Custom fashioned
Cypsèle, best workout studios, Grenelle properties, Maison Ciero, Restaurant H, Sézane’s Appartements, Les Gamins, MORE
RESTAURANTS • First Word
Island away
The Skinny: A famous tourist trap on Île Saint-Louis gets a makeover by two cool operators — one, a gutsy young chef, the other, his talented sommelier (and business partner). There hasn’t been so much carefully calibrated buzz about a restaurant here since the ‘80s, when the Baroness Marie Helene de Rothschild held beau monde dinner parties at her Hôtel Lambert and a slightly catty, la-vie-en-rose atmosphere tinged the late actor Jean-Claude Brialy’s flower-filled restaurant L’Orangerie. Maybe Cypsèle will make the Île Saint-Louis sexy again?
The Vibe: Still gelling after opening in November, but already frequented by a promising mixture of aristocratic locals, like the three poodles accompanying a studiously disheveled divorcee (she told the waiter as much) and the handsome older man with her (who was, also by her telling, her grandfather). Also, alert Parisian design fiends (for the brilliant décor); a regularly changing regiment of young chefs and their friends here to support two of their own; and fashion folks and photographers. This is a friendly, unpretentious place with a winning, tough-to-pull-off equilibrium between the relaxed ambience of a country auberge and the precision of supervailing big-city service.
Cypsèle occupies the former premises of an elegant wood-paneled pharmacy and Nos Ancêtres Les Gaulois, a notoriously bawdy, joyously mediocre mock-medieval restaurant serving meals themed around the supposed diet of the Gauls. (Apparently, they liked crudites, tough meat, potatoes, and earthenware pitchers of red wine that delivered a pounding headache the following morning.) London design firm Nice Projects coined an intriguingly original and eclectic décor for the space that includes custom neon ceiling lighting, pale wood furniture, and handmade mosaics and cutlery with wooden handles (made from old beams, removed during renovations).
The Food: Before hanging out his shingle here, Polish-born chef Marcin Król has had a world-roving career since he began cooking at 18, including stints at Noma, Borago, Le Chateaubriand, Inua, and Maison. There’s a winsome purity in Król’s cooking, a Little Prince-like celebration of his ingredients’ natural flavors and textures, that is his signature. The menu evolves regularly, featuring dishes like kimchi croquettes, smoked trout with a velouté of lamb’s lettuce, veal tartare with baby kale salad and sorrel puree, quail with orange sauce and garnishes of hazelnut oil and caramelized endive, and choux with pear sorbet.
The Drink: A superb wine list by sommelier Quentin Loisel, who previously worked at Le Jules Verne at the Eiffel Tower. This is one of the rare places in Paris that actually aces the idea of pairing a different wine with every course.
The Verdict: There’s some fine-tuning needed — more gustatory contrast between courses and a more emotive serving style from some of the dining room staff, for example — but Król and Loisel have given birth to a promising restaurant with the potential to become one of the city’s best modern French tables. –Alexander Lobrano
→ Cypsèle (4th arr) • 11 Rue des Deux Ponts • Wed-Sat 12h-14h30 & 19h-21h30 • Book.
PARIS WORK & PLAY LINKS: On rue Pavée, Caudalie Yoga & Fitness Studio opens in the Marais • Inside the new Cafe Lacoste off the Champs Élysées • The Parisian Man: conversations about style • Five top-tier Paris chocolate shops • What to do in Paris in the rain.
REAL ESTATE • On the Market
Three properties currently on offer around Grenelle in the 15th arr.
→ Motte-Picquet Grenelle (metro La Motte-Picquet-Grenelle, above) • 3BR/2BA, 140 m2 apartment • Ask: 1.895M € • bright top 4th/5th-floor duplex with wrap-around landscaped terrace • Annual maintenance/condo fees: 10,023 € • Agent: Perrine Tenneson, Engel & Völkers.
→ Champ-de-Mars (metro Bir-Hakeim) • 3BR/1BA, 86 m2 apartment • Ask: 2.64M € • top-floor apartment, wrap-around terrace with there-it-is Eiffel Tower views • Annual maintenance/condo fees: 5348 € • Agent: Virginie Llurens, Barnes.
→ Commerce (metro Avenue Émile-Zola) • 6BR/3BA, 228 m2 house • Ask: 2.79M € • three floors with modernist design from noted architect • Annual maintenance/condo fees: N/A • Agent: Caroline Boutet, Barnes.
WORK • Friday Routine
Winter bouquet
ROMAIN PILATO • artistic florist • Maison Ciero
Neighborhood you live in: 4th arr
It’s Friday afternoon. How are you rolling into the weekend?
Mornings are always a rush: organizing, prepping orders, and making sure everything is perfect. But it’s all done with passion and a great team spirit. The love of beauty and well-being is at the heart of our work, from the scent of freshly cut flowers to the harmony of our arrangements. Despite the hustle, there’s a certain balance of precision meets pleasure so we can offer the best to our clients.
