Features

Paris Up Close and Personal

30 Apr 2008 by business traveller

We all know the larger-than-life Paris with its icons such as the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and The Ritz Hotel. But let's not forget that it also boasts charming neighbourhoods and intimate spaces to stay and cosy cafés to watch the world go by. Julian Tan captures a more intimate side of the French capital.

Paris is a shopper’s dream, and fashionistas will argue that you haven’t been to Paris if you haven’t been to Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. Few though mention Rue de Passy, the shopping enclave in the Right Bank’s 16th Arrondissement.

Those in the know agree there’s a certain je ne sais quoi about this quaint suburb called Passy, which traditionally is home to the Parisian cognoscenti.

Passy’s claims to fame is as the home of America’s founding father Benjamin Franklin and 19th-century French novelist and playwright Honoré de Balzac. The name “Passy” is also synonymous with chocolatier Regis (89 Rue de Passy) and as the location for the Marlon Brando-starrer Last Tango in Paris.

On the cobbled streets of Rue de Passy, stretching from La Muette to the Place de Costa Rica behind the Trocadéro, one feels the buzz of the Parisian daily life. Rub shoulders with the ladies who lunch, the couple walking their dog and executives toting a Louis Vuitton, or enjoy a tête-à-tête over a cappuccino and rose-flavoured macarons at one of the sidewalk cafés. During the serious business hours, cash registers can be heard ringing inside the glass-fronted shops.

Retailers here may not all be the most upmarket, although it has been said that the style is BCBG or “bon chic, bon genre”, which in English means “good style, good attitude”. Those who have set up shop include Alain Manoukian (No. 83) for silhouettes with a boho-chic vibe, Franck et Fils (No. 80) for shoes from the likes of Dries Van Noten, Chloé, Christian Lacroix and Yves Saint Laurent, Guerlain (No. 93), Sephora (No. 50) for a variety of perfumes, Kenzo (No. 99) and Christofle (No. 95) for exquisite glassware and tableware. There’s also a sizeable mall named Passy Plaza (No. 53), which houses American casual-chic label Gap whose first Paris mega-boutique opened in 1994, H&M of Sweden and French skincare favourite L’Occitane, just to name a few.

Although the clientele is largely female, Rue de Passy also caters to gentlemen, offering some of fashion’s best. Nodus (No. 46) shows off quality cuts and styles in its hip and funky collection of bright coloured, striped and floral shirts and silk ties, while French shoemaker Heyraud (No. 99/101), which originated in Limoges in the 1950s, dresses the heels for homme and femme and has a following for its loafer. Residents and visitors alike can also benefit from a pharmacy, an optician and the Majestic Passy cinema.

What Passy lacks in an internationally recognised street name and a showcase of fashion flagships, it makes up in historical architecture and the joie de vivre that pervades, which the locals treasure and visitors relish. Once in the neighbourhood, one immediately feels at home. Residents who live in the 16th Arrondissement are among the most fortunate, benefiting from a well-planned infrastructure that includes tree-lined sidewalks, parks, museums, eateries, the subway system and classy townhouses and cul-de-sac apartments with balconies – particularly those off Avenue du Pt Kennedy, with some having the luxury of the Seine and the Eiffel Tower as backdrops. Few would expect the level of social respect and status now enjoyed by a former hilltop village (together with Auteuil) that was once outside the city’s walls for centuries and then integrated into the city in the 19th century, the period of construction for most of its buildings today.

Conducive living spaces heighten the experience for both the shopper and visitor through a myriad of architectural wonders and attractions that have since characterised the neighbourhood. Such lessons are afforded at the countless museums in the 16th Arrondissement, including the Musée du Vin (Rue des Eaux, tel 33 1 4525 6326, www.museeduvinparis.com) which holds exhibitions on the history of wine and winemaking, Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris in Palais Galliéra (10 Avenue Pierre 1er de Serbie, tel 33 1 5652 8600) which displays French clothing and accessories from the 18th century and the Impressionist shrine that’s Musée Marmottan Monet (2 Rue Louis-Boilly, tel 33 1 4496 5033, www.marmottan.com).

