La Maison Mère, just a few steps from Hotel Amour on rue Navarin, satisfies the South Pigalle bobo craving for New York-style burgers and Franco-American dishes. The dimly-lit, intimate restaurant has a retro feel with engraved glass, French school tables, white tiles and metal racks.
Steven and I met up with our old Parisian friends Coralie and Sunny to catch up over burgers and good wine – as usual, we were the last ones to leave.
We were lucky that Coralie had booked a table that day, as the restaurant was already full when we arrived. An unexpected surprise was spotting the French-Moroccan actor and comedian Gad Elmaleh at the corner table. Elmaleh is perhaps best-known outside of France for starring in Priceless alongside Audrey Tautou but unfortunately we didn’t catch a glimpse of his girlfriend Charlotte Casiraghi.
There is a good, carefully chosen selection of French wines and a mix of classic and inventive cocktails (all priced at €10). We ordered a bottle of Côtes du Rhône Villages Clos Des Mourres 2010 (€32), which was light and easy to drink.
Had we not already indulged over a three course lunch, we would have started with some Crab Cakes and Fish Tacos. Instead, we went straight for the burgers.
Steven and I both ordered the Bacon Cheeseburger (€17), served with fries, coleslaw and tomato and pickle on the side. The high quality, thick beef patty was smothered in melted Cheddar and topped with crispy bacon, packed inside a glossy, light brioche bun. The meat was a little overdone (unbelievable in Paris, I know) but still very tasty and the crisp, flavoursome hand-cut fries with with skins on were excellent.
If you’re feeling particularly decadent, there is a Black Label Burger (€20) using Black Angus steak from the US.
Coralie ordered the Pièce de thon à la plancha (€20) – seared tuna cooked on the griddle, served with ratatouille, sweet potato puree and a wedge of lime.
Sunny went for the Assiette végétarienne (€14) – a large plate of quinoa tabouleh and seasonal crudités.
For dessert Steven and I shared the Pain perdu brioché (€8) with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Pain Perdu can be difficult to cook well at home and Maison Mère’s was pretty good, if a little small, with a caramelised coating and hint of orange.
Sunny tried the Dessert du Jour, which was a fruit crumble and Coralie went for a simple classic, Mousse au chocolat (€7). The desserts were tasty, but not outstanding – you could easily end with the burgers or go for a sweet cocktail.
The food at La Maison Mère is comforting and substantial and the ambiance is cool, lively and informal. Service can either be fun and flirty or obstinate and brusque – just try to catch the eye of the waiter you prefer!
For a perfect evening in South Pigalle, dine at La Maison Mère, followed by drinks on the chic heated terrace at Hotel Amour.
2010 has been a thoroughly foodie year for Chérie City and over the past year, I’ve unearthed some incredible discoveries – in fact, I’ve never eaten so well!
A mixture of new openings and long-time institutions, here are the top new finds of the year. If you’re feeling tempted, click to read Chérie City’s review…
10 favourite restaurants in London:
Cafe Luc – Marylebone’s neighbourhood Belgian bistro that outshines the rest!
Empress of India – Victoria Park gastro pub with seriously good seasonal dishes.
The Fish Place – Michelin-standard seasonal dishes…and not just fish!
Fox & Anchor – Mighty, hearty pub food with gourmet touches served up in the snug.
Every Parisarrondissement tells a different story, but the most exclusive and desirable is the 8th, with its grandiose embassies, sweeping Haussman avenues and global fashion houses.
Staying in Paris’ most elegant, refined neighbourhood for the first time certainly added a spring to my step and I couldn’t help wearing those rose-tinted glasses while dashing around the city.
The hotel has a strong jazz heritage, dating back to the 1960s, when Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington performed a legendary impromptu concert from their adjoining balconies with their orchestra below. The social scene may be a less boisterous these days, however La Trémoille still attracts a starry crowd that favours quiet luxury and comfort.
Arrival
It was surprisingly easy to find Hotel la Trémoille and it is just a short stroll from either Franklin D.Roosevelt or Alma Marceau metro stations. On arrival, I was immediately relieved of my heavy bags and greeted by the warm, courteous staff at the reception.
The Suite
I was shown to my room, on the second floor, and had the various room features explained to me, which cut back on time spent searching for the air-conditioning switch. My bags followed a few moments later.
To call my new abode a mere ‘room’ is an understatement, as it was more like a mini apartment, with the bedroom and bathroom on the mezzanine level and a separate living room. The charming dark wood stairs and railings show the hotel’s sympathetic approach to maintaining the building’s original features and gives it a more homely feel.
The living area features white Haussman style panelled walls with Art Deco lighting and is decorated in elegant camel shades (appropriate for the Autumn/Winter 10-11 trends). It also boasts a traditional wrought iron Haussman balcony overlooking the incredibly chic streets – perfect for a spot of people watching.
Every home comfort is taken care of, as the room is technologically wired up with complimentary high-speed wifi, two flatscreen TVs, a radio DVD player and an iPod base.
Having easy access to the internet in your hotel room is such a blessing, as you can just look up all the fabulous addresses you researched and forgot to jot down, although the Clés d’Or Concierge at La Trémoille would be happy to make any reservations for you.
