Le Royal Monceau Raffles Paris – Facade ©Philippe Garcia
On my flight to Paris in the Emirates A380’s business class, I watched around 4 movies whilst in the comfort of “my zone.” One of those was a completely relevant choice, as I was on my way to the City of Lights to live through the real-life experience of the film. The Hundred-Foot Journey, produced by Oprah Winfrey’s production house and starring Dame Helen Mirren who plays the role of Madame Mallory, a chef who manages a popular and classic Michelin starred restaurant. She goes to war with a newly settled Indian family who decides to introduce Indian cuisine to French fine diners, and throughout the plot her adamant connection with her country’s culinary traditions and recipes, becomes the main reason for conflict. In one scene, young sous-chef Marguerite, played by the soft spoken Charlotte Le Bon, reveals how important the Michelin stars are to a chef in France which is why Madame Mallory works so hard to maintain the standards of her restaurant and wipe out the competition. The French chef Paul Bocuse, one of the pioneers of nouvelle cuisine in the 1960s, once considered the Michelin to be the only “guide that counts,” sparking a media frenzy compared to that of the annual Academy Awards for films. During my visit to Le Royal Monceau by Raffles in Paris, I explored this concept in more depth, watched a movie screening in the Katara cinema (the 99 seat in-house screening room), indulged in an anti-jet lag treatment at the award winning Spa My Blend by Clarins, and consumed a lifetime of chocolate and macaroons by the one and only, Pierre Hermé who creates all his pastries exclusive from and for the Palace.
History and design
From a cloister for monks, to a palace, then a hotel
During our tour of the hotel, we learned many things about Le Royal Monceau, which we would not have known if it weren’t for the knowledgeable staff and their passion for the iconic palace. It has been one of the 7 historical palaces of Paris since the beginning of the 20th century, which of course eventually became a luxury hotel. In the 1990s, it started to lose its fame amongst visitors, because it desperately needed to be refurbished. In 2008, the owners asked famed French designer Philippe Starck to redesign the hotel entirely, and it was reopened in October 2010. Philippe Starck kept the classical Parisian façade and destroyed everything else. He also kept the bricked staircase wall dating back to the 1860s, and added a mosaic element, reminiscent of church design, since it was formerly a cloister for monks. Its comeback as a palace placed an emphasis on the arts and presented itself as a familial space.
This illustrious Palace hotel, an icon in the City of Light since 1928, began a new era in its history, reliving the unique Parisian spirit of the 1930’s filled with glamour, effervescence and creativity. Philippe Starck’s vision was the main contribution, and his spirit was reflected in the smallest of details. Everything was handpicked; hence it’s unsurprising that guests develop an attachment to the pieces in their room which they can purchase and take back home with them. The designer’s aim was to create a “cool and cozy” atmosphere, and he even commissioned his own daughter to design the carpets in the hotel. He stitched a pair of eyes and the word yeux, the French word for “eyes”, on the desk chair to signify that even if you were always travelling, there should always been someone to greet you. Kitsch pieces of framed art hang on the walls, emphasizing the homey atmosphere. Even Philippe Starck has such random, out-of-places memorabilia in his home which he displays as art. Large framed paintings and photographs rest on the ground implying that he “hasn’t finished decorating” yet. Bedside lamps have shades scribbled with personal notes, reminding himself to “look at the moon and stars at midnight,” to “sing a song today” and go on a rendez-vous at the “Jardin des Tuileries a 16:00.” He even wrote real phone numbers on the shades, but when guests started dialing those numbers, the hotel had to remove them!
At Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris, art is omnipresent, with an exclusive service of Art Concierge, an Art Bookstore, a private Art Gallery, a 99-seat cinema theatre and an impressive private art collection. We had the pleasure of meeting the lovely art concierge Julie who handles the in-house art gallery, and was proudly boasting about the private museum visits she recently planned for a powerful Hollywood couple. She also curates exclusive exhibitions and puts together weekly schedules for the best classical, opera, jazz and other prestigious artistic performances and shows in the city, which are hung up in every room for guests to refer to during their stay. You can also refer to the concierge team who will tell you everything you need to know about Paris, give you recommendations and even make special bookings for you and ensure you received special treatment as a Le Royal Monceau guest. The hotel is just minutes from the Arc-de-Triomphe and the Champs-Elysées in Paris’ 8th arrondissement, so you are guaranteed to have plenty of activities to do, museums to visit, and parks to stroll in, including the elegant Parc Monceau nearby.