Off Rue de Passy, the Eglise de Notre Dame de Grace de Passy (10 Rue de l’Annonciation) is a Parish church dating from the 19th century, the Maison de Balzac (47 Rue Raynouard, tel 33 1 5574 4180) was where the famous French lived and wrote for seven years, while the Philippe Starck-designed Maison Baccarat (11 Place des Etats-Unis, tel 33 1 4022 1100) pays tribute to the crystal manufacturer. At Place de Passy, the Jardins du Ranelagh at Chausée de la Muette opened in 1774 and was the playground of Marie Antoinette. The Passy Cemetery (2 Rue du Cmdt-Schloesing, tel 33 1 4727 5142) is the final resting place of composer Claude Debussy, painter Edouard Manet and car racer Marcel Renault.

The next time you’re in Paris, make time for Passy. It is precious.


FACT FILE

Getting there: The subway is a convenient and inexpensive way of travelling around Paris. La Muette (line 9) and Passy (line 6) are near Rue de Passy.

Food: Some of the popular picks are Matsuri (2 Rue de Passy, tel 33 1 4224 9685) serving Japanese lunch and dinner and Café Le Passy (2 Rue de Passy, tel 3 31 4288 3102) offering salmon tartare and grilled langoustine and an interior designed by Hubert de Givenchy, among many other restaurants and cafés.

Accommodation: From one to four stars. Double Rooms start from E90 (US$142) at the three-star Passy Eiffel Hotel (10 Rue de Passy, tel 33 1 4525 5566, www.france-hotel-guide.com).


FOOT NOTES

Paris has no lack of interesting districts that can be explored on foot. We highlight just a few.

The 9th Arrondissement is a haven for artistic types: the Place de l’Opéra (www.opera-de-paris.fr) was inaugurated under the Third Republic and features a Chagall-painted ceiling in its main auditorium; Musée de parfum Fragonard (www.fragonard.com) lures the noses with its collection of distillation jars, presentation boxes on marble dressing tables and caskets of opaline and glass from Murano and Bohemia; Musée Grévin (www.grevin.com) affords opportunities to meet wax men Jimi Hendrix, Einstein and Louis XIV; Musée Gustave-Moreau (www.musee-moreau.fr) walks visitors through the artist’s life; and Musée de la Vie romantique (www.paris.fr/musees) is the world of painter and sculptor Ary Scheffer.

The 4th Arrondissement takes visitors to medieval Paris through a showcase of contemporary European art at the Wi-Fi-enabled Centre Georges Pompidou (www.centrepompidou.fr); Île de la Cité, the birthplace of the centre of Paris in Gallo-Roman times; Île Saint-Louis for its profusion of restaurants, cafés, ice-cream makers and confectioners; and Marais for quirky designer buys and night life. And regardless of how many times you’ve been to Paris, it’s always a joy to experience the Les Halles, Palais Royal, Tuileries and the Louvre in the 1st Arrondissement.

For more information, visit www.parisinfo.com

PETITE DELUXE

An alternative to the branded chains, boutique hotels are generally defined as stylish and distinct in architecture and design and by the trendiness of their location. Their room inventory is generally under 150, targeting customers with a mid- to upper-level income and who appreciate the beautiful things in life. On a recent trip to Paris, we visited some of the most stylish examples near the Seine.

While not all of them provide the expected luxuries of a spa or gym (broadband internet is complimentary though), each of them continues the tradition of refined hospitality and personalised service. Whatever your personality – quirky, conservative – or even if you refused to be buttonholed, there’s a special space for you in the City of Lights.


COUTURE FIX
BELLECHASSE

On a quaint street in Faubourg Saint-Germain in the Left Bank’s 7th Arrondissement, past the sliding glass doors engraved with a “B” (for Bellechasse), one enters the whimsical realm of French couturier Christian Lacroix, who brought his flamboyant style on the runway to the guestrooms. Think splashes of colours and a heady mix of motifs in the form of trompe l’oeil murals, faux zebra fur, brocade and velvet. Seven design themes run through all 34 rooms, weaving a beautiful tale of the 17th-century aristocrat neighbourhood: Patchwork (primary tones with Persian and Arabic motives), Avengers (Brit pop culture-influenced), Saint-Germain (contemporary), Tuileries (stripes and folk motives), Mousquetaires (17th-century inspired), Jeu de Paume (neo-futuristic and abstract prints) and Quai d’Orsay (Prévert style or astrological symbols).

