Where to Stay and Eat in Paris During the Olympics
Paris will be feverish with the Olympic Games this summer, but even the greatest enthusiasts need to take a break from watching sports. Here’s a look at some of the latest hotels, restaurants and shops to visit during those moments of down time.
Stay
The strata of history that saw ancient Lutèce evolve into cosmopolitan Paris inspired the design of the Grand C?ur Latin hotel. Architect Vincent Bastie and interior designer Marie-Paule Clout played on the idea of layered cultural influences throughout the seven floors housed in a 19th-century building, the renovation of which saw the intervention of Paris’ archaeology department. Among the highlights is the 50-foot pool, and its facilities nod to Roman baths.
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Tucked away on a side street leading to the Champs-élysées, Le Balzac has the feel of a breezy Parisian town house and shares its address with three-Michelin-starred chef Pierre Gagnaire. After its complete overhaul signed by French architectural duo Festen, this 58-room property is all about understatement, with a night bar and Japanese spa.
To shape the identity of four-star H?tel Astra Opéra and its 77 rooms, architect Philippe Maidenberg looked at four French stars. Cue a masculine feel for rooms inspired by actor Daniel Auteuil; colorful velvet nodding to the Bouglione circus family; Space Age touches for female astronaut Claudie Haigneré, and a barre with a view on the Opéra Garnier for ballerina Marie-Agnès Gillot. The hotel has received the SHe Travel Club label, an independent certification dedicated to the needs of female travelers. — Lily Templeton
Grand C?ur Latin
20 Rue Cujas, 75005
Tel.: +33 1 46 34 79 50
Le Balzac
6 Rue Balzac, 75008
Tel. : +33 1 44 35 18 00
H?tel Astra Opéra
20 Rue Caumartin, 75009
Tel.: +33 1 42 66 15 15
Sup
At the foot of the Eiffel Tower is the Noti Club, a barge moored in the Port de Suffren. As the sun sets on the Seine, sip a cocktail named after Parisian bridges, sample from the Mediterranean-inflected cuisine or take a mini cruise thanks to one of its privatizable electric ships. On Thursdays, a DJ brings the Noti Plage terrasse on the river bank alive with a set that lasts long into the evening.
Almost 5,600 miles separate Paris and Seoul, but at Mojju, chef Thibault Sombardier focuses on where the two cultures overlap: conviviality, culinary traditions and gastronomic pleasure. A cross between a bistrot and a traditional “hanok” house, this charming address in the tony 7th arrondissement distills the likes of oysters seasoned with kimchi, charcoal-grilled Normandy sirloin and silky “sundubu” tofu with crisped rice noodles.
Casa Luisa is the first Parisian address headed by Michelin-starred chef Romain Fornell and for this introduction, he imagined an all-day tapas menu filled with moreish options such as patatas bravissima, fried artichokes and a dozen crudo variations. Nestled on the ground floor of the former La Muette train station, already home to South America-flavored Andia, this latest address from the Moma Group has been revamped by rising interiors star Mary Erlingsen and has the hallmarks of a neighborhood favorite in the making.
French contemporary label The Kooples has teamed with Peruvian restaurant Coya for a summer takeover of its terrasse. There will be an exclusive Pisco-based cocktail infused with mango as well as a selection of items celebrating the collaboration available for purchase.
At Public House, the oh-so-British pub is getting that French je-ne-sais-quoi, courtesy of a menu signed Calum Franklin, formerly of London’s Rosewood and famed for his pies, and a decor by Laura Gonzalez who infused the eatery with French brasserie codes. — L.T.
Noti Club
6 Port de Suffren, 75007
Thursday to Saturday, 6 to 11 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 3 p.m.
Tel.: +33 1 81 70 42 89
Mojju
4 Rue de l’Exposition, 75007
Tuesday to Saturday, noon to 2 p.m., 7 to 10 p.m.
Tel.: +33 1 45 51 88 38
Casa Luisa
19 Chaussée de la Muette, Ground Floor, 75116
Monday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to midnight
Tel.: +33 1 80 40 79 88
Coya x The Kooples
83-85 Rue du Bac, 75007
Tuesday to Saturday, 7 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Public House
21 Rue Daunou, 75002
Monday to Sunday, 9 a.m. to 2 a.m.
Tel.: +33 1 77 37 87 93
Sip
To usher in the Paris 2024 Games, the Royal Monceau hotel has planned activities that include a bespoke menu of Olympic-inspired cocktails and a museum-style exhibition of sporting memorabilia.
Organized with Paris City Hall, “More Than a Dream” will feature objects including a boxing glove from Cassius Clay — who later changed his name to Muhammad Ali — from the Rome 1960 Summer Olympics where he won a gold medal, and a basketball signed by the U.S. Dream Team that took gold in Barcelona in 1992, which included legends Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson.
The hotel has joined forces with Paris Match magazine to display 24 photographs of legendary athletes from the 1950s through the 1970s in its corridors, and guests can view the action from a lobby lounge decked out to resemble a miniature Paris.
