Taking Tea at a Paris Palace or Hotel

This information is provided by The Paris Tourist Office (Tea information  in Trends):

“Palace life. In the mood for a cocktail at the bar, a cup of tea in the winter garden or a bit of relaxation at the spa? You can now sample life at the palace for a day or for just a few hours.
The Bristol, Crillon, George V, Meurice, Plaza Athénée, Ritz… Paris has several top deluxe hotels.

These prestigious establishments with their exceptional décor have in the past been the preserve of the fortunate few. Recently though, they have become accessible to a wider clientele such as Parisians seeking refinement, or tourists, not obliged to book a room in order to take advantage of their services and attractions.

This trend is spearheaded by the bars of the great hotels which have become the capital’s ‘in’ places.

The bar of the Plaza Athénée, updated by designer Patrick Jouin (disciple of Philippe Starck) blends traditional wood panelling with ultra contemporary furniture and has become a highlight of the Parisian night scene.

For a cozier ambiance, lovers of classic elegance will appreciate the armchairs in the mythical
Hemingway bar at the Hotel Ritz. And it is not necessary to book a room to dine in these establishments, which boast some of the biggest names in French cuisine, like Philippe Legendre, chef of the restaurant “Cinq” at hotel George V; here you dine in a setting of grey and gold, opposite large bay windows overlooking the garden.

Breakfast, brunch or afternoon tea is also possible at the palace.

The Ritz and the hotel de Crillon propose a gastronomic brunch on Sunday, and for the price of a classic dinner in town offer a meal and service of a very high standard. Both the hotel de Crillon and the Hotel Meurice offer “teas” every day in their winter gardens, while the Bristol organises a “thé à la mode”, a fashion show with tea and cakes, on several Saturdays throughout the month.

Finally, some palaces allow access to their spas and swimming pools. The Hotel Meurice offers skin care treatments in its Caudalie spa, while the Ritz opens up its 16-metre-long swimming pool – the largest hotel pool in Paris.

The 1,500 m2 Ritz Health Club is accessible during the day with its prestige fitness centre in a dream décor of Antique-style colonnades, trompe l’oeil, gilding and mirrors.

CRILLON****
10 place de la Concorde, Paris 8th
01 44 71 15 00

“World brunch”
01 44 71 16 16
Every Sunday, 12 noon to 3pm

À l’heure du thé (Tea time)
01 44 71 16 15
Every day, 8 a.m.-10 p.m.

GEORGE V**** (FOUR SEASONS)
31 av George-V, Paris 8th
01 49 52 70 00

Restaurant Le Cinq
01 49 52 71 54
Every day, 12.30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. – 11 p.m.

LE BRISTOL****
112 rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré, Paris 8th
01 53 43 43 00

“Thés à la mode” (Fashion show with tea and cakes)
Tel +33 (0)1 53 43 43 42 (reservation)
Some Saturdays, 3:30 p.m. – 5 p.m.

LE MEURICE****
228 rue de Rivoli, Paris 1st
01 44 58 10 10

Afternoon tea in the winter garden
01 44 58 10 44
Every day, 3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

Spa Caudalie
Tel +33 (0)1 44 58 10 77
Every day, 7:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.

PLAZA ATHÉNÉE****
25 av Montaigne, Paris 8th
01 53 67 66 65
Bar du Plaza Athénée
Every day, 6 p.m. – 2 a.m.

RITZ**** (Closure of The Ritz***** for full renovation, including the restaurant L’Espadon and the cooking school Ritz- Escoffier (summer 2012-Christmas 2014)
15 place Vendôme, Paris 1st
01 43 16 30 30

Brunch
Tel +33 (0)1 43 16 30 80
Every Sunday, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Special rate for under 12 yrs; free for under 5 yrs

Bar Hemingway
Tel +33 (0)1 43 16 33 65
From Monday to Saturday, 6:30 p.m. – 2 a.m.

The Ritz Health Club
Tel +33 (0)1 43 16 30 60
Every day, 6:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Day rate

Paris Tourist Office article on places for tea