Luxurious, bewitching, inspiring, spell-binding… Our selection of addresses is aimed at pleasure and ideas ! From absolute essentials to wonderful surprises, new experiences to enjoy and share.
In the midst of the vibrant triangle formed by Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Odéon and Saint-Michel, this 1930’s institution taken over by François Pagot treats guests to hearty, cheerful and seasonal French cuisine. Frogs’ legs, the house speciality, take pride of place on the menu, along with well-presented dishes of bistro tradition : from beef tartar to snails and “blanquette de veau”, prepare for a feast ! Roger La Grenouille, 28 rue des Grands Augustins, Paris 6 (01 56 24 24 34).
The famous star-rated restaurant of Chef Mauro Colagreco is to be found in the 2017 edition of “La Liste” which determines the world’s top 1,000 restaurants. Its ratings combine marks attributed by hundreds of gastronomic guidebooks and on-line consumer websites to compile a really reliable list (www.laliste.com). The Guy Savoy restaurant in Paris is N°1 this year. Le Mirazur, 30 avenue Aristide Briand, Menton (04 92 41 86 86).
Former international rugbyman Ross Beattie has opened a private club in Monaco like those to be found in London. Members enjoy access to a sports floor of over 800 m2 with state-of-the-art equipment, meeting rooms, private changing rooms, and hand-picked coaches who have all had high-flying careers and guarantee personalized supervision. The chic bar provides service at all times of day, healthy cuisine, burgers and an exclusive menu designed by star-rated Italian chef Gualtiero Marchesi. The “Hair & Beauty Studio” run by the award-winning Velvet Monkey team is open to all by appointment. Annual membership (4,900 €) or monthly subscription. Thirty Nine, 39 avenue Princesse Grace, Monaco (00 377 93 25 39 39).
The Costes’ essential Parisian address has been treated to new decor with the accent on opulence comprised of thick carpets, glamorous velvet, impressive ceiling lights and mirrors everywhere. Open from breakfast time onwards, La Belle Armée offers an enticing menu orchestrated by chef Thierry Burlot, giving precedence to signature creations. At nightfall, rendez-vous in the bar, which welcomes fans of explosive cocktails concocted by Gabriel Ouehen (ex-Le Mays). Belle Armée, 3 avenue de la Grande Armée, Paris 16 (01 45 00 24 77).
If, like pastry-chef Nicolas Haelewyn, you are fond of caramel, you will adore this gourmet spot bearing its name. Awarded the starring role in this pretty boutique at the heart of the 7th arrondissement, caramel is part and parcel of each creation, in cakes, chocolate bars, candies etc. Opt for a caramel “mendiant”, caramel spread with fruit, or a cylinder-shaped cake... A “chocolatèque” with a take-away service and a tea-room from 5 to 8 p.m. where you can sample cakes made on the spot, Karamel is most certainly the new year’s must address for all those with a sweet tooth ! Karamel Paris, 67 rue Saint-Dominique, Paris 7 (www.karamelparis.com).
It had to be something special to take a detour as far as Puteaux ! Astonishingly beautiful, this brasserie designed by Studio KO seems to have leapt straight from the glossy pages of a home decor magazine. Occupying a former market hall, the lofty interior plays brilliantly on a blend of different styles, with a fondness for natural materials. On the menu, a wealth of tempting dishes : cream of Jerusalem artichokes with spring onions, tuna “à la plancha”, beef tartare, shell-shaped pasta with ham, grand-ma’s chocolate mousse, “tarte tropézienne”... Everything is made on the premises with ultra-fresh fruit, vegetables and herbs grown in the small organic garden nestling behind the leafy terrace. Love at first sight ! Eugène Eugène, 38-40 rue Eugène Eichenberger, Puteaux (01 41 38 40 00).
Joël Robuchon, the Chef with 32 Michelin stars, has just launched the Côte d’Azur’s first chocolate bar at the Hotel Metropole, with the participation of Head Pastry Chef Patrick Mesiano and Barman Mickaël Bellec. This trio of experts has come up with a fabulous list of treats dedicated to chocolate in all its forms : drinks, desserts, cocktails... Hôtel Métropole, 4, avenue de la Madone, Monaco (00 377 93 15 15 15).
One address, two proposals. First, an intimate little theatre which opens its doors at 7 p.m. and offers a cutting-edge programme. Then, a gastronomic restaurant piloted by chef Pierre Rigothier (Hôtel le Burgundy), featuring remarkable cuisine, noble from the ingredients to their presentation. Everything enchants the imagination and the palate, ensuring a truly original evening. A tale of excellence. La Scène Thélème, 18 rue Troyon, Paris 17 (01 77 37 60 99).
At the 9th edition of the “Trophées de la Gastronomie et des Vins” held on October 24th at the Palais de la Bourse in Lyon, Christophe Bacquié, Chef of the restaurant at the Hôtel & Spa du Castellet in Le Var, was voted “Chef of the Year”. After setting out at L’Oasis in Mandelieu then Prunier in Paris, this “Meilleur Ouvrier de France 2004” with two Michelin stars is pursuing a faultless career at this excellent address where he works rather like a silversmith, constantly striving to exceed expectations, especially with the bounty of the sea. Restaurant Christophe Bacquié. Hôtel & Spa du Castellet. 3001, route des Hauts du Camps, Le Castellet. (04 94 98 37 77)
A new urban and literary café, the last-born of the Parisian pair of restaurant-owners, Fabienne and Philippe Amzalak (Ma Cocotte, Eclectic...), the Café ZA occupies a vast floor area of 600 m2 in the new Forum des Halles. Its decor has been entrusted to the ever-inventive Philippe Starck who places design at the service of new technologies : here, you can order your food and drinks on your smartphone ! On the menu, omelettes, salads, sandwiches, meat, fish, but also gluten-free and high-protein dishes, which have been whetting appetites since just recently on the lovely terrace facing the Saint-Eustache Church. Café ZA, passage de la Canopée, Paris 1 (01 77 37 77 37).
