November 2023: Taking Stock, Karla Sutra's Sexy Ceramics & French Tea Time
Art, restaurant and hotel openings, old and new favorite places to eat, fellow foodie Flo's delving into French tea time and I speak to the artist behind the sexy Karla Sutra ceramics.
Taking stock. That stretch between mid-October to the first few days of December has to be my favorite time of year. It’s cold outside and cosy inside, and as openings slow down a little, there’s time to catch your breath and reflect on what’s next. I’ll be checking out Magnum’s events during Paris Photo week, hoping to catch a glimpse of Steve McCurry and Raymond Depardon, and doing a few other things on my list, which I’m popping down here in case you want some inspo. Have a good one! Roxy x
4 things on my radar this month
Photography heavyweights are out and about during Paris Photo Week, a big fair brings beautiful French brands together, shake it at a Diwali Bollywood ball and revisit an old haunt
Meet star photographers Steve McCurry and Raymond Depardon during Paris Photo from 9-12 November. In addition to its booth at the fair, the photographic cooperative Magnum, is running events not to miss, like Myriam Boulos’ first solo show in France and a big book fair at the Magnum Gallery on November 11 (in presence of Steve McCurry, Raymond Depardon, Harry Gruyaert, and others). Many of the events are open to the public and free to attend. (Image above: ETHIOPIA. Harar. 2013 © Raymond Depardon/Magnum Photos)
Get to know France’s beautiful brands at the Made in France fair (9-12 November). While the setting is an impersonal convention centre, it’s one of the biggest celebrations of all things made in France. 1,000 brands will be present, many of which are all about ethical values, like Amalthea, the natural French beauty brand with a space in Paris 3. I love this brand, created by Maryll Beaux, who answered my questions in a previous edit of What’s Up, Paris? In the run-up to Christmas, she’s launched a Paris-themed range with packaging designed by illustrator Jean-Michel Regard.
Celebrate Diwali the Indian festival of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance at a Bollywood ball every Sunday at the Musée du quai Branly from 3-5pm. If, like me, you’re fascinated by India, then you’ll love dipping into the country's vibrant cultures, from Punjab to Tamil Nadu, the royal courts of Rajasthan to the pumping nightclubs of Mumbai.
Hop over to Au Rêve (dream) café at the foot of Montmartre on Rue Caulaincourt, one of my favourite streets. A local institution that dates back to 1921 where Belgian singer Jacques Brel is said to have hung out, this neighbourhood troquet just reopened after an extensive renovation that thankfully looks more like a good scrub than a soulless refurbishment many of these beautiful bars undergo after being snapped up by their new owners. (Image above, left: Makers)
On the menu
When it comes to places to eat, Paris just keeps on giving. So much so, that as soon as someone asks me where to go for a meal, my mind goes blank. Hence this newsletter…
Cosy vibes and good food. An old favorite, the Café les Deux Gares operates in tandem with the delightfully bold Hotel les Deux Gares across the street. Like the hotel, the café was shelled and reinvented by British designer Luke Edward Hall. The result? It looks like it’s always been here. A crowd of travellers and locals pour through its doors every day for the well-priced three-course lunch menu (about 27 euros) or more elevated dishes in the evenings, whipped up by Jonathan Schweizer. 1 Rue des Deux Gares, 75010 Paris
Oysters aplenty at great prices. La Trincante is one of my favorite places to go on a Friday night and load up on oysters and prawns I love to dip in their thick mayonnaise - it’s the season for shellfish in France after all! More of a bar, you can also just have a drink. It’s a no-fuss spot with lots of local soul. 23 Rue Eugène Sue, 75018 Paris
Eat, party, love. Like falling down the rabbit hole, Datsha is what it says on the tin: a name for a holiday home in some eastern European countries. Stepping inside is like going on holiday for the evening. You start with dinner of small plates by South Korean chef Minwou Choi eaten to ambient electro coming through cutting-edge speakers, followed by cocktails downstairs in the underbelly of the restaurant. The red-lit bar is buzzy and really comes alive when the DJ takes over the small dance floor. 57 Rue des Gravilliers, 75003 Paris
