Check back here tomorrow for details of the winners of the two prizes, after they have been announced this evening at the Théâtre de l’Odéon, durning the exhibition inauguration!

Dans le decor, Monumental. Fauteuils dans la salle du theatre de l'Odeon, Paris. © P.Tournebœuf / Tendance Floue / PHPA

A few days ago we invited you to the grand opening, and today we thought we’d just remind you that our exhibition is about to start!  Feel free to come down any day except Sundays between 11am and 6.30pm. We’ll also be open for the Open House weekend on both 18th and 19th September.

The photos were put in place yesterday by their respective photographers. Here’s a quick look at what went on (click play on the slideshow. Photos by JasonW)…

You should also know that if you come to the grand opening you’ll be able to purchase a pre-release copy of Patrick Tournebœuf’s new photo book – Monumental. For the moment it’s only available exclusively at the Librairie de la Galerie, but we have a few rare copies set aside for you at the Théâtre de l’Odéon’s bookshop. It’s upstairs, just at the entrance to the Roger Blin room (where you’ll also be able to see one of the huge enlargements that form part of the Carte Blanche).

If you miss out on the book when at the Theatre, Patrick will be at the Librairie de la Galerie (here) on Friday 17th September 2010 from 6.30pm to sign copies.

Anyway, don’t forget our exhibition at the Théâtre de l’Odéon if you’re in town. There’s a huge poster on the front of the building that gives a hint of what to expect…

photo : JasonW

And the day after tomorrow, for those that couldn’t attend the grand opening, we’ll be announcing this year’s winners of the PHPA prizes. See you then!

Hotel Design Sorbonne, Paris. © P.Tournebœuf / Tendance Floue / PHPA

photo by graphic spirit used under cc licence

You’d need lots of spare time to get to know all of Paris’ green spaces, but this festival can help out with special visits, workshops and many other exceptional events.

The theme is often (logically) eco-friendly. In the Jardin des Plantes for example you can go on a guided visit called « a biodiversity voyage », visite their seed store and the in vitro plant lab, get advice for eco- and bio-diversity-friendly gardening from professional gardeners, and take part in the grape harvest from the garden’s vines on the afternoon of the 26th. Great!

At the Jardins du Ruisseau, they’re celebrating their tenth anniversary. It’s a small garden near the Porte de Clignancourt in the north of the city, making the most of a band of green space along an old railway line called « la petite ceinture ». Over the two afternoons there will be concerts, workshops, world food, a photo exhibition, a tea room, street theatre… and of course you’ll be able to visit the garden and see the hives they recently installed. For more info (in French): www.facebook.com/jardinsduruisseau

photo by graphic spirit used under cc licence

In the 3rd arrondissement, the Fête des Jardins 2010 is the moment to celebrate the lives of two important women. A plaque will be installed in the garden behind the Picasso museum to note its new name, the Square de l’Hôtel Salé – Léonor Fini. And our favourite secret rose garden will be renamed the Square Saint Gilles Grand Veneur – Pauline Roland.

And at the Jardin de Bercy, there will be a plant clinic with plant doctors to work out why your pot plants are looking so sad! You can also book a place for the kids workshops (3 & 5pm) that will teahc them how to build their own garden.

photo by graphic spirit used under cc licence

All events in the Fête des Jardins 2010 are free. More info (in French) at www.paris.fr

photos : JasonW

Never tasted Absinthe? Neither have we. Looks very complicated too, with its special spoon and ridiculously convoluted preparation, and funnily enough real absinthe is actually still banned in France (the stuff sold here is a slightly weaker variety). However, the imagery and – much exaggerated – reputation of absinthe make it sound edgy and forbidden. How exactly it came to be chosen as the name for this rather cosy restaurant is a mystery. Perhaps it’s because they’ves expressed a desire to try out new, daring dishes, something surprising, perhaps even intoxicating…

The restaurant is not far from the Tuileries gardens (and near Opéra and Place Vendôme), on the place du Marché Saint Honoré which has a certain air of London about it, with cobbles and a large, central glass building that reflects its surroundings on all sides. The restaurant itself has a New York-style décor of bare bricks coupled with some lovely old woodwork (period or fake?) and some other design choices that may or not be to your liking (such as the metalwork and giant clock that dominate the main room).

