Heidi Ellison
The Louvre’s Egyptian Antiquities Department
Return to Egypt
All the major fine-arts museums in the world, and many smaller ones, have departments devoted to Egypt. One of the best is that of the Louvre, in small part thanks to the spoils Napoleon brought back from the country after … Read More
Noisette Restaurant
The Noble Nut and Other Goodies
Noisettes (hazelnuts) are all the rage in Paris restaurants and are a welcome addition to many dishes (especially when toasted). A restaurant in the 12th arrondissement has chosen to name itself after this noble nut. Noisette is a small place … Read More
Paris Update Press Review
This Week's Good Reads about Paris and France
Disney sur Seine? The wonderful old department store La Samaritaine, with its creaky wooden floors and views of the Seine and the Left Bank, has been transformed by luxury group LVMH into a consumer paradise for the wealthy. (The Local) … Read More
Mémoires de Glace
Frozen Souvenirs
“This show is a call for help,” says Pierre-Yves Nicod, curator of the exhibition “Mémoires de Glace” at the Musée Départemental de Préhistoire d’Île-de-France in Nemours, France. The melting of glaciers caused by climate change has one positive side effect: … Read More
Bobi Restaurant
Have You Eaten (Filipino Food)?
The food at Bobi, Paris’s only Filipino restaurant, is so authentic that halfway through lunch there, one of two Filipina friends at the table was declaring, “I’m getting homesick!” It’s not just authentic – with an occasional well-judged twist – … Read More
Hôtel de la Marine
A New Paris Museum
Built by a king, emptied by revolutionaries and then taken over by the French Ministry of the Navy for over two centuries, the palatial Hôtel de la Marine has opened its doors to the public for the first time in … Read More
Habile Restaurant
Designer Dining
I’m on a roll! After discovering the restaurant L’Oyat last week during a walk down Rue Notre Dame de Nazareth, I have found another brand-new spot, Habile, not far away, on Rue Château d’Eau. This time I was attracted by … Read More
Paris Update Press Review
This Week's Good Reads about Paris and France
Grand Palais Éphémère An impressive temporary structure facing the Eiffel Tower has been built on the Champs de Mars to house some of the functions of the Grand Palais, including art fairs and Olympic judo and wrestling competitions in 2024, … Read More
Eugène Atget: Voir Paris
Balzac of the Camera
I fell in love with Eugène Atget’s photos of Paris long before I ever set foot on French soil when a friend gave me a book of his pictures many years ago. I couldn’t get enough. While I have seen … Read More
L’Oyat Restaurant
Post-Lockdown Revelation
I usually choose a restaurant to review each week by looking at my list of recommendations from friends and from press reviews, then try to get a reservation in one of them (often most difficult for the more popular ones). … Read More