Hotel Panache, Paris: review

You'll find Hotel Panache in the ever-lively 9th arrondissement – a place which has long served as the confluence of energy between Paris' fast-paced districts, close to both the iconic landmarks in the 1st and gritty bars in the 10th. The hotel is housed in a handsome 19th-century corner building with a flat iron silhouette, giving way to 40 quirky-shaped rooms. Up-and-coming designer Dorothée Meilizchon has individually decorated each with a hefty dose of, dare we say it, panache.

Hotel Panache is another venture from Touriste, a small hotel group leading the way in terms of designer-but-purse-friendly boutique hotels in the city of love. Charging prices you'd encounter in the large, nothing-to-write-home-about hotel chains, Touriste's hotels say goodbye to standardisation as each has been devised by a different designer who has been given carte blanche to decorate as they please. The result is a five (soon to be seven) strong collection of hotels with unorthodox interiors, good amenities and a reasonable price tag.

Here's our verdict on the hotel, as well as recommendations for the best places to eat, drink and be merry nearby in Paris.

Hotel Panache, Paris

Mini golf, Hotel Panache

What's the vibe?

The decor at Panache is studded with art-deco flourish, complete with the hotel's trademark cane headboard, globe lights, Bauhaus switches, and retro telephones. Rooms come kitted out with all the essentials, including plug adaptors, air conditioning, Diptyque toiletries and most importantly, Alexa Chung's memoir.

Dorothée Meilizchon has cleverly designed each room to take advantage of all the unconventional vertices which come from a corner-shaped building, including triangular desks, corner baths and angular mirrors. All are decorated with different colour schemes and upholsteries. Some come with balconies, others with floor-to-ceiling windows.

Double Bedroom, Hotel Panache

Bathroom, Hotel Panache

Dining room, Hotel Panache

Lobby, Hotel Panache

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The bathrooms, although devoid of robes and slippers, are equipped with an abundance of toiletries, a high-pressure shower powerful enough to wash a patio and a not-so-essential set of scales (to be avoided if you've spent a weekend in the viennoiseries).

Besides the bedrooms, there's a sleek foyer complete with vats of lemon water, rust velvet sofas and powerful air conditioning, which is a welcome addition for those visiting during the city's sweltering summer months. There's also a restaurant serving up continental breakfast each morning, including pastries, charcuterie, granola and yoghurt, as well as a set bistro menu for lunch and dinner.

Where to eat?

Le Servan

32 Rue Saint-Maur, 75011 

Le Servan is a neo-bistro in the 11th arrondissement, offering a menu of traditional French food spliced with the Asian flavours of co-owners and sisters Katia and Tatiana Levha's Filipino heritage. Tatiana, whose resume includes stints at the Michelin-starred L'Arpège and L'Astrance, helms the kitchen, batching up exciting dishes like black pudding wontons with sweet chilli sauce, confit veal kimchi dumplings in a chilli peanut broth and prawn crudo with ponzu jelly and fava beans. Despite the food being seriously good, the atmosphere is incredibly relaxed, and there's a lovely selection of wine, many of which are natural, to accompany the meal. Make sure to book to avoid disappointment.

leservan.fr

Holy Belly

5 Rue Lucien Sampaix, 75010

Holy Belly is a Melbourne-inspired brunch spot located in the 10th arrondissement, with constant queues out the door bearing testament to its popularity. The portions here are hefty – think herculean stacks of maple-syrup-doused pancakes, brioche buns filled with pulled pork, comte and jalapenos and fry-ups piled high with hash browns, home-made beans and eggs. If you've had a heavy night on the sauce the night prior – Holy Belly is the place to go.

holybellycafe.com

Where to drink?

Café des Anges

66 Rue de la Roquette, 75011

The perfect spot for a pre-dinner aperitif, Café des Anges has a tasty happy hour (we're talking €7 spritz) and a long line of outdoor bistro seating to people-watch as you snack on salty bar nuts. Located in the 11th arrondissement, it's a 15-minute walk from Le Servan, and we recommend hitting both up in one evening.

cafedesangesparis.com

Dirty Dick

10 Rue Frochot, 75009

Located in South Pigalle (SoPie if you're local), Dirty Dick is a kitschy, Miami Vice-esque cocktail bar serving up tiki cocktails. Rum is the speciality here, and expect to tuck into plenty of fish-b's and daiquiri's, which come with a side of cocktail-making theatrics including flames and sparklers. Open until 3am, we can't promise any good decisions will be made after an evening at DD, but at least the cocktails are tasty.

@dirtydickparis

What to do?

Manet / Dega exhibition, Musée D’Orsay

1 Rue de la Légion d'Honneur, 75007

From March 28 to July 23 2023, you'll find the Manet / Dega exhibition at Musée d'Orsay. It showcases the work of the two highly influential impressionists side by side and provides a fascinating insight into their relationship. From rivalry, nudity and even syphilis, the stories you'll learn from this exhibition are worth the queue.

https://www.musee-orsay.fr/manet-degas

Walk around Le Marais

Historically the city's Jewish quarter, Le Marais, is a culturally rich district in Paris with thriving Jewish, Chinese and LBGTQ+ communities. It's abundant with independent boutiques, secluded gardens and galleries braided between hip coffee spots and gay bars, and is the perfect area to spend an afternoon mozying around.