This boutique hotel comprises two buildings, with a reception and lounge on the street level, plus a dining room one floor below serving only breakfast (which can also be had in room). Two single rooms and 32 doubles range from 10sqm to 19sqm, overlooking either the street or the hotel’s courtyard. In-room amenities include a safe, minibar, flat-screen TV, telephone, bathtub (freestanding in some rooms) and complimentary Wi-Fi. Sensor-controlled lighting is used along the corridors, while lifts provide access to guestrooms on the upper floors. The reception is manned by a staff who speaks not only French but also English and Spanish. For walkabouts, the Musée d’Orsay and Louvre, as well as art galleries, antique dealers, bookshops, restaurants and cafés are easily accessible. Launched in 2007, Le Bellechasse is part of the Avantgarde Hotels, which also includes properties in Asia-Pacific like Dream Bangkok Hotel and Hongkong’s Cosmo Hotel.

PRICE: From US$530, with a choice of Discovery or Privilege/Twin Rooms.

CONTACT: 8 Rue de Bellechasse, 75007 Paris, France, tel 33 1 4550 2231, www.lebellechasse.com or www.avantgardehotels.com


REGAL ABODE
DE SERS

The splendour of 19th-century Paris is captured in this restored mansion in the 11th Arrondissement, formerly the private residence of Marquis de Sers. The main lobby doubles as a portrait gallery: gilt-framed oil paintings of the Marquis and his family line the walls, while a fuchsia carpet runs the length of the hallway.

Room sizes are the luxury at Hotel de Sers, which opened in 2004 and is a member of the WORLDHOTELS Deluxe Collection. A total of 52 simple yet elegant guestrooms measure between 30sqm and 80sqm, all furnished with minibars, Bang&Olufsen TVs, DVD and CD players and complimentary Wi-Fi. Dark rosewood furniture and bathrooms in cream Italian marble and white enamel feature in 45 Superior and Deluxe Rooms; four Junior Suites are located from the second to fifth floors; two Panoramic Suites offer superb views from the terrace, from the Basilica of Sacré-Coeur (French for “sacred heart”) to the Eiffel Tower; and an Apartment Suite provides a luxurious living space once occupied by Brad Pitt, Enrique Iglesias and Craig David.

Adding to the joie de vivre are a sauna, hammam and gym with weight-training equipment, stationary bike and stepper. Small-group networking for up to 30 can take place in the Marquis Salon and the Baccarat Hall d’Honneur.

A restaurant caters for lunch and dinner; the patio can be set up for breakfast (from US$46 for continental, “wellness” or American), while the bar lounge is for chilling out after 4pm and Happy Hours from 7pm to 8pm on weekdays. Alternatively, there’s the two Michelin-star Le Cinq at the adjacent Four Seasons Hotel George V, Café Renoma (lunch and coffee cost from E19/US$30 per person) or a host of dining and entertaining options along Avenue des Champs-Elysées.

PRICE: Rooms from US$575.

CONTACT: 41 Avenue Pierre 1er de Serbie, 75008 Paris, France, tel 33 1 5323 7575, www.hoteldesers.com or www.worldhotels.com


FRENCH PALACE
HOSPES LANCASTER

Just looking at the pictures of this “townhouse hotel” on the Leading Hotels of the World (LHW) website is enough to make you feel like a million bucks. But nothing takes the place of experiencing its actual grandeur, which is certain to create a lasting impression. The property is among the Spanish Hospes Hotels & Moments’ growing portfolio of hotels occupying restored historical buildings.

