Le Marais

Where To Eat in Paris

| Design & Culture by Ed

While now isn’t the moment to dine out (and restaurants are closed nearly everywhere for safety reasons), we can all look forward to our post-confinement lunches and brunches (at some point) in the future. Here are six spots, old and new, I enjoyed the most during my last stay in Paris.

Carbón

Located in the heart of Le Marais distict, Carbón is an ode to nature, a place where the most ancestral cooking technique in the world, fire, encounters the products of land and sea in their extreme nudity. The regularly-changing menu will surprise you with such offerings as oysers infused in coffee or different sorts of ceviche. Its contemporary decor provides a stylish backdrop whether you’re with friends (the sharing plates are perfect for a relaxed dinner) or looking for a more romantic spot. There’s also a great “secret” speakeasy bar, La Mina, hidden away downstairs serving up delicious craft cocktails.

14 Rue Charlot

Le Moulin De La Vierge

You could easily assume that Le Moulin de la Vierge is simply a typical neighbourhood bakery in the sleepy 15th district, however it’s much, much more. The owner is dedicated to preserving the art nouveau architecture of each of his close-to-each-other patisserie stores. The décor is reminiscent of a 19th century Parisian boutique the pastries are so, so delicious (especially chocolate croissants). You might also be tempted to taste one of the numerous pastries like the exquisite éclairs or the mouth-watering tarts. Mille-feuille lovers will also find happiness.

10 Place des Petits Pères

La Belle Epoque

This upscale and mundane dining room that seems to have existed since forever has imposed itself as “the” must-go hangout for the chic, Parisian crowd. A wired atmosphere, a super discrete decor with an elegant 19th century tiling… here is the ideal place to show up with friends and nibble on trendy vintage dishes (leek in vinaigrette sauce, veal chops, ceviche and French style burgers, for a good example).

36 Rue des Petits Champs

Mara by Caché

Charming dining spot in Le Marais that celebrates contemporary Mediterranean cuisine. The sharing menu has a lovely selection of raw fish (seriole carpaccio served in mango sauce, sea bream ceviche with citrus fruits…), shellfish and crustaceans, but also gourmet desserts (including rousquille, a Catalan dessert served with nougat ice cream and chocolate sauce ). All accompanied by a superb selection of niche, natural wines.

27 Rue de Saintonge

Oursin

If you’re missing the sun and the sea, head to the second floor of Galeries Lafayette Champs-Elysées, where Simon Porte Jacquemus has opened Oursin in collaboration with Caviar Kaspia. After Citron, his sunny café located just a floor below, the darling of the fashion world continues telling Provençal stories in an atmosphere that’s dripping with la dolce vita: whitewashed walls, ecru banquettes, braided wicker chairs, beautiful ceramics, draping ivy, Italian melodies… In the kitchen, you’ll find chef Erica Archambault sending out southern dishes: delicious fried artichokes with Greek yogurt and lemon zest; incredibly tender grilled octopus with cherry tomatoes, potatoes and a tomato sauce with capers – all sponged up with squid ink bread; plus an incredible chocolate ganache with yogurt sorbet and blueberries for dessert. The plates – all hand-made by Daphne Leon – are as good as the food.

60 Avenue des Champs-Élysées

Le Costes

This place is old and really well-known, but still, no other restaurant has reached the level of cool chic that Le Costes does so effortlessly for years. The opulent Second Empire décor designed by Jacques Garcia that’s a cross between a brothel and a trip to Egypt, with a lineup that brings together the fashion crowd (especially during fashion week. We were sitting next to @ireneisgood and System’s Elizabeth Von Guttman – and we had a very lovely chat…). The cuisine here is properly eclectic. The menu shifts between healthy options (a  avocado/olive oil/lemon tartine, fresh bass tartare…) and fusion dishes (crispy chicken spring rolls – they are the best – and Thai-style marinated steak) to updated classics: a beautiful Niçoise salad upgraded to include flash-seared fresh tuna or a delightful chicken breast served with fries. Take the divine pavlova with red berries and voluptuous meringue for dessert.

239-241 rue Saint-Honoré

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All photos by Edward Kanarecki.

(P.S. If you are inspired by my Parisian coverage, I’m really happy about, but please have in mind that now isn’t a safe time for any sorts of travelling. Stay at home!)

