The Ultimate Luxury Guide to Paris: Stay, Dine & Experience Elegance
The City of Light and love, Paris is the ultimate destination for luxury travellers. Luxury experiences in Paris are aplenty and will likely include exceptional culture, exclusive experiences, world-renowned hotels, Michelin-starred dining, and high-end shopping. Undeniably elegant, romantic, rich in culture, history and high-end experiences, Paris is one of the most beautiful European cities. Home to luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, museums like the Louvre, icons like the Eiffel Tower and with more Michelin-starred restaurants than nearly anywhere else (only Tokyo has more), this guide shares the most luxurious Parisian experiences. Here's how to experience the City of Light in unparalleled style.
Where to Stay: The Most Luxurious Hotels in Paris
Hôtel Ritz Paris - Timeless Elegance on the Place Vendôme
Staying at the Ritz is always memorable, but checking into the Ritz Paris remains extra special. After all, Coco Chanel, who lived at the hotel for over twenty years, wouldn't choose to call just anywhere home (naturally, a suite is still named after her). Looking out over the imposing Place Vendôme, the Ritz Paris is built behind the facade of an ancient Paris hotel particulier (mansion townhouse). The hotel opened in 1889 and was headed by Caesar Ritz and his business partner chef, Auguste Escoffier after they left the Savoy in London. Ritz had only opulence in mind for his new Parisian hotel offering, and he didn't fail to deliver: rooms not only had to be en-suite, which wasn't common at the time, but they were also among the first in a hotel to offer guests access to an in-room telephone and electricity. Nearly 130 years later, the Ritz is still known as being one of - if not the - best hotel addresses in Paris.
Despite unequivocally being one of the best luxury hotels in France, the Ritz isn't officially a Palace (this has nothing to do with the architecture or age of the hotel building. Instead, Palace is an official term or rank used in the French hotel industry to indicate a luxury hotel). In some ways, this almost underlines the Ritz Paris' prestige: the hotel could apply and receive Palace status, but it doesn't need to: there's no mistaking this kind of luxury, opulence, attention to detail and refinement.
Address: 15 Place Vendôme, 75001 Paris
Top Tip: The Ecole Ritz Escoffier is considered one of the world's best cookery schools, nestled in the heart of the Ritz kitchens. Half-day and multi-day cooking classes are available for anyone wanting to take some French culinary knowledge home.
Le Cheval Blanc Paris - Contemporary Luxury Overlooking the Seine
La Samaritaine is perhaps best known for being a luxury department store—Paris' equivalent (along with Galeries Lafayette) to Harrods or Bergdorf Goodman. Initially opened in 1870, LVMH has meticulously restored it and now offers an unparalleled shopping experience, blending high-end fashion, gourmet dining, and contemporary art under one roof. At its prime, La Samaritaine comprised four nearly side-by-side buildings in Paris' 1st arrondissement. Arguably, the best-known building today is the one facing the Seine on Quai du Louvre, now home to Le Cheval Blanc Paris. After a long period in which the flagship Quai du Louvre building lay empty despite its prominent location, today it is restored to its former glory, backed by LVMH investment, business know-how and impeccable design. Much of the building is again given over to high-end boutiques, but the building is also home to a hotel with 74 rooms and suites, a spa and various fine dining options (unparalleled rooftop views of Paris included). Most of the Cheval Blanc's rooms face the Seine and look out over the Pont Neuf, ironically named "New Bridge," despite being Paris' oldest bridge. The hotel also offers stunning vistas in both directions down the Seine and - from the right direction - towards the Eiffel Tower. The hotel has a Dior Spa and a three-Michelin-starred restaurant, Plénitude (meaning abundance, which the Cheval Blanc offers in spades).
