valdespino and Englebrecht collect eclectic items from buying trips overseas and from Georgia estates, including pieces from the home of Coretta Scott and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Expect to see a mix of gilded lamps, statues, busts and chinoiserie.
For more information about Pigalle, visit its website, Facebook Instagram YouTube and TikTok.