I Prefer Paris

Hotels in Algarve, Portugal: Bela Vista and Pousada Palacio de Estoi

The other highlight of our vacation in the Algarve last month besides the beautiful beaches were the hotels we stayed in.

The first hotel we stayed at, Bela Vista, is located in Portimao, a small seaside town about an hour’s drive from Faro airport, the main airport of the Algarve region.

The meaning of Bela Vista is beautiful view and one can get the obvious reference by standing on the high bluff the hotel is situated on and looking down at the gorgeous expanse of Praia de Rocha beach and the Atlantic ocean.

The building seemed more like a converted Victorian style home but in fact was built as a small hotel with 15 rooms in 1934, a precursor to the boutique hotel. It was recently bought by a new company and refurbished into a five-star hotel.

The décor of the lobby was a fabulous mix of classic Portuguese features such as the Azulejo tiles lining the walls and the carved dark wood carved stairway along with contemporary accents of black and white wide striped dining chairs and cherry red dining club chairs with swooping arms. The centerpiece of the lobby is the elongated piano with decoupage.

Our room on the second floor with a spot on view of the beach was an ebullient rush of cobalt blue and marigold yellow with a subtle border of mosaic tiles bordering our white tufted headboard. The mattress was heavenly comfortable and the sheets ever so soft, making me seriously think of investing in some new sheets.

We weren’t so fortunate with the weather and only two days of the four days we were sunny and warm with one day pouring rain continuously. The comfort of the hotel was tested on the rainy day, as it was raining so hard we stayed in all day, so we lazed in the room watching videos all day and reading in the perfect chair in the cozy lobby living room with a fireplace.  

We were invited to have dinner in the haute cuisine Vista restaurant in the hotel. The newly appointed 28 year Chef Joao Oliveira trained at some of the top restaurants in Portugal, including the nearby two Michelin star Vila Joya, which I had the pleasure of dining at and will write about in the near future. Oliveira will have a bright future if he continues creating the eclectic and exotic taste sensations we had that night with our five-course tasting menu.

 

Since we had an early flight going back to Paris on Friday, I booked a hotel closer to the airport instead of having to drive an hour back from the Bela Vista.

I reserved at the Pousada Palacio de Estoi, a renovated 18th century palace. The photos on the website looked appealing and intriguing.

We didn’t arrive till late in the day, as we wanted to have as much beach and pool time as possible at Bela Vista. After getting lost for about 45 minutes (silly me I forgot to rent a GPS with the rental car) we followed a narrow street in a small village up to the hotel. Nothing had prepared me for the beauty and grandeur of the hotel. It was sunset and the orange light hitting the pink stucco palace was astounding. I ran back to the room lickety- split so I could capture these final golden moments before it got dark. The sunset reflecting on the pool was also sensational and it overlooked the village and mountains below.

Our large room was ultra modern minimalist design and the common rooms and lobby had a cool mix of modern décor and some of the original Baroque style furniture.

I was now sorry I didn’t come earlier in the day to enjoy the pool and beauty of the hotel.

http://www.hotelbelavista.net/
http://www.pestana.com/en/hotel/pousada-estoi

Eye Prefer Paris Postcards

I am thrilled to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Postcards, a 6 or 12-month subscription service where the subscriber receives three physical postcards of my iconic Paris photos every month. Each month will have a specific theme, from architectural street scenes to romantic outdoor cafes to beautiful gardens to unique shots of iconic monuments. Each mailing will include two postcards in color and one in black & white or sepia, beautifully packaged in a special French Blue postcard holder with a custom designed seal.

Each 6” X 4.25” traditional size postcard is printed on thick matte coated card stock, similar to traditional vintage postcard stock that enhances the vibrancy of every image.

Only $60 for a 6 month subscription (plus shipping)or

$110 for a 12-month subscription (plus shipping)

My offer of a 12-month subscription with an extra month free is good until October 31, so remember to order now before the offer ends.

Click here to order a 12-month subscription from my Etsy store

Click here to order a 6-month subscription from my Etsy store

 

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.

 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com 

  Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 195 euros per person (about $210)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

 

Chateau de la Berriere – La Petite Maison de Josephine

In mid-July I needed to decompress for a few days from doing tours nearly everyday since the end of May and wanted someplace out of the city that was easily accessible.

