L'HOTEL, Paris
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Cozy atmosphere at l'Hotel's "Le Restaurant"
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L'Hotel is a hidden gem, lost in the back streets of Saint Germain des Pres. It has no other name, and no obvious sign outside. You pretty well have to know it's a hotel or you wouldn't think of going there.
It is where Oscar Wilde lived in his last years which were neither happy nor prosperous. In those turn-of-the-century times, it was called the Alsace, and it was a nondescript, inexpensive hostelry where rooms rented by the month. Even so, Wilde --never at a loss for a bon mot-- is said to have quipped, more or less on his deathbed: "Here I am about to die ... the way I lived ... above my means."
I first heard of it back in the early seventies when it had recently been transformed into a luxury establishment. I used to sometimes find myself at the Claude Bernard Gallery on rue des Beaux-Arts, just a few steps down the street from l'Hotel.
My friend Ann had once worked for the Marlborough Gallery in London. She had remained friends with its director who made sure that she received invitations to some of the Parisian art world's to-dos.
So it was that we found ourselves regularly in attendance at the Claude Bernard Gallery's opening nights. In those days C.B. was one of the Left Bank's most influential art merchants. It had exclusive French dealership for David Hockney and Francis Bacon, and we saw both of these art world titans, not only at the gallery, but around the neighborhood as well.
We would go to these C.B. soirées as much to see the people as the exhibits, not to mention the free food and booze. The guest list tended to be peopled with an assortment of with-it post-hippy eccentrics, none of them buyers as far as I could tell. They all seemed to know each other, and I assumed they spent most of their time going to these parties. For awhile we imagined ourselves on the fringe of their world, just by virtue of our regular attendance.
As the evening progressed, some of the richer attendees would invariably move their part of the party to the bar of l'Hotel. An English woman with purple fingernails who was said to have posed for David Hockney, once asked if we were coming down the street, but it would have never occurred to us to move to an expensive hotel bar when the gallery was furnishing food and drink gratis.
I once saw David Hockney (who lived in Paris in those days) in a decidedly surrealistic moment, sitting alone on the open-air terrace of the Deux Magots Cafe. It was raining, and he was sheltering himself and his coffee with a large red umbrella.
On another occasion I encountered Francis Bacon towards the end of his life walking down rue Bonaparte, mumbling in a particularly stressful manner to himself, looking much like one of his strangely distorted paintings. I wanted to say something to him, but I only managed to emit a nod. Bacon stared through me, and continued his tortured promenade.
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Bacon at a London retrospective c. 1970 (Google photo)
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I became reacquainted with l'Hotel a few years ago when a client friend stayed there, and I learned then that many of the rooms in this intimate mini-palace are dedicated to some illustrious celebrities of the past.
Of course there is the Oscar Wilde room which contains some period furniture from his era, and various artifacts associated with the scandalous writer. Among others, rooms are devoted to the courtesan-spy Mata Hara and the French musical comedy star Mistinguett.
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The Oscar Wilde room (Curious Hotels photo)
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Recently refurbished from its mini swimming pool in the old wine cellar to the top of its impressive atrium, it is an address which today again attracts a discerning clientele. Michelin-starred chef Julien Montbabut has graced its restaurant with his considerable talents since 2011.
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L'Hotel's impressive atrium
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Prices have increased a bit in recent months, but L'Hotel's restaurant remains excellent value for money. The luncheon menu (Tuesday through Saturday) proposes the best of the day in a three course meal for 55 euros (two courses for 45 euros). Needless to say, you can eat at any number of Parisian restaurants for this amount. But rarely this well.
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BMP ... another lunch at l'Hotel
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SIDEBAR: A recent lunch
at l'Hotel with Brenda and Dickie
Here are a few photos from our last lunch from the kitchens of Chef Montbabut. It was during Dickie's visit in January, so naturally he joined us at what is probably his favorite Paris restaurant.
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Brittany crab in sweet and sour vinaigrette, with lemon, radish,
cucumber and avocado (and borage flowers which we all ate)
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Duck foie gras,seared with chickpeas
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No time for flattering portraits, just some serious eating!
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Veal and spinach with ham and rosemary stuffing
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Served by the aimiable and bilingual Alberto (who grew up in St. Martin)
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"Tete de Moine", thin shavings of a special Jura cheese, served with grated truffles
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Chestnut dessert with merringue and pomegranate ice cream
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[Photos are mine, unless otherwise credited]
CROSS REFERENCING … a look at other postings
READER COMMENT –Note from Kathy Horgan
The following is a special, witty reaction to today’s piece from my old friend Kathy, faithful reader of these musings. I've changed a couple of names for obvious reasons.
My friendship with Kathy dates back almost 40 years when we were both working at Unesco. Kathy has since had any number of professional adventures, and after Paris lived briefly in both Holland and Turkey, before returning to the U.S.A. a few years ago. She presently works at amfAR (American Foundation for AIDS Research) in NYC, and serves as borough councilwoman in Red Bank, New Jersey.
Hi Frank! Well, here I am again commuting to work on the ferry. Your Musings are such a welcome respite from the pole of work awaiting me at amfAR and the issues we are trying to resolve in the Borough of Red Bank. It just never ends.
I especially enjoyed this musing on L'Hotel. I discovered it back in the early 80s after I had resigned from Unesco and before I began my studies at the Ecole du Louvre. I became involved with a French artistic organization grandiosely called L'Organisation mondiale pour la Promotion des Arts et des Lettres. It was headed by a breathtakingly beautiful but ditsy French/Martiniquaise who was married to an English banker. Orchidée and Charles Henry, they were called ... a very interesting couple. She was so happy to have me involved because of my organizational skills that I was named to the Board of Trustees!!
For a while they had a gallery on the Quai Conti and hosted exhibitions and events that were well attended and covered by the press. Orchidée and Charles Henry were well connected.
You cannot imagine all the intrigues that went on. Orchidée was bi-sexual, and it seemed that everyone desired her much to the chagrin of her very jealous husband. Because I kept a distance and neutral position in all of this, I became her confidante. She would tell me all kinds of things, most of which I didn't want to know!! But she said that she trusted me.
All of this to say, that these conversations usually took place at L'Hotel over a kir! I eventually lost contact. The organization has now long since been dissolved. I must say, I've often wondered what happened to them???
Thanks for another great story. We are arriving in NYC now.
Lots of love, Kathy