An exclusive collection of 18th-century French antiques and original oil paintings takes centre stage in the suites, bar lounge and reception area. There are 57 rooms including 11 suites overlooking a courtyard garden and some affording views of Eiffel Tower and Sacré-Coeur, all Wi-Fi enabled at no charge. Other creature comforts include flat-screen TVs, DVD and CD players and iPod desks.

Food connoisseurs will be delighted at the presence of the one-Michelin-star La Table du Lancaster, presided over by Chef Michel Troisgros whose menus are inspired by his many travels. The fitness centre on the eighth floor has views of Montmartre and rooftops of Paris in the 8th Arrondissement, providing ample diversion during workouts. For business meetings, the Fontenoy Private Room caters for 14 people with full concierge services.

PRICE: Rooms from US$450.

CONTACT: 7 Rue de Berri, Champs-Elysées, 75008 Paris, France,?tel 33 1 4076 4076, www.lhw.com


URBANE CHIC
LE A

French architecture Frédéric Méchiche has created a decidedly charming townhouse out of Hotel Le A, which wears a 19th-century façade lined with bamboo. Its lobby library with a fireplace makes an instant conversation piece, with 300 pieces of work dedicated to art, fashion, design and architecture providing therapy for the eye and soul.

Cutting-edge technology features in all its 26 “picture-book style” guestrooms in the Superior, Deluxe, Junior Suite and Apartment categories. Minimalist and contemporary, they contain abstract Expressionist artwork by Fabrice Hybert. Superior Rooms feature clean lines of furniture, grey and green woodwork and white-washed walls; Deluxe Rooms in green/grey or chocolate hues set against white-washed walls have brown-stonework bathrooms; while the Junior Suites (yes, the walls are white-washed too) are furnished with armchairs and sofas, one king-size or two single beds and a bath and shower. The top-floor apartment consists of a living room, bedroom with Italian-style bed and white-marble bathroom, with the use of materials like fruitwood and black and white mosaic giving that added touch of luxury. Flat-screen TV, audio and video player, dimmer switch, Wi-Fi connection, minibar, safe and hairdryer are room standards guests will be able to enjoy. Champs Elysées, Faubourg Saint Honoré and Montaigne are close enough for retail therapy.

PRICE: Rooms from US$437.

CONTACT: 4 Rue d’Artois, 75008 Paris, France, tel 33 1 4256 9999, www.hotel-le-a-paris.com


CLASS ACT
MONTALEMBERT

Centrally located on the Rive Gauche, the Montalembert is housed in an Art-Deco building, circa 1926, off Rue du Bac where fashion boutiques, art galleries and antique shops reside. When the Spanish family of Soldevila acquired it in 2005, they had in mind to pair elegant architecture in a prestigious address with high-end personalised service – the makings of any property of the Majestic Hotel Group (Barcelona’s Majestic Hotel and Hotel Inglaterra are sister properties of the Montalembert, all belonging to the Preferred Hotel Group).

Named after politician and writer Charles Forbes Montalembert, it is easy to see why the literary and artistic set is attracted to it. The peaceful environs of the 56-room hotel are any writer’s dream, the sort of setting one remembers in Moulin Rouge, of Ewan McGregor typing incessantly, words flowing from the fingertips, experiencing no writer’s block whatsoever with the Eiffel Tower nearby as a source of inspiration.

Guestrooms are designed according to two schools of thought – contemporary à la Christian Liaigre or Louis Philippe classic, with cool shades of beige, brown and aubergine and soft leather furnishings. Lavish in-room touches include Eric Schmitt lamps, flat-screen TVs, iHome with Bose sound system (de rigueur for the Apple iPod generation!), Wi-Fi access, embroidered linens, and bathrooms with chrome sinks, Cascais marble floors, lots of mirrors and Molton Brown toiletries. Suites on the eighth floor feature mansard roofs characteristic of Paris and breathtaking city views. Salon Gallimard and Salon Correspondant are ideal for talking business in groups of up to 10 and 20 respectively. All-day dining is available at Le Restaurant (see review on page 48), though you can easily pop over next door at L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon.

PRICE: Rooms from US$380.

