The Lancaster Hotel, just off the Champs Elysees, is one of the more elegant hotels in Paris. A former hotel particulier (private mansion) built in 1889; it was occupied by Spanish nobleman Santiago Drake del Castillo. Swiss hotelier Emile Wolf bought the property in 1925 and converted and enlarged it, making it into an eight-floor luxury hotel. He filled the hotel with antiques including a substantial collection of Louis XV and XVI furniture.
Last week I was invited for a Tour of the hotel and for lunch.
Often a favorite hotel for celebrities, its most notable guest was Marlene Dietrich, who lived in the hotel for over three years in the 1930’s. Her original suite has been beautifully renovated in recent years. The large salon is a tasteful mix of subtle tones of pink and lavender and her grand piano is the centerpiece of the room, along with a portrait signed Josef von Sternberg, director of The Blue Angel. The coffee table is embedded with a glass vitrine displaying Dietrich’s personal objets and belongings including a pale pink pair of gloves, a hand mirror and a strand of pearls set on a decadent pink carpet.
Other famous guests have been Grace Kelly, Clark Gable, Robert Capa, and Greta Garbo, all lured by the impeccable and discreet service, convenient location, and the beauty of the decor.
Moving on to view some of the other suites, it proved difficult to live up to the elegance of the Dietrich suite, but the Boris Pastoukhoff came close. Pastoukhoff was the preferred portrait painter of the last Russian Tsar and traded 83 portraits for his stays at the hotel, which still hang in many of the rooms. The 500 square foot salon is decorated in shades of blue and the airy 220 square foot bedroom overlooks the peaceful courtyard.
Chef Sébastien Giroud helms the one-star Michelin Monsieur Restaurant. Giroud’s latest innovation is changing the menu monthly to focus on a particular region of France and celebrate its specialties. For the month of November, the Bourgogne region is highlighted.
The dining room was decorated in soft, flattering neutral tones and the table was set with crisp, white linen, textured white plates and hammered silver flatware.
I went with a foodie friend for lunch and we both ordered the same entrée, house-made ravioli with escargots. The pasta was light and delicate and the escargots were cooked perfectly with not too much salt.
When the waiter presented my plat of beef cheeks on a bed of stuffed macaroni strands, he took a white porcelain pitcher and poured red-wine gravy on the beef cheeks, leaving a shiny, almost chocolate syrup looking sheen to it. The scent of the red wine was overpowering in a good way, and the beef cheeks were incredibly tender, having been cooked very slowly for 24 hours at 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Dessert on the menu page looked simple but once it was delivered to the table, it was quite an extravaganza. My friend’s frozen meringue with pear, orange and nuts resembled a Dale Chihuly glass sculpture. My hazelnut, gianduja and lemon dessert was heavenly. We both agreed the outstanding desserts had such depth to them with a wealth of distinctive flavors, without ever being too sweet.
Although the dishes on the menu had many ingredients in them, there was a simplicity and pureness to them without ever being fussy or pretentious. The portions were also the correct size, as I’ve left many restaurants of this caliber feeling teased and wanting more.
This is not even near an Under 20 Lunch I usually write about, but it’s absolutely worth the price of 39€ for two courses/49€ for three courses for food this good.
Hotel Lancaster & Restaurant Monsieur
7 Rue de Berri, 75008 Metro: George V
https://www.hotel-lancaster.com/en/
Christmas & New Years in Paris-My Apartment for Rent December 24 to January 3(dates flexible)
How would you like to spend a magical Christmas and festive New Years in Paris?
I am renting my apartment out from December 24 to January 3, (dates are flexible) a total of 10 nights for $2500.
Centrally located in the heart of the Marais near the St. Paul metro station, it's a spacious one-bedroom 750 sq. ft. loft style apartment with 12 ft. ceilings, decorated in chic Mid-Century Modern furniture and sleeps one or two people in a Queen size bed. Amenities include A/C, washer/dryer, 16" flat screen TV, dishwasher, internet connection/Wifi and free long distance calls to the U.S. The apartment is located on the second floor with an elevator.
Photos upon request. Please email me at [email protected] if you are interested.
Come experience Eye Prefer Paris live with Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which are 3-hour walking tours I personally lead. Eye Prefer Paris Tours include many of the places I have written about such as small museums & galleries, restaurants, cafes, food markets, secret addresses, fashion & home boutiques, parks and gardens and much more. In addition to my specialty Marais Tour, I also lead tours of Montmartre, St. Germain, Latin Quarter, in addition to Shopping Tours, Gay Tours, Girlfriend Tours, Food Tours, Flea Market Tours, Paris Highlights Tours, and Chocolate & Pastry tours.
Tours start at 225 euros for up to 3 people, and 75 euros for each additional person. I look forward to meeting you on my tours and it will be my pleasure and delight to show you my insiders Paris.
Check it out at www.eyepreferparistours.com
Click here to watch a video of our famous Marais tour
