The Seine and its bridges running west through Paris, the Bir-Hakeim bridge in front
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Luxury in France

Paris

The capital of luxury: the Palace hotels of the Place Vendôme and the Champs-Élysées, haute couture and the jewellers, the Louvre, and three-star tables, before the train south to the sea.

The Seine and its bridges, ParisPhotograph: Santiago C.

Bienvenue

Where luxury was invented

Paris is where much of what the world calls luxury began. The great houses of fashion, jewellery and leather were founded here, many of them in the nineteenth century, and haute couture is still a protected title in France, shown twice a year in the city’s salons.

Under Napoleon III, Baron Haussmann rebuilt the city in the 1850s and 1860s with the boulevards and stone buildings that give it its face. The banks of the Seine, from the Louvre to the Eiffel Tower, are World Heritage.

France grades its very finest hotels with a distinction of its own, Palace, and Paris holds more of them than anywhere: the Ritz on the Place Vendôme, the Crillon, the George V and their peers. Le Bourget, north of the city, is the busiest business aviation airport in Europe.

A few words of French
EnglishFrenchSay it
HelloBonjourbohn-ZHOOR
PleaseS'il vous plaîtseel voo PLAY
Thank youMercimair-SEE
Good eveningBonsoirbohn-SWAHR
The bill, pleaseL'addition, s'il vous plaîtlah-dee-SYOHN, seel voo PLAY

Stay

Luxury hotels in Paris

The finest hotels in and around Paris: each rated Forbes Five-Star, holding two or three MICHELIN Keys, or among the 25 Finest Resorts of the Mediterranean.

The finest hotels

Each rated Forbes Five-Star or holding two or three MICHELIN Keys.

Private villas and estates

  • Le CollectionistParis (Mediterranean coverage)

    Founded in 2014 and B Corp certified, it grades its homes into three collections; we point to the top two, Signature and Iconic, its most exceptional houses, each backed by concierge support from local offices. Visit website ↗

Dine

The best restaurants in Paris

The finest tables of Paris and around, the private chefs and caterers and the cooking schools.

Three MICHELIN stars

  • Kei✦✦✦Paris

    Kei Kobayashi's French cooking near the Louvre, in the 1st arrondissement.

  • Plénitude✦✦✦Cheval Blanc Paris

    Arnaud Donckele, also of La Vague d'Or, in the Samaritaine building above the Seine.

  • Arpège✦✦✦Paris

    Alain Passard's vegetable-led cooking, from his own kitchen gardens, in the 7th arrondissement.

  • Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen✦✦✦Paris

    Yannick Alléno, in the historic pavilion in the gardens of the Champs-Élysées.

  • Le Cinq✦✦✦Four Seasons Hotel George V

    Christian Le Squer, in the palace hotel off the Champs-Élysées.

  • Épicure✦✦✦Le Bristol

    The palace hotel's restaurant on the rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, opening onto its French garden.

  • Le Gabriel✦✦✦La Réserve Paris

    Jérôme Banctel, in the hotel near the Champs-Élysées.

  • Pierre Gagnaire✦✦✦Paris

    Pierre Gagnaire's flagship in the 8th arrondissement.

  • Le Pré Catelan✦✦✦Paris

    Frédéric Anton, in a pavilion in the Bois de Boulogne.

Private chefs and catering

For a villa, a yacht or a wedding.

  • Potel et ChabotParis and the French Riviera

    Founded in Paris in 1820 and a member of the Comité Colbert, the association of French luxury houses, Potel et Chabot is France's oldest major event caterer. Visit website ↗

Cooking schools

Travel

First-class travel in Paris

The great hotel trains, first-class rail and the chauffeurs at our standard.

First-class rail

The top class on the scheduled high-speed trains, from city to city.

The hotel trains

Overnight journeys in restored carriages.

  • Venice Simplon-Orient-Express: Paris to Venice

    Belmond's restored 1920s and 1930s Art Deco carriages run the train's signature overnight route between Paris and Venice in both directions, with variants via Verona and via Florence, across a season that runs from March to December. Visit website ↗

  • Venice Simplon-Orient-Express: Paris to Venice via Cannes

    A Riviera routing of the same train, running Paris to Lyon, Cannes and on to Venice, offered in May. Visit website ↗

  • Venice Simplon-Orient-Express: Paris to Istanbul

    The train's long-distance journey via Budapest and Bucharest to Istanbul, once a year: eastbound at the end of May and westbound in June. Visit website ↗

  • Golden Eagle Danube Express: Paris to Istanbul

    An eight-day journey between Paris and Istanbul through Austria, Slovenia, Serbia and Bulgaria, with departures in spring and autumn. Visit website ↗

Chauffeurs and self-drive

  • Car4RentMonaco, Cannes, Saint-Tropez and Nice Airport

    Luxury and sports car hire with agencies at 9 boulevard Albert 1er in Monaco, 10 rue Hibert in Cannes, 15 place Vieille in Grimaud for Saint-Tropez, and at Nice Airport, as well as in Paris. Visit website ↗

Shop

Luxury shopping in Paris

The shopping streets, auction houses, galleries and car showrooms of Paris.

The great shopping streets

  • Avenue MontaigneParis

    The avenue of the haute couture houses between the Champs-Élysées and the Seine, where Christian Dior has had its house at No. 30 since 1946, with the flagships of the great fashion houses on both sides.

  • Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré and Place VendômeParis

    The street of Hermès, whose flagship has stood at No. 24 since 1880, and, a few minutes away, the square of the great Paris jewellers, the world's best-known address for high jewellery.