The hotel has 149 luxurious rooms and suites including the special “Ray Charles” Lifestyle Suite, in which ‘The Genius’ resided for quite some time. A perfect option for music lovers or for a romantic getaway, this package offers a private jazz concert with a pianist on the suite’s grand Pleyel piano. Since the reopening of the hotel in 2010, it has been a favourite with celebrities in the music and entertainment industry. The Hollywood power couple we mentioned, or didn’t mention, stayed at the hotel for two months, in the adjacent building that was recently bought by the Le Royal Monceau. The Privé at 41 Avenue Hoche, has Five floors of luxurious new suites, each one a superb expression of that Parisian character. The spacious suites adjoin the acclaimed Le Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris, giving guests the privacy of an exclusive residence, underpinned by the services of the most exciting hotel in Paris. Every suite has a kitchen where the chefs create the menu of your choice. There are individual gyms and direct access to the hotel’s idyllic Spa My Blend by Clarins and the city’s longest pool. In this building, you will also find the Presidential Suite 341, a sumptuous suite encompassing the entire third floor, with a private gym and home cinema, making a spacious and luxurious residence.
Food and drink are an art form here too – from the buzz of the Long Bar on the ground floor, to the two Michelin-star restaurants, ‘La Cuisine’ for gourmet French food and ‘Il Carpaccio’ for the best Italian in Paris. Not to be missed are the delicious pastries, macarons and chocolates by Pierre Hermé, considered by Vogue magazine as the ‘Picasso of pastry’.
The hotel is now under the leadership of Serge Ethuin, the newly appointed General Manager who is one of Europe’s best-known hoteliers, spent around 20 years in the hospitality and the past 6 at the Rome Cavalieri. He was named Best General Manager of the Year by Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts receiving many international accolades. With titles such as “Best Hotel in the World”, “Best restaurant in Italy” and “Best Spa in Europe” under his belt, the pressure to prove himself with such an iconic Palace, has begun. The Saturday Brunch at La Cuisine, is usually fully booked two months in advance since it has been named the best brunch in town serving the “best croissant” in Paris. Il Carpaccio, is also the only Michelin starred Italian restaurant in Paris and retaining such a reputation will be Serge’s ultimate challenge
Le Royal Monceau Raffles Paris Suite
Polisski reindeers on the 1st floor
Presidential Suite soft feminine colours inspired by Maison Dior
The Michelin stars
La Cuisine and Il Carpaccio
Two years after its reopening, Le Royal Monceau, Raffles Paris was awarded its first two Michelin stars: one for French restaurant La Cuisine, the other for Italian restaurant, Il Carpaccio.
La Cuisine, offers a contemporary take on traditional French cuisine and is usually buzzing with families on Saturdays. Guests are able to watch Gabriel Grapin’s open kitchen, as light and flavourful notes are incorporated into sophisticated, generous cuisine, using seasonal and regional products. The Michelin Guide comments that La Cuisine “explores a classic repertoire of French cooking with superb taste, produce and skill from the chefs. Each dish is a well-balanced blend of flavors, with a lightness of touch which lets guests rediscover the pleasures of Oeuf Mollet, Sole Meunière or Rum Baba.” The way it looks is also a reference to a cathedral, with the kitchen as the temple, since gastronomy is the dominant religion in France!
Il Carpaccio, on the other hand, has a design primarily inspired by the sea, with doors, walls and chandeliers covered in corals and shells in different sizes. Those were encrusted by hand, one by one, and the result is stunning. Il Carpaccio gives its guests a very personal interpretation of Italian cuisine, taking constant inspiration from traditional family recipes which have been created by generations across Italy. Ironically enough, the restaurant does not serve any seafood! It celebrated its 30th anniversary last year, and is famous for welcoming very high caliber guests in its private dining room which looks out at the courtyard. Of course dessert plays just as big a role in French dining, and Lasse Hallström, the film director of The Hundred Foot Journey, had made audiences drool once before with Chocolat.