My American friend Ron, who lives in Paris, has been asking me to go with him for sometime to visit his friend Xavier who lives in an authentic 18th century chateau still owned by his family. I finally said yes, a perfect solution for a short getaway from Paris.

The chateau is about 20 minutes from Nantes, so Ron and I took a late morning train, arriving at lunchtime. We had a pleasant lunch and then Ron had some business to take care of outside of Nantes and left me to tool around in the old quarter by myself.

We headed to the chateau at about five o’clock and as we approached the countryside a few minutes later, I noticed rows upon rows of grapevines. Ron told me the area grew sweet grapes for Muscadet wine.

Xavier was not at the chateau when we arrived but I met his brother Gonzalve and his wife Catherine, who live in the chateau. Gonzalve was kind enough to give me a tour of the rooms and the grounds. He told me the rich history of the chateau and how it was in the family since the early 1800s. The chateau was originally built in the mid 1700s but burned down during The Revolution and the current house was rebuilt in the Directoire style in 1804, with a few modifications in the 20th century.

On the main floor of the house were the elegantly decorated reception rooms with handsome chandeliers and ornate moldings. The most intriguing room was a two-story atelier on the top floor, with a wonderful, winding wood staircase going to the top. Xavier and Gonzalve’s grandfather was a painter and designated this part of the chateau as his studio.

The grounds were abundant with mid- summer blooms including a healthy spray of hydrangeas. I caught hens pecking away at the grass, attempting to have a late day snack. The moat had thick moss growing on it and the stone bridge was overrun with ivy. Across the road from the chateau was a curious round brick structure and I asked Gonzalve what it was. He replied it was a pigeonerre, a structure to raise and store pigeons. Pigeons were an important part of life the chateau when it was first built, as not only were they used for food but also for carrying letters, aka carrier pigeons. Gonzalves said the pigeons were quite efficient in delivering letters, sometimes returning within a few hours. We laughed simultaneously when I said it was better and less expensive than FedEx.

I was shown to my petite maison where I would be staying, a most charming country cottage surrounded by a stone wall with seasonal flowers and white iron chairs and café table. The bedroom was painted a cheerful country yellow with a bedspread, headboard, and inviting chaise lounge covered in classic Provencal blue print fabric.

Catherine made a simple dinner of pork roast, green salad, and haricot verts. Sometimes the simplest, unassuming food is the best.

Breakfast was served the next morning on the terrace of my cottage. Fresh bread, butter, homemade preserves, croissants, orange juice, and piping black coffee were laid out on an attractive red and white print tablecloth. Catherine made an extravagant treat of crème caramel for breakfast, which I lapped up happily.

After breakfast, Ron took me on a brief tour of the area, where we visited a small country church. The landscape consisted mostly of sky with layered gray clouds and a stripe of green grass with a growth of hay and neatly coiled hay bales below it, a Van Gogh masterpiece come alive.

Ron had to go back to Nantes for business again that afternoon, so I relaxed and roamed around the property and the surrounding area. Gonzalve unlocked the small private chapel for me to have a look and told me some fascinating stories.

Xavier made a light lunch and we got better acquainted with each other, as I had only met Xavier twice before at large social occasions. We talked about life, love, work, etc., and Xavier explained to me about his decision to move from Paris two years ago to live full time at the chateau. Xavier also told me about his new business venture, sculpting single pieces of precious wood to make table lamps. I will post a story soon about Xavier’s lamps.

La Petite Maison de Josephine, where I stayed is bread and breakfast (gite) and can be rented nightly or weekly. It sleeps two people and is fully equipped with kitchen, bathroom, fireplace, dining table and chairs inside and out, dining terrace and free Wifi. The cost is very reasonable, 80€ a night or 75€ if you book two nights or more. There are many activities and attractions in the area vineyards and wineries, golf, horseback riding, La Boissiere du Doré Zoo, excellent restaurants, and local produce stands.

Gonzalve and Catherine speak English.

http://laberriere.blogspot.fr/
Website is only in French

Tel. +33 (0) 6 70 62 20 67
Email: cpionchon61@wanadoo.fr

 

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.

