Tourism to Paris is soaring, and visitors can’t get enough. Beyond the traditional treasures—the monuments, the museums, the bistros that are old favorites—there are plenty of new things to check out. Here’s a roundup of news from the French capital.
New Cultural Attractions
The Museum of the Liberation of Paris opened in August in the 14th arrondissement. It was timed to coincide with the 75th anniversary of Paris’s liberation from Nazi occupation, and includes an underground bunker that served as a command point for the leader of the French Forces of the Interior. The Théâtre du Châtelet threw a big party for its reopening after a large-scale renovation. The Louvre is planning to stage a blockbuster exhibition of Leonardo da Vinci’s work in October, while the Grand Palais will have an El Greco retrospective. On the horizon: François Pinault, one of France's richest men, will open his highly anticipated museum inside the Bourse de Commerce in 2020. In central Paris, next to Les Halles, the historic stock exchange is being transformed by architect Tadao Ando.
Restaurants
Fouquet’s is back. The famous brasserie at 99 Avenue des Champs-Élysées reopened after renovations to repair the damage sustained during protests earlier in the year. Several months of work restored the brasserie to its classic style, featuring vintage woodwork, Harcourt portraits on the walls and decor by Jacques Garcia. High atop the Eiffel Tower, the Jules Verne restaurant is now operated by Michelin three-star chef Frédéric Anton, while star chef Thierry Marx designed the menu for Restaurant 58 on the first floor. Formerly of Clown Bar, chef Sota Atsumi has opened Maison, while the team behind the now-closed Itinéraires has opened Fleur de Pavé in the 2nd arrondissement. The award-winning Saturne restaurant is closing.
Hôtel de Crillon // Photo by Aimery Chemin
Fashion Week
Paris is prepping for Fashion Week, and so are couture-minded hotels. Le Royal Monceau-Raffles Paris is launching a new photo exhibition that’s a celebration of fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld. The palace hotel will showcase previously unpublished photographs by Simon Procter, coinciding with the release of Procter’s Rizzoli new book “Lagerfeld: The Chanel Shows.”
You can also expect a fashionable crowd at the Hôtel de Crillon, where the Brasserie d’Aumont’s Terrasse Gabriel has been transformed into a “Yacht Club,” theatrically designed by Alexandre Benjamin Navet. Marking the 100th anniversary of the Negroni cocktail, the Yacht Club will be offering plenty of drinks and Italian bites until its closure on October 4.
Speaking of hotels, there’s a sexy new hide-out that’s turning heads in Paris. Sinner is the latest from Evok Hotels, the small luxury hospitality group behind the Nolinski and Brach. Stay tuned: Evok will soon be launching another sought-after address on the Place des Vosges in the Marais.
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