60 worldtravellermagazine.com
Home to some 150
museums, Paris is one
of the undisputed arts
capitals of the world.
Of course you have to
visit the Louvre; 15,000
people file past the
Mona Lisa every day, but
you can beat the crowds
by visiting during the
late-night openings
on Wednesdays and
Fridays. Housing the
largest collection of
impressionist art in
the world, the Musée
d’Orsay is another
must-see, while you can
get your modern and
contemporary art fix at
the Centre Pompidou.
Make time for smaller
museums and galleries,
such as the Jean Nouvel-
designed Institut du
Monde Arabe, which
showcases treasures
from the Arab world,
and L’Atelier des
Lumières, which features
a new immersive
digital exhibition on
Vincent van Gogh.
The Fondation Louis
Vuitton, meanwhile,
is currently exhibiting
110 Impressionist
masterpieces from
the collection of English
industrialist Samuel
Courtauld (until June 17).culture
fix
At the turn of the 19th
century, Paris was
home to more than
200 passages couverts
(covered arcades)
lined with fashionable
shops and cafés. Today
around 20 remain,
with many found in the
2nd Arrondissement.
Passage des
Panoramas, off
Boulevard Montmartre,
should be your first
stop. Home to philately
shops and vintage
postcard dealers, the
city’s oldest arcade has
been revitalised with theL'Astrance Book well ahead
for a table at chef Pascal
Barbot’s two-Michelin-
starred spot in the 16th
Arrondissement, which
seats just 25 diners. Then
look forward to a tasting
menu that combines
modern French cuisine with
influences from the Far East.
astrancerestaurant.com
Ducasse sur Seine One of
France’s most iconic chefs has
opened his latest restaurant
on a sleek riverboat. Opt
for lunch to see the sights,
or float by night to see the
lights, while you dine on
classic dishes such as chilled
lobster and pan-seared lamb.
ducasse-seine.com
Arpège Alain Passard has
retained his three Michelin
stars at this restaurant
near the Musée Rodin for
more than two decades.
His vegetable-driven menu
features produce from his
own organic garden, with
dishes like vegetable arlequin
jardinière with argan oil
semolina. alain-passard.comHAUTE CUISINE This page from
top to bottom:
Arpège; Galerie
Véro-Dodat ©
Paris Tourist
Office; Musée du
Louvre © Paris
Tourist Office.
Opposite,
from top: a flea
market; Gang of
Earlybirdsopening of Astair [see Best
Bistros]. Cross the road to
Passage Jouffroy, where
sunlight streams through
the glass roof, and treat
yourself to coffee and cake
at Le Valentin. Continue on
to the exquisitely restored
Galerie Vivienne to admire
the mosaic floor and browsehigh-end boutiques such
as Jean-Paul Gaultier and
Nathalie Garçon. Pop into
nearby Galerie Colbert to
marvel at its beautiful glass
dome, then finish up in
Galerie Véro-Dodat, which
boasts a black-and-white
tiled floor and Christian
Louboutin boutique.elegant
arcades