It maybe a cliché, there's even a song about it; but there's no city quite like Paris in April. The drear of winter retreats as flowers blossom again in Tuileries Garden and the city's daily fashion parade no longer walks under the halo of black umbrellas. While 2015 will see two grand hotels reopening with the Ritz and Crillon later this fall; spring is dominated by one name - La Reserve Hotel. Far more exclusive than the Peninsula or Le Royal Monceau, Michael Reybier's La Reserve group blossoms beyond its boutique Geneva hotel and storied St. Tropez resort. Mid-way between Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré and Avenue Montaigne, the hotel feels much more like a private residence with its guests-only library lounge, belle époque interiors by Jacques Garcia and indoor lap pool that’s a true Paris indulgence.
In terms of our favorite shows for April, the Jeff Koons Retrospective continues to bring long lines to the Centre Pompidou. V&A's touring David Bowie is ......is worth catching if you didn't see it in London while the retrospective of Jean-Paul Gaultier at the Grand Palais is truly a showstopper. Our favorite concerts for the month vary greatly with Paul Simon and Sting at Zenith de Paris from April 3rd, Tove Lo at Le Trianon on April 7th, Passion Pit at La Maroquinerie on April 17th and SBTRKT at L'Olympia on April 27th. And for something a bit grander, Rudolf Nureyev's version of Swan Lake swims the waters of the Opera Bastille at the Paris Ballet Opera under the creative direction of Benjamin Millepied.
But for many Spring's main attraction will be the unfurling of epic new eateries in and around La Jeune Rue that's become the new epicurean center of Paris. Within this foodie neighborhood of posh delicatessens and new gourmet shops in the northern Marais, storefronts like L'Ecorcheur mix the classic French butcher with high Italian design while nearby a grocer is penned by Tom Dixon and longtime Anahi restaurant shows-off a full glamorization by Maud Bury. And whether due to economics or taste-buds, the shift from haute cuisine to more casual ingredient-driven dining has become such a trend that several iconic Paris hotels are reconsidering those longtime relationships with big name 3-star Michelin chefs.
