France

In Juan-les-Pins is the small, storied, glamorous Hôtel Belle Rives—the Riviera home of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald (there’s no better time to read Tender Is the Night). It’s a meticulously preserved, pastel Art Deco jewel box, with interiors that haven’t changed much since the Fitzgeralds were in residence. Lavish guest rooms with balconettes scented by the trailing bougainvillea look over the cobalt sea, while the pink marble lobby and wood-paneled bar filled with paintings summon a time when aperitifs were de rigueur and people dressed for dinner. Have breakfast on the balcony, then head down to the beach to reserve your sun bed and striped parasol. After a day swimming laps across the mirror-clear, calm bay, a massage in the spa sets you up for a long dinner in one of the many restaurants populating this particularly beautiful coastal stretch. A predinner champagne cocktail on the blue-and-terra-cotta-tiled terrace to a soundtrack of live jazz tinkling on the piano is what summer on the Riviera is all about.

Saturday nights are for Hôtel Costes, when as many tables as possible are packed into the courtyard and it feels like every young hedonist in Paris is drinking spicy margaritas.

A few goop editors recently stayed at Hotel Nolinski, and we can’t believe this total gem stayed off our radar for so long. Just around the corner from the Jardin des Tuileries, the doorway is so inconspicuous you could sail down Avenue de l’Opera on your scooter (we did) a hundred times and miss it. That’s Nolinski’s charm.

Walking through the heavy doors on this quiet, skinny alley in the 2nd and into the restored courtyard of the Hoxton is like finding a secret club.

Fresh off a significant refurbishment, Hotel Lutetia—the grande dame of Saint-Germain—is beautifully back in business. Taking up half a city block, this is a hotel with history.

Despite being on the edge of town, Le Cadoret is always packed. Bear in mind it’s a bistro that gives the people what they want: French classics done well and inexpensively.

If you find yourself in the 16th, make a beeline for a delightful, resolutely French little wine bar with a few round tables and rattan chairs out the front called Cravan.

Martin’s is a casual joint, covered in glass like a conservatory, making it warm and steamy in the winter, fresh and airy in the summer.

Freddy’s is in the top five most-visited bar à vins of our Paris-resident friends. The rustic stone walls, pretty chevron floors, artfully arranged bundles of wildflowers in old glass bottles, the museum-quality ceramics you eat off, the casual stools you perch on—it’s intoxicating and feels as Paris as Paris can be.

From the team behind Paris favorites La Candelaria and Le Mary Celeste, this grand, imposing new spot in the Palais de Tokyo sets the benchmark for restaurants within cultural landmarks. The heavy use of stone and wood could look austere, but the hundreds of hanging lightbulbs and gold accents warm the cavernous space right up