The Hoxton, Paris

The Paris outpost of The Hoxton, set in a stunning 18th-century mansion in the 2nd — an intentionally bustling lobby that doubles as a scene, with the hidden Jacques Bar tucked in the basement. Take drinks in the courtyard or at Jacques Bar; the lobby restaurant Rivié is good for all-day eating. Come in the evening when the lobby and courtyard come alive, or for morning coffee at Rivié. It sits near the Rue du Nil food scene. It is the Hoxton formula in a grander shell than usual — a lively, design-literate base where the buzzing lobby is a feature rather than a flaw, the period mansion gives it real character, and the basement bar rewards those who go looking. Well placed for one of the city best food streets.