Japanese street food goodness. Paris is an eclectic city with a vibrant cosmopolitan food scene, so it’s a shame not to dip into some of that variety. At Haikara, it’s like stepping inside an izakaya in downtown Tokyo. If it weren’t for the Parisian architectural relics carved into the scrappy walls covered in bright Haikara posters, you’d forget where you were. Chef Sho Miyashita’s Japanese curry and salmon misoyaki are straight-up tasty treats for lunch. I now have his second spot, Haikara Deep-Fried in my sights. 2 Rue de la Folie Méricourt, 75011 Paris
💸 Old soul, new vibe. This month’s place to splash your, or someone’s else’s, cash is La Tour d’Argent. One of the city’s most iconic restaurants, and possibly oldest (rumour has it that it’s been open since 1582), it has hosted everyone from politicians to royalty and Hollywood A-listers. And for good reason. The views of Notre Dame Cathedral and the River Seine are second to none. Today, you can have a drink on the rooftop and if you’re on a roll, bed down at the super-exclusive apartment on the fifth floor that Mr Terrail has just added, to soak in those dazzling views for a full 24 hours or more. 15 Quai de la Tournelle, 75005 Paris
Go with the Flo: Paris news from a fellow foodie
Chic spots to cosy up this winter and dig into warm madeleines and fig tarts (also en français)
After years of drought, tea-time enthusiasts in Paris can finally stop desperately peering across the Channel and find a (more than) decent equivalent in the capital. Among my chic and delightful current haunts, either to impress my favorite British friends (hi Rooks) or my somewhat sophisticated family, I especially recommend going to:
San Regis by Jessica Préalpato
For the 100th anniversary of the hotel, the San Regis invites the former pastry chef of the three-star Plaza Athénée restaurant, who was crowned "Best Pastry Chef in the World" in 2019 by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants ranking and "Pastry Chef of the Year" by the Gault & Millau guide in 2019. In short, a big name. And a fervent advocate of "desserality" - meaning Ducasse's natural approach adapted to the dessert world: less sweet, seasonal, and closer to the taste of the raw product. In practice, the tea-time she offers is a 6-course table snack, consisting of a custom herbal tea, a "cake box," small cream puffs, a seasonal fruit tartlet, a plated dessert, and a chocolate cake to share. All in a cozy setting, just a stone's throw from the Palais de la découverte and the Champs-Élysées. I loved it. I can go back with you if needed ;)
San Regis - 12 rue Jean Goujon, Paris 75008. Wednesday to Saturday from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm. Price per person: 65 euros / 85 euros with Laurent Perrier Rosé champagne.
Lucas Carton by Jordan Talbot
I confess, Lucas Carton’s pastry chef Jordan Talbot (winner of the City of Paris award), chef Hugo Bourny, and this entire establishment have been my favorites for a while. They have brought a breath of fresh air to this splendid, listed restaurant on Place de la Madeleine, infusing it with new energy without altering its essence. The six-course tea time offered by Jordan Talbot currently consists of a beverage of your choice, a cookie, a madeleine, a shared flan, a plated dessert featuring the Delcorf apple, a "small dessert," and a citrus tartlet. Served on the first floor of the place with a view of the Madeleine, it offers outstanding value for money. My mother loves it. And so do I!
Lucas Carton - 9, Place de la Madeleine, Paris 75008. Saturdays from 3:30 pm to 6:30 pm by reservation only. Price per person: 48 euros.
Trianon Versailles by Eddie Benghanem
The only real tea-time in my selection that combines sweet and savoury, is the one at the Trianon Palace Waldorf Astoria Versailles. Pastry chef Eddie Benghanem, who has been in charge since the opening, knows how to reinvent it each season with talent, much to the delight of aficionados. This winter, he offers an all-chocolate delight and a British style savoury option. It’s six courses, because that's definitely the magic number, for a reasonable price considering the royal surroundings... And it’s just a quick trip from Paris - close enough for us to want to try it again!
Trianon Palace - 1 Blvd de la Reine, 78000 Versailles. Served on weekends at the Bar Gallery from 3 pm to 6 pm. Price: 49 euros with a hot beverage of your choice.
