Article by Melissa Ladd

We were invited to discover one of the most charming hotels on the Right Bank of Paris, the Hôtel Edouard 7, which is the ONLY hotel on the avenue de l’Opéra, and full of history and decoratively inspired by this British prince and king who loved Paris. (He probably loved Paris as much as I do from the looks of it!) … What a delightful hotel we discovered. It’s like a jewel box or a theatrical dressing room and the perfect place to stay in Paris for a cozy or romantic getaway. And if you already live here, it’s the perfect place to go for drinks after the Paris Opera show lets out, or a fancy dinner when you are all dressed up for the ballet. I could even imagine myself staying in one of their suites as a pretend “getaway” (since I do already live here) where I feel like I am off on vacation for a weekend, and I wouldn’t even have to get on a train or plane to feel like I’m off somewhere special!

The son of queen Victoria and Prince Albert spent many long years waiting for his chance to sit on Britain’s throne. Much of those years were spent in Paris. Edouard the 7th loved Paris. He also loved the theater, the ballet, fashion and lived in the heart of Paris’ theatrical and couture quarters : l’avenue de L’Opéra. His private mansion that is now the hotel was a place of refinement, and it still is. The hotel has dedicated all the interior decor to four main themes that are all linked to Edouard 7’s way of life and personal style : Audacity, Seduction, Character and Drama (as in theater). Christopher Daucdré is the talent behind the decoration which boasts an elegant blend of contemporary style and 19th century pieces. Within these themes, there are more elements of inspiration such as couture as seen in the choice of fabrics, and details such as the top hat lamps in the hallway of the second floor. Edouard 7 was very fashionable (and audacious) and was the inventor of the three piece suite!
After a wonderful tour of three sumptuous rooms with Lucile Valet who takes care of public and blogger relations for the hotel (among other things) and we got to sit comfortably in the bar/lounge to sip one of the incredible cocktails off the menu that was entirely created by a young, up-and-coming barman from Peru. Paulo is in his early twenties and is already a master at mixing alcohols and flavors. He’s won the “Best Mojito in Paris” and puts an incredible twits on the classics. Every other cocktail you drink after his will seem so bland and boring! (Unless of course you go back for more, which I certainly plan on doing!). Our cocktails were accompanied with an array of tapas that were so beautiful we almost didn’t want to eat them. Good thing we did, they were absolutely amazing. Little bites of bursting flavor inspired from cuisine around the world.

But after our cocktails, our evening wasn’t over. We got a table at the restaurant, L’E7 and were served an absolutely delightful meal. The wine that was suggested to go with our respective meal choices was perfect. We went for items off the classic menu, but every month there is a special menu that is created with a different cuisine from somewhere in the world. This month it is Japanese cuisine with a beautiful sushi menu. But Frank and I were in the mood for something French as we were also celebrating his arrival in Paris.
I had a cod fish dish that was served with a delicate risotto that had a hint of mango in it, delicious. Frank had the lamp with a peanut crust, also fantastic. We hardly had room for dessert, but managed to both order a poached pear that was embellished with raspberry coulis and cream. Wonderful. But honestly, I was still reeling from those insane cocktails!!!

Our evening couldn’t have been any more perfect. It was so fun to be able to enjoy something for the blog WITH Frank, and get to enjoy the luxury of first class four star service. As I rode home in my Uber car, I wondered why Parisians didn’t go out more to Paris hotel bars and restaurants. It’s a guarantee of getting great service, a luxury setting and exquisitely made drinks and food. One of my greatest pleasures in Paris is to indulge in what isn’t only meant for the tourists staying in the hotels, the fine dining and the cozy bars are how I prefer to spend my evenings out in the city of light. In addition to giving me an overwhelming sens of comfortable extravagance, it also allows me to focus on the person with whom I am sharing the lavish experience, without the distractions of most bars where the music is loud, or the other guests are, or the service is terrible, or god forbid there is a TV on with some sports match spoiling my view. (I hate places with TV screens on the wall, so tacky!). The one screen up in L’E7 bar shows either a crackling fire, or a handful of swimming tropical fish. Relaxing.

I’m sure if Parisians just gave hotel bars and restaurants a try, they would realize how absolutely delightful it is! But until they do, I guess Frank and I will have the run of the bar L’E7! Because we are definitely going back for more of those cocktails!!!

L’Hotel Edouard 7

39 avenue de l’Opéra 75002

Reservations : 33 (0)1 42 61 56 90