I Prefer Paris

Doors of the Month: Chefchaouen

Last month I wrote about our trip to Chefchaouen, Morocco (CLICK HERE to read), a small city where all the buildings in the old quarter are painted blue. I captured many of the terrific blue doors in Chefchaouen and I am sharing them today. Do you have some favorites? 

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, Shopping Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, Emily in Paris tours, and Chocolate and pastry tours.

Tours start at 275 euros for up to 3 people, and 85 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 

 

Café of the Month, March 2024: Café Beaubourg

Opened in 1987, across from the Pompidou Museum, Café Beaubourg was a startling, modern version of the old-fashioned Paris café. Architect Christian de Portzamparc’s daring, Memphis like design was a match for the audacity of the architecture of the Pompidou, opened in 1977. 

Outside, white iron chairs tufted in red, black, and white vinyl, with scalloped edges, replace the typical rattan café chairs at most French cafes. Inside, the same chairs are done in brown leather, with a black metal frame, giving the interior a club like feel and the two story structure has soaring ceilings and seating on the upper level. If you sit outside, you are greeted with a spectacular view of the Pompidou Museum. 

Café Beaubourg was also the first establishment opened by the Costes brothers, Thierry and Gilbert,who went on to own and operate some of the chicest and most popular café and restaurants such as Societe, Café Marly, and Georges, hotels, bars, and private clubs. 

My café noisette came with a meringue puff, a nice touch. 

Interestingly enough, Café Beaubourg is now a classic Parisian café. 

43 rue Saint Merri, 75004 https://cafebeaubourg.com/

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, Shopping Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, Emily in Paris tours, and Chocolate and pastry tours.

Tours start at 275 euros for up to 3 people, and 85 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 

 

Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet at Chatelet

Romeo and Juliet, the timeless story of star-crossed lovers by Shakespeare, has been performed endless times around the globe over the centuries. It’s been translated, rebooted, and modernized to attract new generations to the universal theme. It’s been a film many times over, an opera, and immortalized in dance and ballet. 

Matthew Bourne, the British choreographer and director extraordinaire, has brought a fresh new twist to Romeo and Juliet. Debuting in 2019 in London at Sadler’s Wells in London, the full-length ballet is set in the Verona Institute, a mental hospital with music by composer Sergei Prokofiev. It was huge hit with glowing reviews and is now being performed in Paris. 

When the curtain opens, the spare but striking almost black and white set by Lez Brotherston (who also designed the all-white costumes) sets the tone for the next two hours. The harsh reality of the institution gives way to an even more heartbreaking but poignant retelling of the story. The fast paced and powerful choreography is sensational, and the movement of dancers is downright breathtaking. The love scenes between Romeo and Juliet are beautiful and tender. 

Even though there’s no dialogue, the dance and music tells the story powerfully. 

Romeo and Juliet 

Theatre du Chatelet  Until April 28, 2024

https://www.chatelet.com/en/programmation/season-2023-2024/matthew-bournes-romeo-and-juliet/

Reopening of Stravinsky Fountain

The delightful Stravinsky Fountain has reopened after being closed for many years for renovation. Located across the Centre Pompidou, the fountain was a collaboration between artists Jean Tinguely and Niki de Saint Phalle, who were married. The 16 works were inspired by composer and conductor Igor Stravinsky, and the brightly colored sculptures are by Niki de Saint Phalle and the black mechanical ones were created by Jean Tinguely. 

The sculptures represent the Stravinsky musical pieces and are listed below.

The Firebird, The Musical Key of G, The spiral, The Elephant, The Fox, The Frog, The Diagonal, The Death, The Mermaid, The Nightingale, Love, Life, The Heart, The Clown’s Hat, and Ragtime. 

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, Shopping Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, Emily in Paris tours, and Chocolate and pastry tours.

Tours start at 275 euros for up to 3 people, and 85 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 

Boubalé Restaurant

 

People ask me all the time, what’s my favorite restaurant in Paris? It’s always hard to single out one restaurant, so I give a list of my favorites at the moment, as it will change frequently. 

As of today, Boubalé Restaurant is on the top of my list. 

Award winning chef Assaf Granit, born and raised in Jerusalem, has built a culinary empire with 13 restaurants in Europe and Israel, television appearances, lectures, workshops, and cookbooks. Granit’s grandmother plays an integral part of his cooking, also influenced bythe cuisine of Jerusalem. In 2017, he opened his first restaurant in Paris, Balagan, which was a runaway hit and a celebrity magnet, with reservations almost impossible to come by. It introduced Granit’s eclectic blend of Israeliand Mediterranean food to Paris, and it spawned a new wave of restaurants serving Israeli style cooking. 

Granit’s newest restaurant, Boubalé, (which means sweetheart or darling in Yiddish) is a love letter to his

Polish grandmother and her Jewish Ashkenazi cooking. He takes her inspired dishes and updates them into Ashkenazi, nouvelle cuisine, making the dishes  lighter and more appealing. 

We had a special tasting menu, which is not listed on the menu, and must be requested beforehand. The wait person plopped down a gorgeous, shiny, round shaped challah bread dotted with poppy seeds, and we devoured it in a nanosecond. Next up, a fancy, glass tray, with lace doilies and an ornate gold crafted frame was set on the table. On the tray was a tasting of some of the signature dishes, including a lighter than usual chopped liver, beet cubes with feta, a sublime, house cured, gravlax with arak and dill, a delicately seasoned, pickled herring, and a giant, authentic tasting, sour pickle. A refreshing salad of coriander, parsley, green grapes, almonds, and horseradish cleared our palates for the upcoming dishes.

