Table with a view

Where to eat during Paris Fashion Week? Mademoiselle Lili knows where the designers, stars and luxury brands meet after the catwalk.

The calendar of influencers and lifestyle journalists is full to bursting during the ten days of Fashion Week, not just because of the fashion shows, but above all because of everything surrounding it: all the Parisian luxury houses use the industry meeting and the star line-up to launch a number of other products. After work is done, there is a traditional celebration - with after-show parties and, above all, dinner evenings in the city's fanciest restaurants. There is usually a name behind the hottest tables: Laurent de Gourcuff from the Paris Society, the secret king of top Paris gastronomy: his empire includes not only restaurants, but also clubs and hotels. The successful concept of “Monsieur Rooftop”: Spectacular locations in and on the city's most famous monuments, dignified interiors and the most popular cuisines in the world on the menus. Elegant themed restaurants that can also become a dance floor during the evening with live bands or DJ sets.

Monsieur Bleu

The first restaurant with which de Gourcuff began his large restaurant monopoly in 2013. At the foot of the Palais de Tokyo museum, the terrace offers breathtaking views of the Seine, bridges and the Eiffel Tower's nighttime light show. Thanks to Cartier, I was able to enjoy seasonal, Francophile fusion cuisine for the first time here.

Girafe

The unexpected success of Monsieur Bleu, from which the museum also benefits as a landlord, led to the opening of LouLou two years later in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in the Tuileries and, in 2018, Girafe, directly in the Palais Chaillot at the Trocadéro. In the 1930s atmosphere, which, like the other museum restaurants in the group, was designed by Joseph Dirand, the menu primarily features fresh seafood. Directly opposite the Eiffel Tower, Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez dined here during their second honeymoon last year.

Gigi

Avenue Montaigne is home to Dior and the city's most upscale boutiques, including this Italian rooftop restaurant. Not only does the band play Italo-retro hits later in the evening, the 50s interior also exudes a nostalgic dolce vita. Jeff Bezos and Brad Pitt recently visited here. And Chanel entertained its guests here for the 100th birthday of the No 5 fragrance: with truffle arancini, an excellent beef ham or crab carpaccio.

Mondaine de Pariso

This Fashion Week I'm just waiting for an invitation from Saint Laurent to this young establishment of the group: The lush plush and velvet decor, the photogenic show stairs - somewhere between a cabaret and a high-class brothel - bring back the wild 70s of Paris, the Heydays by Yves. The menu – as French and sophisticated as the name: foie gras, lobster, truffles, king crab and caviar.

Dar Sima

The youngest baby of Paris society opened this year on the roof of the Institut du Monde Arabe, an architectural icon of the 80s by Jean Nouvel: from the terrace you have a top view of the Seine and Notre Dame. The entire variety of Arabic cuisine is on the plates: from mezze to fine tagine and couscous with candied vegetables. Bet that this time the couture houses Elie Saab or Zuhair Murad will invite their guests to Dar Sima?