January: Here goes 2024
New places to eat, museums reopening and navigating January’s complex landscape of 'galette des rois' 👑
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Ready, set... Go! December's sparkle fades fast. With starry eyes, we anticipate the fresh start of a new year and its promise of greater things. But by Blue Monday (aka, the most depressing day of the year according to psychologist Cliff Arnall) on Jan. 15th, we're yearning for the weekend, plotting our next escape. For many of us here, that’ll look like Paris - a stint if you’re visiting, or a staycation if you live here. You might already have a ton of places on your list, but if you don’t, here are some of the things I aim to get to this year. I hope you’ll find something in there that gets your 2024 on the rails! - Roxy
4 things on my radar this January
A food pop-up and photography show, young rap talent from Bordeaux to the US by way of Africa, a vintage store hidden in a passageway.
Esu Lee at Chez Stina. There isn’t long before the Korean chef behind the hit restaurant Cam in Paris (closed) sets off again. A favourite with the locals, his cuisine is lip-smacking good comfort food that’s refined with textures I’m always surprised by. He’ll be opening his own place soon, but in the meantime, try to catch him at revolving chefs’ residency and natural wine bar Chez Stina. 117 rue de la Roquette, Paris 75011. Until 13th January.
The real Juergen Teller at the Grand Palais. ‘I need to live’ delves into Teller’s beginnings in 90s London. Known for his candid portraits of celebrities and provocative fashion editorials, he’s also produced a more personal body of work questioning identity and family constructs. Hurry for a chance to see him in his underpants holding a bunch of balloons... Le Grand Palais Ephémère. 2 Pl. Joffre, 75007 Paris. Until 9th January.
63OG’s suave sound at La Boule Noire. The suave, sultry voice of this young Bordelais rapper’s voice and rapid beats rooted in musical genres from Cameroon, his parents’ homeland, or Togo where he spent time on holiday, or deeper base from Californian gangsta rap pointing to his upbringing in the US, is sort of addictive. As is his flow that switches between French and English so seamlessly it sounds like a different language. La Boule Noire, 120 Blvd Marguerite de Rochechouart, 75018 Paris. 24th January.
A vintage store I can’t stop thinking about. I only recently discovered La Frange à l’Envers, a large, airy and really tidy vintage store stuffed with secondhand knick in mint condition, and I can’t wait to go back. I was having lunch with my fashion-fiend of a friend Marie-Noëlle, who led me here, knowing my eyes would pop right out of my head upon stepping inside. It’s at the bottom of an alley you would never find unless you know what you’re looking for. Now you know if, like me, you didn’t. 81 rue Saint-Maur, 75011 Paris.
What’s new in Paris in 2024?
The Olympics obviously take the top spot. But if you’ve already got Games fatigue, here are other things happening in town.
Paris wouldn’t be Paris without a slew of new places to eat…
The Cristal Room inside iconic crystal Baccarat’s Paris HQ will reopen under three-star chef Anne-Sophie Pic (spring), young chef Victor Blanchet will be whipping up a feast at Halo (Paris 2) when it opens, Rungis wholesale food market on the outskirts of Paris that fuels most of the city’s restaurants is getting a food hall open to the public, long-time resident chef at the Mandarin Oriental Paris Thierry Marx has left to focus on Onor, his own place opened last year, Frenchie chef Greg Marchand is turning his takeaway spot Frenchie To Go into a fresh new place L’Altro, the English pie master Calum Franklin will rustle up the best of British cuisine at Public House, Antoine Villard will be opening his new digs in the 20th arrondissement, Loustic, the OG of craft coffee shops in Paris has closed to reopen elsewhere in Paris as a wine bar, Korean chef Esu Lee will be opening his own place this year, Michigan-born and raised chef and writer Carrie Soloman’s going to announce where her new spot is, as are the team behind Donna, fermentation experts are cooking up a feast at La Petite Expérience, at LAVA dishes will be a blend of French cuisine and influences from all over the world, The Blossom Arms will offer juicy burgers in a true English pub setting, the clan behind family-run Loulou restaurants have been tapped for an exclusive space at the revamped Grand Palais (one of the city’s biggest art venue reopening post-summer), the highly praised Thibault Sombardier at the Pavillon Faubourg Saint-Germain des Prés is opening Mojju, a Seoul inspired spot, Rencontre, a foodie pop-up inspired by revolving art shows is launching in the Latin Quarter, and the Cheval Blanc hotel’s rooftop is becoming the Celeste bar with fine liquors and temaki by sushi master Takuya Watanabe (of Jin and Kaïto fame).
