Paris is never short of ideas - you just need to know where to look. Every week, we scour the capital to bring you 5 must-try experiences, ranging from restaurants and exhibitions to cultural outings and activities that make the city’s heart beat.
The start of the literary season is an unmissable event in Paris: there are countless awards recognising new works and their authors… and they become the talk of the town. Founded in 1884 in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, the café Les Deux Magots has been a meeting place for intellectuals and writers ever since it opened. The venue organises three literary prizes throughout the year, including the Prix des Deux Magots, which will be presented on 5 October, followed by the Prix Apollinaire, to be held on 2 November. To prolong the pleasure of reading – and writing – on the terrace of this legendary café, Etam has designed a collection dedicated to the Parisian art of living, with a Left Bank twist. In this range, which is just as suitable for wearing at home as it is on the terrace – no doubt the secret to Parisian chic – we’re particularly taken with the striped satin set, the cap (€25) and the sweatshirt (€39.99), featuring a letter printed on the back from the poet Guillaume Apollinaire to an unknown woman… who is expected on the terrace of the famous café-restaurant. A lovely souvenir of the capital!
Café Les Deux Magots
8 Place Saint-Germain-des-Prés and 2 Rue de Buci, Paris 6th arrondissement
Available in Etam shops across France, on Etam.com, as well as at Les Deux Magots and on Comptoirs-lesdeuxmagots.fr
On the banks of the Marne, on a small lake surrounded by greenery opposite the Vaires-Torcy leisure centre and its fine sandy beach, L’Escale Royale offers a complete escape on pleasure boats converted into hotel suites, in the spirit of slow tourism, just 30 minutes from Paris. They feature a bedroom – complete with a spa bath – opening onto panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows, a terrace at water level, a fully equipped kitchen, a home cinema system with a large screen, an ultra-comfortable king-size bed – and, in some cases, a sauna or a rooftop terrace with sun loungers… Built with the help of an ecologist to respect the surrounding flora and fauna, these houseboats use recyclable, sustainable and reversible materials, without damaging local biodiversity or the riverbanks. From dawn to sunset, you’re immersed in nature and surrounded by swans, moorhens and ducks…
Small electric boats are available for a trip on the water (29€, 1 hour), and bikes (for hire) to explore the surrounding area. From the water sports centre, you can try your hand at stand-up paddleboarding, rowing, kayaking or catamaran sailing… For dinner, you can order aperitif platters for two, delivered directly to your suite, just like breakfast (32€ for two people). Adults only.
L’Escale Royale
From €100 per night
Ile de Loisirs de Vaires-Torcy
Route de Lagny
77200 Torcy
“A city is beautiful at night,” said Richard Bohringer… The Roger-Viollet Gallery proves this once again by bringing together 70 poetic photographs that depict “Paris, open by night” from the 1900s to the 1970s. Mostly in black and white, these photographs by ** Hélène Roger-Viollet**, founder of the eponymous photo agency in 1938, as well as by numerous photojournalists, reveal moments frozen in time across Paris: anonymous night owls against backdrops of light, drawn like moths to a flame by everything that glitters – from the lights of the Casino de Paris to the cabarets, via the musette dances, cafés and narrow streets of Montmartre. Mystery, celebration, chance encounters… A souvenir to take home: the beautiful exhibition catalogue (90 pages, €15) and photographic prints (from €240, numbered, in a limited edition of 30) available to order on site or online.
Galerie Roger-Viollet
Open until 3 October, Tuesday to Saturday, 11.00 - 19.00
Free entry
6, rue de Seine, Paris 6th arrondissement
She is nothing less than France’s greatest female chef, whose talent, finesse and creative vision shine through in more than nine restaurants across the globe – recognised with 10 Michelin stars – making her the most highly-starred woman in the world! Housed within the Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art, now located on Place du Palais-Royal, opposite the Louvre, the new Anne-Sophie Pic restaurant – now the only one of its kind in Paris – has just opened its doors. On the menu at this establishment, which has its sights set on Michelin stars: the promise of a dialogue between haute cuisine and contemporary art in a sophisticated, cosy setting designed by the Parisian architectural firm Moinard Bétaille. On the menu is a Jackson Pollock-style culinary creation, the famous ‘berlingots’ given a new twist (Normandy Camembert, mushroom broth flavoured with angelica and ginger), and surprises featuring artists in residence. The evening rounds off with a nightcap at the Utopic bar, also designed by the chef (open from 5 pm to midnight every day, no booking required): It offers an extensive menu of experimental mixology inspired by her iconic recipes, with direct access to the restaurant, as well as a separate entrance on Rue de Marengo.
Fondation Cartier
Lunch menu with 3, 4 or 5 courses: €120, €150 and €185
Dinner menu with 7 courses: €260
Restaurant open for lunch and dinner
Entrance via the Porte Oratoire, under the arcades
164, Rue de Rivoli, Paris 1st arrondissement
It’s the latest beauty craze in the capital: the Head Spa, also known as the Hair Spa – a targeted wellness ritual from Japan that Parisians are crazy about, a relaxing experience combining a scalp massage with deep-cleansing treatment for the scalp and hair. More than just a treatment, it’s a genuine wellness ritual that addresses the health of the hair at a deep level, cleanses the roots and stimulates regrowth… We love the sensory experience of cascading water beneath a warm water shower arch, the massages with natural oils, and the benefits of the bespoke specialist care products used in the treatment. Aromatherapy, crystal therapy, hot steam… these treatments release tension and offer a genuine escape from the everyday. A holistic and immersive sensory experience, they’re even available as express treatments. Our 5 favourite spots in Paris:
Flora Lab Paris at Galeries Lafayette Paris Haussmann Level -1, beauty & treatment area, Coupole store, 40 Boulevard Haussmann, Paris 9th arrondissement
Choose from the Flash Detox (anti-inflammatory), Growth, Shine or Strengthening treatments
€100, 40 minutes
Valmont Spa at Le Meurice, 228 Rue de Rivoli, Paris 1st
Treatment: The iconic head spa treatment at Le Meurice, €240, 1 hour
Find out more at: www.lamaisonvalmont.com and www.dorchestercollection.com
Leonor Greyl, 15, rue Tronchet, Paris 8th arrondissement
Signature Ritual, from €115 (short hair) to €174 (very long hair), 1 hour
Nocibé La Défense, Westfield Les 4 Temps Shopping Centre, Level 1, Puteaux
L’Essentiel Treatment, €79, 1 hour
Nesspa, 131, rue de la Roquette, Paris 11th arrondissement
Anti-stress treatment, €64, 40 minutes