CONTACT: 3 Rue de Montalembert, 75007 Paris, France, tel 33 1 4549 6868, www.montalembert.com or www.preferredhotels.com


LIVING ART
SEZZ

“Please don’t call Sezz a home away from home. Shahé (Kalaidjian, the Beirut-born hotelier) cringes when you use the term, which denotes a certain ‘hang-around-in-your-sweatpants sloppiness’”. His hotel’s mantra says it all: luxury is space and service. In the absence of a check-in desk, the friendly staff greets you when you arrive, shows you to either of the two “salons”, offers a drink and sits you down to chat about your preferences (as well as peeves). And while you’re at it, don’t get sidetracked by the stunning décor of the salons: specially created Murano light fixtures and red leather Artelano sofas, enhanced by soft lighting and a muted palette of red and brown setting off the khaki-grey stone from the Portuguese town of Cascais, which appears throughout the hotel. Philippe Starck’s protégé Christophe Pillet is the brain behind the interiors. The 27 guestrooms measure 18.5sqm to 37sqm and are furnished with Driade chairs, Mazzega glass chandeliers (in the suites), Boffi vanity tops, Dornbracht taps and rain showers, flat-screen TVs and cashmere bed throws. Wi-Fi is free in room. Contrary to conventional wisdom, beds stand freely in the middle of some rooms – “easier to stroll around them,” dictates Kalaidjian, who worships the masters of architecture Frank Lloyd Wright, Charles and Ray Eames, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and of course, Philippe Starck. This Design Hotels member (formerly a Best Western) also boasts the world’s first Veuve Clicquot Grande Dame bar, a hammam, Jacuzzi and massage room.

PRICE: Rooms from US$395.

CONTACT: 6 Avenue Frémiet, 75016 Paris, France, tel 33 1 5675 2626, www.hotelsezz.com or www.designhotels.com


PERSONAL TOUCH
SQUARE

Owner Patrick Derderian took a hands-on approach in orchestrating the construction and developing the design 11 years ago of what is now a 5,000-square-metre property and part of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) porfolio. Its exterior, which resembles a boat’s prow, is made of grey-green Indian granite, while the interior boasts Eric Schmitt door handles and bronze lighting, Philippe Hurel furniture, Christian Duc rugs and carpets, and paint effects by Pierre Bonnefille. Art exhibits hanging off an 18-metre wall can be appreciated from the semi-circle balconied walkways leading to the guestrooms, and two lifts on every guestroom floor are sensor-controlled.

Accommodation is offered in 22 rooms and suites, many of which offer an unusual room shape dictated by the building’s curving silhouette. Decked out in colour combinations of saffron and brick, ivory and grey, and anthracite and gold, the rooms each have two direct dial telephones, a safe, cable TV, Bang&Olufsen CD player, a selection of CDs (the likes of Bob Marley and the Wailers, Gershwin, Beethovan, Serge Gainsbourg and Louis Armstrong), lifestyle magazines, literature by Michel Waldberg and Claude-Michel Cluny, and Carrera marble bathrooms. Suite guests can also enjoy original artworks by Frenchmen Pierre Celice and Claude Viallat and Irishman Tom Carr. Room numbers are not carved or tagged on the doors or walls, but are found instead on the doorstep. The Reading Room offers quiet moments, while the Salon Blanc and Salon Gris cater to 40 and 10 people respectively. Zebra Square (see review on page 48) is the only restaurant, and a fitness centre is located 300m away – just ask the helpful staff for directions.

PRICE: Rooms from US$450.

CONTACT: 3 Rue de Boulainvilliers, 75016 Paris, France, tel 33 1 4414 9190, www.hotelsquare.com or www.slh.com


TABLE TALK

Paris, the home of the Michelin Star, is replete with unforgettable gastronomic experiences. But if time is tight, you wouldn’t go wrong trying out these two restaurants that provide the right ambience and innovative cuisine for a satisfying meal.


