T&C Travel Guide to Paris: Bennifer Edition
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In case you hadn't noticed, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, fresh off their micro-wedding in Las Vegas earlier this month, were in Paris for a week on their honeymoon with their respective children in tow. Paparazzi dutifully documented the newlyweds' every move around the City of Light for our giddy consumption—there they were waving to the masses as they departed the Hôtel de Crillon for yet another day of amorous adventure, there they were making out like teenagers on a park bench, there they were on a family cruise down the Seine, there was the new Mrs. Affleck in a warm embrace with new stepdaughter Violet (the eldest of Ben's three kids with ex-wife Jennifer Garner).
Wittingly or not, Bennifer have become excellent ambassadors for the French capital, no doubt inspiring legions of fans to follow in their footsteps. Hate to admit that you're one of them? A brief guide, below, for dining, shopping, and sightseeing in Paris à la the most famous couple in the world right now.
Where to Stay
Hôtel de Crillon
Paris has no shortage of sumptuous grande dame properties but the Hôtel de Crillon has an enviable perch right on the Place de la Concorde, which of course is famous not only for being the site where Marie Antoinette lost her head, but also for the 3,000-year-old Luxor Obelisk from Ancient Egypt glinting proudly in its center. The 18th-century landmark that houses this 124-key Rosewood hotel is a paragon of Neoclassical perfection, one half of the twin buildings King Louis XV commissioned in 1758 (the edifice next door is now the Hôtel de la Marine, former headquarters of the French Navy turned exquisite museum). For the true Hollywood A-list experience, consider one of the Crillon's ten signature suites, all uniquely designed, fabulously appointed, and more than fit for modern royalty.
Where to Eat
Le Matignon
Mr. and Mrs. Affleck's week of amour kicked off at Le Matignon, an elegant Jacques Garcia-designed restaurant on the edge of Paris's glitzy Golden Triangle in the 8th arrondissement. No word on whether they went dancing afterwards in the basement club.
Plénitude
LVMH's seven-year-long restoration project of the historic La Samaritaine department store along the Seine was finally completed last fall. Now the Art Deco landmark is also home to the Cheval Blanc hotel, which boasts a rooftop outpost of Milan's beloved Langosteria, plus Plénitude, whose three-Michelin-starred chef Arnaud Donckele treated the couple to a pre-birthday dinner for the Mrs.
Loulou
Named in honor of YSL muse Loulou de la Falaise, this restaurant, located at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, has one of the city's best see-and-be-seen alfresco lunch set-ups, sprawled right along the edge of the Tuileries. In other words, a great place to celebrate a birthday, which is what Lopez did with her husband.
Girafe
Birthday celebrations for Mrs. Affleck continued later that evening, as the pair nestled into a cozy alfresco table at Girafe in the 16th arrondissement, with the Eiffel Tower twinkling in all its splendor just in front of them. So romantic was the evening that it apparently moved Mr. Affleck to tears.
Brasserie Lipp
After a day of separate shopping trips—Lopez's twins accompanied their mother to the Hermès store on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré while Affleck spent the afternoon with daughter Seraphina—the whole family reunited for dinner at Brasserie Lipp, a St. Germain institution since 1880, where they reportedly dined on house signatures like roast chicken and pavé de boeuf.
Le Flore en l'Île
IYKYK Île Saint-Louis's Berthillon ice cream is a must on any Parisian itinerary. The Afflecks know this, too: After dinner at Lipp, the clan made a stop at Le Flore en l'Île for dessert. In fact, they enjoyed it so much they came twice during their trip.
What to Do
Jardins des Champs-Elysées
What is a honeymoon in the City of Love without an afternoon spent kissing on a park bench? Bennifer sought the privacy (or so they thought) of the relatively lower profile Jardins des Champs-Elysées for the endeavor.
The Museums
The Afflecks certainly made the most of Paris's abundance of world-class museums. They marveled at Impressionist masterpieces at the Musée d'Orsay; braved the crowds at the Louvre (Lopez in platform heels, no less), where perhaps this modern-day Taylor-Burton pair got a little jewelry inspiration from the gallery of France's Crown Jewels; meditated to Monets at the Musée de l'Orangerie; and studied more than 5,000 Picassos at his namesake museum in the Marais.
Seine Cruise
A private cruise down the picturesque river that divides Paris was another family affair for the Afflecks, who were joined by his daughters Violet and Seraphina and her twins Max and Emme. For the afternoon outing they chartered the Petrus III, a 71-foot teak gentleman's yacht built in 1953.
Where to Shop
Sennelier
Ben and Seraphina Affleck were spotted enjoying a father-daughter bonding afternoon, during which they perused the pastels and paints at Sennelier, the 7th arrondissement art store situated on the edge of the Left Bank. Throughout its 135-year history, the shop, which is still owned by the descendants of its founder Gustave Sennelier, has supplied the palettes of masters like Degas, Gauguin, Vuillard, and Picasso, for whom Sennelier famously invented a new medium known as oil pastels.
Dior
Fresh off an extensive renovation by Peter Marino, the Dior flagship on Avenue Montaigne has been transformed into a gleaming temple to the maison, a one-stop destination for everything Dior, from fragrance to couture, even Chantilly cream-laced pastries and a 1,500-square-foot suite for overnight stays. Extra points if you're enough of a loyal client to have access to the keys.
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