Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
culture<br />
f ix<br />
Home to some 150<br />
museums, Paris is one<br />
of the undisputed arts<br />
capitals of the world.<br />
Of course you have to<br />
visit the Louvre; 15,000<br />
people file past the<br />
Mona Lisa every day, but<br />
you can beat the crowds<br />
by visiting during the<br />
late-night openings<br />
on Wednesdays and<br />
Fridays. Housing the<br />
largest collection of<br />
impressionist art in<br />
the world, the Musée<br />
d’Orsay is another<br />
must-see, while you can<br />
get your modern and<br />
contemporary art fix at<br />
the Centre Pompidou.<br />
Make time for smaller<br />
museums and galleries,<br />
such as the Jean Nouveldesigned<br />
Institut du<br />
Monde Arabe, which<br />
showcases treasures<br />
from the Arab world,<br />
and L’Atelier des<br />
Lumières, which features<br />
a new immersive<br />
digital exhibition on<br />
Vincent van Gogh.<br />
The Fondation Louis<br />
Vuitton, meanwhile,<br />
is currently exhibiting<br />
110 Impressionist<br />
masterpieces from<br />
the collection of English<br />
industrialist Samuel<br />
Courtauld (until June 17).<br />
HAUTE CUISINE<br />
L'Astrance Book well ahead<br />
for a table at chef Pascal<br />
Barbot’s two-Michelinstarred<br />
spot in the 16th<br />
Arrondissement, which<br />
seats just 25 diners. Then<br />
look forward to a tasting<br />
menu that combines<br />
modern French cuisine with<br />
influences from the Far East.<br />
astrancerestaurant.com<br />
Ducasse sur Seine One of<br />
France’s most iconic chefs has<br />
opened his latest restaurant<br />
on a sleek riverboat. Opt<br />
for lunch to see the sights,<br />
or float by night to see the<br />
lights, while you dine on<br />
classic dishes such as chilled<br />
lobster and pan-seared lamb.<br />
ducasse-seine.com<br />
Arpège Alain Passard has<br />
retained his three Michelin<br />
stars at this restaurant<br />
near the Musée Rodin for<br />
more than two decades.<br />
His vegetable-driven menu<br />
features produce from his<br />
own organic garden, with<br />
dishes like vegetable arlequin<br />
jardinière with argan oil<br />
semolina. alain-passard.com<br />
elegant<br />
arcades<br />
At the turn of the 19th<br />
century, Paris was<br />
home to more than<br />
200 passages couverts<br />
(covered arcades)<br />
lined with fashionable<br />
shops and cafés. Today<br />
around 20 remain,<br />
with many found in the<br />
2nd Arrondissement.<br />
Passage des<br />
Panoramas, off<br />
Boulevard Montmartre,<br />
should be your first<br />
stop. Home to philately<br />
shops and vintage<br />
postcard dealers, the<br />
city’s oldest arcade has<br />
been revitalised with the<br />
This page from<br />
top to bottom:<br />
Arpège; Galerie<br />
Véro-Dodat ©<br />
Paris Tourist<br />
Office; Musée du<br />
Louvre © Paris<br />
Tourist Office.<br />
Opposite,<br />
from top: a flea<br />
market; Gang of<br />
Earlybirds<br />
opening of Astair [see Best<br />
Bistros]. Cross the road to<br />
Passage Jouffroy, where<br />
sunlight streams through<br />
the glass roof, and treat<br />
yourself to coffee and cake<br />
at Le Valentin. Continue on<br />
to the exquisitely restored<br />
Galerie Vivienne to admire<br />
the mosaic floor and browse<br />
high-end boutiques such<br />
as Jean-Paul Gaultier and<br />
Nathalie Garçon. Pop into<br />
nearby Galerie Colbert to<br />
marvel at its beautiful glass<br />
dome, then finish up in<br />
Galerie Véro-Dodat, which<br />
boasts a black-and-white<br />
tiled floor and Christian<br />
Louboutin boutique.<br />
60 worldtravellermagazine.com