What’s on the agenda for today?
The day always starts with a good coffee and a team briefing to set priorities. Then, we review all the orders to make sure everything is perfectly planned. We take care of the shop’s exterior, styling the plants to create a welcoming and harmonious space. Once that’s done, it’s time to prepare bouquets — selecting flowers, designing compositions, wrapping them up — so that every creation matches our clients’ expectations. Throughout the day, we stay alert to incoming orders and walk-ins to keep service smooth and responsive.
Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
I’m heading to Restaurant H near the Bastille, a must-visit for gastronomy lovers. Created by the talented Hubert Duchenne, it offers a refined yet bold cuisine where every dish is a true work of art. The experience is unique: impeccable service, an elegant atmosphere, and a menu full of surprising flavor combinations. For a weekend escape, I recommend Ogata Paris in the Haut Marais. It’s a beautifully designed space that blends art, design, and creativity in a serene setting.
Any weekend getaways?
If I want to spend a weekend outside Paris, I love going to Mont-Saint-Michel. The medieval ramparts and alleyways, as well as the Bay of Mont Saint Michel, the view is stunning and magical.
What was your last great vacation?
An unforgettable getaway to Rome, where the mix of history and modernity is mesmerizing. The cobbled streets, ancient ruins, and warm atmosphere of trattorias make every moment a discovery.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
A Puzzle bag by Loewe! I absolutely love the brand.
What store or service do you always recommend?
One of Sézane’s Appartements in Paris. It’s an immersive space where Parisian design, style, and personalized service come together.
CULTURE & LEISURE • Stinger
The Last Ship • La Seine Musicale (Île Seguin) • Fri @ 20h • carre or, 139 € per
Louane • Accor Arena (12th arr) • Fri @ 20h • normal, 34 € per
The Paper Kites • Le Trianon (18th arr) • Thu 26/02 @ 20h • GA, 31 € per
GETAWAYS • Besançon
Kid’s got it
A haven for bon vivants, Les Gamins in Besançon is a place where comfort, generosity, and a quiet sense of indulgence come together in a softly lit, welcoming atmosphere. Velvet textures, warm terracotta tones, Moroccan-inspired details, and flattering lighting all conspire towards a chic, intimate setting.
At lunchtime, the menu is remarkably generous, flawlessly executed, and paired with a cellar book brimming with excellent finds. The by-the-glass selection at midday is particularly thoughtful and carefully curated. A sublime cheese plate gently bridges savory and sweet — aged Comté paired with a vin jaune caramel, pumpkin seeds, and a small sphere of pure joy, a perfectly crisp gougère filled with a Comté Mornay sauce — matched with a glass of vin jaune.
In the evening, the restaurant reveals another side. A quiet back room opens up, lined with tables set for two, large-format bottle trophies displayed in wall niches. Two businessmen, clearly in town for work, dine solo at neighboring tables; before long, they strike up a conversation and end up sharing each other’s bottles. That’s the spirit of Les Gamins: the pleasure of sharing great food and great wine, naturally and without pretense.
The creative forces behind the restaurant are Arnaud Billerey and his wife, Clothilde Mulin. Throughout his career, Arnaud was often the youngest in the restaurants where he worked, earning him the nickname Le Gamin (“the kid”). The name stuck, becoming the identity of the restaurant, now located just across the street from the school he once attended, a quiet and affectionate wink to his past.
The constantly evolving menu takes classic, comforting French cuisine and gently twists it toward bolder, spicier, more vibrant flavors — always generous, always impeccably cooked. These are saucy, soulful plates, the kind you instinctively mop up with bread. The chef works extensively with matured meats to develop deeper flavors and incorporates Korean barbecue techniques to enhance texture and intensity.
The wine list is exceptional, featuring over 500 references of natural and biodynamic wines. Burgundy and Jura take center stage, with rare and confidential labels, exceptional bottles offered at surprisingly gentle prices. A thoughtful New World selection (California, Australia, and beyond) rounds out the cellar, making it one of the most exciting wine destinations in the city. –Candice Chemel
→ Les Gamins (Besançon) • 10 rue Pasteur • Mon-Sat 12h-14h & 19h-00h • Book.
GETAWAYS LINKS: A century later, Paris hotel Le Bristol remains a beacon of hospitality design on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré • Provence in bloom • Checking in to Pulitzer Amsterdam, set within 25 restored canal houses.
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Who is your favorite Parisian florist?
What’s your go-to spot for jewelry repair?
What’s your Alps ski hotel of choice this winter?
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GOODS & SERVICES • The Nines
Workout studios
The Nines are FOUND’s distilled lists of the best in Paris and surrounds. Paid subscribers have access to the complete Nines archive.
YUJ YOGA (multiple locations, above), first yoga studio in France w/ infrared lights, for deeper downward-facing dogs
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