Travel
and preferences with a series of
questions. From there, your nose is
the guide. The result is a one-of-akind fragrance that you’ve picked,
mixed and named. The recipe is kept
on file, ready to reorder. Le Studio
des Parfums, 23, rue du Bourg
Tibourg, Paris
Chat with a Concierge
I sat down with Tony Le Goff, the
Chief Concierge at Shangri-La, Paris,
for insight on some of his favorite
things from the City of Light.
Leah Walker: What restaurant
would you choose for a special
dinner?
Tony Le Goff: I was in my favorite
restaurant just the other day –
Septime in the 11th arrondissement.
It’s not a very sexy area, so Bobo
and creative. It’s impossible to get
a reservation, and if you cancel,
you can guarantee you’ll never get
another. It’s one-star Michelin and
the cuisine is wonderful. To me, this
type of restaurant is the future.
It’s simple products that come
together to create magic. The
staff is good looking, efficient
and friendly. It has a bit of a New
York feeling. Septime, 80 Rue de
Charonne, 75011 Paris
LW: What is an ideal Saturday
in Paris for you?
TLG: Since I live on the Right Bank,
I like to go to the Left Bank. It’s a
different world. In the morning, the
vendors and antique sellers at Carré
Rive Gauche are more open and
friendly. In the afternoon, they
become Parisian. If it’s early
morning, which is difficult, I like to
have a coffee at a super-cliché place
like Les Deux Magots. There’s no one
at this time. The tourists haven’t
arrived and people are friendly. You
speak French and read the local
paper on a wooden stick. It’s just a
coffee, which costs a fortune. The
people are cleaning the streets and
opening the stores. This time in the
morning is perfect to me. Les Deux
Magots, 6 Place Saint-Germain des
Prés, 75006 Paris
LW: What classic Parisian
experience never goes out of style,
even for Parisians?
TLG: It’s for children, but the boats
in the Luxembourg Garden have
existed for decades. I was not born
in Paris, so I missed out on it, but
this is something that is very
Parisian. It’s a tradition that’s
been passed down from generation
to generation. One of our guests
recently requested that a boat be
purchased for his granddaughter,
because it was a fond memory from
his youth. Other traditions in the
Luxembourg Gardens for children are
the balancoire (swings) and Théâtre
des Marionnettes. These are
affordable, and the gardens are
magnificent. It’s something that
remains from the past and builds
the personality of a Parisian.
LW: What is your favorite café in
the city?
TLG: As I told you, Les Deux Magots
in the early morning, but in the
afternoon, it’s Café de l’Epoque near
the Louvre. It’s near Galerie VéroDodat, with the original Louboutin
store on one end and the cafe at the
other. Of course, you know the
national sport is watching people.
So, you watch people and drink Rosé.
There’s the Ministry of Culture that
is just across. There is a mix of
tourists and Parisians passing by. It’s
simple – go there by coincidence or
on purpose. It has kept a charm
from the 1950s. The waiters are
sometimes friendly. My favorite
drink is a spritz, and they do it quite
well there. Café de l’Epoque, 2, Rue
du Bouloi, 75001 Paris
LW: What’s trendy in Paris now?
TLG: Geographically, the eastern
part of the city. It’s like New York.
Things have moved east of the
center. It’s no wonder that
restaurants like Septime are
opening there, rather than in
a noble area.
In terms of contemporary creation,
what Palais de Tokyo is doing is
amazing. Not only in terms of
exhibitions, but what they’re
doing beyond. They other day,
they turned the empty fountain
into a basketball court. They
attract people that might not ever
come to a museum. It’s very young
and creative. They do fashion
shows, and are really on the cutting
edge. Palais de Tokyo is a real
example of what culture should
be in attracting all kinds of people,
regardless of social level. It’s not
a question of money.
In the evenings, there are barges
on the banks of the river. My
favorite one is Rosa Bonheur sur
Seine. It’s between the Alexander
III and Concorde bridges. There are
lines to get on the barge, but once
you’re on, there’s a very large bar
and lots of great people and music
– a bit Bobo. It o