Photo Maison Delano © Gaelle Le Boulicaut
Summer has settled into our cities. On the wish list, we want to slow the pace in the shade of a terrace and savour the dolce vita. Maison Delano Paris grants that wish while also offering a change of scenery. A real favourite.
By Sabah Kaddouri
Paris is full of exceptional addresses, and securing your place as a newcomer means unlocking the first key: enchantment. Maison Delano has taken up residence in a remarkable setting: rue d’Anjou, just a stone’s throw from the Palais de l’Elysée. A regal location that promises calm and discretion. That is precisely what many are seeking today in order to breathe in a great city. Paris gives you a great deal, just as it takes plenty away! The relentless crowds, the thousand and one concurrent construction sites — it is through that noise that you make your way. Once you arrive at number 4 rue d’Anjou, the world recedes. The only moving figures are the elegantly dressed head waiters. In this Haussmann-inspired hôtel particulier, you are lulled by contrasts. At once a cosy cocoon with 56 rooms, including 19 suites, and a vibrant venue welcoming an eclectic crowd, Maison Delano Paris blurs the boundaries in order to intensify the stay. Much like its iconic American elder sister.
The address is part of the success story of Delano Miami. A South Beach hotel legend since 1995, the brand has attracted since its opening everything Magic City has to offer in the way of high-profile personalities: Madonna, Donatella Versace, Lenny Kravitz… and devotees of lifestyle experiences. Madonna celebrated her birthday there at The Blue Door restaurant over a plate of caviar penne in the mid-90s. Was this where the shift took place — from thinking of a hotel as merely a place to sleep, to seeing it as a place to live and feel emotions? Many media observers would say yes. A formidable legacy and lineage for the Parisian interpretation! That key is therefore not within everyone’s reach. Yet Maison Delano Paris faces the challenge of making a name for itself once the initial curiosity has faded. Visitors to the City of Light arrive with expectations very different from those in Florida.
Let’s open the door to a room. As Swiss guests, we will choose the most refined one, to compare it with our own fine national flagships. Paris, the capital of luxury, is the only destination capable of dazzling those who have already seen it all. The Maison Delano Presidential Suite and the historic Grande Suite are living testaments to the French school: original stonework, wood-panelled walls, light parquet floors, mouldings and marble fireplaces remind us that we are in an hôtel particulier dating back to 1734. The impressive four-metre ceiling height enhances the sense of opulence, while the painted 18th-century ceilings feature majestic chandeliers. Interior designer Lázaro Rosa Violán invites us into a bourgeois residence where time seems to have stood still. A Paris of art and history. In his work, he builds bridges with the more contemporary, more flamboyant Delano DNA, without ever coming close to bad taste. Delano green, the famous Delano white linen drape, velvet banquettes and window fabrics are complemented by contemporary artworks throughout the spaces.
The bathrooms extend the in-room comfort: Japanese toilets, Bluetooth speaker, streamlined walk-in shower, marble, branded bathrobes… Everything is designed to make this moment feel sacred. In fact, massages booked through the Concierge are delivered in the privacy of your room. There is a distinctly residential feel that pleasantly dissolves the notion of a hotel. The rooms and suites on the 5th floor, under the eaves, are defined by their sloping ceilings, giving each one a romantic note and views over the rooftops of Paris. From one season to the next, the city reveals itself in a new light. In this intense summer heat, you may well find yourself daydreaming about watching autumn rain stream down the bay windows, a house-made hot chocolate in hand…
In the capital of taste, dining is serious business and not confined to lunch and dinner. At Maison Delano, Parisians have adopted the address for business breakfasts and after-work aperitifs with friends. The five-star hotel has created genuine moments of conviviality, such as the Sunday brunch on the terrace. Guests gather around a generous sweet-and-savoury buffet featuring viennoiseries, seafood platters, bagels, pastries, all complemented by a choice of hot dishes. Champagne is also on the menu for oenophiles. The inner courtyard, designed as an urban oasis, remains the beating heart of the house. It is a pleasure to sit there and soak up the atmosphere. The Delano Café restaurant has seen Michelin-starred chefs come and go before being entrusted to Italian Chef Paolo Minelli to build a real connection with guests. The schedule of a starred chef often keeps them away from the stove… and that can dash many expectations. In Switzerland, we recently saw this with the dramatic split between the iconic Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne and Chef Anne-Sophie Pic, initiated by the hotel, which decided to cut the cord.
The new-look Café Delano is an invitation to travel across the Mediterranean terroir, with numerous Italian stops along the way. Let’s talk about the terrace. Nestled in the shade of olive trees and reeds, tiled in navy blue and lulled by the murmur of a central fountain, its Piazza spirit takes us elsewhere without ever leaving Paris. Come evening, a seaside fragrance fills the atmosphere, especially around the bar. Take a seat and it is easy to strike up a conversation with well-informed guests; like you, they have heard about the place. The mixologists craft bespoke nectars while also adapting to the preferences of mocktail lovers. On some evenings, DJs animate the space, which then turns into a dancefloor. During the Football World Cup, live sports broadcasts set the rhythm of the foodies’ day-to-day. During the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, the terrace was entirely privatised by a prestigious brand. Café Delano has established itself among Paris’s leading event venues.
Chef Paolo Minelli welcomes you with his menu: « Each dish tells a fragment of my life. Each plate carries a memory. Each aroma evokes a memory that I am pleased to share with you. A culinary journey between memories and traditions. », he says. Listen to the head waiter, who offers good advice, and you will not regret choosing the starter of courgette flowers stuffed with fresh goat’s cheese and scamorza, served with a Kalamata olive sauce. A delight. One only wishes there were more of it on the plate. Then you can dip into your dining companion’s burrata. Paired with heritage tomatoes and elevated by thyme-roasted peaches, it leaves you with a blissful smile at the corner of your mouth.
The rest is of the same calibre. From red mullet with artichokes, new potatoes and saffron, rock jus; to the delicious flame-seared octopus, accompanied by a tangy cold caponata. Summer is captured on the plate. Bread is also offered as focaccia with coppa, provola and confit tomatoes… An absolute treat, so much so that it is impossible to eat it in moderation!
For the grand finale, the Chef surprises us with trompe-l’œil desserts. He has succeeded in anchoring us in the Mediterranean, and he also manages to play with our taste buds through his indulgent creations. Staying with the theme, we order a tiramisu. It arrives as a sealed shell, revealing an airy mousse. The bitterness of the coffee and the sweetness of the mascarpone remain intact. We listen once more to the waiter and opt for the Strawberry-Arugula. What a brilliant idea! It is a perfectly recreated strawberry that blossoms under the spoon to reveal a light texture, fresh strawberries and a surprising arugula sauce, which turns out to be essential to the recipe. The dessert becomes a jewel box, and summer becomes unforgettable.
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