Auction houses

  • Christie's Parisavenue Matignon

    Christie's saleroom in France, between the Champs-Élysées and the Faubourg Saint-Honoré, holding auctions since 2001, when France opened its auction market to foreign houses; it is now also where Christie's holds its sales of Italian art. Visit website ↗

  • Sotheby's Paris83 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré

    Sotheby's home in France since October 2024, in the former Galerie Bernheim-Jeune on the rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, with larger salerooms and galleries. Visit website ↗

Art galleries

  • Gagosian Paris

    Gagosian's Paris galleries, in the city and in a former aircraft hangar at Le Bourget redesigned by Jean Nouvel. Visit website ↗

  • PerrotinParis

    Emmanuel Perrotin's gallery, founded in 1990, in a Marais hôtel particulier on the rue de Turenne, one of the leading contemporary galleries in Europe with spaces across the world.

  • Mennour (Kamel Mennour)Paris

    A leading contemporary gallery based on the rue Saint-André-des-Arts in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, with further spaces on the rue du Pont-de-Lodi and the avenue Matignon, showing artists including Kader Attia, Adel Abdessemed and Larry Clark.

The great marques

Official showrooms, most by appointment.

The Great Marques: showrooms, factories and cars to hire ›

Experience

Events and things to do in Paris

The Paris year: the great events, month by month; each event's own website gives this year's dates.

The great museums

Opera houses, concert halls and festivals

Live

Luxury real estate in Paris

A home in Paris: the agencies and advisers at our standard, for the purchase and for life after it.

Prime real estate

  • BARNES International RealtyParis

    A prestige property group present in more than 20 countries, with Mediterranean offices including Mallorca and the Côte d'Azur, and an office in Marrakech (see Morocco). Visit website ↗

  • Emile GarcinProvence

    Emile Garcin began dealing in houses in the Alpilles and the Luberon in the early 1960s; the firm that bears his name now has offices across Provence, the French Riviera and Corsica, as well as in Paris and Marrakech, and says it takes on only about one property in seven. Visit website ↗

All the leading agencies in France ›

Looking for a home in Paris? Write to travel@TheMediterranean.com and we will introduce you, in confidence, to the right agency.

Architects and designers

  • Wilmotte & AssociésParis, France

    Jean-Michel Wilmotte's firm designed The Maybourne Riviera at Roquebrune-Cap-Martin and restored the Hôtel Lutetia in Paris, and takes on private residences as well as hotels. Visit website ↗

  • Studio KOParis, France

    Karl Fournier and Olivier Marty, with offices in Paris, London and Marrakech, designed the Musée Yves Saint Laurent in Marrakech and private houses in Morocco including Villa K at Tagadert and Villa E in the Ourika valley. Visit website ↗

  • Charles ZanaParis, France

    The Tunisian-born architect and interior designer works on private residences and hotels, including Hotel Lou Pinet in Saint-Tropez and Crillon le Brave in Provence; he was made a Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres in 2019. Visit website ↗

Plan your trip

Luxury travel in Paris and the Mediterranean: your questions answered

Plan your journey to Paris

Where is Paris?

In northern France on the Seine. Le Bourget, the private jet airport, is about 30 minutes from the centre; Nice and the Riviera are about 90 minutes by air or under six hours by train.

What is Paris famous for?

The Louvre and the Eiffel Tower, haute couture and the great fashion and jewellery houses, its Palace hotels such as the Ritz, three-star dining, and Versailles nearby.

Which are the best restaurants in Paris?

The nine three-MICHELIN-star tables on our list for Paris: Kei; Plénitude (Cheval Blanc Paris); Arpège; Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen; Le Cinq (Four Seasons Hotel George V); Épicure (Le Bristol); Le Gabriel (La Réserve Paris); Pierre Gagnaire; Le Pré Catelan.

Do you tip in Paris?

Service is included in menu prices by law (service compris), so a tip is a gesture: about 5% (€1 per €20), and 5–10% for exceptional service at high-end restaurants. Round up taxis. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day, €10–20 for a concierge who goes out of their way.

What should you wear in Paris?

Dress respectfully in churches. Smart, polished dress for fine dining.

Beyond Paris

More in France

Saint-Tropez, Cannes, Cap Ferrat and Corsica, and the Mediterranean beyond.

FranceLuxury French Riviera Holidays & HotelsExplore FranceThe MediterraneanTwenty-two countries and Gibraltar, first class onlyExplore the MediterraneanPlan your journeyFrom your home to Paris, with the costsOpen the trip planner

Customs and etiquette

Customs and etiquette in Paris

How France does things.

Language
French. English is widely spoken in luxury hotels and leading restaurants on the Riviera and in Paris.
Greetings
A handshake on first meeting. Among friends, la bise (cheek kisses); the number varies by region, two being most common. Always say bonjour (or bonsoir in the evening) on entering a shop or speaking to staff; use monsieur / madame.
Dress
Dress respectfully in churches. Smart, polished dress for fine dining.
Dining
Lunch typically 12–2 pm; dinner from about 7.30–8 pm. Book ahead at good restaurants. The bill comes when you ask.
Tipping
Service is included in menu prices by law (service compris), so a tip is a gesture: about 5% (€1 per €20), and 5–10% for exceptional service at high-end restaurants. Round up taxis. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day, €10–20 for a concierge who goes out of their way.
Good to know
Many shops close on Sundays, and in smaller towns for a long lunch. Restaurants often stop serving lunch around 2 pm.

Every list on this page is checked by hand and dated: last checked October 2026. Hotels, restaurants and events link only to their own official websites, where confirmed.

The Mediterranean Season Letter

Where to be, every season

Four letters a year, one for each season: the Mediterranean from spring to autumn, and Beyond the Mediterranean, into the Alps, in winter. The one best hotel to book, and the events worth crossing a sea for.