70 CONCIERGE
Art
Before joining Paris’ Le Royal Monceau Raffles Hotel, Domoina de Brantes worked as an artistic mediator at the Louvre as well as the Ludwig Museum in Cologne. She gives STEPHEN ALLINGTON the low-down on the Parisian art scene and advice to couples headed for the City of Love.
Q & A
in the KNOW
We’ re art lovers on a tight schedule, where do we start? Just 20 minutes from our hotel, art aficionados will enjoy the new Palais de Tokyo exhibition space. At 22,000sqm it’ s the biggest contemporary art centre in Europe and regularly hosts international exhibitions. The Centre Pompidou is another personal favourite, with a constantly updated programme.
Who are the rising talents to look out for on the Parisian art scene? The artists Baptiste de Bombourg and ZEVS are definitely ones to watch. They’ re both on display at Galerie Patricia Dorfmann, which is located in the Marais historic district near the Centre Pompidou. Another hot gallery is Galerie Chantal Crousel, which represents great artists like Thomas Hirshorn and Gabriel Orozco.
What are the Parisian gems most visitors don’ t discover? La Rûche is a verdant secret place in the south of Paris where lots of artist studios are located, including that of Malachi Farrell. Also wander down the passage called Vero-Dodat in the 1st arrondissement for a look at Parisian life in the 19th century; buildings have been beautifully preserved and my favourite gallery, La Galerie du Passage, which represents the photographer Marie Laure de Decker, is here too.
It’ s Friday night, where are we headed? To Frenchie Restaurant’ s newly opened wine bar, and then onto Le Comptoir du Relais in Saint-Germain des Prés for a light dinner. This is a very relaxed bistro by chef Yves Camdeborde, the pioneer of French‘ bistronomy’, and serves fabulous tapas dishes. Lots of Paris’ famous chefs regularly stop by to hangout. Other celebrity-chef owned restaurants I advise trying would be Ze Kitchen Gallery by William Ledeuil and Pierre Jancou’ s Vivant Cave.
How about a weekend tipple? I love the cocktails at La 25ème Heure, a short stroll from our hotel in the direction of the Arc de Triomphe. It’ s a hidden little space
concealed behind an unmarked door, but now that you’ re in the know, you’ ll find a hip bar staffed by the city’ s best bartenders, and the best DJs on the decks playing all night long. Another option is the very sexy and sophisticated Art Room bar in the Étienne Marcel area. There are three floors and I usually head up to the cozy loft area at the top. They’ ve got some unique cocktails here using ingredients like beetroot, rosemary and cloves; my favourite is the Urban Neurosis.
If we’ re feeling a little worse for wear after the night before what would you recommend? The Spa My Blend by Clarins at the Royal Monceau Raffles Paris is staggering distance from your bedroom. If you speak to the team they’ ll create a unique facial for you called a‘ My Blend’, using ingredients and scents you like, as well as what they know works well for how you’ re feeling.
How would you recommend spoiling a loved one? Take your partner up the Eiffel Tower for uninterrupted views over the city, and whilst up there bring out the hidden box of divine macarons by Pierre Hermé, the‘ Picasso of Pastry’. I will have helped you to organise these decadent sweets, made to a recipe infused with all of your partner’ s favourite ingredients.
For guests with a little more time, what do you recommend? The Ruinart cellars in Champagne are the most beautiful in this region and were built in the 18th century. A labyrinth of tunnels run through the chalk bedrock for eight kilometres, and walking iPad tours are available too.
For more info on Le Royal Monceau go to www. leroyalmonceau. com www. jetsetter. hk