Friend of DNA, Pooja Sharma-Jones has over 14 years of restaurant marketing experience. When we need a restaurant recommendation, Pooja is our go to for advice! She's had experience working at some of the world's most successful lifestyle and restaurant brands, including Soho House, Selfridges, Harrods and Liberty. Now running her own consultancy, she supports restaurant brands to lead successful marketing campaigns for exposure and sales growth.
As a self-proclaimed food beast (and Prosecco fanatic), Pooja has picked Paris as her favourite destination.
Pooja's Paris insight:
One of the perks of working for myself is being able to hop onto the Eurostar mid-week to join my husband on his work trips to Paris, two to three times a year. Beats working from my kitchen table when I can instead bring my laptop to Paris and work from a Paris coffee shop (coffee is naturally replaced by Champagne)! We usually stay at the Intercontinental Paris Le Grand hotel as it has a super central location, dangerously close to Galleries Lafayette and the Fragonard perfume museum!
Much of my time on these trips is spent solo during the daytime and my inner Carrie Bradshaw (the Paris days) floats around the city working, shopping and eating. There is so much choice in Paris but I have my staple go to restaurants. Formerly called Bones and now Jones Café, this is a great spot for small plates and low sulphite wines. Booking ahead is recommended for this petite, no frills and much lauded eatery.
If I’m visiting during the week, dinner at Chez Georges is an absolute must – give me a traditional French bistro any day! This is my absolute favourite restaurant here and you’ll find mainly locals enjoying simple, well cooked food (the lamb cutlets with green beans is excellent) great wine and the huge rum baba dessert. Out will come the rum sodden sponge, a large bowl of whipped cream and a bottle of rum to further drown your sponge. Whilst a classic bistro, as well as locals it does attract the fashion set during the various fashion weeks that are on. You will leave this restaurant worse for wear but you’ll be back and will recommend it to friends who are visiting– it is closed on the weekends by the way.
In complete contrast to Chez Georges, the ultra-modern Les Grand Verres inside the Palais de Tokyo is worth a dinner visit. It is beautifully designed, spacious and has an enormous bar. Dress up for here, you won’t look out of place.
I find a great spot to work from is the Hoxton Hotel, about a 20-minute walk from the Intercontinental Hotel. The menu here is largely British (French-inspired they say) so if you want fish and chips or a burger and chips & hearty large portions, this is the place. They knock up a cracking Bloody Mary too. They have a lovely courtyard here too but it’s always packed when I have visited.
It would be rude not to pop into Galeries La Fayette being so close to the hotel. Skip the fashion floors though and head to the food hall (Galerie Lafayette Gourmet) pick up a L’éclair De Genie éclair, head back to your hotel, pop on your gown and devour!
Although so close to us here in the UK, Paris is one of our favourite European cities to organise trips to for our clients. So many different sides of it and you can have a different experience each time you visit. Let us help you make your next trip across the Channel one to remember. Get in touch with us here or call us on 020 7193 4165 and we can create the perfect itinerary just for you.