Showing at the Salon du Dessin, Theodore Rousseau,
Landscape with Mountains - the Jura, circa 1863, brown
ink with blue watercolor on laid paper.
The Louvre.
The Coco Chanel Suite at the Ritz.
Books
on Paris
There
are many new beautifully illustrated
and informative books on Paris to inspire
those considering a trip to the City
of Lights. Paris by Assouline
(Assouline Publishing; $49.95) offers
a spectacular 1,000-page photographic
tour. The dramatic 360° panoramas
in 360° Paris by Nick Wood
(Abrams; $24.95) give readers a new
perspective on familiar Parisian landmarks.
In Paris: History, Architecture,
Art, Lifestyle, In Detail edited
by Gilles Plazy (Flammarion; $95), elegantly
written essays chronicle the rich cultural
history of the city. In Paintings
in the Musée d’Orsay
(Abrams; $75), Museum director Serge
Lemoine provides the definitive guide
to this great collection of Impressionist
and Post-Impressionist art. Food lovers
will enjoy Gourmet Shops of Paris
by Pierre Rival (Flammarion; $40), which
takes readers on a lavishly illustrated
gastronomic tour of the city’s
best food shops. And don’t forget
Patricia Wells’s indispensable
Food Lover’s Guide to Paris
(Workman Publishing; $16.95), now in
its 4th edition, with its detailed recommendations
of over 450 restaurants and bistros.
The Paris Opera House.
Paris
Address Book
Lodging Four Seasons’ Georges
V
31, avenue Georges V, 75008
49.52.70.00
570 – 1,200 euros per night
Le Ritz
15, place Vendôme, 75001
01.43.16.30.30
1,210 – 1,970 euros per night
L’Hotel
13, rue des Beaux Arts, 75006
44.41.99.00
248 – 721 euros per night
Park Hyatt Paris Vendôme
5, rue de la Paix, 75002
58.71.12.14
670 – 4,090 euros per night
Dining Bon 2
2, rue de Quatre September, 75002
44.55.51.55
average: 35 euros
Dave
12, rue de Richelieu, 75001
42.61.49.48
average: 45 euros
L’Ambroisie
9, place des Vosges, 75004
42.78.51.45
average: 140 euros
Le Pre Catalan
Bois de Boulogne, route de Suresnes,
75016
44.14.41.14
average: 105 euros
Anthony Peto
56, rue Tiquetonne, 75002
40.26.60.68
Food
Shops Christian Constant
37, rue d’Assas, 75006
53.63.15.15
Poilane
8, rue de Cherche-Midi, 75006
45.48.42.59
Paris
in the spring … for Americans abroad, every sight,
scent and sound is resonant with one thing: romance. Somewhere
between the Bordeaux accompanying a two-hour lunch and
the afternoon pick-me-up noisette, love becomes a foregone
conclusion. After all, only a heart of stone could resist
a stroll through the Jardin du Luxembourg in full bloom.
This spring, fashionistas, film buffs, florists, Fauvism
fanatics and flaneurs will descend upon Paris –
all in search of that special je ne sais quoi. In a city
in which fashion is not merely an industry but an institution,
it is no surprise that designers, style mavens and a bevy
of international beauties hold sway over the city during
the fashion shows, held the first week of March. Amid
the oohs and aahs at major shows such as Balenciaga, Yves
Saint Laurent, Lanvin and Louis Vuitton, celebrities mingle
with fashion heavyweights – if they’ll pardon
the expression. Nicole Kidman, Karl Lagerfeld’s
most recent muse, Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Princess Marie-Chantal
of Greece and, occasionally, even Catherine Deneuve make
appearances at the most celebrated shows.
Though they add an extra touch of glamour to Parisian
life, the luminaries in town for fashion week also make
dinner reservations at the city’s trendy eateries
nearly impossible to come by. On the upside, those lucky
enough to secure a table at trendy Chinese eatery Dave
will no doubt dine amidst a gaggle of leggy ladies with
names as recognizable as their faces – Gisele, Natalia,
Naomi. After dinner the beautiful people head to Castel,
a members-only lounge and restaurant, the perennially
fashionable Buddha Bar or, more recently, La Suite.
Though perhaps not quite as glam as the fashion shows,
numerous other events offer Parisians and visitors a full
cultural calendar. The Louvre opens two noteworthy shows:
Dreaming and Drawing (February 17 - May 16) explores the
connection between dreams and visual art. La Romanesque
France (March 10 - June 6) is the first formal exhibit
to focus on mid-10th to mid-12th-century French painting.
The Musée d’Orsay is an intimate space in
which to view art and, more recently, experience the former
train station’s acoustics. This spring the museum
has arranged a stellar lineup of classical concerts, including
a cello series featuring string virtuoso Miklos Perenyi.
Theatre enthusiasts will want to view A New Theatre: L’Oeuvre
(1893-1900) here from April 11 - July 3. Perhaps the most
eagerly anticipated exhibit of the season is d’Orsay’s
Neo-Impressionism: From Seurat to Paul Klee (March 14
- June 26).
