The Secret Pleasures of Paris
On your next visit to the City of Light, explore the exclusive boutiques, ateliers and wine cellars that the French call les choses insolites
BY GINGER WARDER
You were amazed by the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe. Your first walk along the Seine was enchanting, and you were dazzled at the homes of Chanel and Louis Vuitton. Like a steamy morning croissant, these joys stay fresh no matter how many times you visit Paris. But in this exquisite city, you’ll find that there is another layer: a private — and privileged — world of exclusive pleasures and haute hideaways that only the cognoscenti have explored.
New personal concierge services like Paris Privé and Promenade des Sens can unlock the centuries-old ornate wooden doors to exclusive wine cellars, jeweled treasures and the private apartments of bespoke designers.
From the Latin “insolitus,” the French word insolite is used to refer to the rare and unusual. And Paris is brimming with les choses insolites — if you know where to look. TBI shares our five favorite secrets of savoir faire.
1. An Oenophile Odyssey
A Paris favorite since the early 1900s, the prestigious George V, just off the Champs-Elysées, has been both an oasis for visitors and a preferred party venue for Parisians like Yves Saint-Laurent, Louis Féraud and Paco Rabanne, all of whom have launched their collections in the Grand Ballroom over the years. The building’s foundation goes deep into the stone quarry that helped build the Arc de Triomphe, and it is here, 14 meters below ground, that you’ll find the hotel’s most prized possessions: more than 15,000 bottles of wine, including a rare Château Mouton Rothschild 1945 (36,000 euros) and an 1834 Madeira.
What even regular guests at the George V may not know is that upon request, the hotel’s restaurant, Le Cinq, will host an exclusive wine tasting in its famous cellars. Whether you choose an incredibly rare and expensive vintage to sample in this subterranean slice of Parisian history, or an up-and-coming vintage discovered by Master Sommelier Eric Beaumard, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for wine connoisseurs.
The august George V, a Four Seasons property since 1999, has been a Paris favorite for more than a century. Far below its foundation, guests may enjoy an exclusive private wine tasting from the hotel’s collection of more than 15,000 bottles.
2. Treasure Quest
While anyone can stroll into the showrooms of the rarefied world of French high jewelry at Bouchéron’s Place Vendôme boutique, only the privileged are allowed into the private viewing rooms for a peek at the treasures in the Bouchéron museum collection. Founder Fréderic Bouchéron chose the location at Number 26 because it was the sunniest spot on the square and would make his diamonds sparkle more brightly in the showroom window. Napoleon III’s mistress, the Countess di Castiglione, once inhabited the premises; legend has it that her elegant and mysterious spirit still lingers.
Bouchéron has taken beautiful jewelry beyond luxury to a level of pure indulgence, completing commissions for royals including the Maharajah of Patiala, the Czars of Russia and elite American families like the Astors, Vanderbilts, and Rockefellers. Since the Golden Age of Hollywood, the jeweler has accessorized stars from Greta Garbo and Rita Hayworth to Nicole Kidman and Jodie Foster.
On your private tour, your host will remove from the vaults some of Bouchéron’s greatest treasures from the past two centuries. You also will have an exclusive look at newly created pieces that have not yet hit the market.
The jewels of Bouchéron have accessorized luminaries from the Maharajah of Patiala to the Rockefellers.
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