All of which is to say that some parts of the restaurant are very quaint, and others more contrived. There’s also another room upstairs which is – unfortunately – very, very ordinary indeed. Our advice is to try and get a seat on the ground floor or on the vast (but often packed) terrace.

We were given a comfortable seat at the back of the main room, great for people watching as it’s on a raised step. Be warned that there are two sittings in the evening, so if you come around 8pm you’ll be asked to vacate your table by 10pm. We were eating late and felt free to take our time. We were however quite hungry, and the choice of starters was a priority (together with the wine, obviously!).Three starters were chosen. The first was Romans mini-raviolis in a creamy langoustine sauce, filled with tasty cheese with a slight spicy kick, not too greasy, and a perfectly dosed taste, neither too heavy nor too bland.

The other two first courses were crab-based. One was a crab cake, beautifully presented with rocket and a Yuzu sauce that had hints of a taste somewhere between lemongrass and chervil. The other was a « crunchy crab », so-called because it has been completely deep-fried in breadcrumbs. Even with a slightly spicy sauce (with chipotle), the crunchy coating tended to dominate the more subtle taste of the crab. However, everyone seemed happy…

After being surprised by the exotic tastes (some of which we had a hard time defining) and the interesting presentation of the dishes, it was time to move on to the main course. First off, guinea fowl marinated in fresh coriander with spicy young onions and a purée of peas cooked with grilled sesame seeds. It was tender, and the sauce seemed to have a hint of sorrel.The squid with mini tagliatelles and broccoli was a new mix to us too, but very well executed, and once again very pretty to look at.The steamed cod came served like an Chinese dish, with its own little egg and vegetables, although the ‘coconut curry’ garlic mayonnaise was nowhere to be found.And the last dish was purely vegetarian (so much so that the waitress felt obliged to warn us that there was absolutely no meat in it!), with beefsteak tomato, avocado and olive oil serve in mini tortilla shells and adorned with a perilla leaf (although we weren’t convinced that this added anything spectacular). The dish was fresh and cool though, just what we were looking for.The main dishes show obvious care is taken over presentation (and it’s stunning), the use of fresh and different ingredients and careful cooking so that each taste can be dissociated and enjoyed. The servings aren’t excessively large, which – for us – was good news. Time for dessert!

The chilled black cherry soup was spectacular and graphic in its cast iron bowl that stayed cool for a while after finishing.The lemon dessert surprised us with its bright green colour, but the zesty lemon taste was very much there.

And the waffle was light and crunchy, bringing back memories of childhood (or perhaps Brussels?).Only the chocolate dessert was a slight disappointment. Grandly billed as « Michel Rostang’s pots of chocolate cream », we were expecting something more spectacular, or at least two different tastes. In fact, both tiny pots were the same. Delicious, nonetheless…l’Absinthe seems to be well known, as we could hear many different languages being spoken around us. Indeed, when the waiter first sat us down he immediately asked if we wanted menus in English or French, so they must get a fair few tourists as diners. It’s best to book a table a few days in advance, and we think that eating at the second sitting will allow you not to worry about having to free your table. Although it’s not cheap, the service is good and the dishes unusual. We left happy and would gladly return!

l’Absinthe is at 24 place du Marché Saint-Honoré (here). Closed Sundays. Open for lunch and dinner all other days (no lunch Saturdays). Tel. +33 1 49 26 90 04

Official site: www.restaurantabsinthe.com

To see our full photo gallery, click the play button on the slideshow below, followed by the four small arrows bottom left to go into fullscreen mode.

Photo d’Hôtel, Photo d’Auteur (A Hotel Photo, An Artist’s View) is the big annual post-holidays event for the Hôtels Paris Rive Gauche. Each year we organise a grand exhibition thag brings together the twelve photographers who participated in the project the year before, as well as showcasing a specially-commissioned new work – the Carte Blanche – by a photographer a little more well known.

Since 2008, we have been lucky enough to be able to collaborate with the prestigious Théâtre de l’Odéon and make use of their exhibition space. This year the jury will get together on 1st September to choose the winner of the grand prize. The staff of the Hôtels Paris Rive Gauche will also be voting to decide the winner of the Virginie Clément prize.

Salle Roger Blin, Théâtre de l'Odéon. © Patrick Tournebœuf

This year’s edition is a little special, as Carte Blanche has been given to Patrick Tournebœuf. He will be presenting a brand new, specially-commissioned work, a sort of variation on his Monumental series called “In the décor, Monumental”. For the occasion, the Théâtre de l’Odéon has let us invade all their public areas with huge enlargements of the photos. The result is amazing!

