This September 26, something exciting is brewing at the Ritz Paris. The celebrated hotel is about to unveil its brand-new fine-dining restaurant, Espadon, with Chef Eugénie Béziat at the helm. It's a big deal because Béziat is breaking the mold as the Ritz's first-ever female chef. Yes, you heard it right, and she's ready to bring her unique flair to the table.
Born from South African and French origins, Béziat is not just any chef. She's one of the rare Michelin-starred female chefs in Paris, and her food? It's like a journey. She describes her culinary style as "French cuisine on the hunt for tastes and smells from faraway places." Her dishes promise a thrilling exploration of different flavors – a dance of sweetness, bitterness, and spiciness on one plate.
"My signature could be defined as French cuisine constantly searching for tastes and smells from faraway places," said Béziat. "It might be reminiscences of sun-scorched earth, a smoky note, the scent of a mango, or the heady memory of an iced Bissap (hibiscus flower) syrup that we always clamored for after school... A marriage of iodine and hot embers!"
Now, about the restaurant. Espadon is making a grand entrance back in its original spot, complete with a fabulous outdoor terrace connected to the Grand Jardin. It's a cozy space with just 30 seats and the feel of a private dining room. The setting is nothing short of spectacular, and Béziat's menu is bound to take guests on an adventure of tastes and aromas.
Her story is quite the tale, too. Before joining the Ritz, Béziat was honing her skills in a small town in the South of France, in the birthplace of August Escoffier – the chef who co-founded the hotel with César Ritz in 1898. Talk about coming full circle! But back to the food. Béziat's dishes whisper stories of her childhood and adolescence in Africa – in places like Gabon, the Congo, and the Ivory Coast – combined with her Mediterranean roots from summers spent with family in Provence. Her cooking is like a heartfelt letter to her past, filled with notes of sun-scorched earth, the scent of mango, or the memory of an iced Bissap syrup after school. It's a delightful melange, and you can tell each dish is crafted with love and a wealth of experience.
Adding to the excitement is the arrival of Pastry Chef François Perret and Director of Sommellerie Florian Guilloteau, who are all set to complement Béziat's culinary journey with innovative desserts and refreshing beverages. Each meal promises to be a harmonious symphony of flavors, textures, and aromas. As Espadon opens its doors, it's clear that it's not just about food but the experience, the journey, and the stories each dish tells.
It's a new chapter for the Ritz Paris, filled with
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Here’s a sentence I never thought I’d write: bedbugs have taken over the city of Paris, and we are now faced with the prospect that the outbreak could travel overseas. The infestation began just before Paris Fashion Week (yes, these bugs have good taste), when reports broke of increased sightings of the insects in homes, cinemas, trains and even hospitals. Now, questions are being asked about the safety of traveling to and from Paris; what we can do to prevent the spread, and whether the critters are already settling in our mattresses. Below, we answer all your questions about travel and the bedbug spread.
As Morocco continues its recovery from last month’s earthquake (which devastated many of the rural communities in the High Atlas Mountains), life in Marrakesh carries on largely uninterrupted, especially in the city’s economically vital tourism sector. That includes the opening of a clutch of new hotels, like Farasha Farmhouse, a four-room boutique property. Formerly an artist’s private retreat, Farasha, which lies 30 minutes outside of the city center, is the vision of Rosena and Fred Charmoy. The Marrakesh-based couple are the founders of Boutique Souk — a local high-end events company popular with visiting celebrities and fashion brands (their client list includes Chanel and Saint Laurent) — and are known for their theatrical, over-the-top parties and weddings. Farasha, though, is a more tranquil endeavor. “We loved the mountain views on both sides of the property,” says Rosena, referring to the Atlas and Jbilet ranges that appear to envelop the acres of olive groves and herb gardens. The two-story main building, which holds three suites and the soaring, open-plan common space, is complemented by a neighboring stand-alone cottage. To furnish the place, the Charmoys turned to local creative friends: floors are laid with custom tapestries from Beni Rugs; sculptures were installed by the Moroccan contemporary artist Amine El Gotaibi; and the book collection comes from the family estate of Diana Vreeland, the legendary former editor of Vogue, donated to the hotel by her son Freck, who served as the U.S. ambassador to Morocco. Food here is similarly considered, overseen by the chef Aniss Meski. The olive oil is made on-site, most vegetable dishes use the farm’s produce and a flock of chickens provides a daily supply of fresh eggs. And if the prospect of snagging one of only four guest rooms seems like a tall challenge, fear not: six more will be available to book starting next year.
Coming from New England, which is famous for its fall colours, I was disillusioned by the sheer multitude of brown, crumpled horse-chestnut leaves on display in Paris in autumn. So I began my quest for hints of gold, amber, russet and scarlet and have been richly rewarded.
A “widespread” increase of bedbugs has been reported in the French capital, prompting the government to pledge measures to “reassure and protect” the people. Clement Beaune, the French minister of transport, has said that he will hold a meeting this week to “take additional measures” to safeguard the public from the alleged increase in the number of insects.
After bedbug sightings on trains and cinemas in France, an expert is warning that the blood-sucking parasites could be hitching a ride to the UK on the Eurostar.
Here’s a sentence I never thought I’d write: bed bugs have taken over the city of Paris, and we are now faced with the prospect that the outbreak could travel overseas. The infestation began just before Paris Fashion Week (yes, these bugs have good taste), when reports broke of increased sightings of the insects in homes, cinemas, trains and even hospitals. Now, questions are being asked about the safety of traveling to and from Paris; what we can do to prevent the spread, and whether the critters are already settling in our mattresses. Below, we answer all your questions about travel and the bed bug spread.
Alexis recently finished working on the new Paris guidebook which is out April 2024. Here she shares her expert opinion on how to navigate Paris by public transport.