Paris 2024 Olympics

Paris is always a good idea and this summer the City of Light will be extra festive as host of the Olympic Games – 100 years after they last held them. The Games will literally take over the streets of Paris! If you’re planning a summer visit, I’ve rounded up some tips on fabulous dining options and must-see exhibitions gleaned during my early spring visit. 

What to Do : Paris Summer Olympics – July 26 – August 11, 2024

Though you may not be attending the Summer Olympic Games set to take place in Paris from July 26 through August 11, you won’t be able to avoid them, literally, as France has taken a pioneering approach, departing from the traditional stadium venues and integrating sports into the fabric of the city.

What does that mean? Sporting events will actually take place at Paris landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, Versailles, and the Place de la Concorde. The Grand Palais will host spectators and athletes in various sports, including fencing and taekwondo. Beach volleyball matches will take place in the open air under the iconic Eiffel Tower, and the adjacent public lawns, called the Champ de Mars, will host judo and wrestling events.

Place de la Concorde, the largest public square in Paris, will host urban sports, including sport climbing, skateboarding, basketball, breaking and BMC freestyle events.

The gardens at the Palace of Versailles, the former royal residence and UNESCO heritage site, will be the venue for equestrian and pentathlon competitions. Pre-games, Versailles is undergoing various restoration projects and construction of temporary facilities to prepare for the influx of visitors. The Esplanade des Invalides, the park space adjoining the Hotel des Invalides, will be the main venue for archery and para-archery events.

A couple of the city’s sporting arenas will also participate in the Olympics. Roland Garros Stadium, home to the annual French Open tennis tournament, is set to host boxing and tennis competitions. Stade de France, the country’s most iconic arena, where the 1998 men’s World Cup was staged, will host the rugby sevens and athletics competitions.

Opening Ceremony on the Seine, Kelly Clarkson, Peyton Manning

The Olympic opening ceremony on the River Seine on July 26 will be invitation-only. Kelly Clarkson and Peyton Manning will serve as hosts, and “Today” show anchors Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb will be reporting on the pageantry from a bridge along the Seine as the athletes sail by.

Tickets will be allocated by local authorities, the general public cannot apply for them. The city originally planned for it to be open to the public, but due to logistics and security issues – and complaints from riverside booksellers – the government was forced to scale back. Invitees will be subjected to security checks and receive a QR code to pass security barriers. Organizers said the ceremony along the Seine during sunset marks the first time an Olympic opening ceremony will be held outside a stadium setting, in line with the Paris organizers’ motto: “Games Wide Open.” paris2024.org

Where to Stay : Saint James Paris

On my most recent trip, during Paris Fashion Week, I checked into my favorite Parisian hotel, The Saint James, in the heart of the quiet, leafy 16th arrondissement, mere steps from the elegant Avenue Foch. As your car enters, you are greeted by a formal fountain that adds its natural splash to the soundtrack of Parisian life. The circular drive is dotted with boxwood topiaries in black urns. The great room soars three stories, and the double-width staircase is suitable for an entrance by an emperor. Alice could host a mad hatter tea party here without changing a chair.

Constructed in 1892 in the imperial Napoleonic style, this is Paris’s only chateau hotel and boasts its own enchanting gardens. The gardens were formerly the grounds of Paris’s first hot air balloon field. Now there is a chic outdoor folly that serves as a bar. There is also a pavilion surrounded by lush plantings and covered with fragrant climbing vines where drinks and lunch are served as birds chirp around you. The most charming garden parties are held here. 

The Saint James’s 50,000 square-foot garden, a rarity in the heart of Paris, adds to its feeling of remoteness, and yet the hotel is a short walk from the famous Bois de Boulogne park and the Frank Gehry-designed Louis Vuitton Foundation. The Palais de Tokyo and Museum of Modern Art are a 15-minute stroll, and the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Elysées are 20 minutes on foot.

Built at the behest of the widow of former French President Adolphe Thiers, the edifice that houses the hotel was originally used to host a small number, only 15 at a time, of France’s most promising students on scholarships. The leather-bound books and comfy, deep armchairs are not just décor in their Library Bar, where nowadays, lunch, tea and cocktails are served. The room once served as a working library, dating from the property’s student housing era. In the 1980s, the building was turned into a private club, and in 1991 became the hotel we know and love today. Now, The Saint James is part of the Relais & Châteaux collection, a collection of nearly 600 properties around the globe.

