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Paris ’ first nudist restaurant is to shut down next month, owners have announced.
O’naturel in the city’s 12th arrondissement opened to much fanfare in November 2017, but just over a year later a lack of customers is forcing the pioneering restaurant to close its doors.
Mike and Stephane Saada, 43-year-old twins, launched the concept – despite not being nudists themselves.
Unlike nudist beaches , which only attract naturists during the summer, O’naturel was designed to offer “the pleasure of dining naked all year in the capital in the respect of naturist values” according to the website, which is still live.
The owners said of the closure: “’We will only remember the good times, meeting beautiful people and customers who were delighted to share exceptional moments.”
Diners were shown into changing rooms on arrival, where they could store clothes and mobile phones and cameras – strictly banned in the restaurant – in lockers. Guests were also given a pair of slippers, though women could leave heels on if they wished.
The experience was open to everyone, whether “initiates” or those “who want to try”.
The restaurant was Paris’ first naked eatery (AFP/Getty Images) President of the French Naturist Federation, Yves Leclerc, said when O’naturel first opened: “It’s like when we’re on holiday, but it’s even better.”
However, some complained that the presence of clothed waiters was not in the spirit of a nudist restaurant.
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Food and drink news McDonald's has announced the launch of a new vegan burger on its menu in Germany This will mark the first time the German franchise of the fast food chain has offered a vegan burger to its customers. The Big Vegan TS burger consists of a patty made from soy and wheat. It is served in a classic sesame seed bun, and contains salad, tomato, pickles and red onion.
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Food and drink news Marks & Spencers launches stoneless avocados Rather than the result of genetic modification, the avocados are formed by an unpollinated avocado blossom. The fruit develops without a seed which in turns stops the growth, creating a small, seedless fruit. What’s more, the skin is actually edible, unlike a regular avocado. The flesh is much like that of a normal avocado - smooth and creamy, pale in colour and rich in flavour
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Food and drink news Office teabags contain 17 times more germs than a toilet seat, reveals study The average bacterial reading of an office teabag was 3,785, in comparison to only 220 for a toilet seat. Other pieces of kitchen equipment also stacked up highly in their findings, with the bacterial readings averaging at 2,483 on kettle handles, 1,746 on the rim of a used mug and 1,592 on a fridge door handle
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Food and drink news New Mars chocolate bar The iconic British chocolate bar is about to get its partner in crime. The new bar, named Goodness Knows, will replace the gooey caramel goodness of the mars bar with oats. It is said to be more like a Florentine biscuit with a thin dark chocolate bottom. While being moderately healthy Mars says that is has ‘good intentions’. One pack has 154 calories and will sell for about 90p.
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Food and drink news Cadbury’s Dairy Milk Tiffin is making a permanent comeback after 80 years The Cadbury Dairy Milk Tiffin, first produced in 1937, is making a permanent comeback to the UK. The raisin and biscuit-filled chocolate bar is being launched after a successful trial last summer saw 3 million chocolate treats – at the cost of £1.49 for each 95g bar- purchased by nostalgic customers
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Mikael Buck / IKEA
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The menu was made up of classic French cuisine, with dishes such as foie gras, rack of lamb and crème brûlée.
France is reportedly home to 2.7 million nudists (AFP/Getty Images) There was a strict code of conduct dictating that nudity was wholly platonic. Stephane said: “We might reject someone or explain to him that if he is looking to hook up, he should go somewhere else.”
But despite France’s reported 2.7 million practising naturists , the restaurant has not turned out to be been sustainable in the long run.
Support free-thinking journalism and attend Independent events It had a better run than London’s only nude restaurant, The Bunyadi , which was admittedly only a pop-up venture.
The one-of-a-kind dining experience opened for three months from June 2016, offering the chance to “experience true liberation” in a restaurant free from phones, electric lights and clothing (optional).
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