Another notch on Experimental Group’s bedpost of vibey, characterful hospitality ventures worldwide, this boutique beauty – the Grand Pigalle Experimental – refines the neighbourhood’s racy bohemian history into an expression of delicious decadence, and 21st-century style.
Stepping into the Grand Pigalle Experimental, there’s barely a change in atmosphere from that of the surrounding streets. On arrival, you transition seamlessly from the buzz of the hip Pigalle quarter to a lobby clamouring with diners flocking to the adjacent restaurant. The vibe is hardly surprising, given that this popular boutique hotel is owned by the Experimental Group, the trio behind Experimental Cocktail Club (ECC), which launched a slew of exciting craft cocktail bars in Paris, then a curated range of trailblazing bars, restaurants and hotels across Europe and New York City. Naturally, they established their first hotel in the historic Pigalle, a former red-light zone and creativity hub that once drew artists, sex shops and intellectuals. Although the Picassos and Moulin Rouge cabarets have gone, the current bistros, concept stores and cocktail bars still channel the neighbourhood’s sleepless, bohemian energy, with The Grand Pigalle Experimental a firm fixture on the scene.
Perched on the corner of rues Victor Massé and Henry Monnier, the hotel occupies a classic Haussmann-style apartment building. Its friendly, upbeat staff directed us to our room on an upper floor via a stairwell and narrow corridors whose dark teal walls give a cocooning and dare we say bordello vibe. We half-expected a red light dangling in a small room, but were instead met with cool, bright spaciousness. Stylish interiors by Dorothée Meilichzon (who also designed the fabulous rooftop terrace at the ECC’s third hotel, Hotel des Grand Boulevards) are semi-retro confections, with original mouldings and custom-made brass lamps that cast an ambient glow.
| Perfect for | Fly into | Right on time |
| The Insider | CDG | GMT +1 |
| While you’re Out There |
| The hotly anticipated Minore restaurant opened recently, a few blocks east. Japanese chef Katsuaki Okiyama and master mixologist Hugo Combe have joined forces to create this evening-only, 18-seat restaurant-cum-bar, serving cocktails and natural and biodynamic wines. Okiyama, who honed his craft at Robuchon before opening the wildly popular Abri, serves a French menu with nods to his Japanese heritage, and items like the cocoa and anchovy madeleine appetisers and mijinko-breaded langoustines are big hits with the food-savvy clientele. |
The 37 rooms and suites vary in colour scheme and degrees of brightness. Some walls have gold-leaf speckling while others, such as ours, continue the teal theme, with crisp all-white bedding on queen-size mattresses. There’s an elegant sparseness that’s suited to night owls – no chairs, just a sliver of a desk propping up a retro telephone and radio, plus a zingy leopard-print carpet to balance the minimalism. Original windows with shallow private balconies overlook either the narrow streets below, the internal courtyard or the rooftops of Pigalle and nearby Montmartre. They are surprisingly effective at blocking out street noise, although, for total silence, you’ll want a courtyard-facing room. The bathrooms are black-white-and-teal affairs, with harlequin floor tiles and fresh, gold details. However, our bathtub shower’s glass screen didn’t extend very far, meaning we had to wash gingerly to avoid spills. In terms of accessibility, two of the rooms are adapted, and the lifts and ground floor can accommodate a wheelchair.
As you would expect, the minibars are well-stocked with signature bevvies by ECC who naturally take their food and drink seriously. The street-side bar downstairs serves cocktails such as the Venise (Negroni, Nikka Coffey Gin, Del Professore Rosso vermouth and bitters, and Scrappy’s orange bitters), while Michelin-star chef Gregory Marchand holds his own in the face of robust neighbourhood competition. His excellent grub (French with international leanings) makes the hotel’s Frenchie Pigalle restaurant a destination for foodies. Delicious mains include candied trout with celery and spinach and herb chicken with beets and red onion pickles, paired with a selection of Italian wines. Marchand also stirs in some international influences with items like the small-plate tempura, broccolini with Levantine labneh, and a panna cotta dessert. Standards are maintained in the mornings when the kitchen delivers a satisfying breakfast buffet and a cooked menu that sets you up for exploring the neighbourhood stores and restaurants, and the concierge is ready with insider recommendations, with the neighbouring 18th arrondissement or Montmartre within easy walking distance. Hip locale, value-for-money rooms and top-notch food – this hotel has maintained its popularity for good reason.
Photography courtesy of Experimental Group
