A Lazy Afternoon in Paris

The elegance of Paris is tranquilizing. The organic curves of the architecture, the abundance of tiny parks, the crooked backstreets, the river, and the softness of the light, day or night, are all calming to the human spirit. This magnificent city is the perfect place to meander and drink in life’s pleasures. Aimless wandering is always rewarded here; around every corner is a new breathtaking vista, a play of light and shadow on stone streets, ornate façades and beautiful faces.
 
Place des Victoires is a roundabout flanked by gracious 17th-century townhouses capped with slate Mansard roofs. In the center is a triumphant equestrian monument of King Louis XIV that watches over the whirling traffic: motorcycles, cars and camionettes weave and careen to the rhythm of the city. Tucked in behind Place des Victoires is one of Paris’s hidden passageways, Galerie Vivienne. Arcades and covered passages like this were a new kind of urbanism that popped up after the revolution, as the state acquired what were previously aristocratic properties that, shall we say, found themselves without owners. Glass enclosures were constructed to create clean, safe pedestrian areas between these buildings that housed new fine boutiques. For the first time, all citizens had access to luxury goods, or at least to view them as they window-shopped.
 
A lovely way to extend the pleasure of your afternoon is to stop in at LeGrand Filles et Fils (LeGrand Daughters and Sons), located in the Galerie Vivienne. The original wine and grocery shop, with its entrance at 1, rue de la Banque, has been at this location, relatively unchanged, since 1880. The bar itself is situated just inside the second entrance, from within the Galerie Vivienne. The cellar and wine storage extend underground, below the Galerie. As you explore the endless aisles of wine and other liquid pleasures, confections and accoutrements, you may find yourself a little weary from too much time spent walking on cobblestones. You have arrived at the perfect spot to repose, restore and sit down with a glass of wine. Pull up a stool at the bar and try a vintage you have never tasted before from the selection of over 4,000. If you are feeling peckish, a cheese platter will round out the experience very nicely.

The lovely Mademoiselle Amélène Corbino was my server on the day I ambled into LeGrand Filles et Fils and pulled up to the bar. She graciously welcomed me and asked me my cheese desires, and then thoughtfully curated a scrumptious array of Rocamadour, a young chèvre from Périgord; Brillat Savarin, a white-crusted triple-cream brie; Saint Nectaire Fermier, a pungent cow’s milk cheese from Auvergne, fragrant with rye straw and mushroom; Fourme d’Auvergne, a blue cow’s milk that is one of France’s oldest cheeses, dating back to Roman times; and Clacbitou from the Charolais region of Burgundy, a cheese that has a delicate sour taste and a pronounced milk flavour. Mademoiselle Corbino suggested an elegant, fresh white wine from Burgundy to start: Robert Denogent, Les Pommards, full of pear, peach and floral notes. Next was a 100-per-cent Cabernet Franc Chinon with distinct purity and balance, from the small producer Philippe Alliet of the Loire Valley.
 
There are many ways to pass a delicious and decadent afternoon in Paris: sauntering by the Seine, viewing fabulous works of art and architecture, spending far too much on luxurious shopping, and partaking in endless gastronomic indulgences. If the latter is your vice of choice, a chair at the bar of LeGrand Filles et Fils, a platter of delectable cheeses and a few glasses of exceptional wine is the perfect way to scratch that itch.

LeGrand Filles et Fils
1, rue de la Banque
75002 Paris
33 (0)1 42 60 07 12