On our latest trip to Paris, we checked out a new hotel, a newly Michelin-starred restaurant, a new French bistro that looks like it's been there for an age and lots more...
Where we stayed
Hotel Filigrane
2nd Arondissment - 40 Rue Vivienne, 75002 Paris
Much like our last trip to Paris, just six months ago, we didn't stray too far from Gare du Nord this time, staying at Hotel Filigrane and Spa in the 2nd arrondissement near the business district of La Bourse. This boutique hotel, with just 43 rooms, is a pretty new addition to Paris, having only opened in January 2025. It turned out to be an extremely handy addition to this part of the city, both good-looking and surprisingly affordable.
You should view it as somewhere to use as a base while exploring the city, as there are no restaurants attached to the hotel, but they do put on a pretty great buffet breakfast in the lobby, which proved very useful after a late night in Paris. And while there's no actual bar, there is something more useful - an honesty bar that's available for guests throughout the night. A glass of Minuty rosé from there was €7, which is notably good value for a hotel bar in Paris.
The rooms
The superior room at the Hotel Filigrane.
While it's a boutique hotel, it's one that's more than affordable for this part of town, with rooms starting at around £150 a night. Those rooms are compact, but no more so than most rooms in Paris and everything's very well appointed. A stylish, brand new hotel in Paris that's good value too. What more can you ask for? Well...
The spa
The small private pool in the basement of Hotel Filigrane
The Filigrane is billed as a hotel and spa, and the latter is very much its secret weapon. Taking over the basement of the hotel, every guest can book the spa completely for themselves for 45 minutes, which is included in the price of the room. Down there, you'll find a sauna, steam room, and even a small heated pool. It's a great little addition and a must-try if you're staying there.
All-in-all, if you're looking to stay in a great-looking hotel which doesn't cost the earth, Hotel Filigrane should absolutely be on your radar.
Hotel Filigrane is at 40 Rue Vivienne, 75002 Paris, France. Follow them on Instagram @hotelfiligrane
Where we ate
The unassuming entrance to NHOMe
NHOMe
2nd Arondissment - 41 Rue de Montpensier, 75001 Paris
A short 15-minute walk from Hotel Filigane you'll find Nhome. It won its first Michelin star only last year, and recently popped up in London at Sola in Soho. It comes from chef Matan Zaken, who's done a lot of work cooking for French fashion houses. But London readers may remember him for a stint in London at the now-closed Frenchie.
While you can book a small table for one group (and there's also a couple of seats at the pass, including one great solo spot), the main event here is the large table for 20. A circular(ish) affair, it's constructed of several oddly shaped tables linked together all inside what used to be an old bakery. While it's ostensibly a communal affair, you're not restricted to a specific start time as the servings are staggered. The room itself is beautiful, with the original brickwork revealed to great effect and some very flattering lighting throughout the meal.
The main dining table at NHOMe.
As for the menu, there are influences from Japan and Scandinavia evident throughout, but essentially it's an extremely inventive parade of dishes. Here's a taste of what we had:
A taste of what's on the menu at NHOMe, including asparagus with kombu seaweed and vadouvan, a unique take on surf n turf to a beautifully presented dessert.
This was a great evening and we can completely see why NHOMe got its Michelin star. We'd strongly recommend it if you're visiting from London and want to try something that strays from the traditional French bistro or brasserie.
NHOMe is at 41 Rue de Montpensier, 75001 Paris, France. Follow them on Instagram @nhomeparis.
Margaux
16th Arondissment - 10 Av. de New York, 75116 Paris
While we love trying something a little newer in Paris, there's lots of room for a more classic experience, and Margaux delivers just that, even though it's a relatively new addition to the city. This old-school style bistro opened in February 2025 in the 16th Arrondissement and is (almost) just across the river from the Eiffel Tower. You can't actually see the tower from inside the restaurant itself, except in winter when the trees are bare, but it's very handy for a quick walk down the Seine pre or post-your-meal.
The throwback look of Margaux - note the lacy curtains on the windows
As for the restaurant itself, although it's a new opening, it's been decked out to look like it's been there for an age (a similar approach we recently saw in Josephine in Marylebone). Wallpaper magazine described it as "like dining at Grandma's" a somewhat fair description as it's slightly kitch in its decidedly old-school approach, but it's something that works almost because of that.
The food here leans into that retro look. We enjoyed a classic French bistro meal, albeit one done very well. Here's a taste of what we had at Margaux.