There is a new look to the Saint James, although none of the 19th-century charm has been sacrificed; rather, it has been gracefully enhanced by interior designer Laura Gonzalez in a multi-year renovation that debuted in 2022. Gonzalez ensured that each of the 56 guest rooms and suites has a unique flair to them. Her touches masterfully mix Versailles parquet flooring, geometric patterning, Japanese-style panoramic wallpaper, Art Deco accents, frescoes by local craftsmen and custom rugs, bien sûr. The entire chateau feels like a posh English country estate with chic Parisian flair. Some new additions are glamourous duplexes and ground-floor suites with classic Parisian terraces.

Their spa, fitness and well-being area has also been transformed. The sublime Guerlain spans over 4,000 square feet and two floors and offers three treatment booths, a fitness room, a hammam, a sauna and Jacuzzi. However, the pièce de resistance is the oversized, sun-drenched swimming pool. The Saint James’s signature treatment, the Dédicace Guerlain, is 90 minutes of blissful body and facial treatments and should not be missed.

New Villas Including The Courbet & Victor Hugo Apartments

Now, Gonzalez has focused her creative flair on yet another project at the hotel, transforming a gorgeous private home on the chateau’s grounds into Villa Saint James, comprising four luxurious apartments with private outdoor space, living areas and kitchens. The Paris-based designer infused the villa’s elegant yet relaxed spaces with Art Deco and nature-inspired touches. The top floor Lamoureux apartment’s 645 square feet contains a living room, en-suite bedroom and kitchen with a private 95-square-foot terrace overlooking the villa’s private garden. The third floor Courbet apartment, at 750 sq. ft., offers a double bedroom, dressing room, a large living area with a unique winter garden, plus a lovely terrace with garden view.

With views over the garden and Parisian rooftops, the Victor Hugo apartment connects to the Deluxe hotel room on the same floor, if you desire, for a total of 860 square feet.  The full suite comprises two en-suite bedrooms plus sitting area, kitchen and winter garden. The Longchamp apartment, with spacious living room, bedroom, winter garden and kitchen opening onto the villa’s private garden, plus a terrace, is the largest of the four at 800 square feet. It connects to a two-bedroom suite on the garden level for a total of 1,400 square feet.

The Villa apartments can be booked separately or combined, depending on your needs. You can also rent the whole house – which accommodates up to 12 people – and live like a very, very chic Parisian amidst the manicured gardens.

Naturally, there’s a dedicated Villa Manager to orchestrate every aspect of your stay, from mundane errands to providing a private chef to crafting bespoke Parisian adventures tailored to your desires. saint-james-paris.com

Where to Eat :  Paris Dining

La Tour d’Argent: legendary with Olympic views; Ratatouille inspiration

One of Paris’s most famous restaurants, La Tour d’Argent is in a league of its own. Considered the oldest restaurant in Paris, its history dates to 1582. The restaurant is where King Henry III used a fork for the first time, popularizing its use in France. In the centuries since, notables including Queen Elizabeth II, Theodore Roosevelt, John F Kennedy, Charlie Chaplin, Salvador Dalí, Marilyn Monroe and Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have graced its tables.

The 2007 Pixar animated film Ratatouille was inspired in part by La Tour d’Argent. A hall of fame with autographs and photos of illustrious guests includes a small illustration of Ratatouille signed by director Brad Bird, who spent days at the restaurant sketching the dining room.

In August 2023, La Tour d’Argent reopened after a 15-month renovation, and now includes a ground-floor bar, luxury hotel suite, roof-top terrace and an open kitchen in the dining room. Post-renovation, an inventory of its famed 300,000-bottle wine cellar shockingly revealed that more than 80 bottles of rare wine, worth $1.6 million, had disappeared. The case has not been solved at press time. Sounds like a perfect plot for a Ratatouille sequel to us!

Famous for its signature duck dish, which is prepared theatrically at tableside, La Tour d’Argent has a double whammy special for summer 2024: a front-row view of two iconic events – the renaissance of Notre Dame Cathedral and the Paris Summer Olympics.

tourdargent.com

Caviar Kaspia

A fun choice for dinner is Caviar Kaspia—a great place to have a party in their private room which holds up to 32 people. The main course here is the titular caviar served in generous scoops on a baked potato, which is absolutely scrumptious. I would recommend the salmon served on a pancake or the crab salad, all washed down with vodka and champagne.

A Paris institution since the 1920s, Caviar Kaspia offers a luxurious, old-world experience in a sumptuous setting with richly paneled walls and magnificent table settings. Perennially popular with both locals and visitors, this place is far from stuffy – it is always fully booked during Fashion Week, and regularly collaborates with fashion designers and artists like Giambattista Valli, Olympia Le-Tan and Carine Roitfeld. Famous folks like Jennifer Lawrence, Rihanna and Beyonce and Jay Z have all dined here.