The film starring Juliette Binoche as a travelling chocolate maker in France and Johnny Depp as a gypsy who falls in love with her, depicted the raw ingredient as almost having a magical and spiritual influence on people’s taste buds. Once the townspeople had wholeheartedly indulged in the chocolat created by this woman, an exaggerated concept they had otherwise ridiculed, they found their spirits enlightened, their lives transformed, and their hearts filled with passion and love.
Restaurant Il Carpaccio
“A Michelin star is the pinnacle of any chef’s career, and it will be an essential ingredient of our continuing creativity in the kitchen.” – Chef Laurent Andre
Pierre Hermé food and the chocolate bar
It is no surprise then that the “Picasso of pastry” would have his own “laboratoire” in Le Royal Monceau and oversee all the patisserie at the Palace on avenue Hoche. The ex-Fauchon chef left in 1996 to start Pierre Hermé but he is most popular in Japan where he had 7 sales outlets by 2009, compared to the 6 in Paris. He launched his original concepts from Pierre Hermé in Tokyo in 2005, a “luxury convenience store” and a “chocolate bar” both located in the Omotesando district, where the biggest fashion brands and companies operating in Japan have stores. With his original approach to the profession of pastry chef, he revolutionizes even the most firmly entrenched traditions. For example, he prefers discreet pastry decors and “uses sugar like salt, in other words, as a seasoning to heighten other shades of flavor.” During the festive season, he set up a “chocolate bar” in the hotel where guest would enjoy one of the four steaming cups of hot chocolate he created, including the Originel which goes back to the origins with the flavors of pepper, grains and corn foam. Another one of his famous creations is the Plenitude Millefeuilles, created from caramelized puff pastry, Grand Cru Araguani chocolate mascarpone cream, salted butter caramel and dark chocolate slivers with fleur de sel. I would personally however recommend the Chocolate Trilogy which is an assortment of three desserts in glass cups including the Inca, which consists of Grand Cru Caraibe hot chocolate ganache, avocado and bananas compote, being my favourite.
The Ispahan dessert by Pierre Hermé Paris
La Cuisine
“I like the idea of sharing my world, where cocoa is the king.” Pierre Hermé
VIP Shopping at Le Printemps Haussman
Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris and Le Printemps Haussmann have collaborated to offer a unique shopping experience with a multi-lingual Personal Shopper, who can expertly guide clients through the exclusive department store of 45,000 sqm dedicated to Fashion, Luxury and Beauty. Guests of Le Royal Monceau are invited to their private lounge and given access to luxury and limited edition items. This luxurious package includes complimentary access to Premium services including a VIP welcome, VIP card with special offer, hands-free shopping, priority tax refund, international shipping and a VIP gift. Le Printemps Haussmann welcomes Middle Eastern clients with a special gift with participating brands such as Dior, Elie Saab and Omega, whilst the hands-free shopping and priority tax refund make this a wonderful opportunity to engage in some retail therapy. Georges-Eugène Haussmann was an architect who was commissioned by the Emperor Napoleon III to reconstruct the centre of Paris which was the largest of such public works project ever undertaken in Europe in the 1850s. His main instruction was to bring “air and light to the center of the city” and unify the different neighborhoods with “boulevards” and today there is a Boulevard named after Haussman himself parallel to the Champs Elyzées.
Le Printemps Haussman was founded in 1865 and noted for its branding innovations, handing out bouquets of violets on the first day of each Spring and championing the new Art Nouveau style, with its nature inspired motifs. When I paid a visit, a collaboration with Burberry inspired by the Christmas holiday season was creating a buzz amongst tourists at the main Atrium, and the iconic rooftop restaurant on the 6th floor was fully packed with a lineup of guests waiting to be seated. This area is highly frequented as it is an iconic location steeped in history. In 1939, to avoid the risk that the carefully encrusted Dome above the Tearoom would be destroyed in bombing attacks, it was dismantled and stored at Clichy near the town of Montmartre, and restored in 1973 by the grandson of its original designer.