In front of the legendary Guerlain boutique, this open-air tea-room, rather like a bubble scented with aromatic plants, proposes a selection of rare teas and an array of unique pastries concocted by four hands : those of star-rated chef Guy Martin and Thierry Wasser, Master Perfumer for Guerlain. The guest of honour, the “Little Black Dress” in a praline “feuillantine”, cherry ganache and crunchy chocolate : exquisite ! Le 68 Guy Martin, 68 avenue des Champs Elysées, Paris 8 (01 45 62 54 10).
Known by the French especially for cooking and pastry-making, this rare tea can be enjoyed in all its diversity at the Matcha Café. From breakfast to tea-time, you find it in its most traditional form (whisked in a bowl), but also, in various sweet and savory dishes, iced, as a latte and even in beer ! Every day at lunchtime, the Matcha Café also proposes a choice of three dishes made of fresh, healthy, seasonal ingredients. The bonus : a grocery corner dedicated to Japanese products. Umami Matcha Café, 22 rue Béranger, Paris 3 (www.umamiparis.com).
The legendary Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes has just been awarded the prestigious “Palace” designation. This century-old establishment, a 5-star gem in the Oetker Collection, offers many assets, not least a prime location on Cap d’Antibes. Immortalized in Scott Fitzgerald’s novel “Tender is the Night”, it has joined the very elite circle of French hotels referred to as “palaces”, now totalling nineteen. Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, boulevard Kennedy, Antibes (04 93 61 39 01).
A first in the Paris airports ! A star-rated chef has inaugurated his own restaurant at Orly airport ! With decor signed by architects Marc Hertrich and Nicolas Adnet of the Studio MHNA, this new venue blends the iconic structures of the Pavillons Baltard with Parisian Street Art by artist Da Cruz. Here, chef Gilles Choukroun proposes his vision of brasserie cuisine on a menu featuring yesterday’s classics and standard examples of Street Food including kebabs and fish & chips, all re-invented with admirable talent. CUP, aéroport de Paris Orly-Sud.
In the wake of Roca, Roco, and Rococo, welcome to Daroco ! In less than three years, Alexandre Giesbert and Julien Ross have built a little gourmet empire here in the capital, going one step bigger with their latest address at the heart of the Galerie Vivienne in the former boutique of Jean-Paul Gautier. Knock-out decor in an outsize setting of 450 m2 blending rough stone, wood, glass and concrete, featuring a winter garden with vegetalized walls and furnishings that further enhance the esthetic appeal of this place apart. On the menu and wine-list, Italy, all of Italy : from “antipasti” to “dolce”, with pasta and pizzas reigning supreme. Irresistible ! Daroco, 6 rue Vivienne, Paris 2 (01 42 21 93 71).
Forget about Paris without leaving town ! Like a family holiday home in Provence, this delightful get-away on several floors is comprised of cosy lounges, a lovely leafy terrace, and an enchanting inner patio with olive-trees and Provençal plants. The sense of escapism is perpetuated in the dishes, with a menu orchestrated by chef François Lucchesi Palli giving a place of honour to southern ingredients in colourful salads, fresh pasta, grilled fish etc...
Now proposed by the Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo, an unprecedented underwater experience : saying “I do” in an enchanting setting offshore from the Principality of Monaco. Supervised by quadruple world apnea recordman Pierre Frolla, the proposal or wedding ceremony takes places in the watery depths, in a space fully staged with amphoras, an altar, rings in the hollow of a shell… Unforgettable ! Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo, 4 avenue de la Madone, Monaco (00 377 93 15 15 15).
Proposing a vision of a luxury lifestyle, the Maserati suite dreamt up by designers Ludovica and Roberta Palomba reflects a chic and sober world comprised of elegant materials and well-managed space. This ephemeral suite is part of a package naturally including a Maserati GranCanbrio placed at guests’ disposal for the duration of their stay (from 3,500 € per night). Until September 30th. Hôtel de Paris, place du Casino, Monaco (00 377 98 06 41 58).
Le Mathis, a legendary bar in Parisian nightlife, and the illustrious brand of caviar Pétrossian form a perfect pair in this signature cocktail called “Tsar”. Based on aquavit, a distilled liquour much appreciated in Scandinavian countries, and enhanced by beads of Daurenki caviar with a delicate buttery flavour and hazelnut aroma, this “haute couture” concoction is of exemplary finesse. Until October 31st. Mathis Bar, 3 rue de Ponthieu, Paris 8.
Nestling on the corner of Avenue Montaigne and the Champs Elysées, the Caffè Artcurial returns to center-stage with a formula 100% made in Italy. In smart “bistronomic” style, the menu features tasty offerings from Piedmont with essential gems such as ravioli with three kinds of stew from “Mama Lidia” and “Vitello Tonato d’Enrico”. All washed down with Italian wines and savoured in the peacefulness of the lovely winter garden. Caffé Artcurial, 7 rond-point des Champs Elysées, Paris 8 (www.caffeartcurial.fr).
