Autumn 2022

city. You’ll find a monumental exhibition space
dedicated to the food and wine of France
and around the world, with inventive and
interactive displays, films, whimsical patisserie
showcases, cakes that look like they were
made for the land of the giants, team games
involving virtual cooking sessions, rooms set
out like dining rooms and kitchens and a
former chapel dedicated to the UNESCOlisted
“Climats” the winegrowing vineyards
of Burgundy. Theatrical, flamboyant and
fascinating.
Did you know that at 12.30 each day – around
50% of the entire French population will
be sitting at a table to eat lunch?! You’ll
certainly learn that the French are a nation of
epicureans who know how to make a meal of
it when it comes to cooking, and that French
gastronomy truly deserves its UNESCO listing.
And that’s not all you’ll find – not by a long
way. In this grand homage to the culture of
food – there’s more…
Gastronomic village
Themed stores that showcase the best
of France including cheese, mustard,
charcuterie, seafood, chocolate, bread,
cakes and more can be found in this brand
new gastro-village. Many of the shops have
cooking stations, you choose your food
inside, they’ll cook it for you there and then
– and you can sit and enjoy it in a superb
setting.
There are pop-up bistros, the Experiential
Kitchen holds masterclasses with guest chefs,
cooking lessons, tasting sessions, cocktail
workshops, ‘battle of the chef’ sessions and
a fabulous rooftop terrace where barbecue
classes are held.
There are also pop up “Degustations” –
tasting stalls. When I was there Thierry
Marx’s team (yes THE Thierry Marx, the two
Michelin Starred chef who is one of the most
celebrated chefs in France) were there giving
away samples of his divine breads and cakes.
And when it comes to wine, the Cave de la
Cité is in a league of its own. Three floors
form a sort of ‘wine library’, 3000 bottles of
wine, 250 of them sold by the glass. They
range from a few Euros to a lot more when
you descend to the Cave des Grand Crus.
Here they have some of the most expensive
wines in the world – up to a whopping 3000
Euros a bottle – the sort of wines most of
us will never be able to sip (unless we’re
on Government expenses). For instance, I
spotted a 2017 Musigny, a Burgundian red
that will set you back up to 2000 euros a
bottle, but here you can have a taste for a
mere 65 Euros for a (small) glass.
There’s also the Ferrandi Paris School of
Culinary Arts, the Harvard of Gastronomy,
where they teach lessons in English. There
are fabulous tableware shops. And there’s a
Centre of Heritage and Architecture called
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