 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com 

  Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 195 euros per person (about $210)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

Booking Marais Hotels

As I mentioned a few months ago, I am working on supporting local small businesses. www.parismarais.com is an exclusive website started by my friend Pascal Fonquernie which is the ultmate guide to the Marais. I learned a good deal of the history and cultural things about the Marais from the informative and comprehensive website. Pascal shares with us below his insider information about booking hotels in the Marais. Please use www.parismarais.com if you are booking an hotel in the Marais or other parts of Paris, you will receive the lowest rate possible.

We created the Parismarais.com web site to reflect our lifestyle and our vision of life, and we look forward to sharing it with you. Everyone on the Parismarais.com team has traveled extensively or lived abroad so we have experienced different cultures and different lifestyles.

We strive to create the best possible guide to hotels in the Marais—the historical centre of Paris, where all of France’s history began—as well as other hotels in Paris, in general. Because we are insider residents having lived in the Marais for over 30 years, we know the hippest locations, the most beautiful hotels and what’s around them : restaurants, shops, bars, museums…

We know how it feels to be far from home, and understand the frustration of looking at a new city from the window of an anonymous chain hotel, feeling that you’re not really a part of it all. That’s why we have selected only the most exclusive, charming and welcoming small luxury hotels for you. They offer great service, a warm welcome, and beautiful decor.

They are all located in the middle of the city center, and are clearly rated. There are thousands of boutique hotels in Paris, and less than one hundred in the actual Marais district, so beware of hotels that include the word Marais in their name and are located outside the actual Marais. Many hotels use key words such as Marais so they can be selected by search engines, thus misleading their potential clients. Be careful, don’t book anywhere before checking postal codes and addresses as the Marais strictly includes only the 3rd and 4th districts of Paris (postal codes: 75003 and 75004).

We encourage you to book your paris hotel with parismarais.com, a fair trade local company, based in Le Marais district. Parismarais® celebrates this month its 10th  anniversary and we have had more than 10 million visitors since its inception.

3 star Hotels : http://www.parismarais.com/en/hotels-marais/luxury-3-star-hotels

4 and 5 star Hotels : http://www.parismarais.com/en/hotels-marais/luxury-4-star-hotels

Budget hotels : http://www.parismarais.com/en/hotels-marais/charming-budget-hotels

Click here to subscribe to the Paris Marais newsletter

Click here to download a free Marais map

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.

 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com 

  Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 195 euros per person (about $210)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

La Reserve Paris Hotel

I was invited to the new luxury palace hotel La Reserve for a tour and lunch last month. Tucked away behind the Champs Elysees near the Elysees Palace, La Reserve Paris Hotel is the ultimate in decadent but refined elegance. Owner Michael Reybier strives to make the guests of his hotels, also located in Geneva and the south of France, feel like they are in a home away from home. A former luxury apartment building built in 1854, it became an office for the Pierre Cardin Company before it was completely renovated earlier this year.

Feeling like I was on the set of the film Gigi, the lobby was more like the salon of a 19th century bourgeois Belle époque Parisian apartment, decorated in sumptuous silk, satin, velvet, brocade, dark polished wood and a touch of fringe just in the right places. Along side the lobby are many comfortable public rooms including a library and card playing room and a cigar lounge.  Decorated by Jacques Garcia, one of the most respected interior designers of France, the décor is unabashedly, unmistakably, 100% Parisian. I’ve visited many newly opened luxury hotels in recent years and although beautiful and tastefully designed, they could have been set anywhere in the world.

More intimate than other hotels of its caliber, La Reserve is mostly a suite hotel, with 26 suites and 14 rooms. I visited 3 of the suites and wanted to move in on the spot. Beautifully appointed, the two things that impressed me most were the over the top free standing bathtubs wrapped in stainless steel in the Carrera marble bathrooms and the handsome writing desk.

In keeping with the current green movement in hotels, there are Versailles style planters with oranges, making it as close to an orangerie as possible.  

The touches of sublime artistry throughout the hotel really show as it took two years, 120 artisans, and 38 companies to complete.

After my whirlwind tour, I was invited for lunch on the terrace, surrounded by high cut shrubs, shutting out most of the nearby traffic.

Chef Jerome Bactel, a Brittany native, is at the helm of the kitchen and worked at some of the finest restaurants in Paris including L’ Ambroisie and the restaurant at Le Crillon Hotel. My lunch was one of the best meals I’ve had in recent memory. A delicate ravioli stuffed with seafood was superb, followed by a most unusual preparation of squab which was dusted in cocoa and a lemon meringue tart, ideally balanced between tart and sweet.

