I saved the best for last. Hands down, one of the coolest parts of our trip was the evening (that turned into the morning) at The Ritz Paris. Being the hotel nerd that I am, I knew that the hotel had just closed down for four years, YES FOUR YEARS, for renovations. And I had creeped about a million times to see when it would reopen. To be honest, I didn’t think we were going to be able to stop by during our weekend in the city, but we found ourselves at our restaurant nearby, and I couldn’t pass it up.
No matter what I write or how many pictures I post, I don’t think I will do the Ritz justice. It is the most luxurious hotel I have ever experienced. The Ritz Paris brings back the days of true luxury travel. It takes you to another era, an era of glamorous parties, ostentatious decor and the creation of cocktails. In fact, Ernest Hemingway was seen downing 51 martinis in a single night in the hotel bar.
We wandered the hotel, viewing the perfectly curated sitting areas and hand-crafted chandeliers, until we found ourselves in the back of the hotel and entering Bar Hemingway.You might say that this very bar made the Ritz Paris famous, the place to be. In fact, the likes of Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald could be found here, the elite of Paris’ social scene.
Somehow we managed to snag two seats at the bar, and our adventure began. Every detail of the bar told the story of this iconic bar. The menus were newspapers, giving snippets of Hemingway’s life and narrating a story with the drinks. Most of the cocktails were invented in house; secret recipes that did not disclose ingredients. In fact, the Dirty Martini that I ordered was made in the back kitchen and brought to me on a silver tray. Most intriguing drink on the menu? The most expensive cocktail in the world, which runs 1500 euros A DRINK.
We told ourselves we would grab one drink, then be on our way. Mid-drink, we found ourselves in a conversation with the head bartender. He mentioned the drinks and inventions that the Bar Hemingway called their own. Gave us insight on what he thinks makes a good cocktail. And then we began to inquire on the endless travel experiences throughout his lifetime…Insert the best bartender in the world, Colin Peter Field. Forbes and Travel Leisure have both given him this title, and rightfully. The cocktails he spoke of earlier were his own inventions.
We still have no idea why he found an interest in us, but our conversation continued all evening until we found the bar closing, and we said our goodbyes like we had been old friends, making plans to see each other again.
I cannot wait to make a return, and experience again, the genius of Colin Peter Field and the unmatched hospitality of The Ritz Paris.
Would you stay at The Ritz Paris?
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