Aux Crieurs de Vin
A convivial spot for lunch in Troyes. I try to make a habit of little out-of-town excursions to see art exhibitions, the sort of one-day break that is worth several days’ holiday. These jaunts can take me as far … Read More
Archive
Henri Cartier-Bresson: L’Imaginaire d’après Nature
“Sifnos, Greece” (1961) © Henri Cartier-Bresson/Magnum Photos Ho-hum, you might think, another exhibition of photos by Henri Cartier-Bresson, but that would be very wrong thinking. Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004) was such a master of his genre that his … Favorite
Le Café qui Parle
Le Café qui Parle is worth a trek to the far side of the Butte Montmartre. Pros: Original dishes made with good quality ingredients; nice decor; great staff; outdoor seating available. Cons: Might be a bit noisy with a … Read More
Qui A Peur des Artistes?
Life and Death in Dinard
Here’s an excellent excuse for an excursion to the seaside: François Pinault, French billionaire businessman, art collector and father-in-law of Salma Hayek (choose your own order of importance) is showing part of his extensive collection of contemporary art in the … Read More
Frenchie
Sidewalk table at Frenchie, a new Paris bistro worth knowing about. Pros: Excellent food at wallet-friendly prices; fine, shortish wine list with a good sprinkling of non-French wines Cons: Nothing worth mentioning, apart from the loud music issuing from the … Read More
elles@centrepompidou
Affirmative Art Action
“What’s the point of going to see five hundred artworks by women?” a friend asked. “Would you go to see a show that advertised five hundred artworks by men?” The question came up in relation to the Centre Pompidou’s new … Read More
Les Fines Gueules
The asparagus with white truffles looked like an abstract painting. Pros: A delight in serving well-sourced products (Desnoyers again), pleasant surroundings Cons: A slightly ditzy waitress, who was so nice and new to the job that her faux pas were … Read More
Fragments
Men living in bags are goaded from above in “Act without Words II.” © Alastair Muir Fans of Samuel Beckett, or those wanting an initial insight into the brilliance of his work, should not miss out on a handful of … Read More
Dans l’Œil du Critique
Committed Critic
Visitors to the exhibition “Dans l’Œil du Critique: Bernard Lamarche-Vadel et les Artistes” may not know who Lamarche-Vadel was and need not care: with 250 works of art, dating mostly from the 1970s through the ’90s, on display, the show … Read More
Bollywood Lounge
The dance numbers on the big screen matched the dance of spices on the palate. I’m one of those glass-half-full people. A born optimist, a trusting soul. So I always tend to think that I’m going to find the holy … Read More