The Musée d’Orsay will join ten other museums
in opening its doors to the public for the sixth annual
Semaine du Dessin (March 15 - 20), a week of special events
organized at the initiative of the Societé du Dessin,
art-world professionals dedicated to drawings. A highlight
of the week will be the presentation of original drawings
of the 16th to the 20th centuries by 30 of the world’s
most prestigious galleries as more than 15,000 art collectors,
curators and connoisseurs gather at the Palais de la Bourse
for the Salon du Dessin 2005 (March 16 - 21).
Paris’s au courant art cognoscenti make regular
trips to the Centre Pompidou, the city’s emergent
destination for contemporary art. From March 4 - 13 documentary-film
fans cross the globe for the Pompidou’s Cinema du
Reel festival. While there, insiders take a meal on the
top floor at Georges, one of the impossibly hip Costes
brothers creations. The brothers also boast L’Avenue,
an haute restaurant conveniently located in the midst
of luxury shopping on the avenue Montaigne. Rounding out
their empire is the Hotel Costes on rue St. Honore, the
perfect pied à terre in the thick of the classic
shopping district that has firmly established itself as
a favored party spot.
Though the ambiance at the Costes is decidedly decadent,
nothing beats the Ritz for all-out indulgence. After all,
it was Coco Chanel’s residence for 37 years. In
fact, for a mere 4,000 euros anyone can spend a night
in the Coco Chanel Suite. The only trouble would be leaving
the hotel – the plush suite overlooking the Place
Vendôme, Le Ritz Spa, the Roman pool, the Ritz Culinary
School and the elegant restaurant L’Espadon can
make staying put too tempting. But Coco’s suite
isn’t the only former residence in Paris up for
the taking. Rive Gauche visitors can stay in Oscar Wilde’s
room at the fashionable L’Hotel. Only slightly less
iconic but equally cult-inspiring is The Four Seasons’
George V, which boasts legendary service, the ultimate
deal-making bar scene and a head chef (Philippe Legendre)
lured to Le Cinq restaurant from local haute all-star
Taillevent.
No hotel has made a greater splash of late, though, than
the Park Hyatt Paris Vendôme opened in 2002. Sting
calls it his residence when in town, as do fellow rockers
Lenny Kravitz and Mick Jagger. For guests whose musical
tastes run a bit more classical, the hotel is a stone’s
throw from the Opera. Spring highlights include Wagner’s
Tristan and Isolde and Verdi’s Othello.
Where else but Paris to find the perfect little something
to wear to the opera? Although avenue Montaigne, avenue
Georges V, rue St. Honore and, of course, the Champs-Elysées
are lined with the fashion establishment the city is known
for, vintage couture is always très chic. Fashion
designers and serious collectors head straight to Didier
Ludot, purveyor of only the most exquisite treasures from
Balmain, Gres, Chanel, Givenchy and Balenciaga, among
others. Ludot’s passionately maintained collection
includes Hermés Kelly bags and other take-your-breath-away
accessories. Savvy shoppers often find finishing touches
of a precious and semiprecious variety at family-run estate
jeweler Darys.
For women and men with a somewhat more avant-garde aesthetic,
Colette, a quasi-department store complete with underground
magazines, spray-on makeup and a restaurant and water
bar, offers the season’s best selections from Alexander
McQueen, Marni, Prada, Chloe and Yves Saint Laurent. Trendsetters
also favor his-and-hers shopping at the Maria Luisa superstores.
And for the gentleman with a more classic and no less
Parisian look in mind, a trip to Charvet for precision
tailored shirts is an absolute must. The perfectly dapper
chapeau to complete the look usually comes from Anthony
Peto. For ladies’ formal hat needs, millinery connoisseurs
visit Philippe Model.
In a city that knows no Atkins and does not aspire to
be in the Zone, eating is an unfettered pleasure. A day
of culinary delight begins with a croissant and café
crème at Paul on the rue de Rivoli. On lazy weekend
mornings, 6th-arrondissement locals head over to Coffee
Parisienne for a French take on the American brunch tradition.
By lunchtime, power lunches at the Philippe Starck-designed
Bon 2 near the stock exchange involve expertly prepared
neo-brasserie cuisine. Ladies who lunch take a light afternoon
repast at Angelina tea salon, while the rest of stylish
Paris heads to the legendary Café de Flore on the
boulevard Saint Germain. While in the neighborhood, most
locals bypass the morning lines for rich cheese selections
at Barthelemy and then pick up the requisite baguette
and apple tarts at Poilane. Those with an insatiable sweet
tooth continue on to Christian Constant for gourmet chocolate
delights.
Dinner choices are endless, but a standout for cuisine
and scene is Market, a Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurant
designed by Christian Liaigre. Alain Ducasse’s Spoon,
Food, and Wine offers mix-and-match proportions to experimental
patrons. For many, though, haute cuisine should be left
in the hands of experts, of which Parisian kitchens are
full. Le Pre Catalan is particularly swoon-worthy in the
spring – not just for the cuisine, but for the fairy-tale
Bois de Boulogne setting. Although, for a romantic backdrop,
the Place des Vosges never ceases to inspire. Nor does
the cuisine at L’Ambroisie on the lovely square.
And at the end of the day – or night – isn’t
romance what Paris is all about?
Jasmine Mir is a writer and editor living in New York
City.
