Baz Luhrmann Opens New Bar Monsieur in New York newsthirst.

Director Baz Luhrmann is known for his over-the-top directorial style — the sultry burlesque glamour of Moulin Rouge, the gauzy glittery pop of Romeo + Juliet, the rich Art Deco of The Great Gatsby, the chaotic camp of Elvis. Now the Australian filmmaker has turned his over-the-top cinematic attention to a new cocktail bar in New York. Monsieur (86 East Fourth Street, near Second Avenue) opened in the East Village on January 21 with a gothic, medieval, and bohemian aesthetic.

In week one, the bar’s already a scene. Pop icon Madonna already gave her approval. In a carousel post on Instagram featuring photos where she’s posing with Luhrmann, celebrity friends, and the interiors of the bar, she wrote, “When you’re feeling down, go to Monsieur.”

Monsieur is a collaboration between Luhrmann, business partner Jon Neidich (the CEO of restaurant company Golden Age Hospitality, which oversees spots like piano bar the Nines, wine bar Le Dive, and French restaurant Le Crocodile, among others), and Luhrmann’s wife, designer Catherine Martin, whose work is on display in her husband’s films.

Emily Andrews/Monsieur

For the bar, Luhrmann came up with a backstory for the titular (and fictional) Monsieur — who hosted salons with Andy Warhol and Lou Reed, per the press release:

He was the kind of fellow who looked like he’d just stepped out of his own self-portrait; a fabulist, a trickster, a man who made fiction feel more truthful than fact, a true impresario of East Village nightlife in the 1970s.

The medieval aspect of the bar makes sense — Luhrmann has been working on a film about Joan of Arc. The bar is like a film set: there’s plant-filled wallpaper, glass chandeliers, draped curtains, tapestries, stained glass, walnut details, medieval artwork, chambersticks, ornate candlestick holders, and shelves full of knick-knacks like leather-bound books, busts, and armored figures. The logo is a bespectacled monkey holding a martini and a book (there’s a stained glass image of it, too). The bar took over what had previously been longtime gay club the Boiler Room.

Monsieur

The bar will whip up classic cocktails such as martinis. The kitchen is led by Golden Age Hospitality’s executive chef Nicole Gajadhar. The pub-style food menu has English and Australian takes, including sausage rolls, minced meat pies, and fried stuffed olives.

Luhrmann and Martin aren’t new to hospitality, either: the couple helped design luxury Miami hotel Faena Hotel, which debuted in 2015.

Monsieur’s hours are from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday, Tuesday, and Wednesday; and then from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. Thursday through Sunday. Reservations can be made online; but there is room for walk-ins.

Emily Andrews/Monsieur