Château des Fleurs

Worth getting out of bed for

Although the elegant 8th has become more popular with tourists than locals in recent years, the glitzy Golden Triangle makes a glamorous base from which to explore the City of Light. Even if shopping isn’t top of your to-do list, there is plenty to draw the eye during strolls along the Champs Elysées, with its work-of-art window displays. The iconic avenue is also home to the Grand Palais, and the fashion-filled exhibitions of the Musée Yves Saint Laurent (closed on Mondays) can be found on nearby Avenue Marceau. Château des Fleurs is a seven-minute walk from the Arc de Triomphe, and a 15-minute metro ride from the Eiffel Tower. Paris’ many museums and art galleries are also just a short Metro journey away on line 1, including the legendary Louvre. The creatively-inclined can unleash their inner artiste at the Musée de la Marine, which runs various workshops including watercolour classes, stained-glass painting sessions, and an introduction to illumination (the art of illustrating manuscripts, which is less mediaeval – and more fun – than it sounds). Continue your art trail by taking a turn about the Parc Monceau, the beautifully-kept gardens which inspired several Claude Monet works (and other Impressionist artists who painted there en plein air).

Local restaurants

Beneath a scallop-edged, claret-coloured awning on the picturesque Place des Ternes (a 10-minute walk from the hotel), La Lorraine is a seafood-serving brasserie with buckets of old-world charm. Freshly-caught crabs, lobsters, langoustines, and shrimps are displayed over ice for you to personally handpick your fish dish, brought to you by black-suited waiters who whisk oversized oyster platters between patterned banquettes at the back and the teal-tinged bistro chairs out front. Tucked behind the Champs Elysées, Apicius is a veritable urban oasis with flower-topped tables dotted around blossoming gardens. The three-course lunch menu (available Monday to Friday) is a delectable way to spend a sunny afternoon, while soaking up some style inspiration from the surrounding impeccably-dressed diners. On the right bank’s 16th arrondissement, Château des Fleurs’ sister property and Smith stablemate Saint James Paris (under 20-minutes’ walk away) boasts Michelin-starred Bellefeuille, a botanically-styled restaurant with a dressed-up conservatory feel, where chef Julien Dumas handpicks seasonal ingredients from the hotel’s organic vegetable garden.

Local cafés

Arguably one of the prettiest tea rooms in Paris, the café at Musée Jacquemart-André is as much about the pâtisserie as it is the private art collection – which you’ll get a sneak peek at without needing to purchase tickets to the museum itself. On the corner of rue Royale and Place de la Concorde, Café Lapérouse is every bit as elegant as its Instagram feed will lead you to believe. Baskets of buttery croissants and brioche with dainty jars of jam and honey, colourful bowls of berry-sprinkled granola, and freshly-squeezed juices will start your day the Parisian way (not forgetting a frothy café crème, of course).

Local bars

In the heart of the Golden Triangle, Les 110 de Taillevent is staffed by an affable army of sommeliers who know everything there is to know about French wines, down to the very last drop. There are over 100 wines by the glass to choose from, which can be paired with an assortment of cheeses, charcuterie, and rich pickings like beef carpaccio buried in black truffle shavings. Trendsetting speakeasy bar Experimental Cocktail Club now has a few addresses around the city, but it’s tough to beat the atmosphere of the original on rue Saint Sauveur. The whole idea is based around trying cocktails you’ve never had (or heard of) before – hence, ‘experimental’ – and it’s best to come early because this place is packed night after night.