Audrey Hepburn’s favorite place in Paris
Whether dancing down the banks of the Seine or posing in couture at the Arc de Triomphe, screen legend Audrey Hepburn extolled the magic of the City of Light like no one else. As she said herself: “Paris isn’t for changing planes, it’s for changing your outlook!” By DELILAH KHOMO
As Audrey Hepburn famously said in Sabrina, “Paris is always a good idea.” It was there, in the City of Light, that Hepburn spent much of her adult life – particularly in her suite at the family-run Hotel Raphael, which became her home away from home while she was shooting iconic films such as Paris When It Sizzles, Funny Face and Charade. The actress was drawn to the hotel’s homespun intimacy and the baroque charm of its trompe l’oeil walls and refined chinoiserie. She loved the ritual of having chocolat chaud and homemade madeleines on the rooftop terrace, and playing against her co-stars William Holden and Cary Grant on the hotel’s giant chess board. It also helped that her friend and lifelong collaborator Monsieur Hubert de Givenchy’s store was, and still is, nearby on the Avenue George V. Today, the hotel’s rooftop remains an ideal spot for views of the Eiffel Tower, which sparkles on the hour, every hour, after the sun sets. It’s the perfect place to enjoy the signature ‘Raphael’ cocktail, a delicious mix of Champagne, strawberry, apple and lime.
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