Mariane Ibrahim, the French-Somali gallerist, hadn’t planned to expand beyond her original location in Chicago, where she has focused on artists from the African diaspora, including Ghanaian-born star Amoako Boaf0. “During the pandemic, I had a strong urge to be in Paris,” she explains, so she opened an outpost on Avenue Matignon. “The city is going through a revival,” she says. “It’s like the roaring ’20s.” Indeed, there are world-class hotels opening up, innovative chefs are energizing the culinary scene, and the Bourse de Commerce, home to François Pinault’s formidable art collection, and new galleries are turning Paris into a contemporary-art capital.
STAY
Bulgari recently opened its seventh hotel. The design of the 76-room property, a 1970s office building on tony Avenue George V, pays homage to both French artistry (Lalique-style etched glass, Pierre Frey floor treatments) and Italian craftsmanship (Murano-glass lighting). Inspired by ancient Roman baths, the hotel spa includes a gold and malachite mosaic pool. Not to be outdone, at Cheval Blanc Paris, located in the historic Samaritaine department-store complex, architect Peter Marino enlisted more than 600 artisans to create the apotheosis of French luxury. The 72 rooms and suites are filled with art, objects, and furniture from masters like Charlotte Perriand, Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne, and Frank Gehry. There are four restaurants as well as an indoor infinity pool.
EAT
Jean Imbert opened his eponymous Jean Imbert au Plaza Athénée in January, transforming an institution helmed for years by Alain Ducasse. There, he pays tribute to France’s rich culinary history, serving classics like canard à la bigarade and vol-au-vent. At Granite, in Les Halles, Valence alum Tom Meyer focuses on ambitious seasonal cooking—like roasted Mesquer pigeon with green cardamom—adhering to a zero-waste, zero-plastic ethos. Mory Sacko blends the best ingredients and techniques of French, Japanese, and African cuisine (like Breton lobster in tomato miso) at MoSuke, his tiny space near the Montparnasse train station. Tapisserie, a new bakery by the team behind foodie favorites Septime and Clamato, offers the French classics: galettes, choux, and a variety of tarts.
SEE AND SHOP
Along with Ibrahim, a clutch of art-world powerhouses have put down Paris roots, including Massimo De Carlo, which opened Pièce Unique, a small storefront in the Marais presenting a single work at a time. Dior’s renovated five-story, Peter Marino–designed flagship may not be an art gallery, but it boasts an in-house museum, a restaurant (run by the aforementioned Imbert), three gardens, and a hotel suite. It might just be the ultimate in retail therapy.
Opening Image: Bourse de commerce rotunda.
