Spa Diane Barrière & Lilia
Just when I went and claimed I’d done so much and I needed to chill out… I jinxed myself. Because then my BFF from high school came in town to celebrate her 40th birthday and boy oh boy did the good times continue to roll. If you thought last week’s outline was a lot, this one would bowl you over (I’m saving that for behind a paywall someday)! But, I do have two thoughtfully selected recommendations of things we loved during her time in the city.
If you want to do a spa day up right, look no further than the 5-star experience at Hotel Fouquet’s. First and foremost, the massages fucking ruled. The second my best friend and I exited our treatment rooms in states of pure bliss, we both looked at each other and said, “Oh my god, that’s the best massage I’ve ever had”. Shout out, Renata! Now on top of that, the surroundings are luxe. There’s a giant heated jacuzzi and lounge area, steam room, sauna, relaxation lounge, and decadent locker room. The price tag reflects the aforementioned but once a year you deserve a spa day with your bestie.
After trying to decide what to make my second recommendation, I called up my best friend to ask her what she’d choose out of everything we did. She wondered if the carmelized onion ravioli at Lilia would be allowed. And after looking through the archives, I have never recommended Lilia, one of my favorite restaurants in the city! Probably because this is the type of place that really needs no recommendation (they’re continuously fully booked and notoriously hard to get into). But sometimes it’s good to be reminded or to confirm that a place with that much hype is as good as you’ve heard. We ordered soooo much from the menu, my favorite being, and always will be, the Rigatoni Diavola. But as I mentioned, the crowd favorite was the caramelized onion ravioli. I can say, you really can’t go wrong with anything from their seasonally changing menu. And let’s give credit where credit is due: Lilia was the only place, on a 5-day trip, that remembered to give my dear friend a candle for her birthday. ☺️
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