Kate Green enjoys the charming ambience of La Fantaisie, the perfect spot from which to explore the hip 9th arrondissement.
Anyone who was anyone in the Arts during La Belle Epoque inhabited Faubourg (which means ‘out of town’) Montmartre. Charlie Chaplin trod the boards at Folies Bergere, Frederic Chopin rented a room, Jean Cocteau frequented Studio 28, now a rococo cinema, and the opera house Palais Garnier was the inspiration for Gaston Leroux’s novel Phantom of the Opera.
Monet, Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, Renoir, Picasso, van Gogh and Mondrian all lived, around the turn of the 20th century, in Montmartre. Their favourite cafes still exist and, despite the tourists, the area retains that bohemian, arty feel.
La Fantaisie, on Rue Cadet, is walkable — with small case — from the Eurostar at Gare du Nord. The nearest metro is Cadet, Line 7. It has a spa, a shady garden — a rarity in the heart of Paris — and, the piece de resistance, a rooftop bar on the seventh floor. It is pet-friendly and has a policy of no single-use plastics. The multi-lingual staff are utterly charming and kind.
The rooms
The 63 rooms plus 10 suites are situated over six floors, some overlooking the courtyard garden, some with Juliet balconies or terraces. The decor is distinctive — elegant, vibrant patterns abound — the trademark of renowned London/New York-based Swedish hotel designer Martin Brudnizki (his credits include The Dorchester, Annabel’s and the Soho House, Four Seasons and Six Senses groups).
In a world where hotel comfort often has to mean beige or brown, the welcoming, chic chintz effect at La Fantaisie is refreshing and cheering.
Eating and drinking
The best thing about the dining room, which opens out into the garden, is that it has lots of comfy sofa seats around the tables, covered in cheerful rosy fabric. Supper — a salad with strawberries, juicy steak and a pomegranate and hibiscus pavlova flavoured with green tea — was deliciously fresh and light.
The menu includes sharing dishes, Wagyu beef and plenty of fish and is neither overwhelming nor over-priced.
What to do whilst you’re there
Montmartre is the perfect part of Paris in which to drift, from cafe to cafe, and from one artistic landmark to another. If you only visit one, perhaps it should be the Musee de Montmartre, once Renoir’s studio, as well as that of Utrillo and his mother, Suzanne Valadon — their apartment and studio are atmospherically recreated on the top floor.
For a feeling of space and air, climb up through the winding, cobbled streets to the ‘Mount of Martyrs’, where the exotically domed Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris (finished in 1919) is the second highest point in the city, after the Eiffel Tower. Its magnificent approach is via 200 (reasonably shallow) steps up through refreshing green space.
And for a moment of reflection — or a romantic moment — visit the ‘I Love You Wall’ off Places des Abbesses. On it are 712 squares of enamelled lava on which ‘I love you’ is inscribed 311 times in 250 languages.
Who is it for?
Discerning tourists in search of atmosphere away from the usual landmarks and a calm bar in which to collapse thankfully after sightseeing.
What gives it the ‘wow’ factor?
Le Bar Sur Le Toit (on the roof), which manages to be both airy (with outside terrace) and snug (roses on the ceiling, striped walls, pink bar stools); the fact that it is patronised by the French is deeply reassuring.
The one thing we’d change
Because the garden is enclosed by tall walls, the tropical jungle style of planting feels a tad oppressive; it will make some visitors yearn for pots, fountains, climbers and simple terracing.
Rooms from €550 (about £484) per night. Visit www.lafantaisie.com for more information and to book.