La Reserve Paris Hotel has a small but complete spa with an indoor swimming pool, which I would love to experience another time.

La Reserve Paris Hotel
42 Ave. Gabriel, 75008
http://www.lareserve-paris.com/en/ 

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.

 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com 

  Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 195 euros per person (about $210)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

Lunch with Lynn/Under 20 Eats-Auberge Flora

Caesar Salad is the go to/comfort dish when I'm hungry but don’t know what I want to eat. I am forever on a quest for the perfect one and unfortunately Paris has mostly disappointed me in the past 10 years. It seems they can’t get it just right, either they add odd ingredients such as tomatoes or green beans, or screw up the dressing or ignore the traditional dressing and get lazy and replace it with vinaigrette.

A happy coincidence happened last week when I found out my friend Stephanie Fray (also The Parisian of the Month for June) was friends with one of my tour clients. The tour clients asked me to meet them and Stephanie at Auberge Flora near the Richard Lenoir market. The place was awfully cute and cozy but I was curious about the food. Stephanie said it was one of her neighborhood canteens plus they had the best Caesar salad in Paris. Since Stephanie has many big chefs in Paris as clients, she obviously knows good food and I trust her judgment.

So the first moment my busy schedule allowed, I eased on down the road to Auberge Flora for lunch. The table of six rowdy teenage boys having lunch, probably celebrating the end of the school year enhanced the warm, genial atmosphere of the restaurant. I sat in the back dining room painted in a cheerful teal blue with white china plates trimmed in silver decorating the walls. I knew I wanted Caesar salad but perused the menu and was tempted by a much better lunch deal, two courses for 19€ instead of 18€ just for the Caesar salad. I stuck to my guns and chose what I had come for.

The salad was served in a most unusual dish: an oval salad bowl. I liked the fact it was chopped finely, so I could just dig in with my fork and not have to fuss with cutting large Romaine leaves using a knife. (I’m all for fork food). Stephanie was right on the money; it was the best Caesar salad in Paris. I’m a patient man and my quest was finally satisfied, having no longer to search every restaurant in every arrondissement for my beloved salad. It was creamy, crispy, satisfying, perfectly dressed, perfectly proportioned between the chicken, lettuce, and bacon. Served with crusty bread and creamy butter, I was a very happy person.

After my meal I met the owner Flora Mikula and she shared with me there's a 21-room hotel attached to the restaurant. I asked if I could see some of the rooms and she kindly asked the front desk person to show me some. Although small, the rooms were well appointed and looked comfortable. They were decorated in vibrant, feel good colors except the more dramatic mostly black suite.

I know most people visiting Paris wouldn’t care so much about having a mundane Caesar salad when surrounded by French cuisine but if you crave a great salad, Auberge Flora is the place to go.

(Lynn wasn't available for lunch this month).

Auberge Flora Restaurant and Hotel
44 Boulevard Richard Lenoir, 75011
Metro: Richard Lenoir
http://www.aubergeflora.fr/en/

Restaurant is open seven days for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Flora Mikula

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.

 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com 

  Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 195 euros per person (about $210)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.

Peninsula Hotel Paris

I was invited twice to the new Peninsula Hotel Paris opened last August. First I was invited for a tour of the hotel and the second time to have lunch with the head of communications.

The hotel has a storied past: Built in 1906 as the Hotel Majestic, an original grand hotel of Paris, it is where George Gershwin wrote An American Paris in 1928. During WW II the hotel was headquarters of the German military high command and from 1946 to 1958 it was UNESCO headquarters. In 1973 the historic agreement to end the Vietnam War was negotiated by Henry Kissinger at the hotel during the Paris Peace Accords.

I was impressed with the centerpiece of the airy lobby, a hanging sculpture of 800 delicate Lasvit Crystal leaves individually hung by craftsmen from the Czech Republic. The 338 million euro gut renovation of the hotel took four years and lead by Richard Martinet of Affine architecture with the interior design by Henry Leung of Hong Kong-based Chhada Siembieda & Associates Ltd.

I was shown a few of the 34 luxury suites, which are some of the largest out of any hotel in Paris. One suite had a walk-in closet about the size of my bedroom, and the bathroom with a black onyx bathtub in the center made me want to soak in the tub on the spot.