Interview: The French artist behind the sexy Karla Sutra ceramics, on her anti-pornographic works
“Before launching it, I sent the name of my brand to friends in a WhatsApp group. They all laughed,” says Clara. “I’m so grateful that I didn’t listen to them.”
We’re sat in a coffee shop near Montmartre. It’s got peeling plaster walls and enough polished white tiling to categorise the interiors as shabby chic. They serve good craft coffee, it’s light and bright, and there’s a crowd of expat creatives sitting on the small terrace outside. We’re the only people speaking French that day.
It’s the last day of summer. Clara’s wearing a close-fitting black vest with navy jeans and sculptural gold earrings. Her skin looks naturally sun kissed - a little golden, a little flushed - and her straight light brown hair hangs loose down her back, exposed by the low-cut line of her vest top.
It wasn’t my first time meeting Clara. We met a couple of times when mutual friends, who co-owned a restaurant in Perpignan, came up for pop-ups they were working on with her. For the occasion, she created several artworks in her signature style: deep blue “aphrodisiac” trompe l’oeil tiles and dinner plates. She’s known for her cheeky designs that bring to life naked intertwined couples or repeated patterns of vaginas, breasts and penises.
Born in Paris, Clara moved to Perpignan, a town close to her grand-parents’ home in Catalunya, when she was eight years old. It wasn’t until much later, for her studies, that she returned to the French capital. “I was searching for myself, for my practice,” she explains. “When I went through a difficult breakup, I decided to go and live in New York. It was a brilliant time of nothing but good vibes. I felt completely free in a land where everything felt possible. I remember being really surprised at how different the atmosphere was in New York compared to France; that notion of being ‘self-made’. It was exhilarating. And my first designs came shortly after.”
A discrete woman in her early thirties with deep, thoughtful light brown eyes, she remains modest about her practice and 14k Instagram following. A graphic designer, Clara studied marketing, which has served her well as far as building a name goes. She’s collaborated with international brands like Nike and well-known Parisian spots like Combat, for which she designed the entire façade, and tableware for restaurants like Les Naturistes, ChoCho and Caché. She’s had an art show at Au Roi gallery, and even has a fountain to her name in Tokyo for which she was tapped to design the tiling.
Clara remains down to earth though. “I only work on projects where I feel I can bring something through the artisanal quality of my work,” she says. “I only make very small batches with a ceramics studio I work with in Girona, Spain, where there’s a thriving ceramics scene, and it’s how I want to keep it.“
She started by pasting up trompe l’oeil pieces of tiles in the streets from New York to Paris by way of Berlin and Mexico City, before turning to creating actual tiles inspired by Portuguese azuelos.
“I paint things that I fantasise about,” she explains hesitantly. “I imagine the love-making positions I paint and I feel aroused by them. It’s a bit like using painting as a means to express things I can’t otherwise.”
Her work isn’t just about sexual fantasies though. Inspired by erotic Asian art, her creations are gentle depictions of people enjoying love-making that are cheeky, often with a humorous twist, rather than anything brutally pornographic. “It’s like I’m putting sex back out there where both women and men are on equal footing,” she explains. “It’s like the anti-porno.”
Clara also highlights sex as something as natural as eating, and in doing so questions why it’s hidden. The link between food and art has always been evident for Clara who’s worked in hospitality for a long time. “I love working in restaurants and bars, so it was obvious for me to link the two.”
“Sex is like eating,” says the artist. “It’s something we think about a lot, that we enjoy mentally and physically.” There’s something sensual about the drawings slowly become visible with each bite.
The freedom Clara experienced in New York very much guides her craft. “Coming back to France after my time in the US, I realised how free we are here too but in a different way: more when it comes to expressing desire,” she says, crunching on a small biscuit sitting on the side of her coffee cup. “When you look at my works, I want you to open yourself up, to let yourself become aroused, to put the mind and body on the same level… it’s actually all very French after all.”
Check out what’s new on the Karla Sutra e-shop and follow news and collection launches on the Instagram account.
You’ve reached the end of this newsletter - a heartfelt thank you for taking the time to read me all the way here. Hope to see you next month for some festive frolicking!