For a night at the top – both literally and figuratively – the bar of Montmartre’s Terrass" Hotel is exceptional even by Paris’s standards. Yes, it’s had a swanky, contemporary new makeover, mixes expensive cocktails, and serves an above-average menu to its extremely well-heeled clientele in an atmosphere of velvet-lined chic. That’s all very nice, but can be found in endless permutations across the city. But nowhere else has this view. From the outdoor terrace to the window tables, the bar takes in the ranks of distinguished gravestones of the Cimetière de Montmartre below, swivelling up over a sea of undulating grey rooftops to the Eiffel Tower on the far left bank of the city, out towards the grassy hills of the Bois du Boulogne, while over your shoulder looms the sugary dome of the Sacré-Coeur. Even a properly blasé Parisian might take a minute up here to raise their glass to the ville lumière.
Elsewhere in the smart neoclassical building, there are gleaming suites done out in strong, clean lines and bright colours, equipped with Hollywood-style bathrooms and most mod cons. Times have no doubt changed slightly since the hotel hosted the likes of Dalì and Edith Piaf back in Montmartre’s artistic heyday, but it still offers the ideal base for exploring the neighbourhood. The white marble lobby is all funky seating and book-lined alcoves and pool tables, with ample room for weary shoppers and business meetings to coexist harmoniously. Overall, it’s a very luxurious proposition without being stuffy or intimidating. And then there’s that view, which can also be enjoyed from many of the bedrooms. Treat yourself, or take a lover, or just drop in to the bar for a glass of champagne and that unbeatable slice of Paris.