There’s no bed like home. Yet I also like sleeping around in Paris.
Until recently I had never bedded down in the 7th arrondissement. You know the 7th, right?, that district with the Dome of the Invalides at its center, extending from the Eiffel Tower to just past the Orsay Museum and from the river to rue de Sèvres. Home to the prime minister, high functionaries, government ministries, the National Assembly, UNESCO and the Rodin Museum, it rhymes with power, deliberation and monumental tourism, none of which is particularly sexy to me when it comes to sleeping around.
But I’m available, so when a public relations agent invited me get to know the Hotel Thoumieux by spending the night “with the person of your choice” I immediately accepted. In fact, I was flattered, not so much by the invitation (I receive them often) but by the bit about “with the person of your choice.” It made it sound as though I could snap my fingers and a chosen person would show up to spend the night with me at a 4-star boutique hotel. I snapped, but no one answered, so I made a few phone calls, and still no one answered, then I sent out a few texts made a few swipes on an app, and finally “the person of my choice” agreed to be chosen.
I packed an overnight bag, promisingly known in French as a baise-en-ville, and set out across the city on foot to get myself in the mindset of a traveler from afar in search of the unknown. I entered the 7th arrondissement by crossing the unguarded border from the 6th along boulevard Saint Germain, then proceeded east-west along rue Saint-Dominique. Eventually I caught sight of the Eiffel Tower peeking out from above the buildings. The tower disappeared and reappeared again as the vertical sign of the Thoumieux also came into view.
An inconspicuous door beside the Brasserie Thoumieux opens to a steep staircase that leads to the small hotel reception area upstairs. There’s an elevator, somewhere, but I appreciated the stairs because they reminded me of climbing to upstairs pensions in Italy and Spain during my backpacking days. How far I’ve come, I thought, somewhat sadly.
But my room perked me up. The 15 rooms at the Thoumieux have been delightfully decorated by India Mahdavi with fluid curves, playful contrasts, leopard print throws and busy bathroom marble and tiles. The eye won’t rest until you go to sleep. Facing either the narrow street or the narrow courtyard, the rooms go from tiny to cozy to room for jumping jacks to nearly space for a cartwheel, 130-355 square feet, maximum 325-505€ but often priced less. Even the smallest room (mine, photo) feels welcoming, lively and charming.
This is indeed a hotel for romance and intimacy. And the neighborhood lends itself to rewarding culinary explorations for any couple (or more if you’re into that kind of thing). The Thoumieux itself houses two worthy restaurants: its elegant brasserie with the red velour banquettes on the ground floor and Sylvestre Wahid’s upstairs den of high gastronomy.
Only come with someone you like, I mean really like, as I hoped that I would, while I waited by the entrance.
Hotel Thoumieux
79 rue Saint-Dominique, 7th arr.
Metro La Tour-Maubourg, RER Pont de l’Alma
Tel. +33 (0)1 47 05 79 00
A Beaumarly / Costes establishment
The Thoumieux is among the collection of stylish cafés, restaurants, bars and hotels within the Beaumarly/Costes group. See here for the complete list. Gilbert and Thierry Costes have been on the Paris scene since the late 1990s, with much success. Years ago, I was put off at several of their establishments by the condescending attitude of their staff; it was as though friends and I weren’t worthy of having a drink or a meal there but would be tolerated if we stayed out of view. I steered myself and visitors elsewhere. The staff at Thoumieux appears to take a more welcoming view at both the hotel and the brasserie—not warm and fuzzy, mind you, but proper, comme il faut. Genuine warmth, however, is found in encounters with Sylvestre Wahid, eponymous chef of the stellar upstairs restaurant (article coming soon) at the Thoumieux. Wahid treats every curious diners like an honored guest.
Eating and drinking on and around rue Saint Dominique
For culinary explorations, you’ll have little reason to leave your neighborhood when staying at the Thoumieux. Brasserie Thoumieux is an excellent place to start, as is the ultra-traditional bistro La Fontaine de Mars down the street, and there are many other worthy options within a 10-minute walk. Closer still:
Your 5-minute radius guide to the Hotel Thoumieux
Your local bakery: Boulangerie Douceurs et Traditions (Nelly Julien), runner-up in the Paris region’s 2019 Best Chocolate Éclair competition.
Your local food market street: Rue Cler.
Your next-door Irish pub: O’Brien’s.
Your local bistro with the easy-priced menu: Chez France.
Your local Greek restaurant and take-out gyro shop: Apollon.
Along with Sylvestre Wahid, your other local high gastronomic restaurant: David Toutain.
Your local caviar shop and restaurant: Petrossian.
Your local foie gras boutique, where you can purchase vacuum-packed liver to enjoy at home: Dubernet.
Your local Argentinian beef restaurant: Unico.
Also, your local 19th-century Catholic church with an elegant barrel ceiling and organ that no tourist other than you has ever visited: Saint Pierre du Gros Caillou, 92 rue Saint-Dominique.
© 2019, Gary Lee Kraut