Jacques Grange’s perfect weekend in Paris
The interior designer’s bold, eclectic style has won over clientele as varied as Francis Ford Coppola, Karl Lagerfeld and, most recently, LVMH’s Cheval Blanc resort in St Barths
“Saturday starts with eggs and bacon at Le Relais Plaza at the Hôtel Plaza Athénée. This old-world hotel is like a home away from home and it’s an important part of my weekend routine.
After breakfast, I’ll walk through the Tuileries and on to the Palais-Royal, where I love the garden and the galleries that surround it. Pierre Passebon’s Galerie du Passage is a treasure trove of 20th-century furnishings and decorative arts, as well as photographs and sculpture. Another stop is By Terry for fragrances. Terry de Gunzburg has created a subtle one I like called Bleu Paradis. If I’m in the mood for clothes shopping, I’ll stop at Victoire Homme just around the corner – great for casual jeans and jackets. For more formalwear, I’ll head straight to Loro Piana for shoes and impeccably tailored shirts.
After a morning of browsing, I’ll head to Saint-Germain-des-Prés for more art and antiques. It’s technically part of my “work”, but I love it. Galerie Alexandre Biaggi specialises in furniture and decorative arts from the late 1930s and early ’40s and is a must, as is Galerie l’Arc en Seine for 20th-century lighting and furniture by Pierre Chareau and Paul Dupré-Lafon. India Mahdavi is another highlight: fun pieces by a talented architect and designer.
I’ll stop for a late lunch at Brasserie Lipp – a classic spot with authentic food and the perfect Parisian atmosphere. The pot-au-feu here is the ultimate comfort food. It’s ideal for people-watching – I always sit downstairs, never upstairs, as it just doesn’t have the same lively feel.
Next up might be a visit to the Calder-Picasso exhibition at the Picasso Museum, or I might go to see the Oceania show at the Musée du Quai Branly – Jacques Chirac. The Musée Yves Saint Laurent is another wonderful institution – and not because I designed the exhibition spaces! I go for the interesting mix of retrospectives and new programming.
Saturday night is for friends. We will start with a drink in the magnificent garden at Laurent, followed by dinner at Le Duc. It’s so uncontrived – the food is fresh and simple and the room feels like a small, intimate club. I love fish and Le Duc excels at seabass and salmon tartare, followed by grilled red mullet or turbot.
Sunday morning begins much the same as the day before, but perhaps with Greek yoghurt and strong coffee and reading Le Figaro and the Financial Times. I like to walk when I’m in Paris, including all over the Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen flea market, and especially the Paul Bert Serpette antiques market for dealers such as Xavier Chollet, who specialises in 19th-century French and Italian art and furniture, and Olivier d’Ythurbide and Benoît Fauquenot for rare 17th- and 18th-century objets d’art. I can spend hours exploring before having lunch at the Philippe Starck-designed Ma Cocotte. The seabream ceviche and the beef tartare are favourites, but everything is excellent.
Sunday winds down over dinner with friends and since Le Stresa, my beloved local Italian, is closed that day, I’ll go back to Le Relais Plaza, where my weekend began. They have the best steak tartare in town and I love the art deco ambience. Chances are I will be travelling somewhere the next day, so I’m in bed early, ready for the week ahead.”