I Prefer Paris

Dolce and Gabbana : Du Coeur a la Main

The extravagant, dream-like exhibition, Du Coeur a la Main, is 10 rooms of sheer fantasy by designers Dolce and Gabbana. It’s a passionate message about the exuberant style and runaway imagination of the haute couture geniuses Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. Over 200 garments, jewelry, and accessories are displayed, and the rooms reference significant parts of Italian culture such as art, architecture, crafts, regional cultures, music, opera, ballet, cinema, folk traditions, and theater.  One of the highlights is a room where seamstresses and tailors are making clothing live.

Book your ticket immediately, as this is the cultural event of the year so far.

Until March 31, 2025

Grand Palais

https://www.grandpalais.fr/en/node/52365

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 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, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours,Vintage Clothing  Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 275€ for up to 3 people, and 90€ 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.

 

 

Café of the Month, January 2025: Café Laperouse Concorde

Café Laperouse Concorde is a more casual off shoot of the famed Laperouse restaurant on the Left Bank from 1766, known for its private dining rooms.

Located in the courtyard of Hotel de la Marine on Place de la Concorde, the sumptuously decorated dining room and café are two of the most beautiful in Paris.

The café part when you enter, has soaring ceilings, black background carpeting decorated in gold leaves, vintage Baccarat chandeliers, and the square tables have backgammon and chess/checker boards ingrained in them. It was a chilly day, so I opted for a hot chocolate instead of my usual café noisette. Served in a lovely, white china cup with a S on it, along with a piece of chocolate (Only in Paris would they be so extravagant to serve chocolate with hot chocolate).  It was rich, satisfying, and velvety, warming my insides from the cold. I sat for a long while admiring the interior.

Designed by Cordélia de Castellane, she is the artistic director of Dior Maison. The design was inspired by a portrait in Hotel de La Marine of Jean-François de Galaup, the Count of Lapérouse, a French naval officer in the late 1700s, who disappeared in a shipwreck. He sailed around the world to exotic destinations such as Tierra del Fuego, Easter Island, Hawaii, and Japan.

Backgammon tournaments are organized once a month.

Café Laperouse Concorde also has a lovely outdoor terrace which is open in the warmer months.

Please note: Coffee or tea is served after 3pm. Before 3pm you can have lunch from the a la carte menu.

 

2 Place de la Concorde, 75008

https://laperouse.com/en/page/home.17930.html

Chocalicious hot chocolate

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 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, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours,Vintage Clothing  Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 275€ for up to 3 people, and 90€ 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.

 

Christofle: A Brilliant Story

For over three centuries, Christofle has been associated with designing exquisite silver and gold tabletop and dining ware, elevating the craft of silver and gold making.

It all started in 1830 when goldsmiths Charles Christofle (1805-1863) and Henri Bouilhet (1830-1910) began created tabletop pieces for daily use in the home.

The fascinating exhibit traces Christofle from its early beginnings to its dominance as a leading international brand known for its innovative designs.

In the 1800s, extravagant pieces were designed for royalty and aristocracy, and in the 20^th century, Christofle branched out and created table settings for the Orient Express, the ocean liner Normandie, the Concorde, and the Ritz Paris. Interior designers, artists, and architects such as Giacometti, Karl Lagerfeld, Andree Putman, Gio Ponti, and Pharrell Williams, collaborated with Christofle to create original pieces. The sprawling exhibit, spanning two floors has close to 1,000 gold and silver work, jewelry, paintings, drawings and posters.

 

Until April 20, 2025

Musée des Arts Decoratifs

107 rue de Rivoli, 75001

https://madparis.fr/Christofle-a-brilliant-story

Can someone please gift me these? 

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 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, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours,Vintage Clothing  Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 275€ for up to 3 people, and 90€ 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.

 

 

 

 

Au Grenier de Lucie Vintage Jewelry

One of my favorite shops when I do tours of St. Ouen/Clingancourt flea market is Au Grenier de Lucie Vintage Jewelry. Owned by a delightful, British couple, Heidi and Jason Ellis, Au Grenier de Lucie has a vast and gorgeous selection of high-end vintage jewelry, accessories, and clothing. The glass vitrines are dripping with vintage jewelry from Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Schiaparelli, Miriam Haskell, Guy Laroche, Lanvin, Trifari, Monet, and Joseff. One of their other specialties is an extensive collection of Haute Couture Christian Lacroix jewelry, with some very rare pieces. 

Living in England and working as schoolteachers, Heidi always had a passion for fashion and in 2009, they took a risk, sold their house, moved to Paris, and opened Au Grenier de Lucie. Jason’s parents already owned two shops in the market, and they helped secure their location. They travel all over Europe and England during the week to find more jewelry treasures. Heidi is tall and thin, with long, brown hair, and she’s the perfect model for their merchandise. Check out the fab earrings she’s wearing in the photo above. 

Please tell Heidi and Jason I said bonjour when you visit. 

Au Grenier de Lucie

Marche Vernaison Alee 1 Stall 25

99 rue de Rosiers, St. Ouen 93400

Open Saturday & Sunday 10am-5pm

Instagram @rarevintagejewellery

https://www.augrenierdelucie.com/

Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 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, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours,Vintage Clothing  Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.

Tours start at 275€ for up to 3 people, and 90€ 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.

 

Eye Need to Do’s January 2025: Dolce & Gabbana, My Teddy Bear, and Coquilles Saint Jacques Festival,

Dolce & Gabbana: Au Coeur a la Main

Discover the extravagant world of the mega popular, fashion designers Dolce & Gabbana in a special exhibition dedicated to the art of handmade garments.

January 10 – March 31, 2025

Grand Palais

https://paris.dolcegabbanaexhibition.com/en/

My Teddy Bear

The cherished and iconic teddy bear gets its own exhibition with over 400 bears on display, tracing the story from the beginning in 1920s Germany, to its reign in the United States.

Until June 22, 2025

Musée des Arts Decoratifs

https://madparis.fr/My-Teddy-Bear

 

Coquilles Saint Jacques Festival

Shellfish lovers will be in for a yummy treat at the Coquilles Saint Jacques Festival in Montmartre. Twenty vendors will be selling the freshest Coquilles Saint Jacques and oysters from Brittany. Additional food stalls will be serving other Brittany food specialties such as salted buttered caramels, charcuteries, and galettes and crepes.

Festival hours are 9am - 8pm on Saturday, January 25, and 9:30am - 7pm on Sunday, January 26

Place des Abbesses, Montmartre