Between world-class museum collections and gourmet temples, grand boulevards and colourful street cafés, the harmonious beauty of the French capital never fails to inspire.
It is difficult not to speak in superlatives when describing Paris. Every street corner holds a highlight waiting to be discovered. The unassuming boulangerie where the city’s best baguette is baked; the Champs Élysées called home by the most exquisite boutiques; the Louvre whose prestigious interiors are adorned with the world’s finest paintings.
Wandering the grand Hausmannian boulevards and cobblestone neighbourhoods of Paris feels like diving into a tableau, each ornate building, landscaped garden and café terrace contributing to the perfectly-proportioned whole. Hotel Splendide Royal, with its palacio feel and timelessly chic suites, blends in effortlessly with the Parisian elegance.
There is no better place to witness Paris’ love story with perfection than at Pierre Gagnaire’s three-Michelin-starred restaurant in rue Balzac, a short walk from the Arc de Triomphe. A sprawling collage formed of hundreds of ink-drawing-splashed cookery book pages wallpapers the warmly lit dining room, but it’s the cooking that is the real work of art
Unexpected flavours come together and harmonise in whimsically plated dishes like seaweed ravioli with razor clam-sea urchin bisque or scallop biscuit with red shrimp and radicchio. From the thimble-sized amuse-bouches through to the carefully executed dessert selection, Chef Gagnaire applies the precision of a painter – superlatives don’t even begin to do his oeuvre justice.
