If introducing a contemporary black resin façade to the legendary Parisian pocket of Saint Germain smacks of sacrilege, the Le Montana has managed to make a statement that’s equal parts respectful and radical.
Conceived by architect Elisabeth Lemercier, the sober, street-facing building belies the whimsy inside, where the famed nightclub and restaurant, plus six new suites, have been delightfully reimagined by designer Vincent Darré.
Treating each as a guest room within a home belonging to the likes of Left Bank icons such as Serge Gainsbourg and Jean Cocteau, he adorned walls with fresco illustrations, marouflé abstractions, lacquered wood cabinetry or mirrors and metal; laid down kinetic carpeting of his own design; and punctuated the spaces with an eclectic mix of flea market treasures (from a 1930s futurist desk chair to a modular marble coffee table) plus Maison Darré collection and custom pieces. ‘You don’t refuse a project like this,’ muses Darré who says he had full carte blanche from owner and eternal bon vivant Jean-Yves Le Fur.
Meanwhile, the restaurant has been baptised La Gauche Caviar, a double entendre that once again succeeds in being simultaneously derisory (the expression corresponds to a Champagne socialist) and delicious— assuming you fancy Petrossian-supplied sustenance. If not, a rooftop sushi bar with a panoramic view from Sacré Coeur to the Tour Montparnasse will open in the spring.
ADDRESS
28 rue Saint-Benoît
-
The Nomos Worldtimer watch keeps the design-conscious traveller in the zoneNomos Glashütte enters the world of worldtimers in style – discover the watch
-
London calling! Artists celebrate the city at Saatchi YatesLondon has long been an inspiration for both superstar artists and newer talent. Saatchi Yates gathers some of the best
-
Mark Ronson and Raye team up on jazzy summer anthem, 'Suzanne'The collaboration came about to mark 150 years of Audemars Piguet
-
Tour Eurostar’s sleek new lounges in Paris and BrusselsLondon-based Chris Bagot Architects has designed a stylish environment in which to work or unwind prior to high-speed rail travel
-
Taste a Louis Vuitton summer in sun-drenched Saint-TropezThe Arnaud Donckele & Maxime Frédéric at Louis Vuitton restaurant returns to the White 1921 Saint-Tropez hotel for its third edition, now with a Michelin star
-
Wallpaper* checks in at Experimental Marais: a lush homecoming for the hospitality forceExperimental Group returns to its Parisian roots, where it opened its founding bar, to launch its first-ever flagship hotel, designed by Tristan Auer
-
Bon appétit! These are the best restaurants in ParisExperience haute cuisine at the best restaurants Paris has to offer, from a vegetable-centric menu at Arpège to alchemical cuisine at Plénitude
-
Sun-soaked European destinations to visit in springDreaming of Florentine palazzos and Greek islands now that the weather is starting to turn? Check into one of these beautiful European hotels and holiday homes
-
The warmth and comfort of Paris restaurant Margaux: ‘It’s like feasting at grandma’s’Located on the 16th arrondissement, Margaux dishes up timeless French classics in a setting that feels like home
-
Saint Laurent unveils Sushi Park Paris: the Los Angeles omakase’s new outpostA beloved Californian restaurant finds a second home at the Saint Laurent Rive Droite flagship, merging the worlds of haute couture and high-end gastronomy
-
Must-visit cinemas with award-worthy designThere’s more magic to the movies at these design-led cinemas, from Busan Cinema Centre’s ‘flying’ roof to The Gem Cinema Jaipur’s art deco allure