The prizes will be announced and awarded during the public exhibition opening on 2nd September. After the crowds that last year’s event attracted, we’ve decided to make things more comfortable for everyone by having a second private showing for our guests on 7th September. If you happen to be staying with us that night, you’ll receive your invitation when you check in, and the staff will be happy to accompany you to the Théâtre de l’Odéon or explain how to get there (just a few minutes’ walk).

For everyone else, you are welcome to come to the opening on the evening of 2nd September, but our advice is to arrive early!

To see the gallery of photographers eligible for this year’s prize, click here. So, who’s your favourite???

And for all the details about the project, here’s the press release. Just click ‘fullscreen’ to see it at a decent size.

If you want to come to the grand opening of the exhibition, just click on the flyer at the top of this article to download the image, then print it out and present it at the entrance.

photo by mason masteka used under cc licence

There’s something extra tasty about produce from the south of France, there’s no doubt about it. This huge market is your chance to taste some of it and perhaps take some home with you

Wine, foie gras, and a dizzying selection of fruit ‘n’ veg are on offer, as well as other regional specialties, accompanied by tradition festive music and with the added bonus of a breathtaking view on Notre-Dame, all of which is just a few minutes from our hotels!

photo by pomarc used under cc licence

The yummy fun only lasts three days, so get down there!

The marché flottant de Cocagne is on Quai Montebello (here) from 17th – 19th September 2010. Open each day from 10am – 9.30pm. Free!

Official site (in French): www.marchesflottants.fr

To check out the full details of what’s on offer at the Cinémathèque française : www.cinematheque.fr

Apparently, the Tiger Lillies have a selection of surrealist songs to offer us, much in the style of some sort of crazy cabaret. By turns dark or extravagant, the music and images should meld together in a kind of wonderful alchemy. See for yourself if it’s tru on 19th October.

Et si ce genre de projet vous dit bien, ne loupez pas les lectures de Patti Smith à la Cité de la Musique également…

The Ballad of Sexual Dependency by Nan Goldin & The Tiger Lillies is at the Cité de la Musique (here) on 18th October 2010 at 8pm. Tickets: from 30€ – 39€.

Official site (English version): www.citedelamusique.fr

On nous promet des chansons surréalistes aux accents de cabaret déjanté, une belle alchimie, tour à tour sombre ou fantasque, entre les images et la musique. À confirmer le soir du 19 octobre.

Et si ce genre de projet vous dit bien, ne loupez pas les lectures de Patti Smith à la Cité de la Musique également…

Le concert The Ballad of Sexual Dependency de Nan Goldin & The Tiger Lillies a lieu à la Cité de la Musique (ici) le 19 octobre 2010 à 20h. Places : de 30€ à 39€.

Site officiel : www.citedelamusique.fr

(c) RATP / Barinet

Pris isn’t lacking in great things to visit, but the third weekend of September is extra special, with even more choice, out of the ordinary places, embassies to visit, guided tours… your chance to see hidden splendour and places that have played their part in history.

The full list of venues will be available soon on the official site www.journeesdupatrimoine.culture.fr, where each page is translated but requires you to click ‘English’ every time (yawn). Some details have already been made public however.

For example, the RATP (our public transport company) is celebrating the 100th anniversary of one of the métro lines with special visits and an exhibition. You can also go and see some of their workshops, take a trip on one of the old omnibuses (or the coach used by the French rugby team!) and discover what tomorrow’s stations will look like. More details (in French) here (certain events do require advance booking).

Another essential stop for the weekend: our photo exhibition! At the Théâtre de l’Odéon (here, just near the Hôtel Jardin de l’Odéon) you’ll be able to go up to the terrace with its great view of the place de l’Odéon, see the room where last year’s 12 photographers are being exposed, and discover the exclusive, brand new commissioned work from Patrick Tournebœuf. And for the first time ever, the exhibition is expanded to other parts of the theatre, even the façade! It’s open from 11am – 6.30pm on both days, and as with all the venues taking part in the Journées Européennes du Patrimoine, it’s free.

For more information about the Journées Européennes du Patrimoine, check out the official site: www.journeesdupatrimoine.culture.fr

The blog (in French) is here: http://blog.journeesdupatrimoine.culture.fr

The Facebook page (in French too): here