Address: 8 Quai du Louvre, 75001 Paris
Le Meurice - Art, History & Michelin-Starred Dining
Le Meurice is today synonymous with being one of Paris' best historic luxury hotels, but - in name at least - it had humble beginnings not in the French capital but in Calais. Savvy postmaster Charles-Augustin Meurice realised that British travellers travelling to France (and often on to Europe) via Calais wanted to stay in a hotel that offered the comforts of home. He opened an inn in the seaside port and later the first Hôtel Meurice in Paris on Rue Saint-Honoré to meet this previously untapped demand. Meurice's business flourished: he opened his Calais hotel in 1771 and was in Paris by 1815. By 1835, the hotel had moved to its present address on Rue du Rivoli. Since then, the hotel has hosted everyone from American presidents to global royalty and celebrity superstars. The arts and literary glitterati have also been patrons of Le Meurice, with Salvador Dali, Rudyard Kipling, Pablo Picasso, and Giorgio de Chirico as past guests.
Address: 228 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris
Where to Dine in Paris: Michelin Stars & Hidden Gems
Paris has more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other city except Tokyo, boasting over 120 establishments with this prestigious distinction. The city has ten restaurants awarded three Michelin stars, just one less than Tokyo, which has nearly twice as many starred restaurants. Paris' renowned three-star restaurants include Le Pré Catalan, L'Ambroisie, and Le Cinq. From three-star icons to hidden gastronomic gems, haute cuisine is woven into the very fabric of the city.
Arpège - A Michelin-Starred Icon
Those in the know knew Alain Passard's Arpège before Netflix's first Chef's Table series, but the show brought the restaurant global recognition and intrigue. Arpège puts vegetables rather than meat at the centre stage of each dish (although menus aren't exclusively vegetarian), which is not traditionally seen regularly in haute cuisine. Hugely popular and boasting three Michelin stars, the restaurant grows much of its own vegetable produce.
Address: 84 Rue de Varenne, 75007 Paris
Le Clarence - A Golden Gem in a Parisian Mansion
You can find Le Clarence in what's tantalisingly known as Paris' Golden Triangle: one of the wealthiest parts of the city and the epicentre of luxury, high-end fashion and home to some of Paris' most stunning real estate. 'Le Triangle d'Or' is sandwiched between Avenue Montaigne, Avenue George V and the Champs-Élysées in Paris' 8th arrondissement, and it's only fitting that one of Paris' best restaurants can be found here. Le Clarence has two Michelin stars and no set menu. Chef Christophe Pelé and his team prepare sublime dishes made from exceptional products of their choosing that are in season at the time of your visit. Naturally, atmosphere is everything, and the restaurant doesn't disappoint: La Clarence's home is a 19th-century Parisian townhouse.
Address: 31 Avenue Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 75008 Paris
Top Tip: Like every Michelin restaurant, Le Clarence know their stuff when it comes to wine, but for Le Clarence, it’s a more personal connection than for most. The restaurant is owned by Prince Robert of Luxembourg, president and CEO of Domaine Clarence Dillon, one of the most revered Bordeaux wines. The restaurant is a wine-lovers dream, especially if you like Bordeaux, and wine pairings from Château Haut-Brion are, needless to say, second to none.
Le Cheval Blanc Paris - Haute Cuisine And Great Views
Le Cheval Blanc Hotel in the La Samaritaine building offers several restaurant options (including an incredible breakfast - only available to guests) with breathtaking views over the Seine and Paris. On the seventh floor is Le Tout-Paris, a Michelin-starred brasserie option complete with a rooftop terrace offering stunning views over the city, including the Eiffel Tower in the distance. Fresh and fun, the food is fantastic, and the view over Paris is the icing on the cake for patrons - it's also a great cocktail or coffee spot in the summer, especially after a visit to the Louvre or shopping in La Samaritaine.
Address: 8 Quai du Louvre, 75001 Paris
Au Pied de Cochon - A 24/7 Classic for Late-Night Dining
Like much of Europe, Paris doesn't have a big selection of restaurants open 24/7. If you're jetlagged and up early (or late), you've hit the bars, and are hungry in the middle of the night, Au Pied de Cochon is an all-day, all-night option in Paris's 1st arrondissement. The food is brasserie-style and very French: expect to find snails, seafood platters, and pigs trotter, as well as classics like creme brulee, onion soup, and mussels.
