Hotel Bachaumont Opens in Paris

An Art Deco boutique hotel with a banging bar and restaurant from the Experimental Cocktail Club folks

7 August 2015

Officially opened just a few weeks ago, the minimalist, retro-style Hotel Bachaumont is a sublime (and much-needed) lodging and dining addition to Paris’ hotel-strapped second arrondissement. About a ten minute walk from the Louvre (and a five minute stroll to David Lynch’s nightclub Silencio), the 49-room hotel is the debut property from the newly formed La Clé Group, which is planning its second opening, Hotel Saint-Martin, for March 2016.

The Art Deco interior—in pleasing shades of blue, gray, and green (plus gold trimmings)—is the work of French interior designer Dorothée Meilichzon, who’s having a bit of a moment in Paris. She was recently named Maison & Object Paris’ 2015 Designer of the Year. Moreover, from her regular work on Experimental Group’s very popular cocktail bars (more below) and newly opened boutique hotels like Hotel Paradis, Le Grand Pigalle and the upcoming Hotel Panache, Meilichzon’s pattern-loving aesthetic is slowly spreading across the city like wildfire.

Fabric headboards and colorful geometric tiled floors are becoming Meilichzon’s visual signature and manifest at Hotel Bachaumont. There, minimalist furniture pieces—beautiful marble side tables to skinny legged chairs—all help add more space to the Parisian-sized rooms. For those wanting to celebrate something special, the four different suites offer a fantastic view of the city.

The only downside is that the hotel will be charging ten euros for 24 hours of Wi-Fi—which, by now, should be considered a necessary amenity for guests, just like shampoo and conditioner. We hope that it’s a policy they’ll amend as more guests check in.

Restaurant Bachaumont and Night Flight

The ground floor restaurant and bar is operated by Experimental Group—the renowned French trio (Romée de Goriainoff, Pierre-Charles Cros, and Olivier Bon) that introduced Parisians to craft cocktail culture when their speakeasy-style Experimental Cocktail Club opened in 2007. Joining their small but growing list of bars and eateries across the globe (including ECC locations in New York and London), Restaurant Bachaumont and the bar Night Flight proudly live up to what’s become expected from the Experimental Group. And the group certainly loves this area: their Beef Club and Ballroom, as well as the original Experimental Cocktail Club, are located just a few blocks away from the hotel.

The concept for the restaurant is a new take on the French brasserie—one fit for the 21st century. The heart of Restaurant Bachaumont is unusually enclosed with a glass roof, distinguishing itself from the typically dark, cramped restaurants in Paris. The open kitchen (decorated with beautiful copper kitchenware), spacious tables and tall lit candles set the tone for an elegant night, with contemporary design touches like bright fabric print chairs and tilted mirrors to match.

The menu offers traditional French dishes for the modern palate. The food wins you over with the first dishes served—memorable hors d’oeuvres like mousse de foie de volaille (an incredibly fresh mousse made from chicken liver) and œuf mimosa au maquereau fumé (French-style deviled eggs with smoked mackerel)—the beginning of a great dinner, with over 330 wines for pairing. The wine cellar is a climate-controlled room on street level, and once it finishes construction passersby will be able to catch a glimpse of the selections through the windows.

As it’s impossible not to return for another meal, hotel guests can do exactly that the next morning for a fresh and indulgent breakfast buffet underneath the rays of natural morning light. With an extremely knowledgeable barista (and the proper equipment) on hand, there are plenty of ways you can take your coffee beyond a double espresso—Chemex and flat whites are also on the menu.