Neon-drenched

Muku, best hotels and restaurants in Cancale & Brittany, Maison Gazelle, Saint-Georges properties, Paul Bert, Corfu, MORE

WORK • Friday Routine

House call

MAX ANIORT • co-founder & CEO • Le Collectionist
Neighborhood you work and live in: 19th arr

It’s Friday afternoon. How are you rolling into the weekend?
Friday nights often start at Cuoco Galante, perched at the counter, savoring the pasta of the day with my husband. Saturday mornings are for a proper tour of Rue des Martyrs — Pain Retrouvé, Gaudard, Rose Bakery, Quatrehomme — and a chai latte at KB Roasters while squeezing in a few carousel rides across the street. Then, it’s off to the flea markets, with a lunch stop at Paul Bert.

Another option: wandering around Strasbourg-Saint-Denis, mainly to check out the latest finds at Galerie Paradis (an incredible selection of furniture and home décor), easily paired with an ouzo and zucchini fritters at Grand Café d’Athènes. Sundays start with a workout and brunch at Soho House (their kids’ club is a lifesaver!).

What’s on the agenda for today?
Last night, dinner at Tramp in London with a select group of clients, followed by a morning of press meetings at Roast in Borough Market. Lunch with my friend Louis Wise at The Standard, then back to Paris with a quick stop at the office. Tonight, it’s a gossip-filled dinner with my girlfriends at Cibus — a tiny Italian spot that may look like a Polly Pocket set but serves giant flavors.

Any restaurant plans today, tonight, this weekend?
Tonight, heading to Shinjuku with the crew — my go-to Japanese spot, where the neon-drenched décor is wild, but the food is strictly traditional. Tomorrow night, it’s Mexican with friends at Tarantula. A few other favorites on my radar: Ardent, Cornichon, Localino.

Any weekend getaways?
Most weekends, we head to Marseille, where we have a great little spot in the 8th arrondissement, near Otto. I hop on my vintage ’90s Ciao moped and cruise to Malmousque, Endoume, and Zinzin — the fantastic new restaurant from Anne-Sophie Baudoin. Other go-to places: Grand Bar des Goudes for lobster pasta, Tuba for a long lunch and a dip, Livingstone in Saint-Julien, and Nuts near the Opera for a healthy grab-and-go.

And for a weekend-within-a-weekend: a quick escape to Lourmarin for pastis at Gaby, ice cream at Ravi, and Thai food at Bamboo Thaï.

What was your last great vacation?
Corfu. Staying at Villa Yara with my summer crew, courtesy of Le Collectionist. A house right on the beach, boat trips, and a simple but perfect routine: sea swims, coinche, and feta. That’s the good life!

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PARIS WORK & PLAY LINKS: French artist JR to wrap Pont Neuf next June in tribute to Christo • Paris-based AI voice startup Gradium raises $70M seed investment • Clothing boutique and curated homewares store Casa Loewe opens on Ave Montaigne in the 8th • Le Bistrot Paul Bert is over it • Where the city’s most beautiful yule logs are on display this season • At restored Notre-Dame, the lights are too bright • In defense of being a tourist in Paris.

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RESTAURANTS • First Person

Through the looking glass

There’s an Alice in Wonderland quality to Muku, a newly opened izakaya in the 6th arrondissement. Through a tiny door, a few steps down, and suddenly you’re inside an entirely different world where time seems to slow and attention shifts to the essentials: food, drink, and serenity.