Food at Margaux includes a classic Eggs Mayonnaise (9€), Paté en Croute (18€ and changes regularly), a classic steak tartare (24€) and an excellent chicken in a yellow wine and morels sauce (€29)
Ultimately, what you can expect here is classic French food done exceptionally well. For a restaurant that's so close to one of Paris' premier tourist attractions, it's a great option if you're looking for something decent if you're heading to gawk at the tower (although we'd also strongly recommend a trip to nearby deli Lastre Sans Apostrophe as we did on our last trip.)
Margaux is at 10 Av. de New York, 75116 Paris, France. Follow them on Instagram @chez_margaux_paris.
Cendrillon
Belleville - 50 Rue Piat, 75020 Paris
For the next meal, we went out east to Belleville to a restaurant we've been reading a fair bit about recently. Cendrillon opened in 2024, and if you've dined out anywhere in East London (or even Soho) recently, you'll see something familiar in the outlook here (even the menu layout reminded us of Black Axe Mangal).
Inside at Cendrillon (they have an extensive terrace space too)
Cendrillon comes from a team that used to work at another very well-respected wine bar/bistro in Paris, Au Passage. That international kitchen team makes itself known in a menu that takes its inspiration globally. You can choose to go a la carte here, but we'd strongly suggest opting for Cindy's Feasting Menu, which has them creating a set menu out of some of the best dishes of the night for 49€ per person. That's more than enough for a very filling meal (although you can add on extra dishes if you need).
Dishes on the menu when we visited included the signature Los Passagios pig sando (from a roaming chef residency), white asparagus laab, a whole BBQ quail with courgette flowers and a wonderful strawberry sorbet with kiwi, sesame and sour cream.
On the drinks side, we'd strongly recommend going for a cocktail (the Frozen Tutti Fruity Mezcalita was excellent, 9€) and in addition to that a vodka and caviar bump is a must.
The vodka shot and caviar bump (€15)
We absolutely loved Cendrillon - it's a great vibey place which served excellent food. And who can fail to love a restaurant with a house golden retriever which makes sure to greet every diner.
Cendrillon is at 50 Rue Piat, 75020 Paris, France. Follow them on Instagram @cendrillon.belleville.
Where we drank
The bar at Danico
Danico
2nd Arondissment - 6 Rue Vivienne, 75002 Paris
Both Danico and its main restaurant Daroco have launched in Soho, but it originated in Paris, and the bar here is a very different affair from its London cousin. About a five-minute walk from Hotel Filigrane, it's also a handy place for a pre/post-dinner drink if you're dining at nHOME. Here, the drinks are semi pre-mixed but with a few extra touches as they're served.
Our recommendation would be to sit at the bar for this one if you can, taking in the work of the bartenders, which also proves very useful for recommendations. At the time of writing, the latest menu takes its inspiration from Peru, and here's a taste of that.
On the left Machu Picchu (pisco, corn liquor, caramelised popcorn, lime, corn syrup, corn salt, 18) and on the right is the Domingo al Chifa (Diplomatico Reserva Exclusiva rum, Peking duck spice mix, sweet vermouth,campari, hoisin sauce, inca bitters, 17). Both are really inventive and the latter is essentially a Peking duck twist on a negroni, which works incredibly well.
This was one of our favourite bar visits in Paris for a while, and we'd strongly recommend a visit if you're in the area.
Danico is at 6 Rue Vivienne, 75002 Paris, France. Follow them on Instagram @danicoparis.
Bar Les Ambassadeurs
9th Arrondissment - 10 Pl. de la Concorde, 75008 Paris, France
A very different affair can be found in the Rosewood Hotel de Crillon in the shape of Bar Les Ambassadeurs. This is very much in a grand style, making it one of the most beautiful bars we've ever been in, Paris or elsewhere. It's a truly stunning setting, from the intricately painted ceiling downwards, with the original 18th-century frescos intact and the whole room (and hotel) given a four-year renovation, reopening in 2017 (the hotel has been here since 1909)
The hugely impressive Bar Les Ambassadeurs is well worth a visit.
As for the cocktails, the menu here changes with the seasons. Indeed, it's changed since our own visit a few weeks back, which means that we can't actually place what we had below (sorry!). At the moment, they're all inspired by sensory memories, with cocktails led by tastes like popcorn, flames, and even one inspired by a birthday cake.
Our cocktails at Bar Les Ambassadeurs.
Ultimately, if you're looking for a special-occasion type of drink to kick off your evening, this is the perfect place to start
Bar Les Ambassadeurs is at 10 Pl. de la Concorde, 75008 Paris, France. Follow the hotel on Instagram @rosewoodhoteldecrillon.
Hot Dinners stayed, ate and drank as guests of Hotel Filigrane, NHOMe, Danico and Bar Les Ambassadeurs. As always, we travelled to Paris on Eurostar and can't think of why you'd choose any other way to get there.
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