Vincent had risotto made with Israeli couscous, spinach, leeks, and parmesan, and I had the sensational, potato perogies with cottage cheese and caramelized onions, which were light and fluffy. 

Stuffed to the gills, but still craving something sweet, we practically inhaled the New York style cheesecake, one ofthe best I’ve ever had in Paris, and a warm, apple strudel with vanilla ice cream. 

The interior also reflects the chef’s tribute to his grandmother with warm lighting, sage green wood chairs with burnt orange cushions, vintage style, and printed fabric walls. Another vintage touch was the white China plates decorated with red and blue flowers. 

There’s also a wonderful, cozy bar next to the restaurant, which I will visit soon. 

Boubalé also serves lunch with an a la carte menu and pre-fixe menu for 39€ for two courses & 47€ for three courses. 

17 rue Verrerie, 75004 https://www.legrandmazarin.com/restaurant-bars

 

 

 

 

Ahmet Ertug : A Journey Through Light and Sound

 

Photographer Ahmet Ertug takes us on a fantastic, visual voyage of historic, architectural sites throughout France and Italy. He transports us to the interiors of the most beautiful chateaus, castles, libraries, theaters, and spiritual buildings in both countries. The photographs are meticulously crafted, and the colors, texture, and light capture the brilliance of each site. 

The backdrop of the splendid architecture of La Conciergerie gives the exhibition an added dimension and context. 

Ertug was born in Turkey and graduated from the prestigious Architectural Association School of London. He went on to become an architect and in 1980 he won a grant from the Japanese Foundation to research and photograph the architecture of Japan for a year. After the success of the grant, he devotes himself to photography as a full-time occupation, continuing to specifically photograph architectural locations around the world. He also has a publishing company which produces books on ancient architecture. 

Until May 20, 2024 

La Conciergerie, Ile de Cite

https://www.sortiraparis.com/en/what-to-visit-in-paris/exhibit-museum/articles/306133-a-journey-through-stone-and-light-the-conciergerie-s-magnificent-photo-exhibition-unveiled

Salle de la Mappemode, Palais Farnese Caprarola, Italy 

The Pantheon, Rome

Library at the Assemblee Nationale, Paris

Laurenbienne Library, Florence

Salle Labrouste at BNF Richelieu Library Paris 

Sculpture Gallery, Palais Grimani, Venice 

Farnese Theater, Parma, Italy

Sainte-Chapelle, Paris

Salle de Geants, Mantou Palace, Italy

Central Seat of Societe Generale Bank, Paris

Girolamini Library, Naples

Library at the Sorbonne, Paris 

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, Shopping Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, Emily in Paris tours, and Chocolate and pastry tours.

Tours start at 275 euros for up to 3 people, and 85 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 

 

 

YoAhn Han at Galerie NEC

A world of glorious color bursts on to the canvases by artist YoAhn Han at Galerie NEC in the Marais. 

The solo show, Transfigured, expresses Han’s struggle with a lifelong, rare body condition, and puts it into his painting. Flowers and human figures are ingrained in an abstract way in the work, and for example, the chrysanthemum, has a double meaning in Korean culture: the promise of life when it blooms and used in funerals, where it represents sorrow. 

The colorful canvases are topped with a layer of resin, which gives them an extra brilliance. 

YoAhn Han is originally from Korea, and now lives in Boston. He also teaches and lectures about art at RISDE and Museum of Fine Art, Boston. 

Until April 13, 2024

Galerie Nec 20 rue des Coutures Saint Gervais 75003 https://galerienec.com/exibitions/yoahn-han-2024/

https://yoahnhan.com/

March 2024 Eye Need to Do’s: Paris 1874, Inventing Impressionism, Paolo Roversi, Brancusi, and Ballet Russes

 

Paris 1874, Inventing Impressionism

April 15, 2024, marks the 150^th anniversary of the birth of Impressionism. Monet, Renoir, Degas, Morisot, Pissarro, Sisley, Cézanne, and 24 other artists of the period, banded together to create their own exhibition. In celebration, Musée d’Orsay is showing 130 works that defined the Impressionism movement. 

March 26 to July 14, 2024 

Musée d’Orsay https://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/whats-on/exhibitions/paris-1874-inventing-impressionism

Paolo Roversi 

One of the top fashion photographers in the world, Paolo Roversi, has been shooting iconic images for over 50 years for Elle, Marie Claire, Vogue France and Italia. 140 images of his magical work will be exhibited. 

March 16 to July 24, 2024

Palais Galliera  https://www.palaisgalliera.paris.fr/en/exhibitions/paolo-roversi

Brancusi

Constantin Brancusi is being celebrated by the Pompidou Centre in a major way with a grand retrospective with close to 200 sculptures. The exhibition also has photographs, drawings, films, archives, tools, and furniture from his studio. 

March 27 to July 1, 2024

Centre Pompidou https://www.centrepompidou.fr/en/program/calendar/event/mb7ZAkc

 Ballet Preljocaj - Hommage aux Ballets Russes

Choreographer Angelin Preljocaj, pays tribute to the splendor of the Ballets Russes in a new dance piece with music by Stravinsky. 

March 24 to April 5, 2024

Opera Royal de Versailles https://www.theatreonline.com/Spectacle/Ballet-Preljocaj-Hommage-aux-Ballets-Russes/81128