Meanwhile, head mixologist Ga?l Allier has devised five cocktails inspired by cities that have hosted the Summer Games. They range from the Tokyo 2020, a highball cocktail that mixes the malty flavors of whiskey with the refreshing notes of elderflower liqueur, to the Paris 2024, a tribute to the French 75 made with a pear and apple-flavored gin. — Joelle Diderich
Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris
37 Avenue Hoche, 75008
Tel.: +33 1 42 99 88 00
Shop
Pack light, as there will be plenty of sports kit to pick up in town ahead of the Summer Olympics, with the opening of stores from Adidas, JD Sports and On Running on the Champs-élysées, Arc’teryx setting up on Boulevard de la Madeleine, and both Champion and Salomon have set up new outposts in the Marais.
The latest watchmaker to throw its hat in the Champs-élysées ring is IWC Schaffhausen, which opened a 2,500-square-foot, two-floor flagship modeled after a Parisian flat and dubbed “L’Appartement IWC.”
Direct-to-consumer leather goods brand Polène is making its first foray in a department store with an outpost at Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche. Among the novelties showcased in the 650-square-foot space taking cues from the topographies and textures of the mineral world is a new line turning the off-cuts from its leather goods into objects.
To take your haul home, you might consider bidding on one of the Louis Vuitton trunks offered in Christie’s “Legendary Trunks: A European Private Collection” auction. More than 100 pieces from a passionate collector’s stash will go under the hammer, ranging from a wardrobe trunk from 1900 to the 1920s shoe trunk of opera singer Lily Pons and Virgil Abloh’s Courrier Trunk in yellow monogram canvas.
“Legendary Trunks: A European Private Collection” exhibition runs from June 19 to 24, with the online sale until July 3. — L.T.
See
There are sports-related art exhibitions aplenty on in Paris this summer. The Samaritaine Paris department store, whose parent LVMH Mo?t Hennessy Louis Vuitton is a premium partner of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, is celebrating physical activity with a series of exhibits under the name “Samaritaine Paris Se Prend Au Jeu,” or “Samaritaine Paris Gets Into the Game.” It includes “Les Légendes Mondiales du Sport,” or “World Sports Legends,” which culls 100 iconic objects that belonged to some of the greatest champions.
Palais Galliera is hosting the second installment of its “Fashion on the Move” exhibit, which showcases 300 pieces of clothing from the 18th century to present day worn for physical exercise.
La Maison Guerlain is going for the gold with its exhibition “Or Norme,” or “Gold Standard.” That delves into the metal intrinsically linked to the LVMH-owned house through gold-themed work by 16 artists, including Harald Gottschalk, Sophie Zénon, Pedro Motta and Yves Klein.
As skateboarding officially joins the Summer Olympics, the H?tel de Crillon, a Rosewood Hotel, was inspired to host an exhibition with The Skateroom, an art, skate and social change platform. This features 21 limited-edition pieces by the likes of Cindy Sherman, Louise Bourgeois and Juergen Teller appearing on skateboards, and was dreamed up by Sarah Andelman, founder of Just an Idea.
But it’s not all just about sport. Chanel’s La Galerie du 19M is featuring couture creations by Stéphane Ashpool in the exhibit called “Figure Libre,” or “Freestyle.” For it, the designer, who crafted France’s Olympic uniforms, was given carte blanche to work with the house’s ateliers. — Jennifer Weil
“Samaritaine Paris Se Prend Au Jeu,” through Sept. 8
Samaritaine Paris
9 Rue de la Monnaie, 75001
Tel.: +33 1 88 88 60 00
“Fashion on the Move #2,” through Jan. 5
Palais Galliera
10 Avenue Pierre 1er de Serbie, 75116
Tel.: +33 1 56 52 86 00
“Or Norme,” through Sept. 12
La Maison Guerlain
68 Avenue des Champs-élysées, 75008
Tel.: +33 1 45 62 52 57
“Rosewood X The Skateroom,” June 18 to Sept. 14
H?tel de Crillon
10 Place de la Concorde, 75008
Tel.: +33 1 44 71 15 00
“Figure Libre,” through June 16
La Galerie du 19M
2 Place Skanderberg, 75019
Soothe
The Dior Spa Cruise is setting sail on the river Seine on the Excellence Yacht de Paris. The floating treatment space was created for well-being and white-gloved pampering, boasting a bespoke Dior menu of services for face and body to be carried out in its one double or four single cabins. Yoga and Pilates specialists are also on offer, as is a Monsieur Dior floating restaurant featuring chef Jean Imbert’s cuisine.
Hotel Maison Villeroy has recently opened the doors of its new Intuisse Spa, which focuses on longevity. Here, the personalized treatments use two brands — Intuisse and NADclinic — specialized in the coenzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, or NAD+, which is said to improve skin vitality and resilience. The spa offers NADclinic IV perfusions, which can be combined with the face and body treatments using Intuisse products.
Just opened is the Dermo Ocean Spa Algotherm at the hotel InterContinental — Paris Le Grand. Its personalized face and body treatments are carried out by Algotherm’s skin therapists with exclusive protocols combining high tech, such as the Dermo-Scan, and manual techniques. — J.W.
Dior Spa Cruise, July 30 to Aug. 11
Quai Henri IV, 75004
Reservations at dior.com
Intuisse Spa at Maison Villeroy
33 Rue Jean Goujon, 75008
Tel.: +33 1 45 05 68 00
Dermo Ocean Spa Algotherm at the InterContinental – Paris Le Grand
2 Rue Scribe, 75009
Tel.: +33 1 40 07 36 96
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