The rooftop restaurant, L’Oiseau Blanc was super cool with handsome Art Deco inspired decoration and furniture. Taking on an aviation theme, the name is derived from the bi-plane, which made the earliest attempts at a trans-Atlantic crossing, and the restaurant has a full replica hanging off the roof.

The décor of the Lili restaurant is like a movie set from Shanghai in the 1930s with red drapes, high ceilings, blue crystal chandeliers, and Chinese carvings. The restaurant serves traditional Cantonese cuisine including dim-sum with Chef Tang Chi Keung from Hong Kong at the helm. Lili is bringing in the Chinese New Year with a bang by offering a six course tasting menu of typical Hong Kong specialties including abalone, lobster, and king crab and a haute couture fashion show by designer Xu Ming, who designed costumes for the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

 Lunch was at the lobby restaurant, a sumptuously classic French dining room. A starter of crayfish ravioli with Brussel sprouts in a seafood bisque was hard to top and the chicken in a hazelnut and chestnut crust ran a close second in the delicious department. I had a hard time choosing dessert and Anne Sophie, the communications director, said hands down the cream puff with vanilla and hazelnut was a must and she didn’t steer me wrong. The lobby restaurant extends out to the terrace, the largest in Paris, overlooking the Ave. Kleber.

 A special treat was having an aromatherapy massage at the spa. After confirming my appointment at the front desk, I was escorted to a lounge area and offered a cup of calming tea. I then went to the changing room and slipped into a plush white terry robe and slippers. The massage therapist asked a number of questions about my health and if I had any special issues or concerns. She offered two types of aromatherapy oil and I chose the more invigorating one. After a few moments of her strong hands kneading my body, I fell into a deep sleep. Before I knew it, she gently woke me and said to take my time in getting up. Afterward I experienced something I never had before in a luxury spa: I was escorted to a special relaxation room which had chaises with vibration settings on them, and served fresh fruit and fruit juices, and Madeleines. I relaxed for a few more minutes before getting dressed and going out in to the cruel January weather again.

The Peninsula Paris
19 Ave. Kleber, 75116
http://paris.peninsula.com/en/default

Lobby Restaurant

L’Oiseau Blanc

Lili

Lili

The spa pool

 

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 195 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.
 

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more.  In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.

 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com 

Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour

 

 

 

Hotel Fouquet’s Barriere

Last week I was invited to take a tour and have lunch at Hotel Fouquet’s Barriere on the Champs Elysees. The hotel, built in 2006, is an extension of the fabled Fouquet’s Café opened in 1899.

I had been to the café only once many years ago when meeting a tour client but had never been to the hotel. Celine Lavail-Georgin, the director of marketing and communications was gracious enough to give me a tour explaining in full detail about the fascinating history of the original café and the opening of the hotel.

In the early 1990s when the Champs Elysees was run down, many of the storefronts were for sale. Fouquet’s Café was just about to be sold to a large corporation and to be torn down and replaced with an office tower. Diane Barriere, who’s family owned a chain of hotels and casinos in France (none in Paris) had fond memories of visiting the café for lunch with her father and was distraught at the idea it would be torn down. She made the saving of the café her personal pet project and the family bought the café in 1998. Barriere also had a vision for a luxury hotel to be constructed next to the hotel. Five buildings were purchased surrounding the café and unfortunately Diane Barriere passed away before her dream was realized. Her husband Dominique Desseigne continued with the fulfillment of Diane’s vision, along with a legacy for her and the family, and the hotel opened in 2006. In 2009 it attained the special status of five-stars and is the only privately held five-star in hotel owned by a French family.

While I was waiting in the lobby for Celine, I noticed many photos of movie stars, celebrities, and directors. Celine told me Fouquet’s has long been associated with the movie industry. In the 1920s and 30s the first movie theaters in Paris were opened on the Champs Elysees and the café was the watering hole for people in film including Marlene Dietrich and Jean Gabin. In later years it was the headquarters for the directors and actors for the Nouvelle Vague film movement such as Francois Truffaut, Jean Luc Godard, Claude Chabrol, and Jeanne Moreau and in the 1970s it became the host of The Cesar Awards, the French equivalent of the Oscars. In the main dining room were gold plaques on the wall inscribed with various celebrities such as Orson Welles and Edith Piaf who had their own table reserved for them.  The outside entrance to the hotel has brass plaques commemorating past Cesar winners.

