Located at the Place du Forum in the center of Arles, the cheery yellow Café du Nuit is the subject of Van Gogh's Cafe Terrace at Night–his painting of an outdoor cafe with bright yellow walls against a navy star-swirled sky. Actually, the limestone walls were beige, just illuminated yellow from gas lights newly installed in Arles, September 1888.
An interesting side note: Van Gogh had gas lights installed in the kitchen and studio of his Yellow House the same September–leaks which, according to medical speculation, contributed to his epileptic fits that began the following month.
To appease fans disappointed to find beige walls in their search for the yellow café, the owner simply painted the exterior to match the painting–which is displayed (a replica) inside. A century later tourists still flock to sit where Van Gogh sat, drank and painted. And I was no different.
Bypassing the outdoor seating area, I sat at a marble-topped table inside the dimly lit tavern and ordered a cola light and nicoise salad. After all, it was 11am. The bartender was busy filling two trays of cappuccinos, although I was the only visible customer. Until a German couple came in. We chatted and photographed the murals and replica Van Gogh self-portraits on the wall behind our tables.
The bar was a massive manly bar of polished wood, bronze and iron. It was easy to see the appeal for Van Gogh and imagine him reading novels, writing letters to his brother Theo, or socializing with friends drinking absinth late into the evening. But where was space large enough for a pool table, shown in his Arles Cafe at Night painting?
A little digging led me to the Café de la Gare across the street from Van Gogh's Yellow House outside the city wall. It was there that he frequented almost daily and often spent the night. And likely there where angry outbursts with fellow artist Gauguin were overheard, and where he splashed a drink in Gauguin's face in a heated argument the night he severed his ear.
But he must've hung out at Café du Nuit too. Didn't he? If not, tourists erroneously think so. Great for business. And revenue. My diet coke was 9 Euros. Giant-sized granted, but 12 bucks? At least my salad was a better deal. And delicious. Ten Euros for a healthy portion of lettuce, corn, green beans, carrots, tuna, saucy cubed potatoes topped with a tasty vinaigrette.
Good food and friendly service in this fittingly moody atmosphere made me wonder why a week later, traveling through Arles for a day, the café was closed. Why were outdoor tables chained together at high noon when other cafes lining the Forum square bustled with business? Asking around, I heard whispered claims that the owner newly indicted was forced to close the cafe. Hmmm. Glad I experienced it when I did. Although it won't stayed closed for long.