Plan a stylish stay in the capital …
“Whoever does not visit Paris regularly will never truly be elegant”, so wrote author Honoré de Balzac in 1830. Whether elegance is your goal or not, I find any trip to the City of Light inspiring. This time of year is particularly peaceful when residents decamp to the beach or holiday homes in Normandy and Ile de Ré.
Dior Creative Director Jonathan Anderson was recently spotted strolling along the Seine, making it this year’s coolest hangout. In particular, Paris Plages (Paris Beaches), three protected areas where visitors can swim in the Seine and Basin de la Villette, in the 19th arrondissement. These have been transformed into urban beaches complete with palm trees and deck chairs. Pack your swimsuit – a dupe for French brand Eres’ covetable cossies are Rae Feather’s one-pieces, now on sale.
Parisians swap boulevards for boat rides during the “Été du Canal” when you can hop on a boat (for €1!) and cruise past street art, stumble upon floating concerts, and dance by the canal. If visiting in September, look out for the unveiling of a new Pont Neuf installation, which will create the illusion of rock formations bridging the Seine. This is to mark 40 years since Christo and Jeanne-Claude elevated the bridge to a work of art with their Pont Neuf Wrapped installation.
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My favourite walk is around the Marais, stopping for coffee at Recto Verso Café (@rectoversocafe) near the former Carreau du Temple market or in The Coffee (@thecoffee.jp) that has nine outposts in Paris. The Marais location, on rue des Gravilliers, serves up cool, minimalist Japanese décor in addition to great grand crèmes. While I’m a coffee lover, I never leave Paris without stocking up on my favourite Mariage Frères tea (I recommend the fragrant Sur Le Nil). This posh tea emporium began in 1854, in the heart of Le Marais, and the shop is captivating with a mix of exotic scents escaping from the canisters on its famous tea wall.
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Pop into the Musée Picasso (rue de Thorigny) where the collection includes more than 5,000 artworks, ceramics and personal papers donated by Picasso’s family after his death. It’s of particular relevance because “Picasso: From the Studio” exhibition opens at the National Gallery of Ireland in October, a collaboration with the Musée. Some of the pieces on loan include Bust of a Woman with a Blue Hat, 1944 and Woman Reading, 1935.
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To complete an aqua-inspired visit, stay in the sleek OFF Paris Seine – a purpose-built floating hotel – moored at the base of Gare d’Austerlitz and Gare de Lyon. Rooms and suites are in latte colours, some with hot tubs. There’s also a plunge pool (with inflatable gold swans) and a central bar where you can watch the river flow by. Once onshore, the interesting Jardin des Plantes with its botanical wonders, menagerie, maze and museum is a short stroll away. @offparisseine
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Why not trace Picasso’s footsteps when he arrived in Paris for the 1900 World Fair? He settled in Montmartre. Visit Maison Souquet Hotel & Spa designed by decorator Jacques Garcia (of Hotel Costes fame), which has often been called the most romantic hotel in Paris. Housed in a former 19th-century maison close (brothel), the hotel’s renowned cocktail bar and trio of exotic salons – Salon des Mille et Une Nuits, Salon des Petits Bonheurs and the Winter Garden – each offer atmospheric settings for dining and drinks. @maisonsouquetofficial
Batignolles in the 17th arrondissement is becoming increasingly trendy and is known for its quirky shops, quaint bistros and village vibe as well as the English-style Square des Batignolles gardens. Stay at La Fondation after a seven year renovation. Once a carpark, its rooftop bar is already a scene while the basement houses of one of the city’s most spectacular swimming pools. @lafondation.paris
If you’re having a Lit Girl Summer, Relais & Chateaux Hôtel Balzac has a history of hosting writers, artists and poets, and was once the home of Balzac himself. He would surely approve of the recent redesign by Charlotte de Tonnac and Hugo Sauzay of Festen. It errs on the pared back with rooms and suites decorated in mocha tones overlooking the Eiffel Tower. Guests have a great view of the enormous monogram trunk hiding construction of the hotly anticipated new Louis Vuitton hotel, due to open in 2026. Breakfast is served in a glass-roofed lounge and apertifs in the divine sunken bar are. The Japanese Ikoi onsen spa is a must-visit. Champs-Élysées is two minutes’ walk away where I always stock up on Bretons at Le Petit Bateau, and browse Guerlain’s flagship Belle Epoque store, now a listed historical monument. Book lovers make haste to A Balzac, A Rodin, a rare art and architecture bookshop. And for stationery fans, try Antoinette de Poisson, an oasis for handprinted paper, perfumes and an old school romantic vibe. @hotelbalzacparis
No visit to Paris is complete without taking in an exhibition. Fashion lovers should make a beeline to “Worth: Inventing Haute couture”, at the Petit Palais until September 7; Rick Owens at Palais Galleria until January 4; and “Paul Poiret” at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs until January 11. I visited La Galerie Dior exhibition, charting the various creative directors and their iconic designs from Mr Dior to Maria Grazia Chiuri. There’s a posh Dior café too, a prime spot for lunch and people watching. Jewellery fans will love “Dinh Van, 60 Years of Freedom and Creation” at Christie’s Paris from September 3 to 13. Equally stylish, for culture lovers La Maison Favart is a hidden gem near the Jardin des Tuileries, Place Vendôme and major department stores, with theatrical rooms paying tribute to playwrights Justine and Charles-Simon Favart. @hotellamaisonfavart
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The fashion set descend on JK Place during Fashion Week in October, especially its see-and-be-seen downstairs lounge for cocktails (try the expertly mixed negronis). It’s just beside the Musée d’Orsay on the tree-lined Rue de Lille where you can mooch the world’s largest collection of Impressionist masterpieces. Renowned architect and designer Michele Bonan created the feeling of staying in an arty private home or members’ club with an inner courtyard and light-filled vertical garden. Art books and hotel merch are highlights – I especially love the posh Ambre Noir candles. Even if not staying, dine in Casa Tua, a sophisticated yet relaxing finale to any trip to Paris. @jkplaceparis
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