Filled with memories of movie stars and luminaries visiting the hotel, we sat for lunch on the glass-enclosed terrace. Celine pointed out the signature dishes on the menu by head chef Jean-Yves Leuranger and I fully indulged. A starter of lobster filled ravioli was followed by a divine and decadent lobster Thermidor (I’ve never had it before) and dessert was a rich, classic millefeuille with delicate pastry cream. I learned Thermidor came from a summer month in the old French Republican calendar.

Hotel Fouquets Barriere has 81 rooms and 33 suites decorated by celebrated interior designer Jacques Garcia with the smallest room measuring a very generous 400 square feet. The hotel is the only one in Paris to offer personal butler service in every room category.

There are five restaurants, Fouquet’s, Fouquet’s Café, La Petite Maison de Nicole, Galerie Joy and the Michelin star Le Diane and three bars Le Lucien, L’Escadrille, and Le Bar Marta.  The Shiseido Spa on the lower level has a well-sized pool and whirlpool and eight treatment rooms for massages and facials.

46 Ave, George V, 75008
Metro: George V
http://www.lucienbarriere.com/en/luxury-hotel/Paris-Hotel-Fouquets-Barriere/home.html

Lobster Thermidor-SCRUMPTIOUS!

Cesar Awards

Christmas/Holiday Tour of Paris for 2014

Paris is magical during the holidays and I am happy to announce a special Christmas/Holiday Tour of Paris for 2014. Clients will experience the marvelous shop windows, gleaming outdoor lights, beautifully decorated trees, and festive Christmas markets. The tour includes a visit to Galeries Lafayette and Printemps department stores, the Champs Elysees Holiday market, the yummy gourmet shops Fauchon and Hediard on Place Madeleine overflowing with delicious holiday goodies, and the rue St. Honoré, with designer shops Hermes and Lanvin. To warm up, we stop for an authentic hot chocolate at one of the top Paris chocolate shops.

Tour times 10AM-1PM or 2PM-5PM
Cost: 225 euros for 1-3 people, 75 euros each additional person. Hot chocolate is not included in price. Click here to book the tour or for more information.

Tours will be conducted everyday from December 20, 2014 to January 5, 2015 except on Christmas and New Years Day.

   New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.
 

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 210 euros for up to 3 people, and 70 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com 

Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour

Molitor Pool and Hotel

I love great swimming pools. I always peruse the articles that list the top swimming pools in the world and swoon, wishing I could jump in to the water on the spot. There’s something about pools that bring up so many good feelings and emotions- sensual, exciting, seductive alluring, sexy, peaceful, inviting.

The Molitor Pool was originally opened in 1929 in the 16th arr. near Roland Garros tennis stadium and Bois de Boulogne, an Art Deco gem that was the pool of its day and continued to be one of the most beloved pools in Paris till it closed in 1989. Ironically, it was classified as an historic monument after it closed when it was in disrepair and became a haven for street artists to have free reign, who freely spray-painted their works all over the pool and surrounding area.

In August 2007, Mayor Bertrand Delanoe accepted bids from three companies for the renovation of the pool. The Accor Hotel Group won the bid and proceeded to completely rebuild the pool and add a luxury hotel, spa, and pool club.

The results are stunning! I think its now the chicest hotel in Paris, a resort right in the heart of the city but far away from the tourist attractions and hubbub of the city.

I was invited to take a tour of the hotel and to have lunch last Friday. As I approached the hotel, the intense mustard color caught me instantly along with the MOLITOR in bold black type. I actually felt I was in the Art Deco part of South Beach in Miami. (I rented an Art Deco apartment in South Beach in the winter of 1992).

When I walked into the lobby, I knew I was already in store for a special experience: the centerpiece was a shiny, new Rolls Royce covered in graffiti. WOW!

I then proceeded with the publicist to visit the two pools, the indoor one measuring 108 feet and the outdoor one measuring 150 feet. It was a sparkling summer day and the outdoor pool was dazzling with the sun hitting it just right, making me want to dive in. Unfortunately I was told that I couldn’t use the pool because the hotel and pool club were full that day. I also loved the uniformity of the white wood rails against the blue doors of the former cabanas, now the hotel room doors.

