Paris weekend holiday: Lisa Snowdon pampered at hotel Le Bristol on girlie break
Paris for the weekend with the girls. It was a sure recipe for fun, food and fashion - yes, yes and yes! Never doing things by halves, we decided to stay at a very elegant hotel, Le Bristol - a place steeped in history and synonymous with things hip, cool and glamorous since the Twenties.We met at St Pancras International station at 10.30am, straight after my Breakfast show on Capital FM. Like me, my friends Zoe and Caroline were doing their utmost to look like impeccably chic Parisian women - freshly blow-dried hair, lots of navy and stripes and ballet pumps... so predictable!
Glamour: Hotel Le Bristol in Paris is steeped in historyWe jumped on the Eurostar and set off excitedly on our Paris adventure, each of us with a list of shops we had to visit and a budget to stick to (yeah, as if that was going to happen).At the Gare du Nord, a driver from Le Bristol whisked us to the hotel in less than 20 minutes. It was so much more beautiful and impressive than we had imagined. Previous guests have included the dancer Josephine Baker, Mick Jagger and Woody Allen - if it was good enough for them, I reckoned, it was probably good enough for us.We beamed from ear to ear as we were led on a tour of the hotel, trying to be cool - despite our excitement - as we took in the marble foyer and fresh, colourful roses on every table we passed.We decided the hotels 114 Faubourg restaurant would be perfect for our Saturday lunch - bright and light with a balcony looking down into an open kitchen, buzzing with life.
Working up an appetite: The girls at the 'cute' Fontaine de Mars BistroNext stop was the hotels Restaurant Gastronomique , which boasts three Michelin stars and is all oak panels and sparkling crystal chandeliers, and has huge glass doors leading on to a b! eautiful garden. Well, that was dinner sorted, then.Could it get better? Oh yes, it could! We were staying in the most decadent, chic and luxurious penthouse. On the lower floor was a bedroom with en suite and a huge living area decorated exquisitely, again with roses on every available surface. There were patio doors leading to a massive terrace complete with sunloungers and a view down into a beautiful floral courtyard. Wow.But only one bedroom? There were three of us. Exploring some more, we found a huge sweeping staircase and squealed excitedly as we discovered another floor with further bedrooms. It had a second outside terrace, even bigger this time, with views over the rooftops of Paris and down into the courtyard and the gardens of the hotel.We unpacked quickly - it was 4.30pm, so there was still time to squeeze in a little shopping before dinner.
Bags of goodies: Lisa on her shopping mission in ParisWe asked the hotel to organise a car for us, and off we went to one of my favourite French designer shops, Isabel Marant on the Rue Jacob. Stepping into the stylish boutique, I was filled with anticipation, having bought Marants clothes only in the UK before. The atmosphere was very French, the girls impossibly chic and their attitude nonchalant. But slowly they warmed to us, helping out enough for me to completely blow my budget within the hour - oops. Well, it was the most gorgeous collection of cool, sexy clothes ever.I bought black skinny cropped leather pants with zips, cigarette pants, a selection of sweaters and T-shirts, a black jacket with zips and two pairs of shoes.Zoe and Caroline were slightly more controlled than me but we all ended up spending more than we planned. We headed back to Le Bristol, armed with our goods, and decided to order champagne and nibbles in the room to have on the terrace at sunset before dinner at the Gastronomique.Later, in the restaurant surrounded by candlelig! ht, love ly tapestries and sparkling chandeliers, we enjoyed the most delicious, decadent and beautifully presented eight-course meal I have ever had.Each course was better than the last, and our waiter, who had both the most impeccable manners and a cheeky sense of humour, guided us through the wine and explained each dish in detail.We dined on the freshest seafood, scallops and langoustine, sea bass and lamb, then rolled upstairs fully satisfied to settle down for our first comfortable sleep in our big squishy beds.
Classic view: Notre Dame Cathedral and the Seine riverNext morning the sun was shinning as we headed back down to the Gastronomique for breakfast.After a fresh plate of papaya, hot fresh buttered croissants as only the French can do and a cafe au lait, we were off on our Saturday shopping mission.It felt so good to be out and about on the streets of Paris. The Marc Jacobs store, at the Palais Royal, occupies what must be the worlds most beautiful location for a shop. It brought back memories of a catwalk show I did at the Palais Royal many years ago. I would have been content to hang around outside and people-watch, but inside it was just as delightful. We oohed and aahed over bags, shoes and an amazing cashmere coat, but only Zoe made a purchase.I was starting to regret blowing my budget on the first day. Would my willpower hold up at the next stop, Christian Louboutin HQ? On arrival I knew I was in serious trouble. Just being in the first-ever Louboutin store gave me chills - I was in shoe heaven!
Born to shop: Caroline, Zoe and Lisa hit the boutiquesThe dazzling display of every style of shoe imaginable was set off so perfectly with the luxurious crimson carpet that within seconds I felt my willpower fly out of the door and vanish down the 19th Century street outside. I cr! umbled a nd opted for a pair of classic chic Pigalle 120 patent pumps. On boutiquewe went to Marithe Francois Girbaud where we each picked up a couple of pairs of cropped comfy boyfriend jeans, then back to Le Bristol to 114 Faubourg for a late lunch.We had definitely worked up an appetite and couldnt decide what to have, as everything was so appealing. We opted for melon gazpacho with creamy mozzarella - unlike any gazpacho Ive ever tried and served in a shot glass. Delicious! A fish dish for our main was washed down with a crisp white wine. Mmmm.With our full bellies and our feet and credit cards needing a little time out, we headed to the Anne Semonin spa to see if they had free appointments.To our delight they did. It was the perfect way to unwind after a particularly stressful morning (who am I kidding?).The treatment rooms are modern and comfortable with a gorgeous display of oils and potions exclusive to the spa. I opted for an anti-ageing facial and a signature body massage and emerged two hours later in a blissed-out state.We rested up a little, talking about where three girls should go on a Saturday night in Paris. Should we head for The Buddha Bar for sushi, where we have all been before, or go for the hip and uber-cool fashion scene at Societe?We decided wed like to go somewhere very French, and the concierge recommended a quaint little bistro called La Fontaine de Mars, made famous when Barack Obama dined there.We found it cute and perfect. The tables out on the street buzzed with life. Inside, seated at a table with a red gingham tablecloth, we ordered a bottle of red, some crusty white bread and a selection of cold meats and pt. For our main course we all had steak and pommes frites finished off with apple tart tatin.Well, when in Rome...
The following morning we were off to the Marais for breakfast to Le Loir dans la Theiere - named after the dormouse from Alice In Wonderland.There was a big queue outside on Rue des Rosiers - a sure sign it was a good choice, so we persevered.Inside it was pac! ked with a stylish young crowd, all enjoying their Sunday brunch. This place is famous for its patisserie as well as its breakfasts - a fact I couldnt help noticing as I passed a selection of mouth-watering chocolate cakes and cheesecakes.We had eggs and coffees and soaked up the atmosphere, very aware that it was our last couple of hours in Paris.
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