My Funny Valentine 2022: Food-Themed Inspiration in Paris

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My Funny Valentine 2022: Food-Themed Inspiration in Paris

“People who love to eat are always the best people.” —Julia Child

Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Planning to get romantic in the City of Light? Here’s a selection of food-themed ideas to inspire you.

Mandarin Oriental

Be my Valentine with delicious dinners to share in Thierry Marx’s restaurants. Chill and relax in the discreet privacy of a private Spa suite.

Stay overnight at this luxurious palace hotel and from February 11th-15h, your stay includes:

A room or suite for two.
Breakfast at Camélia restaurant or in-room.
A bottle of Louis Roederer Champagne and macarons.
A souvenir bouquet of eternal flowers from the Les Couronnes de Victoire pop-up boutique in the MO lobby.
A credit per stay (value €150 for any room reservation and €300 for any suite reservation) which can be used for accommodation, dining, spa and private car transfers.
Price around 1200 euros.
Reservations: +33 (1) 70 98 73 33, email: [email protected]

Totallycrazy2021 Visuelseul © Crazy Horse

Crazy Love Days

Beyoncé celebrated her engagement to Jay-Z here. From February 11-14th, 2022, Le Crazy Horse showcases “Crazy Love Days.” With brand new decor, the iconic hotspot for sensuality struts extracts from “Totally Crazy” with tracks including “Queen of Hearts,” “Take My Love,” “Rougir de Désir,” “U Turn Me On,” and the unmissable “Miss Bizou.” It’s Amour with a capital A.

“Totally Crazy” with Laurent Perrier rosé champagne & Ladurée macarons: €170

12 avenue George V, 8th
Tel: 01 47 23 32 32
Metro: George V

The Coeur Delphine at Michalak Paris. © Delphine Michalak

Christophe Michalak’s Le Cœur Delphine

This divine heart-shaped creation, dedicated to the lovely Delphine Michalak, is 100% wheat-free and will “beat to the rhythm of your love of all things chocolate,” promises Christophe. On a base of crispy gianduja and chocolate biscuit, you’ll find a smooth velvet texture blonde dulcey caramel. The first notes are buttery, toasty, not too sweet, giving way to a suggestion of salt. Michalak adds light milk chocolate mousse and caramelized almonds, “to make it a bit crunchy.”

Price: €24 – 4/5 people
Online, by Chronofresh and CM boutiques from February 10th, 2022

You Are My Caviar 2022

Astara Caviar x You Are My Caviar

Founded in 1981, the French brand Astara produces extraordinary Caviars Titane® caviar (Acipenser Transmontanus). It’s the perfect balance between buttery and iodized notes, as well as the very creamy texture, to let loose the aromas. Baeri caviar (Acipenser Baerii) is characterized by good length in mouth as the perfect touch of salt highlights fresh walnut notes. The caviar bursts under the palate and, as you know, is aphrodisiac! You have been warned!

The coffret “You Are My Caviar” is €29.90
Boutique location:
7 rue des Petits Champs, 1st
Tel: 09 74 19 76 70

© Pierre Hermé

Pierre Hermé’s Ode to Chocolate

PH sublimates cocoa aromas he sourced from Pierre-Yves and Chantal Compte’s Hacienda Eleonor. The notes are slightly fruity, spicy, and warm. To enhance this exceptional organic chocolate, the soft biscuit and silky ganache mingle, merge, intertwining in a ballet of flavors. Chocolate crumble, soft chocolate biscuit, thin dark chocolate leaves, creamy chocolate cream and light dark chocolate ganache.

Price: €36
At all Pierre Hermé boutiques

Yann Couvreur’s Entremet St Valentin. © Yann Couvreur

Yann Couvreur

“A good pastry is one that’s made with love,” says YC. For Valentine’s Day 2022, signature foxes snuggle up in a foxy Valentine luxury lair. “Coco’s in love,” reveals Couvreur. Or maybe it’s YC who’s in love?

Price €19
Available at all Yann Couvreur boutiques.

Cédric Grolet’s Saint Honoré Saint Valentin. © Calvin Courjon

Cédric Grolet’s La Vie en Rose

At Le Meurice, Cédric Grolet and pastry chef François Deshayes see Valentine in the pink, suggesting sexy sweet and spicy notes. Heart-shaped choux pastry is garnished with pepper custard, punctuated with fresh lychees dressed in a delicate pink coat of rose-infused whipped cream.

The Saint Honoré Coeur de Pétales costs €40
Available for pre-order here.
Pick up in the boutique on February 14th
“La Pâtisserie du Meurice by Cédric Grolet”
6 rue de Castiglione, 1st.

