The bar at Les Bains specialises in cocktails using fresh herbs, house wines and spirits
A weekend discovering Le Marais, Paris
Visitor numbers to the French capital dwindled after the terrorist attacks last November, but the city’s charm remains undiminished, and early summer is a fantastic time to return. With its cobbled streets and ivydecked buildings, the Marais district has all of the capital’s classic good looks, plus an edge that keeps it the right side of twee. The jewel in its cultural crown is the Picasso Museum, in a recently renovated 17th-century mansion. Purchasable antiques can be found at Le Village Saint-Paul, where boutiques and ‘brocante’ (secondhand) dealers cluster across connecting courtyards. With a similarly vintage aesthetic, Pamela Popo is a cosy spot for brunch or dinner, with diners sitting in bucket chairs. Regardless of the time of your table, follow with cocktails at one of Le Marais’s bars: prime spots are the rarely deserted Le Mary Celeste, its breezy beach style evoking summer holidays, or the amorphous-looking bar at hotel Les Bains, aglow in red and amber.
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June 2016
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