Address: 6 Rue Coquillière, 75001 Paris
Les Ombres - To See The Eiffel Tower Up Close
One of Paris's newest grand museums, the Musée du Quai Branly Jacques Chirac, is dedicated to Indigenous art from across Africa, Asia, North and South America, and Oceania. On the museum's roof terrace, the restaurant Les Ombres looks out at the Eiffel Tower, which is close enough to seemingly set the room alight with glitter at night when the 5-minute light show starts each hour after sunset. Supervised by iconic chef Alain Ducasse, Les Ombres offers Mediterranean-inspired dishes.
Address: 27 Quai Jacques Chirac, 75007 Paris
Matignon – Where Parisian Chic Goes To Party
If you want a stylish dinner that seamlessly transitions into drinks and dancing, Matignon is your go-to. Back in the Golden Triangle and just off the Champs-Élysées, Matignon offers brasserie-style dining to start the evening (book a late dinner for that seamless slide from food to fête), with music following dinner to get the party started.
Address: 3 Avenue Matignon, 75008 Paris
Unforgettable Experiences: Art, Fashion & Private Tours
After-hours Tour of The Louvre
If you're in Paris, you can't skip the Louvre, but you will want to skip the queues - often, the most famous pieces are crowded, which makes for stressful (and pushy) viewing. The Louvre offers VIP tours for prestigious guests, but there are clever ways to beat the crowds if you don't make the grade for a completely private tour - most mere mortals don't. One option is a late-night Louvre tour (Louvre by Night) taking advantage of the fact that the Louvre opens late a couple of nights a week with considerably fewer crowds. Book a personalised tour with a professional tour guide who doubles as your personal art and history expert. While you won't necessarily be able to view the Mona Lisa or Venus de Milo in complete solitude, you are likely to have a far quieter and rewarding experience than at peak times.
Address: Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris
Haute Couture Shopping
A visit to Paris wouldn't be complete without exploring the luxury shopping scene. Avenue Montaigne (back in Paris' Golden Triangle) is the ultimate destination for luxury fashion shopping in Paris, home to some of the world's best-known and celebrated designer boutiques, including Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Chanel. Even if you aren't buying, it's worth cruising Avenue Montaigne for window shopping and people-watching. Avenue Montaigne is the pinnacle of Paris high fashion, and the great and the good of the city and the international jet-set can be found frequenting bistros like L'Avenue and Gigi Paris, but book ahead - they're popular. If you need fancy refreshments, try a coffee at Café Dior or the Louis Vuitton café (the latter offers more choice of the two designer eateries) or return to Ladurée on the Champs-Elysees for ice cream or (and?) macaroons.
The Rue Faubourg Saint-Honoré is another luxury shopping destination in Paris. It's in the 1st arrondissement and offers designer labels perhaps more accessibly than on Avenue Montaigne. With brands like Hermès and Goyard located on Rue Faubourg Saint-Honoré, it's still a high-end shopping experience, but the vibe is more laid-back.
Cruise the Seine on a Private Yacht
Seine Privee offers completely privatised boat trips along the Seine, providing an exclusive private boat trip in Paris for those wanting to experience the city's most iconic landmarks in a truly luxurious setting. This high-end river cruise offers a bespoke experience, complete with champagne service and unparalleled views of the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and the Louvre, depending on your route.
Perhaps less intimate, but no less special, Chef Frédéric Anton is now chef on Yachts of Paris' dinner cruiser, Don Juan II. No stranger to fine cuisine, Anton has come back down to earth (literally, rather than figuratively) from cooking above the roofs of Paris at the Michelin-starred Le Jules Verne in the Eiffel Tower (opposite the Don Juan II's departure point on the left bank). He also worked at the three-star Le Pré Catelan. The Don Juan II is a memorable dining experience taking in the sights of Paris from the water, including the Musee D'Orsay, Notre Dame and the Louvre.
Experience Paris Like Never Before
As a city, Paris offers a rare blend of sophistication, history, and indulgence that few destinations can match. You'll be spoilt for choice for Michelin-starred cuisine, iconic hotels, exclusive cultural experiences, shopping, sightseeing and architecture. Overall, the City of Light delivers some of the best luxury for discerning travellers.
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