CLOCKWISEFROMLEFT
TheFrenchcapital is
businesscentral; head
toSaturne for lunch;
thesedays, theCanal
St-Martinarea is the
trendyhub; for coffee
ithas tobeTélescope
THERULES
0 9 3
arrondissement, Télescope isaconvenient
place tomeetwithcolleagues. It’squiet
andservesseriouscoffee tobusypeople.
However, avoidafternoons, as it canget
verycrowdedand therearen’t seats for
more thanadozenpeople.
telescopecafe.com
12.00
Enjoyabusiness lunch
Openedby theyoungchef-sommelier
teamwhomade theirnameat thenearby
winebistroRacines, Saturnehasbuilt a
reputation for its€40 three-coursemenu.
IthasaScandi look,withstrippedwood
anda largeglassatrium, but themarket-
basedcuisine isverymuchmodernFrench.
Naturalwine list; bright, refreshing food.
saturne-paris.fr
15.00
Take insomeculture
Fordayvisitors, I always recommenda
smallerartexhibition in theGrandPalais,
rather than trekking through theLouvreor
Muséed’Orsay forhours. Youwon’thave to
queue for long, thebuilding ismagnificent
–a light-filledgrandglasshouse–and
there’salwayssomething tosee.
grandpalais.fr
17.00
Grabsome freshair
Created in 1612, the JardindeLuxembourg
isoneofParis’sprettiestparks. If your
itinerary (and theweather) allows, take in
the fountainsand incredibleflowerbeds, or
dip inandoutof theSaint-Germain-des-
Présquarter,with itsgalleries, cafésand
furniturestores. Theessenceof Paris.
museeduluxembourg.fr
18.00
Adrinkwithclients
ThePrescriptionCocktailClub isa
speakeasy-stylebar inSaint-Germain-des-
Prés,with low lighting, velvet seating,
chandeliersmadeoutof hatsandexpert
mixologistsservingupamazingcocktails. If
it’s toocrowded, headupstairsand look for
thebookshelf thatmagically foldsback to
reveal asecondbarduringpeakhours.
prescriptioncocktailclub.com
20.00
Celebrateadealoverdinner
RestaurantDavidToutain isveryspecial and
makes foranunforgettableexperience.
Toutainpaysattention toeverydetail and
his restaurant iscurrentlyoneof themost
talkedabout in thecity. Thesignaturedish
isbeef tartare infusedwithstrawberries,
but I hearhisfishplatesareevenbetter.
davidtoutain.com
All theessentialexecutive
etiquetteyouneed tobean
instantbusinesssuccess in the
CityofLight
01. Learn (at leastsomeof)
the lingo
Whilebusiness in the restof theEU
isundertakenchiefly inEnglish, the
situation inFrance isdifferent. They
expect international visitors toat
leastmakeaneffortwith the
language–even if it’s just a
greeting followedbyanapology for
notbeingfluent.
02.Pitch theboss
Frenchcompanies followavery
clear, vertical chainof command.
So, if youwant toget apurchase
order for your latest rangeof
widgets/apps, push forameeting
with theCEO (orPDG, as they’re
calledoverhere).
03.Keep it formal
Wecouldwriteabookon the
useof
‘vous’
versus
‘tu’
when
addressingFrenchbusinessmen
andwomen, but thegeneral ruleof
thumb is, vousuntil toldotherwise.
Shakehands, avoidfirstnames,
looksmart.
04.Don’t loseyourhead
Although it cansometimesseem
as though thepersonyou’re
meetingwith ispickingan
argumentwithyou, they’re
actuallyseriouslyanalysing
yourpresentationandseeing if it
standsup toscrutiny.And, if that’s
thecase, you’vegot adeal. Keep
yournerve.
