Palace sur Seine
Long-awaited for nearly 10 years, the Cheval Blanc Paris finally opened its doors in September. Standing proudly alongside the emblematic La Samaritaine store, the hotel is a new benchmark for contemporary luxury in the French capital. After the posh ski resort of Courchevel in 2006, the paradise islands of Randheli in the Maldives and Saint-Barth in the Caribbean in 2013 and 2014, and more recently the unmissable village of Saint-Tropez in the south of France in 2016, it’s now the turn of the City of Light to be home to a new jewel from the LVMH Hotel Management. A first in the heart of a megalopolis. Immersion in the hushed corridors of Paris’s newest hotel darling.
© Alexandre Tabaste
Collector’s interior
Listed as a historic monument, the building retains its pure art-deco style. The architectural tandem of Peter Marino and Édouard François preserved the building’s timeless appearance, while adopting a forward-looking approach. They chose to design the 16,000 m2 in the same spirit as a private home. “We wanted to build a universe rather than a decor. Every work of art, every canvas, every piece of furniture is meticulously selected. Lithographs by Sonia Delauney, a canvas by painter Georges Mathieu, a wall in straw marquetry by Lison de Caunes, the staircase balustrade designed by Claude Lalanne – every nook and cranny is an artistic hymn.
The hotel is ideally located near the Marais district, the Ile de la Cité and the Louvre museum, at the crossroads of French culture in all its splendor: art, fashion, music, gastronomy… are all just a few steps away. A horde of valets and security guards welcome the privileged few with the sesame allowing them to tread the threshold of this gleaming palace. First stop: the health pass, a formality that has become necessary for safe travel. Second stop: the name of the reservation, whether for a restaurant or a room.
Richard Haughton
Genuine benevolence
Each of the 72 rooms and suites overlooks the rooftops of old Paris. Elegant settings where refinement rhymes with subtlety and luxury with discretion. As for the spa, it’s Dior, one of the brands owned by the LVMH group, that lavishes its benefits on visiting guests. It’s hard not to fall under the spell of the pool, decorated with hand-crafted mosaics by Michael Mayer, whose virtual Oyoram fresco is conducive to dreaming. But the quest for excellence reaches its climax with the seven-bedroom apartment on a 1,000 m2 space on the top two floors, complete with its own pool, wellness area, screening room, private access and secure parking.
The Tout-Paris, a French brasserie that’s wildly Parisian and contemporary, where you can indulge in moments of complicity over farmhouse poultry cut up in the dining room, share a Paris-Brest tête-à-tête or enjoy a festive get-together accompanied by delicious cocktails. The Langosteria restaurant, a transalpine gourmet anthem, where Enrico Buonocore, owner of the unmissable Milanese establishment of the same name, has joined forces for the first time outside its borders to offer the very best of Italy. A tribute to the sea, with hot or cold, raw or cooked creations, and iodized alternatives.
Sauce Symphony
The culinary diamond is undoubtedly the gourmet restaurant orchestrated by chef Arnaud Donckele. Having conquered the hearts of gourmets on the shores of the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, it now seduces on the banks of the Seine. Time stands still, the senses go wild and the magic happens. His gastronomic score is a veritable celestial voyage that transcends, electrifies, bewilders, turns the head and capsizes the heart. What an honor to be able to experience such emotions! Basically, broths, vinaigrettes, creams, veloutés, juices… The three-starred chef from the south of France delves into the ancestral art of preservation, searching for new fragrances and bouquets that he combines with the products of the day; such as his Velours numéro 1, whose secret lies in a skilful composition of bonito ventrèche, gambon consommé, Lambrusco and Chardonnay vinegars, chestnut honey and citron essence, rosemary infusion, roasted head oil and Java pepper.
In this weightless adventure, Arnaud Donckele is accompanied by pastry chef Maxime Frédéric, who offers a sublime sweet score with a satiny composition of 6 citrus fruits and 6 sweet and peppery herbs. In the dining room, the talented Alexandre Larvoir directs the ball with a master’s hand in a velvet glove. For Arnaud Donckele, there’s no need to show off: his cuisine speaks for itself. Every bite of his food is so intense, it’s hard to describe. How does he do it? It’s a mystery. His cuisine is so pure, so beautiful, so elegant, so emotionally charged, so humble, so sincere that words cannot express what we feel. Is it the sauces? It must be. The products? Certainly. The cooking? Obviously. The talent? Of course. And the work? Of course… That’s what Cheval Blanc is all about!