For the ultimate hideaway stay, the living room has a built-in hatch, so you can have your breakfast, room service or laundry silently delivered while still lounging in your bathrobe.
Bedroom
The bedroom was simply stunning and beautifully designed. Opulent silk drapes frame the tactile flocked velvet wall and are accented with a statement leopard print headboard.
The Queen-size bed was incredibly luxurious, with fine quality linen and a stylish throw – needless to say I slept extremely well that night!
The bedroom also had a flatscreen TV and it own balcony, although the street view could be shaded a night by the heavy mohair curtains. There is also a telephone next to the bed, so you won’t have to stumble down the stairs to answer your wake-up call.
Bathroom
The bathroom was also suitably elegant and carefully considered, with the utmost attention to detail. A stylish mix of wood and marble, the bathroom features a large bath with a powerful shower and an impressive collection of wall-mounted Molton Brown toiletries.
This is the first hotel I’ve stayed in that offers a choice of no less than four bath and shower gels, varying from relaxing to invigorating, and two different types of shampoo. There are also small bottles of Molton Brown conditioner and body lotion to use and take away with you.
Also provided are packets of cosmetic cotton wool, face cloths, a full range of fluffy towels and luxurious embroidered bathrobes. For single travellers, it’s reassuring that there is a telephone in the bathroom, just in case of any emergencies.
When I came back at night after dinner and cocktails at Hotel Amour, my room had been given the full turn-down service. The lights were dimmed, soft French chansons played on the radio, my bed had been made ready to slip into and a cotton mat was placed down next to my bed.
A Welcome Treat
Best of all, waiting for me on the table was a handwritten note from the General Manager Olivier welcoming me to the hotel and the most perfect lilac box containing four exquisite Ladurée macarons. A long, relaxing shower followed by a macaron in bed was the blissful end to a perfect day, catching up with my best friend and my favourite city.
Waking at 8am from a prompt call wishing me a ‘good morning’, I really could have done with a few extra hours in that heavenly bed, but Yves Saint Laurent was waiting and fashion waits for no gal, however tired she may be.
Breakfast
The thought of an indulgent breakfast is motivation enough to get ready and start the day. I headed down to Le Louis², the hotel’s bar and restaurant and I had the entire room to myself.
The breakfast was presented as a buffet and offered a hot tray of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages and mushrooms and a good continental selection of patisserie, petite baguettes, pancakes and maple syrup, cereal, yoghurt and juices.
American-style hot breakfasts in Paris hotels can be a bit hit or miss, but everything was well-cooked and the scrambled eggs were buttery and delicious. I was also given a generous pot of freshly brewed coffee and a jug of hot milk, which I was able to take up to my room to finish, as I was pressed for time.
At 35 Euros per person, the breakfast will set you back the cost of a dinner, so you’d have to be particularly hungry with enough time to relax and enjoy it to make it worth splashing out.
If I’d stayed longer at La Trémoille, I would have love to try the inventive cuisine and cocktails at Le Louis² bar and restaurant and unwind at the spa, with its sauna and multi-jet shower.
Le Louis²
Head Chef Yann Frohn (previously from Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée) has created a seasonal market menu of contemporary French dishes and comfort food with an artistic flourish. Le Louis² also offers lunch and dinner set menus and is a lunchtime haunt for the well-heeled Avenue Montaigne set.
La Trémoille’s forte is the fine attention to detail and those extra touches that make your stay so memorable. Staying in such a refined, classic hotel is an exclusive neighbourhood really is an indulgent experience. Its exceptional facilities and luxurious bedrooms make it much more of an urban retreat than just a base for exploring Paris.
I’m becoming more and more convinced that it’s not Sharkozy who runs Paris, but in fact André. No party is complete without him and you’d find it pretty hard not to encounter Monsieur A, his dandyish graffiti character, around town.
André made his name as a world-renowned graffiti artist with his Love Graffiti and has redefined nightlife in Paris, New York and Tokyo with his clubs Le Baron, Le Paris Paris and Beatrice Inn.
This month, André is showing a different side of his work in his ‘drawings’ exhibition at Colette. This is a rare opportunity to see some of his work in a gallery setting, as he would never confine his graffiti to a space.
In an interview with Dazed Digital, André summed up the street art debate perfectly by saying: “You can’t put street art into a gallery, it’s condescending and limiting: 80 per cent of the graffiti is in the act, the challenge. The result is meant to disappear. Galleries are traditional spaces, and street art is what it is: it’s a vandalizing act.”
André took inspiration from the love imagery/LSD art of the 1960s and 1970s, Krazy Kat comic strips and Pierre Le-Tan’s illustrations. Many are very personal with references to his past and present, such as his favourite novels and his whirlwind love affair with ex-wife Uffie and the arrival of their baby Henrietta.
On display will be over 30 sketches, limited edition silk screens and pieces made for Purple Fashion Magazine. The space has also been given a slick André make-over, with spray painted columns, customised surfboards, Monsieur A. rubber balls and a viewing space painted black.
A selection of André’s framed silk screens are available to buy online, priced at an affordable €1000-€2000 and ‘Drawings’ is on at Colette until 27 February.
