David Hockney, fine dining and a Jewish deli make for the perfect weekend

Ah Paris – always a good idea. And never more so than when 400 David Hockney paintings are grouped together under one roof at Fondation Louis Vuitton. This was the sole purpose of the trip – but one simply cannot go to Paris and not eat, or shop, or stroll… and so in just 48 hours my sister-in-law and I did all that.

Despite not having shared a room with anyone other than our husbands or daughters for the past 30-plus years, budget restraints meant that we decided to do just this – and Canopy by Hilton Paris Eiffel Tower was the ideal hotel as it has large twin rooms plus bathrooms with separate toilets.

Not only that but it’s extremely well located for two women travelling together – in a quiet residential street very close to the Eiffel Tower and opposite Schwarz’s Deli, which – when I popped in on Sunday afternoon – was heaving with locals tucking into Reuben sandwiches and salt beef platters.

The hotel occupies a 1930s electric‑factory building whose striking Art‑Deco façade has been maintained. Inside, contemporary decor in a vibrant palette of oranges and reds makes for a warm and welcoming ambience.

The open‑plan lobby flows into the restaurant and bar under a glass roof, partitioned by shelving units filled with art pieces and books. It’s a really nice space in which we enjoyed an excellent buffet breakfast each morning. There was a small menu of dishes to order too.

Our bedroom was spotless, spacious and well equipped with really comfortable beds and a serviceable but well-lit bathroom. The staff are friendly and helpful and it’s the kind of place that lends itself to informal meetings and being used as a work hub. We really liked the vibe.

Being based so near to the Eiffel Tower we were magnetically drawn to it, both admitting that the last time we’d visited the landmark was when our children were small. Over the course of two days we saw it from all angles, at all times of day, in all weathers. And it never failed to deliver un petit frisson of excitement.

Dinner on our first evening, a Friday, was booked at Le Petit Retro, a traditional bistro which was walkable from the hotel. We saw lots of other people walking too, Jewish families all headed to the same place – the synagogue. And this is when we started to pay more attention to our surroundings and realised that we were in a Jewish neighbourhood; there were mezuzot on lots of doorways, and the aforementioned Jewish restaurant.

Le Petit Retro offers everything you want when eating out in Paris – divinely cute art deco interior, little tables set with simple white  crockery, charming waiters and traditional French cooking – classic onion soup, beautiful fish dishes, pommes frites and superb wines by the glass.

We walked, too, to the Fondation Louis Vuitton the next morning – a huge carbuncle that appears to rise up out of the parkland in which its housed. We had the sense of entering somewhere very special, with a crowd seemingly bordering on hero worship.

This is the largest expose of Hockney’s (indeed sizeable) collection ever curated and almost the entire gallery is given over to it so everyone here was here for one reason. The display begins with his early work, painted in the 1950s in his hometown of Bradford. The works are dark and sombre; it wasn’t until Hockney went to live in California in 1964 with its sunshine and blue skies that he discovered the bright colour palette we know him for and his work came to life.

Room after room of stunning paintings revealed astonishing iPad works done in Normandy during lockdown, the rich colours of Yorkshire painted in all four seasons, portraits, still lifes, majestic trees, atmospheric night-time paintings, and then, in some ways most remarkable of all, the painting of people looking at paintings – it was almost as if Hockney was watching us as we were looking at his work. I think we were in there for three hours – possibly four… and I’d go again in a brush stroke.

But Paris was calling, in particular shopping in the lively Marais which is filled with independent boutiques and cafes, and one on a street corner afforded us sardines on toast French-style which knocks spots off what I eat regularly at my kitchen table.

A light lunch, you see, for dinner was booked at Le Relais Plaza at the Plaza Athenee hotel. Trainers off, glad rags and heels on, we entered this beautiful art deco dining room and it was as if the red carpet had been laid out (although that would have interfered somewhat with the muted gold, brown and creamy décor, beautiful artworks and Lalique chandeliers).

At a thickly-padded table with starched herringbone linen and exquisite china embossed with the restaurant’s palm tree logo we were brought exceptional bread and butter and taken through the wine list with expertise, enabling us to make an informed choice (Sancerre for me, Bordeaux for her).

We feasted on artichoke with mimosa vinaigrette, a work of worthy of its own exhibition, and sea bass carpaccio with pink berries, candied lemon and basil oil, a texture tantaliser and flavour explosion.

We both chose fish to follow – turbot with asparagus and wild garlic (left), and sea bream gratin, plus there were gratin dauphinois – naturellement, but next time I’m having the beef Wellington which here presented as beef fillet in brioche with foie gras. But not having that meant we had room for an incredible strawberry tart (below) with crisp buttery pastry, crème anglaise, strawberries – simple and perfect.

We spent Sunday morning visiting the newly restored Notre Dame (magnificent), taking photos outside the Louvre and popping into Galleries Lafayette to marvel at the beauty of the interior.

One last look at the Eiffel Tower and then it was time to leave – saying not “good bye”, but “au revoir” as this translates as the far more appealing “until I see you again”. Which we will – because Paris is always a good idea.

David Hockney 25 is at Fondation Louis Vuitton until 1 September 2025. For tickets visit fondationlouisvuitton.fr/en