I Prefer Paris: 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

COOKBOOK-LOGO-little 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.

Tourslogo4

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