New hotspots & legendary haunts… A Week in Paris
Celebrating life in Paris, Paris Makers, and the strange, new, true and beautiful – forever !
💣 Chef Iñaki Aizpitarte, the punk-Basque visionary credited with launching the bistronomy revolution of the mid aughts, has announced he’ll be leaving Le Châteaubriand, the restaurant he cofounded in 2006, after 20 years of inventive menus, fearless flavour pairings and electric energy. Before fully embracing his new life in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, he’s hosting a series of special farewell dinners with his favourite chefs, kicking off on 9 December with Alexandre Gauthier (La Grenouillère) for an eight-course sea-and-offal feast set to be legendary.
Call 01 43 57 45 95 to book!
☎️ The team behind foodie fave Le Cheval d’Or have quietly opened Taxiphone, a little coffee shop in the grungy Goutte d’Or neighbourhood where they’re serving a short menu of specialty coffee – from local roasters Hexagone (next up: Los Andes) that has locals ecstatic to finally sip good coffee close to home. The moody, fin-de-siècle-inspired decor comes with free wi-fi and paperbacks to browse. Plans for the spring include evening wine-bar service, and, once the cellar is renovated, a listening bar in the bohemian spirit of 1950s St Germain.
✌🏾 And just around the corner, our friend Youssouf returns to the old Tati space in Barbès with a new iteration of his Union de la Jeunesse Internationale project, celebrating the African diaspora through fashion, culture and community. Downstairs, browse his new Maison Château Rouge x Monoprix collection, stop by the reading room, or enjoy a bissap juice or coffee; upstairs, fresh from Arles, the exhibition Ne m’oublie pas presents portraits from the archive of the now closed Studio Rex in Marseille. Taken between 1966 and 1985, these photographs capture fleeting moments of arrival, departure and life in transit.
🌈 The spot-on creative hub championing the hand-made, the original and fun, Klin d’Oeil celebrates its tenth birthday by crossing the river to open a colourful new space at 12 rue Lacépède, 5ᵉ, where the ever-energetic founders Émilie and Virginie continue to show off their knack for finding the most original and playful arts and crafts around. Meanwhile, taking over the shelves of the original boutique, the annual ARGILE showcase presents 30 ceramicists whose work they love, from fresh faces to old faves.
🎄 A new drop, HOLIDAY MARKET, lands Wednesday at new experimental “gift shop” ITEM IDEM, the alias of conceptual artist Cyril Duval, mixing Philippe Starck gnomes with Paul McCarthy’s butt plugs (silver), Alessandro Guerriero’s colourful armoire, Memphis Milano pieces, Ettore Sottsass designs and works by Lawrence Weiner, Nik Kosmas and Superstudio – a playful art-meets-retail extravaganza for Christmas.
🪑 From Thursday, our favourite curio-hunter Antoine Billore pops up at Galerie Bertrand Grimont (43 rue de Montmorency, 75003) with a new selection of vintage furniture, objects, and his first ceramic collection. Always mixing kitsch and chic, his finds turn the unexpected into the irresistible. Until Sunday. 🏩 Also on Thursday, Hôtel Grand Amour celebrates its tenth anniversary with a party – a night of surprises throughout its rooms, restaurant and the Book Bar. Expect a special menu, drinks, and guests! Along with the original Hotel Amour, born in 2006 in Pigalle, these iconic boutique hotels channel the eternal spirit of bohemian playgrounds for the bold and curious – I’m thinking Château Marmont, the Chelsea Hotel and the Colombe d’Or.
🐾 In other news, say hello to Djuna, Shakespeare and Company’s new four-legged friend, who follows in the pawprints of the much-missed Colette, and generations of shop dogs before her. “Outside of a dog, a book is a person’s best friend… Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read”, goes the joke (Groucho Marx?). Named in honour of the trailblazing writer Djuna Barnes, Djuna is calm and curious, and loves welcoming readers when the doors open every morning.
Thanks for reading
Kate
Welcome to Paris, Puces. on Substack. Expect the best of : LIFE IN PARIS 🇫🇷 each week, plus expert intel and tips from the world’s most epic FLEA MARKET✨ Art, Fashion, Design !
On Mondays: Life in Paris postcards - a curated mix of sights, bites and delights, celebrating Paris Makers, and the strange, new, true, and beautiful, forever!
On Fridays: Flea market intel - in-depth guides, behind-the-scenes stories and practical tips (this content will eventually be paywalled, but Life in Paris will remain free).