lively, ‘efficient,’ and meaningful—and
thus worthy of a lasting memory.
Beyond our borders, the French art
of welcoming is something that is
celebrated, sought after, and even
envied. Is it our culture, our heritage,
our gastronomy, our climate…? The
truth is, it’s a little bit of everything
at once.
The French art of welcoming is a
tradition we owe to Louis XIV. It
was his hope to bring an element of
prestige to France, so each event
was carefully organized according
to a very formal etiquette. Thanks
to this ceremony, French-style
service became integrated into a
system in which the art of living
truly emerged as a major art form.
Tableware gradually developed into
an art, and the beauty of gestures
in service developed in complexity.
The quest for excellence, which
accompanied the evolution of
tableware, allowed for the evolution
of common household objects such as
pottery, table covers, and glasses, to
name a few. The so-called “modern”
cuisine of the time appeared
around the same time as the first
champagnes, and each of these were
elaborated with a sense of ceremony
and decorum that cemented the
supremacy of French taste in Europe
for several centuries thereafter.
Thus was born the French art of
welcoming.
1. What does French luxury mean
for high-end hotels? Is there such a
thing as a distinctly French style of
hospitality?
It was around the 19th century that
the first Palaces appeared. In Paris,
Hotel Meurice ranks among the
oldest (it was established in 1835).
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