December Picks
There is hardly a better European destination for Christmas shopping than Paris. However, as with any activity that empties your wallet, it is best to do so with a cool head. Before joining the mass year-end shopping frenzy, consider a visit to Paris’ legendary La Monnaie mint, whichis hosting Chocolate Factory, an exhibition by American artist Paul McCarthy(11 Quai de Conti, lamonnaiedeparis.fr) until January 4.In the ornate 18th-century hall decorated with crystal chandeliers, McCarthy has erected an adobe-style pavilion where – as in a stylized Willy Wonka production room – an operational chocolate factory is manufacturing hollow Christmas trees that look like sex toys and Santas holding similar devices.
Female chocolate-makers in red suits and platinum blonde wigs pour the chocolate into moulds and then load the finished products onto stands. The factory is working non-stop, making about 250 sculptures a day, which can be bought at the front desk and bookstore (300 g, 50 euro). That should take care of some of your Christmas shopping needs! In his characteristically ironic sense of humour, McCarthy laughs at himself and at artists who have churned out works on a factory scale during market bubbles. He also takes a poke at the Christmas consumer madness and at each and every one of us, because we become a part of this buying folly despite our best intentions.
Those who have not been able to resist giving in to consumer temptation can then head over to the new Caffè Stern (47 Passage des Panoramas, caffestern.fr), their arms loaded with brand-name shopping bags. The Italian-style café is located in the Passage des Panoramas, its interior created by the French enfant terrible of design, Philippe Starck. After you have satisfied your aesthetic curiosity and posted a selfie of yourself posing with the stuffed wolf and lynx in the window, try a classic aperitif with Venetian-style tapas. The Caffè Stern is also a great place for breakfast and dinner.
For a real dinner adventure, go to Pierre Sang Boyer (55 rue Oberkampf, pierresangboyer.com), a small eating establishment that bears the name of its chef in the Oberkampf neighbourhood. Boyer doesn’t accept reservations and doesn’t offer a menu to choose from. You just have to trust him and enjoy his six-course improvisation for the day. There aren’t very many seats; just a few tables in the basement and a long table by the open kitchen, which of course is the most desirable place to sit. You will be treated to true gastronomy in a rock’n’roll atmosphere, and you won’t be charged an arm and a leg – the fixed dinner menu costs a moderate 39 euro, not including wine. As an added inducement to visit the place, French star chef Alain Ducasse recently recommended the small restaurant in a review for Le Figaro.
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