This week flew by grâce à the cooler temperatures in Paris. Being outside was a pleasure again and not immediately dripping in sweat was of course an added bonus. I’m soaking up the last of these extra quiet summer days before la rentrée (and before heading back to Normandy next week…I can’t wait!). This week’s Five Friday Finds from France features a revisit to El Nopal in Paris, my very first French haircut at Leonor Greyl, the upcoming Dîner Cousu-Main in the garden at Christian Dior’s childhood home in Normandy and more.
Dîner Cousu-Main in the Garden at Musée Christian Dior
In a June Five Friday Finds from France I mentioned Christian Dior’s La Cuisine Cousu-Main cookbook which had just been re-released in a free e-book edition. Throughout the summer, La Bonne Aventure, the restaurant in the garden of Musée Christian Dior, has been hosting a dinner series inspired by the cookbook.
The second Cousu-Main dinner takes place next Tuesday, August 25th as La Bonne Aventure welcomes Chef Alex Néel. Néel is a Granville native and the Mauviel 1830 chef in Villedieu-les-Poêles, a town known for its copper manufacturing. You can preview Néel’s menu for the evening here. As an added bonus, guests will have the opportunity to take a private guided tour of the museum before the dinner. There are still a few spots available which can be reserved online. I’m so looking forward to the dîner Cousu-Main chez Dior.
My First Parisian Haircut at Leonor Greyl
I’ve lived in France for almost two years and I’ve never gotten my hair cut here. Normally I’m back and forth between Dallas and Paris a lot, so it’s never been an issue. I just go to my person, Josef at Salon 3311 in Dallas. But I haven’t been able to see Josef since December and my hair was really on another level – and not in a good way.
Luckily Josef and I had talked about what to do if I ever had a hair emergency in Paris. He said if you see someone with hair you like, ask them where they got it done. In January, Carin from Paris In Four Months posted about L’Institut Leonor Greyl. If you’ve seen Carin’s hair you’ll know why I immediately took a screenshot.
Going to a hair salon was a great reminder that my French still has a ways to go. However, everyone at Leonor Greyl couldn’t have been nicer. Yann did a great job on my coupe (cut) and brushing (blowout). My favorite part of the experience was that clients and stylists kept coming up to me and asking about my color, which is now a mixture of Josef’s perfect Dallas Blonde and my natural color.
Ikea’s Vacation in a Box
Ikea has a new takeaway vacation concept called Vacations in a Box. The catch is they’re only available in the United Arab Emirates right now. Luckily Ikea is throwing the rest of us a bone and lets you download the booklets from each destination, one of which is Paris.
The theme is L’Amour in Paris and the booklet contains five songs, five movies, five recipes, and even dancing instructions. It’s such a cute idea for a fun weekend activity with anyone who loves France. You can download the booklet here.
Le Très Particulier
I’ve had a screenshot of Hôtel Particulier in Montmartre on my phone for a while, but for whatever reason never went. I’m now kicking myself that it took me this long to go. It’s even more charming than I could’ve ever imagined – seriously. The five-room boutique hotel was a former residence of the Hermès family.
You have to buzz the interphone to get into the gated passageway with a view of the Eiffel Tower. From then on it feels like being in a magical version of Paris that I thought no longer existed. We had drinks at the bar, Le Très Particulier. I loved the atmosphere inside, but we had to take advantage of the perfect weather and sit outside. It’s definitely a pinch-me-is-this-real place. I can’t wait to go back and have dinner in the garden, which would be impossibly romantic.
El Nopal: Still the Best Mexican Food in Paris
After our drink at Le Très Particulier we decided to just walk around and find a spot for dinner. I was shocked when Romain suggested El Nopal. I’ve been going to El Nopal since 2012 and it’s hands down my favorite Mexican food restaurant in Paris. I just couldn’t believe that for the first time in our relationship Romain was the one suggesting Mexican food and not me. He’s finally seen the light.
We loved eating on the COVID-19 temporary terrasse outside and definitely didn’t hold back on ordering. It was every bit as delicious as it always is, and then some. We both enjoyed it so much that we ordered Mexican food again for dinner the next night from another spot. It didn’t even begin to compare to El Nopal. Of course, we had to right the wrong and got another El Nopal fix on Wednesday, just to double confirm that it’s the best. Needless to say, if you have a Mexican food craving in Paris, go to El Nopal!
I hope you enjoyed this week’s Five Friday Finds from France. I’ll be back tomorrow with Weekend Links!