Hey see Fantaisie | Martin Brudnizki’s jardin-in-Paris hotel

I made an empty promise to my husband (and myself) at the start of the year that I’d stop buying scented candles. A recent inventory of what a friend christened “The Silly Cupboard” revealed 40 unopened boxes of fragranced wax. Many are gifts. Most are purchases I’ve made myself, gathering up multiples of the same scent in different sizes and formats, in case someone at Buly or Diptyque (or indeed Yankee Candle—I’m no snob when it comes their WoodWick Fireside) decides that a particular fragrance should be discontinued. It’s not happened to me with a candle yet (as it did, so suddenly, with my beloved Armani Eau Pour Homme), but you never know.

I knew when I walked into La Fantaisie last week, that I’d been lying about a curb on the retail. The aroma of tomato leaf, berries and cedar that hit me the second I walked in the door was a sweet greenhouse blast of heaven. And yes, reception assured me, as I handed over my passport and credit card, their proprietorial blend of Jardin en Fleurs was available to buy. I did leave it until checkout, as if I might change my mind. But it was never likely.

An exclusive fragrance seems to be part and parcel of having a hotel designed by Martin Brudnizki. I remember one of the opening parties for Broadwick Soho in London, and how many custom Azzi Glasser candles I left with. And so it is with La Fantaisie, one of two Brudnizki hotels that opened within months of each other in Paris in 2023 (the other is Le Grand Mazarin, in the Marais).

La Fantaisie is, as you may gather from the smell associated with it, Brudnizki’s garden fantasy. There is a pretty courtyard which was in deserted pre-spring mode when I visited, and a gorgeous little rooftop cocktail bar (similar in mood to the Broadwick Soho) that is well worth bearing in mind whenever you need a drink in the neighbourhood. Sur le Toit is peak Brudnizki: Pale pink velour barstools, and red roses on green and pink stripes on the walls and ceilings. The ground floor restaurant is less giddy, and more spacious. The upholstered booth seating has a leaf motif, and the citrus yellow colour scheme and framed botanical illustrations on the walls create something perpetually sunny.

I’d come to La Fantaisie just for the breakfast croissants—huge, fluffy pillows of butter, with a glossy ebony sheen on them—but dinner is fancier, with the menu marking certain dishes with a floral graphic to signify that “a touch of fantasy is hidden in this dish.” I’m not sure I want this with dinner (I’m really happy with more butter, less speculation) but I felt like I had to give it a go… In the case of my red shrimp tartare, the fantasy was a quenelle of orange sorbet. A pretty dish, and pretty great. I was gutted that the turbot with black rice and clams wasn’t available the night I was in, but roast chicken with homemade gnocchi (I watched it being shaped while I sat at the counter) and truffle softened the blow. No fantasy needed here. This is fresh fine dining for the 2020s. Brilliantly unstuffy, super fun.

The Restaurant at La Fantaisie

The bedrooms upstairs are a lot calmer than the rest of the hotel. Which is maybe a little disappointing if you want a wild romantic weekend away, with bells and whistles and trippy interior flourishes surrounding you (as is absolutely the case at Broadwick), but I was in town for work, alone, and it was everything I wanted. Yes, there is floral/leaf wallpaper, but it’s not overwhelming. And the bathrooms are finished in that fancy marble basket-weave pattern tile that fits the theme perfectly. I can’t fault the rooms (and if you’re aroma averse, don’t worry—they aren’t impregnated with Jardin en Fleurs).

La Fantaisie has been done really well. Like everything Brudnizki does, it teeters on the brink of kitsch, but it works brilliantly. This is maximalism most excellent, and I think it’s defining its era just as much as Starck did the 1990s. The textures feel luxurious, it looks lush and of course smells delicious. One final touch that made it for me: The birdsong playing in the lift. So much better than yet another godawful derivative version of Nouvelle Vague. C

La Fantaisie, 24 Rue Cadet, 75009 Paris, France
+33 1 55 07 85 07; lafantaisie.com