© Drouant

Drouant (since 1880)

It’s a first! Drouant, the historical Parisian restaurant founded in 1880, invites Valentines to privatize one of its iconic salons (POA). The Colette Lounge is an homage to Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, France’s star writer and one of the first Presidents of the Académie Goncourt. Chef Thibault Nizard’s 5-course menu, also available in the fabulous restaurant, is €130 – €220 with wine pairings. Dishes include Cuttlefish Tagliatelle in iodized broth with shiitake; Crispy Langoustine with Satay Sauce; Foie Gras, served with pears, champagne jam, and puff pastry brioche; Roast pigeon roasted withPotato roulade, ravioli, vegetable emulsion; and the Raspberry & Lychee dessert with shortbread and almond cream – to share, bien sûr!

16-18 Place Gaillon, 2nd
Tel: 01 42 65 15 16
Email: [email protected]

Courtesy of Lenôtre

Maison Lenôtre

Dine to “Love in pink” by MOF Guy Krenzer. A tender heart of smoked salmon marinated in beetroot glaze. Then fillet of chicken au gratin, viennoise of gremolata, paired with pink risotto and lemon vegetable broth. Finish with dessert to share from the “Amour en Rose” collection.
€118 for two.

Paris J’Adore Hotel

For a sexy Valentine night, here’s an irresistible offer. Stay, dine and spa at J’Adore, in the branchée Batignolles ‘hood. Owner Christophe Mendjel designed each table with a button so when guests are ready to order they just “press for service”. The Paris J’Adore mission statement is dedicated to hedonism, which, says Monsieur Mendjel, “is reflected in a number of details that all together form a seamless experience.” Priced at €760 (for 2 + drinks).

Courtesy of Philippe Conticini

Philippe Conticini

Mon Chouchou is a variation on the theme of the chef’s famous chocolate praline tart. Here’s a rich, sensual, heart-shaped combo of sweet cocoa paste, crumbly and crisp. Chocolate ganache and roasted caramelized peanuts mix with spicy Kalingo dark chocolate and Givara milk chocolate ganache promising an explosion of in-mouth flavors. Add peanut whipped ganache, ultra rich and light, mounted with peanut paste and Valrhona almond chocolate. Finally, milk chocolate brushed with copper powder outlines the heart shape, revealing caramelized peanuts. Wow!

Price is €18.
Available at Philippe Conticini boutiques.

The “I Love You” wall in Montmartre. Photo: Marian Jones

JE T’ADORE…

The “I Love You Wall” by Frédéric Baron and Claire Kito is a must visit for lovers. Covering 40m², it’s 612 squares of enameled lava, on which “I love you” features 311 times in 250 languages. The splashes of red on the fresco represent parts of a broken heart, symbolizing the human race which has been torn apart and which the wall tries to bring back together. This unusual monument, dedicated to love, is located on the square at Place des Abbesses, Montmartre.

Where to eat when there?

La Bonne Franquette, where Patrick Fracheboud makes sure it’s always party time.

Courtesy of Ralphs

Ralph’s Paris

“I want it to be the best restaurant of its kind, offering great American food in the most beautiful and romantic setting,” says Ralph Lauren. Romantically cocooned in a verdant green courtyard inside the handsome, 17th-century, private mansion in the heart of Saint-Germain, the only haute-cuisine American fare restaurant in Paris has a lovely Valentine’s Day menu: two flutes of champagne Louis Roederer, Mini cheese and truffle sandwiches followed by “Ralph’s House” salad or Lobster salad, Prime rib of beef or roasted seabass, and then a creamy heart of cheesecake or brownie heart.

Monday, February 14th, 2022 lunch and/or dinner
€175 for two.
173, Boulevard St Germain, 6th
Metro: Saint Germain des Pres,
Tel: 01 44 77 76 00

Courtesy of Sandra Shashou

Roses are Forever by Sandra Shashou

This is an irresistible way to say “I love you” from talented, Laurent Perrier-Prize winning artist Sandra Shashou.  (price £2,000) order on:

Lead photo credit : Valentine's Day at Camélia restaurant. © Alexis Anice/ Mandarin Oriental

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Born in Hampton, Middlesex, UK, Margaret Kemp is a lifestyle journalist, based between London, Paris and the world. Intensive cookery courses at The Cordon Bleu, London, a wedding gift from a very astute ex-husband, gave her the base that would take her travelling (leaving the astute one behind) in search of rare food and wine experiences, such as the vineyards of Thailand, 'gator hunting in South Florida, learning to make eye-watering spicy food in Kerala;pasta making in a tiny Tuscany trattoria. She has contributed to The Guardian, The Financial Times Weekend and FT. How To Spend It.com, The Spectator, Condé Nast Traveller, Food & Travel, and Luxos Magazine. She also advises as consultant to luxury hotels and restaurants. Over the years, Kemp has amassed a faithful following on BonjourParis. If she were a dish she'd be Alain Passard's Millefeuille “Caprice d'Enfant”, as a painting: Manet’s Dejeuner sur l’herbe !