Opening Shot is a column that peeks inside new hotels, restaurants, bars, and shops with dreamy interiors.
Location: Paris
Designer: Cordélia de Castellane
On Offer: The famed Parisian restaurant Lapérouse, a revered stomping ground for celebrities and high-society power brokers that reopened in 2019, is expanding its reach with a collection of satellite cafes. Future openings are set for New York City, London, Singapore, and Miami, but first come Saint-Tropez and Paris which have debuted just in time for summer. The latter planted its flag on an idyllic corner off Place de la Concorde, inside the freshly renovated Hôtel de la Marine.
Standout Features: With a Romanesque design by Cordélia de Castellane, the artistic director of Maison Dior and Baby Dior, the interiors call to mind the eccentric style of beloved midcentury French antiques dealer and interior designer Madeleine Castaing. Colorful prints in “Lapérouse blue,” touches of Art Deco, and West Indies influences pay tribute to the 18th-century French explorer who serves as the restaurant’s namesake.
Like the flagship, an ensemble of salons privés and lounges outfit Café Lapérouse. In the Salon Orient, antique Baccarat chandeliers and cheeky backgammon tables are accentuated by shades of coral and pink; the plant–filled terraces, meanwhile, proffer up a quintessential European café culture vibe. Order a time-honored croque monsieur or a rendition of soft-cooked eggs, served inside dunking bread instead of an egg cup, and topped with truffles, mullet roe, or caviar.