Le Restaurant at Montalembert

Sporting an earthy palette with grey and taupe cushions, beige linens and oak wood, it is as visually pleasing as its name. A capacity of 30 indoor and 30 in the terrace caters adequately to guests of the 56-room Montalembert. The layout is clean and cosy, comprising a dining area and the Salon Gallimard with a library, lounge and fireplace. The lounge, which was comfortable and conducive, was ideal for my business meeting on a Thursday morning.

Chef Eric Brujan’s lunch and dinner menu changes every one to one-and-a-half months and features four categories: végétal (greens), mer (seafood), terre (meat) and soleil (dessert) in tasting “dégustation” and larger “gourmet” portions. Food is thoughtfully prepared, using ingredients like French meats and an expensive spice in the Saffron and Baby Aragula Creamy Carnaroli Risotto.

My main, the Free Range Chicken Breast “à la Plancha” was cooked to perfection, crispy on the outside and moist and tender inside. As I was still feeling full from a late business lunch, I decided to forgo dessert, regretfully, I might add as the assortment was terribly tempting. This consisted of Hazelnut Cake with Caramelised Bananas and Rum Banana Ice Cream, Chocolate Napoleon with Caramelised Pear, Mister Fabre’s Goat Cheese Selection and White Fig Jam, Apple Pie Turnover with French Vanilla Ice Cream, Vanilla Exotic Fruits with Coconut Cake Mango Sherbet and Homemade Ice Cream and Sherbet. The drinks list is extensive: French reds and whites from Loire Valley, Bourgogne, Bordeaux, Provence, Beaujolais and other regions, champagne, cocktails, liqueur, beer, sparkling and non-sparkling mineral water, soft drinks, coffee and tea. Staff was warm and attentive, and by my second visit, I was greeted by my last name.

PRICES: Starters from E10 (US$15.70), mains from E22 (US$34) and desserts from E10 (US$15.70) including tax and service charge.

OPENING HOURS: Breakfast from 0700 to 1030 daily; full menu is available from noon to 2230 daily.

VERDICT: Pared-down luxury with good food.

CONTACT: Hotel Montalembert, 3 Rue de Montalembert, 75007 Paris, France, tel 33 1 4549 6868, www.montalembert.com


Zébra Square at Hotel Square

You wouldn’t be blamed for thinking Zébra Square and Hotel Square were one and the same. Opened in 1995, two years earlier than the hotel, the restaurant is arguably better known to the locals, attracting walk-ins from Maison Radio France across the street and the Parisian cognoscenti, press functions and film premieres. The restaurant’s strategic location commands a steady flow of traffic, with its main entrance facing Rue la Fontaine, which appeared busier than Rue de Boulainvilliers where the hotel entrance is located. But there are plans to reposition the entrance, according to general manager Nicole Derderian.

Once inside, guests will notice that it is – no surprises here – zebra themed, from the meandering black-and-white mosaic walkway to the zebra-striped napkins and specially created zebra-striped tableware. The interior with dark wood furnishing is divided into three sections subtly separated by differing ceiling heights – the bar (featuring a four-metre high, climate-controlled “wine library” with over 2,000 bottles), the main dining area and Salon-Voltaire for tête-à-têtes with a total capacity of 160. Alternatively, an integrated covered terrace is open for dining and cocktails on balmy days. Food is prepared by the hotel old-timer, Executive Chef Fabrice Fourrier whose signature dishes include Scallop Flesh “à la Plancha” with Caramelised Chicories and Breast Duck Caramelised with Soft Spices Dressing and Mushroom Polenta, while tartare is served with French fries or salad. At dinnertime, I opted for the Roasted Fillet of Sea Bream Caramelised with Spices and Zucchini Tarragon, which was light but satisfying. The Roederer Cristal 99 at E300 (US$472) is among the drink selections.

PRICES: Starters from E7 (US$11), mains from E19 (US$30) and desserts from E8 (US$12).

OPENING HOURS: From 0730 to 2400 daily, except Sunday and Monday till 2300.

VERDICT: Versatile for work and play.

CONTACT: Hotel Square, 3 Rue de Boulainvilliers, 75016 Paris, France, tel 33 1 4414 9190, www.hotelsquare.com

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