In addition to the exquisite restaurant, there’s a shop offering a range of caviars, seafood, smoked fish and gourmet foods.

caviarkaspia.com

L’Avenue Restaurant

A mainstay in the 8^th arrondissement since opening in 1994, L’Avenue serves up traditional brasserie fare at breakfast, lunch and dinner until 2am daily. Think steak frites, locally caught fish, homemade foie gras and fashionista-friendly salads. This hot spot is a scene frequented by celebrities and hip Parisians; in 2023 Lana Del Rey and Selena Gomez were among the bold face patrons. Gwyneth Paltrow is a fan – her lifestyle brand Goop says: “Most of the fun is sitting outside, on the corner of Avenue Montaigne, among a regular clientele of fashion designers, stylish Parisians, and trendy visitors. Plus, the food is really good. For our euros, tuna tartare, a mound of burrata, and a pile of matchstick frites with a glass of cold white wine is the way to go.”

New Yorkers will feel at home here – L’Avenue has a branch at Saks Fifth Avenue.

avenue-restaurant.com

 Le Costes

The restaurant at the exclusive Hotel Costes is as renowned for its atmosphere as for its food. A succession of cozy dining rooms exuberantly decorated in Second Empire style, with lots of deep crimson and candlelit tables close together, it is intimate and eternally hip with late-night DJ sessions. The international fare mixes French, Italian and Asian influences. Ingredients are ethically sourced and popular dishes include tuna tartare, Thai basil chicken spring rolls and veal steak with chanterelle mushrooms.

Serving from morning until the wee hours, Le Costes is a perfect place for refreshment nestled on rue Saint-Honoré, steps from the Louvre and Place Vendôme. hotelcostes.com

Tea at the Plaza Athenee

The Plaza Athénée, one of Paris’s most storied and luxurious hotels, offers what is perhaps the capital’s chicest afternoon tea. Served in La Galerie, surrounded by antiques, silk curtains and ornate chandeliers, the ambience is unrivaled. There are three afternoon tea options from which to choose: ‘Le Goûter d’Angelo Musa’, ‘Le Goûter de La Galerie’ and ‘Le Goûter du Plaza Athénée’. Naturally champagne is on the menu, as are a scrumptious selection of pastries. The tea list is extensive. There’s not a scone to be had – and you won’t miss it. Tea at the Plaza Athénée is not to be missed when in Paris.

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What To See : Art Exhibitions

Paris’s museums and galleries are not taking a backseat to the Olympics, and blockbuster exhibits will abound in the city in summer 2024. Here are a few of the most anticipated.

Louvre:

Olympism. A modern invention, an ancient heritage – May to Sept. 16 2024

As France welcomes athletes from all over the world to the Paris Games in 2024, the Louvre is devoting an exhibition to the scientists and artists who reinvented the ancient Olympic Games before they became the world’s most watched sporting event. After all, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, a French nobleman, organized the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. Among the works on display is the first Olympic trophy, awarded to the winner of the 1896 marathon and made by a French goldsmith. louvre.fr

Musée des Arts Décoratifs / Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine:

The Birth of Department Stores – May to March 16, 2025

The MAD and the Cité de l’Architecture have jointly mounted a monumental double exhibition revisiting the history of department stores, the ultimate temples of shopping. From Galeries Lafayette to Bon Marché via Samaritaine and Printemps Haussmann, these cornerstones of Parisian life are dissected in two parts.

The first is at MAD (Musée des Arts Décoratifs) through Oct. 13, 2024, reflecting on the social aspects of these palaces of consumption, their commercial and communication strategies. On Oct. 16, the City of Architecture will then take over, focusing on the distinctive architecture of these vintage shopping centers, combining beauty and function. madparis.fr

Fondation Louis Vuitton:

“Matisse, L’Atelier rouge” – May 7 to Sept. 9, 2024

This massive 1911 painting depicts Matisse’s atelier in Issy-les-Moulineaux, entirely awash in one tone of vibrant, rusty red. It’s red influenced Mark Rothko and Ellsworth Kelly. Yet the work is more than just a painting. This exhibit brings the painting, a part of MoMA’s collection since 1949, together for the first time with the works present in L’Atelier rouge – six paintings, three sculptures and one ceramic. Also on hand are unpublished archive documents and works shedding light on the context of this painting.

Bonus: to coincide with the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Fondation Louis Vuitton is also exhibiting a selection of works from its collection on the theme of sport, such as Olympics Rings created in 1985 by Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol. fondationlouisvuitton.fr