S C E N E A N D H E A R D The Hautest Table in Town The Philippe Starck-enhanced Caffé Stern has become Paris’s restaurant du jour Clockwise from top left: Caffé Stern’s exterior along the Passage des Panoramas arcade; dark woods and metal tables make for a rustic vibe; the cafe’s hat room, where Philippe Starck used vintage hats as lampshades behind the banquette; an intimate drink under an eclectic collection of curios F or almost two centuries, Stern Graveur was a letterpress printer to the international elite on the Passage des Panoramas arcade, one of those only-in-Paris institutions suspended in its own aspic, as if unchanged. Madame Stern, gravel-voiced and bird-sized, the fifth generation in charge, would ask to see your handwriting before designing a card. The ancien régime still holds sway in Paris, so it was a surprise when, six years after the letterpress had closed and the Stern family had moved to an unremarkable location on Rue Faubourg Saint-Honoré, the premises became a restaurant. The blow would have landed harder if it hadn’t been this particular restaurant, Caffé Stern. Local partner David Lanher has proven with the city’s Racines and Vivant, both restaurants with a wealth of historic decor, that he knows how to leave architectural flair well enough alone. Stern Graveur’s Tudor Revival wood panelling and cuir de Cordoue wall coverings remain, with a dusting of decor by Philippe Starck (a bit of bejewelled taxidermy here, a chrome bistro chair there). The kitchen is under the direction of chef Massimiliano Alajmo, who is based in Padua, Italy. Since opening last autumn, Caffé Stern has been the rage among the local film and fashion types. (Lanvin Homme’s Lucas Ossen drijver was at a table one night.) Considering the restaurant’s variety-free, carefully rendered menu, it’s perfectly acceptable to come for the decor and stay for the scene – the feeling in the room is électrique. caffestern.fr ♦ — Alexandra Marshall DEPARTURES-INTERNATIONAL.COM 21
