Top of the list for my recent Paris trip was visiting the Fondation Louis Vuitton. Not only is it one of the city’s most striking new buildings, but it boast fabulous views of Paris and a wonderful restaurant.
The LVMH-supported art museum and cultural centre was designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry and opened just two years ago. It occupies a prime spot in the perfectly-manicured Jardin d’Acclimatation in the Bois de Boulogne, on the edge of Paris’ elegant Neuilly suburb.
We visited in a quiet period between exhibitions, however there was still plenty to see. Most prominent was French conceptual artist Daniel Buren’s ‘Observatory of Light’ work in situ. He is best known for the monochrome striped columns in the Palais Royal and the Red Arc at the Guggenheim Bilbao.
Buren has transformed the Fondation’s twelve glass ‘sails’ with coloured filters and white stripes to create a new vision. The usual appearance, though remarkable, is more sober with clear glass, so the flashes of colour really enhance the form of the building.
The lower-ground pond with its crystal clear reflection and multiple mirrors is also a really cool architectural feature, as is the dramatic exterior waterfall that cascades towards the building.
While there weren’t any major exhibitions on, we still got our art fix from The Collection, dedicated to Chinese art. Xu Zhen’s large-scale sculpture Giant no. 3 brings together two Chinese heritage emblems – Buddha and the Victory of Samothrace and is made entirely from animal hides.
There’s also a surreal, dream-like video piece by Yang Fudong that expresses the anxiety of age in modern China and contemplative works by Ai Weiwei, Huang Yong Ping and Zhang Huan.
Lunch at Le Frank
Of course, one cannot survive on art alone and Le Frank restaurant is hard to resist. Headed up by Michelin-starred chef Jean-Louis Nomicos (La Grand Cascade, Lasserre and Les Tablettes Jean-Louis Nomicos), Le Frank is everything that a museum restaurant should be – stylish, exciting and innovative yet relaxing.
The restaurant is bright and airy with floor to ceiling windows, a floating art installation and vintage Louis Vuitton trunks mounted on the wall. There’s a chic terrace overlooking the Jardin d’Acclimatation, but we chose a window seat inside to keep cool on that hot day.
The Menu
We were tempted by the Garden Composition (€28) – a set lunch menu that includes a selection of signature dishes, dessert, a large bottle of mineral water and tea or coffee.
These tasters came beautifully presented on a wooden board and they worked harmoniously together. Poached egg, potato and saffron and Parmesan cream was actually quite light and not overly rich, while the chilled Tomato veloute with ginger lemon jelly was smooth, fragrant and very refreshing.
Tomatoes and mozzarella with basil was simple yet high quality with a clean and fresh taste and Tabbouleh was summery and aromatic with a fluffy texture and a subtle touch of mint.
Dessert
The dessert of Vanilla-coconut Japanese pearls, madeleines and sweet gazpacho was an absolute delight. The Japanese pearls melted in the mouth and I loved the velvety salted caramel topping with baked Madeleines fresh from the oven, finished with a zingy iced strawberry and tomato soup that acted as a palate cleanser.
The sweet course was accompanied by a Nespresso Macchiato for my mum while I enjoyed a Palais des Thés Blue of London Earl Grey tea served in a heavy iron teapot.
Our lunch was exquisite and excellent value and we were really well looked after by the charming staff. I’d happily stay for a bite to eat on every visit, whether it’s for lunch, dinner or afternoon tea and cake.
The Fondation Louis Vuitton is a truly inspiring space and I’m dying to go back and see the new autumn exhibitions. Even in between shows, it’s worth paying the reasonable nine Euros entry fee just to experience the building and view the art collections.
For more information, visit: www.fondationlouisvuitton.fr and www.restaurantlefrank.fr
All photos by Chérie City
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