Paris City Breaks to the 7th

In this post I am advocating Paris City Breaks to the 7th Arrondissment with the Quai Branly Museum and restaurant.

Quai Branly Museum

The building that houses the Quai Branly Museum collection was designed by Jean Nouvel and is considered a work of great architectural art by some and but a monstrosity by others.  That’s just part of the controversy surrounding the very existance of the Quai Branly, but dont let that put you off – you need to make up your own mind and a short Paris City Break makes an excellent opportunity to do so. The museum  complex comprises of four buildings.  The main 600-foot-long building sits on stilts, parallel to the Seine, and is covered with 30 multicolored cubes protruding from it at random intervals.  Upon entering the museum, visitors soon learn that there are small exhibitions located in each of the suspended colored boxes.  The other four buildings include a theatre for contemporary performances and concerts, a bookstore, and a casual restaurant that looks out over the gardens and Eiffel Tower and a more formal rooftop restaurant. The landscaping was designed by Giles Clement  and includes 15,000 plants intermingled with LED straws that periodically change colours, and winding paths for visitors to walk as they contemplate their experience. Much of the criticism regarding the treatment and display of the Quai Branly’s controversial collection, centres on precisely these kind of “effects” as well as the dubious ethics involved in the aquisition of the colonial artefacts in the first place.

For the visitor to Paris on a short city break, Quai Branly still makes for  a fascinating visit.  The architecture is both appealing and engaging, though not an easy building to look at, requiring thought and an appreciation of daring architectural design.  Similarly, the Quai Branly’s collection of compelling objects which, yes, should certainly be returned to their countries of origin is thought-provoking.  But due to a lack of appropriate signage and contextual explanation, getting the most out of your visit requires some prior knowledge of the subject matter and a willingness to take notes and research the pieces later. Or you could opt for an audio-guide tour of the permanent collections (adults, family, couples) and still have time to take a look around the book shop at the end of your visit  with beautiful books, reference books on the primitive arts, posters and  postcards.

How to get there:

Entry to the museum is via rue de l’Université or via Quai Branly. Metro Iena then walk across the Seine via the Passerelle Debilly bridge

Paris City Breaks Reastaurant Review

Possible the most well anticipated part of each day during Paris city breaks is the excuse for dining out in the city famous for its Parisian cuisine.  so Paris City Breaks brings you  a short review of the Quai Branly’s restaurant, which is called Les Ombres – “the shadows”.  The menu is excellent and offers earthy but smart dishes expertly prepared in surroundings that are delightful. Soups are flavoured with herbs and seafood.  Game meats, pates and specialities such as foie-gras are served with appropriate trimmings, and the tender lamb with pasta is sublime.  I wouldn’t order the flottante though, that’s a rather silly dessert.  The restaurant Les Ombres is right at the top of the Quai Branly, and so it looks out over the Eiffel Tower, making for a spectacular view.  Yes, it’s a bit pricey, but well worth it if you’re only in Paris for a short city break and have limited opportunities to make the most of all the fine restaurant opportunities.

When to visit Quai Branly on Paris City Breaks

If you have a spare 2 hours on a Sunday, attend the Forum, which is a question time on the central mezzanine of the permanent collections – 1 hour, all audiences, every Sunday at 3pm.  More than just a questions-and-answers session, this is the opportunity to discuss the artefacts and your personal experience of the museum. Free entry, limited places.