Review: Le Bristol, Paris
Le Bristol represents a bastion of excellence as well as a temple of gastronomy that is absolutely French.
The address says it all; located on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris’s fashionable 8th arrondissement, the desirable and opulent old-school chic hotel Le Bristol is a Parisian icon. Like the sophisticated designer boutiques surrounding it, Le Bristol retains its classy and classic style, decorated throughout with fine French regalia.
From the moment the highly groomed and dedicated doormen open the front doors (that first opened back in 1925), there’s a sense of luxury. Le Bristol is part of the Oetker Collection of hotels; each of the Oetker iconic landmark hotels is considered timeless.
Huge floral displays and 17th-century antiques fill the grand foyer, along with sparkling crystal chandeliers that hang from the high ceilings. The foyer is where the hotel’s resident Birman cat named Socrate can be found; his manicured paws glide across the smooth marble floor to be pampered by arriving guests. This fabulous feline fluff-ball is a well-loved permanent resident of Le Bristol and pet owners will be pleased to hear that four-legged guests are welcome at the hotel.
Whether staying in the original Matignon wing or the newer Residence wing, each of the hotel’s 190 intimate rooms and suites are unique and vary in shape and size, from the 40-square-metre rooms to the 320-square-metre Imperial Suite, all beautifully furnished in the style of Louis Quinze and Louis Seize with plenty of light streaming through the heavily draped windows.
The rooms are not modern in style but extremely comfortable, with floral patterns, silk and velvet textiles, cosy king-sized beds, antique furniture, old-style writing desks, deep-pile carpets and traditional heavy curtains. The large white Carrara-marbled bathrooms feature heated floors, rainfall showers and deep built-in baths.
At the heart of the hotel is Le Jardin Français, a hidden treasure; an oasis of flowers lined by plush drawing rooms and a colonnade filled with scented orange trees.
The pretty courtyard garden was designed by Lady Arabella Lennox-Boyd and has become the perfect spot to enjoy lunch, a glass of wine or the famous gourmet afternoon tea abundant with the latest delights — both savoury and sweet. Alternatively, afternoon tea and cake can be enjoyed at Café Antonia under the gaze of Queen Marie ("let them eat cake") Antoinette!
Everything growing in the garden was chosen with care to support the biodiversity of this precious Parisian oasis. To maintain the garden’s abundance, Le Bristol vows to use only 100% plant-based and biodegradable products with beneficial impacts on the planet.
Le Bristol Paris is home to four Michelin stars: it is a bastion of gourmet excellence; a temple of gastronomy that is absolutely French.
Le Bristol’s Epicure restaurant is one of the world’s best. It’s here that triple Michelin starred Executive Chef (and Légion d’honneur-decorated) Eric Frechon prepares exquisite dishes including caviar from Sologne, “Candele” macaroni and Bresse farm hen poached in a bladder. Meals can be paired with wines handpicked by the restaurant’s Master Sommelier, Bernard Neveu. Reservations are required for Epicure. Equally appealing is Le Jardin Francaise, Frechon’s beautiful al fresco restaurant.
Frechon has acquired four Michelin stars for Le Bristol Paris: three belong to Epicure, and the other to 114 Faubourg, located on the other side of the hotel’s grand foyer.
Filled with sunlight, Spa Le Bristol by La Prairie uses products by Tata Harper and Bonpoint. There’s a wide range of treatments on offer including luxurious personalised massages and the fun and unique indoor rooftop pool that’s decorated in the style of an old wooden ocean liner with huge windows offering spectacular views of the Sacré-Coeur.
The hotel is a stone’s throw from the historic and heavily guarded Élysée Palace, the residence of the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, as well as exclusive flagship haute couture boutiques. Stepping left out of the hotel will take you along Rue Faubourg Saint-Honoré where you can soak up the vivid art galleries and elegant designer shops on your way to the gardens of the Palais-Royal, and the splendid Comédie-Française building. Then you can cross Rue de Rivoli to the Musée du Louvre and its pyramid entrance designed by celebrated Chinese-American architect, I.M. Pei. Alternatively, the Tuileries museums and the Musee d’Orsay are just a 20-minute walk away from the hotel towards the Champs-Élysées.
Paris has so much to offer: there is something for everyone. No matter which direction you turn, you will not be disappointed by this monumental capital city, nor its most celebrated hotel.