Art shows and venues reopening:
The Geode 3-D cinema (the ginormous shiny metal ball in Villette park) is reopening this spring after a five-year closure. The Grand Palais will play host to the Olympics under its glass nave and opens fully with its usual roster of hit-art shows after summer. Closed since it caught fire in 2019, Notre Dame Cathedral will finally be reopen at the end of the year. In terms of art shows, there’s always lots happening, including a mammoth exhibition about the metal musical genre at the Philharmonie de Paris (4th April-29th September), photographer Tina Barney will be showing a snapshot of the upper classes in 70s America at the Jeu de Paume (24th September-19th January 2025). Before the Centre Pompidou and Atelier Brancusi closes for renovations in 2025, the Centre is putting on a big retrospective of the Romanian artist’s work (27th March-1st July).
New spots to have on your radar:
The rough-around-the-edges Porte de la Chapelle (Paris 18) is getting a slick and sporty Adidas arena in hope to give the area some oomph, unless you’ve been hiding under a rock you’ll know Paris is hosting the Olympics this year from 26th July until 11th August, and nightlife institution Batofar (Paris 13) is reopening not as the wild experimental-electro spot it used to be but as the Bateau Phare, a drag disco in March.
New places to bed down:
Disney fans, be ready for the new five-star hotel opening this month, hit designer Laura Gonzalez isn’t letting up as she finishes the Japan-inspired Hana (Paris 2), the Costes brothers behind trendy spots like Café Marly and Amour hotels will open L’Aventure in Paris 16 with a club. In the same area is L’impériale opening too. Other hotels to note are Pilgrim and Grand Coeur in Paris 5, Les Artistes and Kraft both in Paris 15, Florida and Balzac (Paris 8), Château d’Eau (Paris 10), and Paris Montmartre-Sacré Coeur (Paris 18).
Go with the Flo: Galettes fit for royalty
After yule logs, Florence brings you the best of the infamous galettes des rois, aka kings’ cake made with almonds for Epiphany (not an advertorial, in case you’re wondering).
Not just the title of a Desplechin film but a nod to January's highlight – the galette des rois (king’s cake) that marks the Epiphany (when Christ appeared to the Gentiles). In the formidable country of France, we guillotine our kings only to celebrate them… We’re a confusing bunch, I know. Anyway, I’m not going to give you a lesson in French history. Instead, here are my top five picks of galettes. Long live the king!
The Tour d'Argent: An affordable, delightful almond classic from the iconic restaurant, promising a sensation on every table. (6 people | €42).
Nina Métayer for Printemps: Voted this year’s best pastry chef, her galette is a blend of subtle, indulgent flavours in butter puff pastry and almond frangipane with assorted seeds and a delicate overlay recalling a royal rosette. (4/6 people €32 | 6/8 people €39)
MOF (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) Arnaud Larher’s lemon galette: This traditional yet modern delight features organic almond cream and lemon zest, putting a zingy twist on the traditional galette (one size | €48).
SAIN boulangerie (with Christian Drouin and Macon&Lesquoy): Anthony Courteille's homemade crispy, organic galette, encrusted with whole almonds and special prizes buried in the golden version in guise of fèves, the usual little porcelain figurines found in the galette. (6 people | €36)
Liberté by Benoît Castel: Collaborating with popular French clothing brand Sézane, Liberté’s created a limited-edition, ultra-indulgent cake with frangipane, gianduja, and caramelised hazelnuts. (4 people: €26 | 6 people: €39)
Get more galette action on January 6th in Paris, when the Saint-Germain-des-Prés church square hosts the "galette du cœur" by revered chef Escoffier's disciple chefs, with proceeds benefiting the POIC association. It's a delightful, delicious, and charitable gathering attended by the entire gastronomy elite.
A bit of housekeeping…
You might have noticed this edit’s a bit shorter than usual. That’s because I’m going to try and send out What’s Up, Paris? not once a month, but every two weeks. Stay tuned for my chat with Jane Bertch founder of the hit Paris cooking school La Cuisine. She’s put all the trials and tribulations of making a life here in the city in her new book out in April (you can already pre-order it here, if you like).