Dine like Dior

Christian Dior was passionate about cuisine and couture, and the Hôtel Plaza Athénée – the address where he showed his inaugural collection – has created a menu inspired by the designer’s cult cookbook

Haute couture meets haute cuisine at the Hôtel Plaza Athénée, Paris, where those in town for fashion week (July 1-5) can sample the Menu Dior at Le Relais Plaza restaurant – created by chef Philippe Marc under the command of multi-Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse. Christian Dior was a passionate gourmet, and the three-course dinner (€90) – inspired by the designer’s cult cookbook La Cuisine Cousu-Main, published in 1972 – features a selection of his favourite dishes.

A Dior model at the hotel in 1947

The brasserie’s art deco setting – modelled on legendary liner the SS Normandie – creates a stylish backdrop for a starter of mimosa egg with smoked haddock and a green Granny Smith apple garnish, followed by succulent grilled lamb chops with braised lettuce and thick-cut, crispy potato savonnettes bathed in a delicate jus. The designer’s pièce de résistance, a seasonal strawberry Melba, tops off the evening.

Le Relais Plaza restaurant in 1937 – the art deco interior was inspired by the SS Normandie

The hotel facade as Christian Dior would have seen it

The palace hotel figured prominently in Christian’s Dior’s life – in 1947 he established his atelier across the street at 30 Avenue Montaigne, and he showed his inaugural collection at the hotel. Later, Dior’s iconic Bar suit was named after the Plaza Athénée’s cocktail lounge.