A visit to Soho House Paris brought a quieter moment to a trip full of things to look forward to. Beautiful surroundings, a little discretion and the pleasure of taking our time: it fitted the mood perfectly.
I was away with my best friend. The reason we had gone was extraordinary enough on its own: I had managed to get my hands on tickets to see Céline Dion. Around that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, we built a trip filled with dinners, fashion, familiar landmarks and time together. Somewhere along the way, I fell in love with Paris all over again.
Soho House Paris: a quieter side of the city
We visited Soho House Paris during the trip. Set in a nineteenth-century building in Pigalle, with Art Deco details and an intimate feel, it was a lovely place to spend some time. We were visiting, rather than staying overnight, so this is my impression of the House and its atmosphere, rather than its bedrooms.
The discretion was brilliant. There is a particular pleasure in being somewhere that allows you to feel at ease and enjoy the company you are with. For me, that was part of the attraction here.
The little rooftop terrace and its plunge pool added to the appeal. The scale is intimate, which is precisely what I liked about it. A pocket of outdoor space and a little distance from the streets below give you another way to enjoy Paris.
I would happily visit again. The House offered a welcome change of pace alongside the dinners, sightseeing and excitement that filled the rest of our trip.
The tickets that took us to Paris
Sometimes you book a city break and find something wonderful to do once you arrive. This trip began the other way around. I got the Céline tickets, and Paris followed.
Seeing her was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me. There are artists whose voices become familiar companions long before you ever imagine hearing them in person. Céline is one of those voices. To finally see her, with my best friend beside me, gave the trip a significance that no dinner booking could have created on its own.
The moment that moved me most was “I’m Alive”. Hearing her sing it gave the song a deeper meaning for me. It felt as though she meant every word, and I heard a gratitude for life in the performance that made it especially moving.
That is the moment I will remember. A song I already knew had taken on a new weight. Sharing that with my best friend made it one of those experiences I know we will talk about for years.
Whatever else we did in Paris, this was the reason we had come. Everything around it made the memory richer.
Gigi: an evening worth dressing for
Dinner at Gigi brought a different kind of glamour to the trip. On Avenue Montaigne, its Italian identity sits naturally within a very Parisian setting, with views towards the Eiffel Tower giving the address its own sense of theatre.
The interiors, designed by Hugo Toro, draw on the richness of an Italian palazzo. Columns and warm stone give the room presence, making it an appealing setting for an evening you have looked forward to.
For me, dinners like this are part of the pleasure of being away with someone who knows you well. You make the reservation, get ready and give the evening some time. Gigi belonged beautifully in the Paris trip we wanted: stylish, sociable and a little indulgent.
The truffle pasta is a must. It is the dish I would point someone towards first, and a particularly happy memory of our dinner there.
Lunch at Coco
Our visit to Coco was for lunch, with the Palais Garnier giving it an exceptional setting. There is something inherently special about making plans around a building that carries so much of the city’s theatrical character.
We had the burrata and chicken Caesar salad, and both were divine. They might sound like familiar lunch choices, but at Coco they felt worthy of the occasion. I would happily order them again.
That is one of the pleasures of a good lunch away: choosing something you know you enjoy and finding it becomes a particular memory of the trip. Coco gave us exactly that, in surroundings that made taking time over lunch feel very easy.
Between lunch here and dinner at Gigi, the food had its own place in our Paris story. The truffle pasta, burrata and Caesar salad are the recommendations I brought home with me.
La Galerie Dior: absolutely a must
If I could put one cultural visit firmly on your Paris list, it would be La Galerie Dior.
Within the historic 30 Montaigne setting, the gallery brings together original designs, sketches and archival material to tell the story of the House. It offers a closer look at the work behind the clothes and the imagination that has shaped Dior over the years.
The colourful staircase display is wonderfully theatrical, with miniature fashion pieces creating a sweep of colour around the route through the gallery. Beyond it, the rooms draw you into the history of couture, from Christian Dior’s beginnings to the work of those who followed him.
What I love is the invitation to look closely. A silhouette, an embellishment or a sketch can hold your attention in a different way when you have time to consider it. You begin to appreciate the decisions and skill behind something you might previously have known only from photographs.
It is beautiful to experience, whether fashion is your main reason for visiting Paris or simply one part of its appeal. Absolutely a must in my opinion, and somewhere I would allow time to explore properly.
Falling in love with Paris again
People tell you Paris is dirty. They tell you they did not enjoy it, or that it failed to live up to what they imagined. Those are their experiences. Mine, on this trip, was full of reasons to love it.
The photograph by the Eiffel Tower captures a little of that feeling: the light softening, the familiar outline above the trees and the pleasure of being somewhere you had been looking forward to. Other pictures bring back the streets, the clothes we chose and the simple enjoyment of being away.
I went because I had managed to get Céline tickets. I came home with memories of Soho House, truffle pasta at Gigi, lunch at Coco, a renewed appreciation for Dior and moments shared with my best friend. Above all, I came home with the memory of “I’m Alive” and how it felt to hear it there.
For me, it was the perfect trip to Paris. A city I already knew had given me something new to remember, and every reason to fall for it again.
The addresses: Soho House Paris, Gigi Paris, Coco at the Palais Garnier, now BeauCoCo and La Galerie Dior.
