Pierre Le-Tan | cheriecity.co.uk

Bars, Hotels, Hotels - Design, Paris, Restaurants

An Amazing Dinner at Hotel Amour Paris

September 30, 2014 by cheriecity

The restaurant at Hotel Amour is one of my favourite spots in Paris for a fun, stylish night out.

Tucked away on rue Navarin in hip South Pigalle (SoPi), Hotel Amour is an affordable boutique hotel with a popular restaurant and terrace. Co-owned by the inimitable graffiti artist and entrepreneur André Saraiva (Le Baron, La Fidelité, Monsieur A.) and Thierry Costes, the hotel is always buzzing with a cool crowd of Parisian creatives, fashion folk and clued-up travellers.

Many of the rooms are designed by artists such as Pierre Le-Tan, Mark Newson and Sophie Calle and there’s plenty of erotic artwork to live up to the hotel’s name – it is in racy Pigalle, after all.

Sure, new hotels and restaurants open in Paris all the time, but there’s something timeless and sexy about Hotel Amour – it never seems to go out of style.

I knew there was nowhere else I wanted to spend my recent 30th birthday than the restaurant at Hotel Amour.

Not only does it have a great atmopshere, a romantic garden and good food, but there are also tons of great bars nearby (check out Glass, Dirty Dick, Chez Moune, Le Dépanneur and Le Mansart). Also, we were conveniently staying in the neighbourhood at the delightful Hotel Josephine.

We caught up with our Parisian friends Coralie and Sunny, who managed to secure us a fantastic table on the terrace overlooking the lush outdoor garden. The evening started on a high with an unexpected birthday present for me – a very Parisian boho-luxe leather purse (Coralie has excellent taste in accessories).

We began by ordering some cocktails – Coralie and I both went for a deliciously sweet Amaretto Sour topped with toasted almonds while Sunny and Steven went for the stronger, sharper Godfather Sour.

After ordering, we were brought a basket of really good rustic bread served with a pot of French salted butter. The butter covers are printed with the cool Hotel Amour logo and even the wine glasses are engraved with André’s signature scrawl – they sure know a thing or two about branding.

Being indecisive and deep in conversation, it took us a while to decide what to order, but our charming waitresses were so relaxed and patient. As usual, I was tempted by the Cheeseburger (€19), which was cooked perfectly medium and spiked with a jazzy cocktail stick. The lean, well-seasoned beef patty was smothered in gooey cheese and packed in a seeded demi-brioche bun.

Happily, they came with a big bowl of crispy, delicious French fries – in fact the portion size was so generous that I could easily share them with the table. On other occasions, I’ve ordered the Poulet Roti (€19), which is equally moreish and comforting.

Coralie and Steven both ordered the Gratin de Macaronis au jambon blanc (16.50). The long tubes of macaroni were perfectly cooked and baked with thick-carved, flavoursome ham and lots of cream, Emmental and Gruyère. The portion size wasn’t particularly big, but the richness of the dish made it a satisfying choice.

Sunny’s Salade de Légumes (€18) took quite a while to arrive after a Salade Nicoise was mistakenly sent out. Luckily, there were plenty of fries and bread to munch on while he was waiting.

It seemed only fair that Sunny’s Chocolate Ganache (€9.50) dessert was the clear winner. The velvety, decadent milk chocolate ganache was served on a cookie crumb and topped with toasted hazelnuts and a sprinkling of sea salt.

Coralie ordered a classic Café Gourmand (with a Mariage Frère tea instead of coffee), which included a platter of four nicely-presented mini desserts. Steven and I shared a large slice of home-made Crème Caramel. It tasted fantastic but it was comically unattractive – a large slab of bubbly cream sitting in a moat of light caramel sauce, rather than the petite, quivering desserts that I’ve had before in Paris brasseries.

Hotel Amour is great for a spot of people-watching, catching up with friends or enjoying a few cocktails on the terrace. There’s room for improvement, but its charm always wins me over and I know I’ll be lured back there time and time again.

For more information and booking, visit: www.hotelamourparis.fr

Photos by Chérie City & Hotel Amour Paris

Accessories, Designers, Paris, Shopping

Olympia Le-Tan’s AW 10-11 collection at colette

August 1, 2010 by cheriecity

Paris-based designer, DJ and society gal, Olympia Le-Tan has launched her second collection of minaudières and bags at colette, based on her favourite classic novels.

Following her first full collection of luxuriously crafted clutch bags for the Paris concept store last year, Olympia has expanded the collection and diversified into equally covetable suitcases, tote bags and pouches.

Her signature clutch bags are hand-made recreations of first edition book covers, raided from her artist and book collector father, Pierre Le-Tan’s library.

For the AW 10-11 collection, Olympia was inspired by Paris, the 1940s, surrealism and books that were turned into movies. One of the most striking is her range of boxy clutch bags, each featuring a play on the French word boite.

The bags are crafted a base of cotton canvas and are embroidered with silk thread, with felt appliqué in bold colours and lined with Liberty of London fabric. Each piece also comes with a hand-stitched label inside that says, ‘Made in Paris with love’.

The clutch bags are priced between 950-1090 EUR, but there are also more affordable entry pieces, featuring printed illustration by Olympia Le-Tan and André.

The full Olympia Le-Tan AW 10-11 is available to buy online and in store at colette.

Art, Exhibitions, France, Paris, Shopping, Stores

André moves from street to gallery…

February 7, 2010 by cheriecity

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.