Indoor pool

The restaurant, bar, and lobby lounge areas are sumptuously decorated by Jean Philippe Nuel in a cool mix of Art Deco and Mid-Century Modern. A room divider of milk glass panels was taken from the famed former department store Le Samaritane.There are also some beautiful reproductions of the original Art Deco stained glass panels form 1929 with depictions of bathers and sail boats.

The hotel hallways has black carpeting with words written on them like bikini 1946 and Johnny Weissmuller. The publicist told me interesting historical tidbits: the bikini was inaugurated at the pool in 1946 and Johnny Weissmuller, star of the iconic Tarzan films and Olympic athlete, officially inaugurated the hotel in 1929, a part time lifeguard at the time.

The rooms are luxuriously minimalist, done in a tasteful palate of white and gray. I was shown one of reception rooms on the lower level, which had murals done by various street artists. The hotel has a commitment to forward and display the work of street artists, retaining the spirit of the former artists that decorated the pool before it was renovated. A rooftop terrace had colorful furniture with a restaurant, lounge, and garden area with a panoramic view of the city. I was offered to have lunch on the roof terrace but opted for a table by the pool.

Yannick Alleno, one of the most sought over chefs in Paris, who was the head chef at the Le Meurice and owns the popular restaurant Le Terroir, created the menu. I had a perfect, light summer meal, a lobster tart followed by shrimp risotto with grilled shrimp, yuzu, and crunch bits of zucchini. I ordered the not too exciting sounding cheesecake with fruit, but the presentation was a work of art: colored wedges with topped delicate fruit and decorative swirls of red and yellow syrup.

As I lunched, I watched the beautiful people lounging around the pool, all tan, thin, and bikini clad, donning big, puffy, white robes when they got out of the pool, like the set of a glamorous film. At any moment I expected to see Cary Grant and Carole Lombard towel off right in front of me.

The facility also has a Clarins Spa and state of the art gym. There is limited membership available to the pool club for residents. You can obtain a guest pass for the day but it will set you back 180 euros.

The motto of the hotel is Pool, Art, Life! A spot on description.

I was sad to leave this fabulous pool oasis but discovered some interesting out of the way places near the hotel, which I will write about next week.  

Molitor Hotel and Pool
8 Ave. de la Porte Molitor, 75016
Metro: Michel-Ange- Molitor
http://www.mltr.fr/en

Art Deco stained glass panels

The tri-kini, also invented at the Molitor

My lobster tart, there was a huge piece of lobster hidden inside the mound of spinach

My cheesecake art piece

   New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.
 

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 210 euros for up to 3 people, and 70 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com 

Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour

Lutetia Hotel Auction

Yet another grand luxury hotel is shuttering its doors for a head to toe makeover. Last year the Ritz and Crillon Hotels closed for renovation and now the famed Lutetia Hotel on the Left Bank has closed for an extensive three -year renovation.

The entire contents of the hotel are being auctioned off, over 3,000 items, everything from cups and saucers to the front desk. Over 7,000 bottles of wines and spirits from the wine cellar will also be auctioned and some rare art pieces and sculptures by artists Arman, Philippe Hiquily, César and Takis.

The Lutetia was opened by the owners of the nearby Le Bon Marche department store as a place for its international clientele to stay in when they came from abroad to shop. It was the first and still remains the only large luxury hotel on the Left Bank. Construction started 1907 by builders Louis Hippolyte Boileau and Henri Tauzin, and Leon Binet sculpted the magnificent Art Deco stone facade.

Opening in 1910, the modernity of the hotel attracted painter, writers, performers, and creative people of the day including Picasso, Matisse, André Gide, James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, Saint-Exupéry, Jean-Paul Sartre, Josephine Baker, Peggy Guggenheim, and André Malraux.

During WWII in 1940, the hotel became one of the Nazi Headquarters along with the Hotel Meurice and the Ritz. After the Liberation of France in 1944, it was offered to temporarily house war refugees, displaced people, and prisoners of war.

Architect and designer Jean-Michel Wilmotte, who recently designed the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Paris, will design the renovation.

As some of you may recall, I went to the Crillon Hotel auction last year to bid on some items for a friend. Click here to read about my adventure.

The Lutetia auction runs today from today May 21, Thursday, May 22 and Friday, May 23 from 10AM to 2PM, and the wine auction is Saturday, May 24 from 10AM-2PM at the hotel.

