Paris may be best known for its iconic skyline and grand museums, but true connoisseurs know that the city’s most rewarding luxuries are often found far from the crowds. Beyond the glittering avenues and celebrated landmarks lies a more personal Paris, one of discreet charm, quiet refinement, and soulful creativity.
Barbara’s best places to stay in Paris
Hidden away in Montmartre, Maison Souquet is a perfect example. Housed in a former Belle Époque maison, the hotel offers something far rarer than ostentation: mystery. Each of its twenty rooms feels like a set from a forgotten novel, sumptuously layered with velvet, fringed lamps, and quiet sensuality. Guests can reserve the subterranean spa by the hour, ensuring the kind of privacy one rarely finds in central Paris.
Across the river, in the elegant 7th arrondissement, Le Cinq Codet (pictured opposite) offers a modern contrast. Set within a converted 1930s telephone exchange, this boutique hotel merges minimalism with comfort. Large windows fill the rooms with light, while private terraces overlook quiet courtyards and the spire of Les Invalides.
For those drawn to design and calm, it’s a serene base just steps from the Musée Rodin, where sculpture meets garden in one of the city’s most meditative settings.
Parisian cultural highlights
Art lovers seeking depth rather than dazzle will find plenty to treasure. At the Musée de la Vie Romantique, hidden at the foot of Montmartre, time slows down. This former residence of painter Ary Scheffer, frequented by the likes of George Sand and Chopin, invites guests to linger in sunlit drawing rooms and sip tea in a rose-scented garden. It feels less like a museum, more like a memory. That said, you’ll have to wait a little while to sample its delights, as it is closed for works until the spring of next year.
Even the well-known Musée d’Orsay (pictured below), set in a former Beaux-Arts train station, feels like a cathedral to beauty. Bathed in natural light and watched over by its famous clock windows, the museum’s vast collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works is matched only by the splendor of the space itself.
Intimate dining in ‘secret’ surroundings
For those who believe fine dining is best enjoyed behind closed doors, Paris has something special to offer. At L’Étage de Pastavino, a narrow staircase behind an Italian delicatessen (pictured) leads to a hidden dining room where dinner is served by candlelight. The menu is seasonal and thoughtful, just like the experience.
Tucked near the Champs-Élysées, Beefbar Paris hides its most extraordinary feature behind a discreet entrance: a fully restored Art Nouveau dining room, with floral mosaics and glowing stained glass. Dining is like being part of a theatre show.
But perhaps the most moving experience lies beneath the Madeleine Church, where Le Refettorio serves gourmet meals in a candlelit crypt. Founded as a social initiative by some of the world’s best chefs, the restaurant supports those in need while offering a rare and reverent dining environment. Here, luxury is redefined not by excess, but by meaning.
What unites all these places isn’t their opulence, but their intimacy. They speak to a slower, more personal kind of travel, one rooted in the senses, in silence, in story. Whether you’re sipping tea in a painter’s garden, dining in a hidden salon, or wandering through galleries, you’ll find that the true luxury of Paris is not in what it shows, but in what it saves for those who look for it.
Premium Paris picks: the resident’s view
Entrepreneur and Glion alumnus Yauric Mercier (pictured) is a passionate Paris resident, so we asked him for his insider picks on how to make the most of a trip to the city.
Here’s what he told us:
“Start with the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay for art, then the Rodin Museum for sculpture. Stroll through the Luxembourg Gardens and the Tuileries Gardens. Don’t miss the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont for its hilly charm. For gastronomy, try Le Comptoir du Relais (bistronomy), Septime (Michelin-starred), or dinner with a view at Girafe near Trocadéro. Wander through Le Marais for its shops and cafés, and explore Montmartre for its picturesque streets. End with a walk along the Seine at sunset, when Paris truly lives up to its nickname, the City of Light!”
Connect with Yauric on LinkedIn here
Catch up on our luxury destination picks
Now you’ve read this newest article in the series, why not revisit our other World’s best luxury destinations:
#1 – St. Moritz
#2 – Zimbabwe
#3 – French Polynesia
#4 – American ‘Great Outdoors’
#5 – Japan’s spring blossom season
Photo credits
Main image: Alexander Spatari/Getty
Refettorio Paris: JR
