Buddha Bar

Buddha-Bar
Company typeBar
Founded1996
Headquarters15, in various countries,
Paris
Websitewww.buddhabar.com/en
Buddha Bar in Monaco

The Buddha-Bar is a bar, restaurant, and hotel franchise created by French-Romanian restaurateur Raymond Vișan, with its original location having opened in Paris, France in 1996.[1] The Buddha Bar "soon became a reference among foreign yuppies and wealthy tourists visiting the city",[1] and "has spawned numerous imitators",[2] becoming popular in part because of the DJ's choice of eclectic, avant-garde music. It became known internationally for issuing the Buddha Bar compilation albums, which are popular compilations of lounge, chill-out music and world music, also under the Buddha Bar brand,[1] released by George V Records. Buddha Bar "has made a name for itself with its Zen lounge music CDs and remains a hit – especially with tourists".[3] Locations have since been opened in a number of other countries, although not without controversy arising from the theme.

  1. ^ a b c Anthony D'Andrea, Global Nomads: Techno and New Age as Transnational Countercultures in Ibiza and Goa (2007), p. 93.
  2. ^ Bethan Ryder, Bar and Club Design ( 2006), p. 18.
  3. ^ Stephen Fallon, Paris (2010), p. 294.