One used to go to Caviar Kaspia or Maison du Caviar on the Champs Elysées for a late supper after a play or a concert. But caviar being what it is, no more. I recently found a similar elegant atmosphere at Maison du Danemark at the top of the Champs Elysées, while having a light dinner at their brasserie Flora … Read More
The Clown Bar
You better book at Le Clown bar, because, even for lunch, the ten tables are constantly full. With my elegant girlfriend straight out of the posh seventh arrondissement, we were slightly looked down at as the « Bourgeoises trying to have fun with younger people ». And the first waitress we had, did not hide her displeasure at taking our … Read More
Gare à Lazare
Gare Saint Lazare is traditionally the station in Paris that leads to Normandy and Marcel Proust took the train there to Cabourg. Nowadays, it leads to Giverny for a day at Monet’s gardens or to St Germain, to see the wonderful Maurice Denis museum. But you can also stay in Paris and enjoy the ambiance at Lazare, the one year … Read More
Back to Emile Zola’s Paris
You will not find any fish at Gradelle, a new restaurant opened last fall by Stéphane and Antoni who met while working at the Plaza. The weird name comes from the butcher in « Le ventre de Paris » by Emile Zola and the decor all made to look 1870, is like a stage set. Chef Jonathan Hamel used to work with … Read More
The best Pot au feu
I don’t particularly like this slow cooking beef stew but so many people do that I thought I would give you the list of best restaurants for pot-au-feu published by Figaroscope last week.
A La Réserve, a very special home
I wonder if Lady Antonia Fraser will decide to leave Hotel Meurice to stay in this elegant new hotel, La Réserve, which has without question, the prettiest swimming pool in the Champs Elysées gardens. As she tells us in her new autobiography « My History » (Weidenfeld & Nicolson), she has always been a keen swimmer and cannot survive without … Read More
Les Chouettes is “drôlement chouette”
Les Chouettes (the Owls) is « drôlement chouette » as we would have said in French in the 70’s, very groovy indeed. This fairly recent restaurant –it opened four months ago – is located on rue de Picardie between République and the Marais. It’s already a hit among the thirty/forty crowds of beautiful Parisians and I was introduced to it by … Read More