Anetta Nowosielska Anetta Nowosielska | October 6, 2020 | People, Features, Travel, Culture,
This fall Netflix is set to premiere a fashionable, women-led dramedy created by the Hamptons’ own Darren Star titled Emily in Paris. The international cast features another familiar face: The role of Antoine Lambert is played by William Abadie, whose TV credits include ER, Sex and the City, The O.C., Homeland, Entourage and Gossip Girl (you may also recognize him from his management stints at the NYC and Hamptons outposts of Le Bilboquet and Tutto il Giorno).
Here, Abadie generously shares his top Paris attractions and favorite things to do in the city, some of which will be featured in the show.
PLACE DE L’ESTRAPADE
"Emily’s character lives in the 5th Arrondissement located on the Left Bank. Her building is nestled within a quaint Parisian town square called Place de l’Estrapade, surrounded by cafes and restaurants. Right near it is the French national treasure: the Panthéon. Built around 1750 it was first meant to be a church... but the 1789 French Revolution changed its destiny, transforming it into a mausoleum for the remains of France’s most distinguished citizens like Victor Hugo, Émile Zola and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. This is also one of Paris’ most sumptuous vantage points."
"On the chic Left Bank, Le Jardin du Luxembourg is the ultimate oasis for dreamers, lovers and athletes. Florentine-born Marie de Médicis, queen of France and Henry IV’s wife, did not like the Louvre so much, for it felt way too big and difficult to operate. She requested the construction of a smaller palace and wanted its architecture to remind her of her hometown’s Palazzo Pitti she missed so much, creating the Palais du Luxembourg in the process."
LE PALAIS DE CHAILLOT
"The scene of Emily’s first Parisian event was shot at Cafe de l’Homme at the Palais de Chaillot, one of our more iconic locations with a viewpoint facing the most famous tower in the world. The combination of Emily’s beauty mixed with Mr. Eiffel’s scintillating iron marvel in the background will make for a few gasps."
OPÉRA GARNIER
"I occasionally enjoy opera. Emily allegedly does too... Paris just happens to have one of the world’s most fabulous ones. Built in 1860, it was promptly labeled “The Jewel of Paris.” The first opera house of Europe is famous for its opulent style, that legendary ceiling by Marc Chagall and, yes, the chandelier! Our production team was offered a private tour of the underground lake that flows under the massive structure and that some say is a ghost’s lair. Worthy of note here is Coco restaurant located inside of the Palais Garnier. Impressive in every way, the food, service, atmosphere and decor get top marks."
HOTEL LUTETIA
"Along with the cast and crew I stayed at the newly renovated Hotel Lutetia (its name derives from the Roman city that was the predecessor of present-day Paris). This legendary palace served the French nation on many occasions: as a hospital and a refuge for the weak and persecuted. It was notably the point of return for refugees from Nazi camps in 1945. Much comes to mind when visiting Lutetia’s art deco bar... including the still-emanating presence of Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse and Samuel Beckett."
PLACE AND ÉGLISE SAINT-SULPICE
"There’s really no place like Café de la Mairie to have your morning espresso or your end-of-day glass of chardonnay. Perhaps a bit more genuinely Parisian than the more famous Café de Flore, it’s the perfect spot to watch the Rive Gauche elite criss-cross this esplanade under the watchful eye of the two Saint-Sulpice church towers. Make sure to enter the church and discover its mystical atmosphere and thick light. You will understand why Dan Brown chose it to be the location of one of The Da Vinci Code’s most memorable scenes."
ÎLE SAINT-LOUIS
"Where Paris was born. We shoot some scenes of the show here. The island was all that Paris was in the Roman ages. Call me cliche but to this day I still haven’t found anything that could top the taste and authenticity of a Berthillon ice cream."
MUSÉE DES ARTS FORAINS
"With cast and crew we enjoyed the day we spent here! The museum of funfair and fairground objects located within the Pavillons de Bercy displays carnival objects, carousels and curiosities"
Photography by: Courtesy of the actor; by Mshch/iStock Photo; by Christophe Archambault/afp via Getty Images; by Starcevic/iStock photo; by Edward Berthelot/Getty Images