An evening for two in Paris: from the Ritz bar to a table above the Seine
Paris was made for two. Here is one perfect evening, from the first drink to the last, using only addresses from the Atlas.
Seven o'clock: a drink at the Ritz
Begin at Bar Hemingway, the small wood-panelled bar inside the Ritz on the Place Vendôme, named after its most famous regular. It seats very few, so book ahead, arrive on time and leave the phone in your bag.
If you would rather something younger and livelier, Bar Nouveau in the Marais is an intimate Art Nouveau-inspired room, ranked among the best bars in the world.
Nine o'clock: dinner with the river below
For the view, choose Plénitude at Cheval Blanc Paris: a small room in the Samaritaine building looking over the Seine, and one of the finest outlooks of any dining room in the city.
For the grand palace tradition, choose Le Cinq at the Four Seasons George V, where Christian Le Squer has held three stars since 2016 and dinner is served with real ceremony.
Where to stay
Le Bristol has a French garden at its heart and a rooftop pool designed like the deck of a yacht. The Crillon is an 18th-century palace on the Place de la Concorde. The Ritz needs no introduction, and it keeps the bar where your evening began.
The details that make it
- Book dinner first and the hotel second. The table is the hardest part.
- Say it is a celebration when you book. The best houses remember.
- Ask the concierge for a car between the bar and dinner, even if it is close.
- If it is a surprise, send him the address the afternoon before. He only needs to know the dress code.
The addresses
- Bar Hemingway · Paris
A small, wood-panelled bar inside the Ritz, named after its most famous regular. - Bar Nouveau · Paris
An intimate Art Nouveau-inspired bar in the Marais, ranked 15th in The 50 Best Bars 2026, up from 17th. - Plénitude · Paris
The gastronomic restaurant of Cheval Blanc Paris, overlooking the Seine from the Samaritaine building. - Le Cinq · Paris
The grand dining room of the Four Seasons Hotel George V, where chef Christian Le Squer has held three stars since 2016. - Le Bristol Paris · Paris
Opened in 1925 on the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, steps from the Élysée Palace. - Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel · Paris
An 18th-century palace commissioned by Louis XV on the Place de la Concorde, a hotel since 1909 and reopened by Rosewood after a four-year restoration. - Ritz Paris · Paris
César Ritz opened his hotel on the Place Vendôme in 1898 with Auguste Escoffier in the kitchen.
