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A city of revolutions and romance renowned for its fashion and food, Paris remains an ever-changing enigma. The destination has long attracted global artists and legendary writers like Balzac, Baudelaire and Sand. This summer, the French capital hosts the Olympics, featuring new sports like break dancing and kitesurfing, more than a century after women competed for the first time at the 1900 Olympics here. The most authentic way to experience the City of Lights is as a flaneur — a person of leisure meandering Haussmann’s modern boulevards and spiraling arrondissements, allowing your feet and mind to stray and getting lost in the milieu.
Photography provided by Fouquet’s Paris
Stay
With an iconic red awning at the intersection of the Champs-Élysées and Avenue George V, Fouquet’s offers a quintessential Parisian experience just a few blocks from the Arc de Triomphe. The 101 guest rooms and suites were designed by famed French architect and interior designer Jacques Garcia, with a warm neutral color palette and large bathrooms. Head concierge Dimitri Ruiz is also the president of Clefs d’Or France, so you can expect exceptionally personalized service and genie-like wish granting.
Feel like a local savoring escargot, beef tartare and fromage while people watching on the patio at Brasserie Fouquet, then sneak through the discreet bookshelf door to speakeasy Le Marta, where trendy DJs tempt you to dance the night away. Recover the morning after at Spa Diane Barrière, with a massage, swim, and hydrotherapy circuit including steam rooms, a sauna, a whirlpool and a hydro-jet booth.
Photography by Leif Carlsson
Do
Champagne is the closest wine region, just a 45-minute train ride away or less than two hours by car. Charles Heidsieck (AKA Champagne Charlie) popularized the signature sparkling wine in the United States in the 1850s, and a visit to the eponymous house is a must. Intimate tastings are by appointment only, including tours of the UNESCO World Heritage underground chalk caves, or crayères, excavated by hand during the Roman era, and the vast network of tunnels connecting them.
Billecart-Salmon is another recognizable medium-sized Champagne house that’s still family-owned. A visit here includes a peek into the crown jewel of the house: the single-hectare biodynamic vineyard Clos Saint-Hilaire, which is planted entirely to pinot noir for their rarest release. If you decide to stay overnight, Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa is the area’s only true resort, with modern, spacious suites, romantic terrace sunsets and Michelin-starred dining at Le Royal.
Dine
Moët Hennessy’s new multi-level cocktail bar spans four floors of a charming 17th century building in the literary Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighborhood. Each floor offers a unique ambiance inspired by art, fashion, cinema and literature, with sleek marble counters and plush upholstery contrasting with exposed wooden beams. The third floor bar specializes in large-format bottled cocktails, plus there’s even a library in partnership with Rizzoli primed for private events.
Only cocktails are served here (no wines by the glass), but you’ll get a taste of 2013 Dom Pérignon to compare when you order the Royal Royal cocktail with a Champagne reduction. Both classic and creative libations lean on spirits within the Moët Hennessy portfolio, like Belvedere Vodka, Woodinville Whiskey and Volcan de mi Tierra Tequila. Snackable small bites are meant for sharing, including vegetable pissaladières, lobster rolls and buttery potato purée topped with black Aquitaine caviar.
Photography by Bernhard Winkelmann
Dine
Chef Hélène Darroze’s flagship restaurant in the Sixth Arrondissement is named after her home region in Southwest France. Here, she cherishes the roots of her culinary odyssey, combining the best French ingredients with international influences — from the tandoors of India to the dashis and misos of Japan. Family heirlooms, including her grandmother’s recipe book and her grandfather’s wine list, are also on display.
The intimate upstairs dining room seats 30 and boasts curving banquettes where diners can sit side-by-side. Begin with a toast from the Champagne cart before diving into the seasonal tasting menu. Nearly every dish is finished with a tableside flourish, with refined sauces adding depth to each custom ceramic plate. Weekday lunch is a comparative bargain, with many of the same signature dishes served at dinner, like blue lobster poached in tandoori spiced butter and baba soaked in Darroze Armagnac of your choice.
Photography provided by Mandarin Oriental, Paris
Stay
Located near the Tuileries Garden and in the heart of the exclusive Rue Saint-Honoré shopping district, the Mandarin Oriental is the epitome of discreet luxury. From the Swarovski crystal butterflies leading the way from the entry to the welcome glass of Louis Roederer Champagne to the plush bathrobes, guests feel cosseted. There are 135 rooms and suites, including seven duplex suites. Many of the deluxe rooms have private terraces overlooking the courtyard, where you can take your morning coffee feeling like a true Parisian.
On the lower level, the well-appointed fitness center boasts a serene lap pool, Technogym equipment and plenty of healthy snacks. Bar 8 serves creative cocktails inspired by Mandarin Oriental locations around the world, from Bangkok to Istanbul. The 1930s art deco building is also within blocks of iconic French fashion houses like Chanel, Chloé, Dior and Christian Louboutin.
Photography by Christophe Dellière
See
In anticipation of the Olympics, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs is presenting a new exhibition illustrating the evolution of sportswear from the ancient world to the contemporary athleisure that’s now integral to our wardrobes. Connecting the worlds of fashion and sport, Mode Et Sport, D’un Podium À L’autre features hundreds of outfits and artifacts. The exhibition analyzes 1930s Hermès sweaters, vintage Lacoste advertisements, and collaborations between designers and sports stars like Naomi Osaka for Louis Vuitton.
For women, sport has had an emancipatory impact, as evidenced by the evolution of sportswear from modest gowns and bathing costumes to higher hemlines and form-fitting ensembles. Winter sports like skiing and ice skating spurred technical innovations, while surfing and skateboarding countercultures influenced the mainstream industry, as aerobics and bodybuilding shaped new standards for silhouettes. As René Lacoste explained, “It’s not enough to play and win. Style also matters.”
