During our recent trip to Paris, we stayed once again at the marvelous le Bristol hotel on Rue de Fauburg Saint-Honoré. We have often “joked” about how much we missed breakfasting (pre Covid) at Café Antionette, just about our favorite Parisian activity.
Although we did not visit all the Palace Hotels, we did stay at the Shangri-La and enjoyed dinner at The Shang Palace. We also dined at the Ritz (Place Vendome) and Plaza Athénée and stayed and ate at the newly redesigned Lutetia. All indeed are Palace hotels, but nothing beats le Bristol, part of the Oetker Collection, for warmth and panache, whether dining or staying. There are Palace Hotels. Then there is le Bristol. Socrate, the hotel’s in-house kitty, adds the perfect touch of whimsey and understated elegance, coupled with an aloof feline sang-froid.
Things were hopping at le Bristol, as they were everywhere we visited in the 6th, 7th, 8th and 16th Arrondisements. Unlike other establishments, however, le Bristol made it easy for us to imagine we were in pre-Covid days. Pandemic issues seemed to have crippled many places we visited, but not at the Bristol. Talk about grace under pressure: Perfection and excellence across the board.
Photo: Chef Patrick O’Connell (Chef/Owner The Inn at Little Washington, VA), Madame Leah Marshall (Hotel Manager, le Bristol Hotel) Richard C. Young (bon vivant)
Also read: Le Bristol, King of Paris Palace Hotels (richardcyoung.com)