Daniel Arsham at Galerie Perrotin

| Design & Culture by Ed

Although Daniel Arsham‘s exhibition “Paris, 3020” at Galerie Perrotin closed few days ago, I think it’s still worth writing about it. For his solo exhibition, the renowned, contemporary artist presented a new suite of large-scale sculptures based on iconic busts, friezes and sculptures in the round from classical antiquity. Over the past year, Arsham has been granted unprecedented access to the Réunion des Musées Nationaux – Grand Palais (RMN), a 200-year-old French molding atelier that reproduces masterpieces for several of Europe’s major encyclopedic museums. Arsham was able to use molds and scans of some of the most iconic works from the collections of the Musée du Louvre in Paris, the Acropolis Museum in Athens, the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna and the San Pietro in Vincoli as source material for this new body of work. Interested in the way that objects move through time, the works selected by Arsham are so iconic that they have eclipsed their status as mere art object, and instead have embedded themselves into our collective memory and identity. Ranging from Michelangelo’s Moses to the Vénus de Milo, each item was cast in hydrostone to produce a perfect to scale replica of the original sculpture, a process that shares formal qualities with historic wax casting. Arsham utilizes natural pigments that are similar to those used by classical sculptors, such as volcanic ash, blue calcite, selenite, quartz, and rose quartz. From that, individual erosions are chiseled into the surface of the hydrostone, a nod to the sculpting techniques of the Renaissance sculptors. Finally, Arsham applies his signature tactic of crystallization (which has distinct, organic appearance). Making use of classical and ancient objects, this new body of work experiments with the timelessness of certain symbols, furthering Arsham’s previous investigations into “objecthood”.

76 rue de Turenne

All photos by Edward Kanarecki.

(P.S. If you are inspired by my Parisian coverage, I’m really happy about, but please have in mind that now isn’t a safe time for any sorts of travelling. Stay at home!)

Beautiful Silence. Azzedine Alaïa Resort 2020

| Design & Culture by Ed

The maison of Azzedine Alaïa doesn’t shock – which, surprisingly, is a good thing. Since Alaïa passed away, the brand decided not to desperately seek an outside designer who would turn the house upside down. Instead, the label is lead by the studio, which knows the Alaïa craft like no other. For resort 2020, which got released yesterday, we see precise, not-over-the-top, rather minimal garments that look simple in cut, but are the peak of tailoring mastership in fact. I mean, where else will you find a military-inspired jacket which looks this chic? The dresses, forever flattering to the body, are Alaïa classics that never get boring. Also, I really love the high-rise trousers styled with boyish, black shoes. The look-book, shot by Karim Sadli in Alaïa’s 3 Rooms apartments in Le Marais district (Paris’ best kept secret for the fashion insiders when fashion weeks come) is more than pleasing.

Collage by Edward Kanarecki.

Other Parisian Addresses

| Design & Culture by Ed

Bought two issues of Nicole Wisniak’s legendary Egoïste for a crazy, low price… I really, really adore the Saint Germain vintage bookstores.

Seven more addresses I’ve completely fell in love with in Paris during my last stay. In case you’ve missed my other posts on the city I love the most, here’s a recap: the marvelous Musée Yves Saint Laurent, the newly opened Galeries Lafayette Champs-Élysées, great dining at Vivant, moving ‘Black Models’ exhibition at D’Orsay, Dries Van Noten stores on Rive Gauche, the wonderful Buly 1803, my favorite galleries near Saint Germain-Des-Pres (Laurence Esnol Gallery and Gallery Mingei), Le Marais visit with Azzedine Alaia’s spirit (the late designer’s gallery and boutique/studio/home), Lemaire heaven and delicious Baba. And here are some more!

Galerie Jousse Entreprise

Vintage furniture in a jaw-dropping space. Jean Prové, Charlotte Perriand, Alexandre Noll, you pick.

18 rue de Seine

Loewe

Of course.

46 Avenue Montaigne

Mes Demoiselles

The brand has few stores in Paris, and this one near the Seine is the prettiest. Also, I’m not surprised Parisians are crazy for Anita Radovanovic’s brand. It’s a dream wardrobe.

7 Quai Voltaire

The Broken Arm

This place doesn’t need an introduction. Marine Serre, Lemaire, Jacquemus are all here, just across a relaxing, small park in Le Marais district. If you’re not planning to shop (even though it’s really hard to resist the supply of this store), take a moment for coffee and a home-made cake from their caffè.

12 Rue Perrée

Isaac Reina

Need a wallet, pouch or bag made from leather that actually looks like toffee and has a soft, butter-y texture?  Delicious, hand-made leather goods from Isaac Reina are a Parisian’s classic. By the way, I did an interview with the designer a long, long time ago…

12 Rue de Thorigny

Libraire 7L

This one is very sentimental. Located 7 rue de Lille, in the 7th district of Paris, not far from Saint Germain des Prés, from the Louvre museum, and from the Orsay museum, the 7L Bookshop was created by the late Karl Lagerfeld in 1999. Books on design, niche design and fashion magazine, and rare exhibition catalogues are sold here.

7 Rue de Lille

The Church of St. Eustache

While Notre Dame is unavailable due to well known reasons, the Church of St. Eustache will do. The breath-taking rigour of French Gothic is an experience in itself.

2 Impasse Saint-Eustache

All photos by Edward Kanarecki.

Baba in Le Marais

| Design & Culture by Ed

Located in Le Marais, Baba is a restaurant open all day for lunch and dinner with a bar service the rest of the time. The place serves a new wave of Mediterranean cuisine mixed with family recipes, contemporary and refined, sometimes eaten with hands. But also, the dishes have a strong Israeli influence, mixed with Italian, Greek, Provençal and North-African flavors. Their tabouleh and beef kefta are my winners. Seasonal cuisine, honest and colorful – it’s really good.

17 rue Charlot / Paris

Photos by Edward Kanarecki.