Hotel Lutetia
45 Blvd. Raspail, 75006
Metro: Sevres Babylone
http://www.pba-auctions.com/html/calendrier.jsp?t=f

   New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.
 

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 210 euros for up to 3 people, and 70 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com 

Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour

Shangri-La Hotel Paris

Carol from Paris Breakfasts and I were invited to the Shangri-La Hotel for a tour and lunch a few weeks ago.

Although it has been open for three years I have never visited the hotel. With high anticipation, we were excited to spend a few hours in the lap of luxury and to be pampered in the posh hotel.

Located right off the Place de Iena, we learned the Shangri-La Hotel has a rich history. The original hotel de particulier was built in 1896 for Prince Roland Bonaparte, an explorer, geographer, and botanist and the grandson Lucien Bonaparte, the younger brother of Napoleon Bonaparte.

I arrived a few minutes early before our rendezvous with the publicist to explore the hotel on my own. The opulent lobby was oozing with slabs of colored marble, gold gilded furniture and objets, intricate iron gates, and a sweeping staircase.

I waited on a cushy couch in one of the more intimate salons with silk walls, crystal chandeliers, and a handsome carved wood fireplace mantle. Since the Shangri-La Hotel chain is based in Asia, there were subtle touches of Asian in the décor including Chinese porcelain vases and colors of red and jade.

Two women who work in the publicity department gave us a highly detailed VIP tour of the hotel. We learned of the history of the building, which until recently was owned by the French government and taken over by the hotel company in 2006.  It was immediately registered at the Monuments Historique by the hotel, demonstrating its respect to the historical and cultural significance. The painstaking renovation and restoration of the 215,000-foot structure took over four years to complete, lead by architect Richard Martinet and interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon. The varied architectural style includes Louis XIV, Empire, and Greco-Roman style with carvings and sculptures by Steiner and Houguenade, who worked on the Tulieries Palace and the Louvre.

We were shown the sumptuously decorated restaurants, indoor pool and spa, bar, and suites and rooms. One suite had an outdoor terrace with a view of the Eiffel Tower almost within touching distance.

We worked up quite an appetite after our dazzling almost 90 minute tour. We had lunch in Shang Palace, the only one star Michelin Chinese restaurant in Paris. Chef Frank Xu, a Shenzen native, has created a classic Cantonese inspired menu. The elegant décor is by a Hong Kong decorator had authentic Chinese wood carved screens, jade colored glass wall panels, and classic Chinese etchings. Our extravagant place setting had a gold-rimmed plate and silver-plated chopstick holder. It was hard to narrow down our choices on the extensive menu with wok dishes, BBQ, and Dim Sum, so we decided on the seven course Jade menu which had a little bit of everything. In case that wasn’t enough, we also ordered two Dim Sum dishes. Although each course was outstanding, we especially loved the unusual prawns wrapped in red rice, the shrimp smothered in homemade fried breadcrumbs, and the tender melt in your mouth cocotte of eggplant, chicken and salty fish. The perfect ending was the tapioca mango cold soup.

Sated and pampered after more than four hours in our cocooned luxury, we parted ways outside the hotel and returned to real life hopping on the metro.  

Click here to read Carol’s post about the Shangri-La.

Shangri-La Hotel
10 Ave d’Iena, 75116
Metro: Iena
http://www.shangri-la.com/paris/shangrila/

Dim sum

Rice wrapped in lotus leave

Braised purple eggplant and chicken in cocotte

New! Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes
I am happy to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Cooking Classes. Come take an ethnic culinary journey with me and chef and caterer Charlotte Puckette, co-author of the bestseller The Ethnic Paris Cookbook (with Olivia Kiang-Snaije). First we will shop at a Paris green-market for the freshest ingredients and then return to Charlotte's professional kitchen near the Eiffel Tower to cook a three-course lunch. After, we will indulge in the delicious feast we prepared along with hand-selected wines.

Cost: 185 euros per person (about $240)
Time: 9:30AM- 2PM (approximately 4 1/2 hours)
Location: We will meet by a metro station close to the market
Class days: Tuesday,Wednesday, Thursday,Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
Minimum of 2 students, maximum 6 students.

Click here to sign up for the next class or for more info.
 

I am pleased as punch to announce the launch of Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I will personally be leading. The Eye Prefer Paris Tour includes many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes & food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks, and much more.

Tours cost 210 euros for up to 3 people, and 70 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
 Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com 

Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour