Avenue des Champs-Élysées

Avenue des Champs-Élysées Review

Marcel Proust lovingly described the genteel elegance of this storied avenue, the Champs-Élysées (pronounced chahnz-eleezay, with an "n" sound instead of "m" and no "p"), during its Belle Époque heyday, when its cobblestones resounded with the clatter of horses and carriages. Today, despite unrelenting traffic and the intrusion of chain stores and fast-food restaurants, the avenue still sparkles. There's always something happening here: the stores are open late—and many are open on Sunday (a rarity in Paris), the nightclubs remain top destinations, and the cafés offer prime people-watching—though you'll pay for the privilege: after all, this is Europe's most expensive stretch of real estate. Along the 2-km (1¼-mi) stretch, you can find the marquee names in French luxury, including Cartier, the perfumier Guerlain, and Louis Vuitton. Newer arrivals, like the cavernous Sephora are fun to check out because, in the bigger-is-better spirit of the Champs, there are often events and giveaways. Car manufacturers try to out-bling each other with space-age showrooms. Old stalwarts are still going strong, if a bit faded, like the Lido cabaret and Fouquet's, whose celebrity clientele extends from James Joyce to President Nicolas Sarkozy, who celebrated his election night victory at this restaurant in May 2007. The avenue is also the setting for the last leg of the Tour de France bicycle race (the third or fourth Sunday in July), and ceremonies on Bastille Day (July 14) and Armistice Day (November 11). The Champs-Élysées, which translates as "Elysian Fields" (the resting place of the blessed in Greek mythology), began life as a cow pasture and in 1666 was transformed into a park by the royal landscape architect André Le Nôtre. Traces of its green origins are visible near Concorde, where elegant 19th-century park pavilions house the historic restaurants Ledoyen, Laurent, and Le Pavillon Élysées Lenôtre.