PALAIS DE TOKYO

Don’t let the posh surrounds of the 16th arrondissement fool you; this is pure contemporary art at its rough-around-the-edge finest, courtesy of curators Nicolas Bourriaud and Jérôme Sans. The huge space, based across the Seine with stunning views of the Eiffel Tour, doesn’t have a permanent collection, positioning itself as a kind of incubator for experimental, temporary exhibitions courtesy of cool young French artists and international names like Jeff Koons. People love the café which serves a fusion French/Asian inspired menu with none of the pretension of its neighbours, though competition has sprung from within with the recent build of a rooftop restaurant ‘Noyima’, taking over from where the Everland Hotel used to let guests sleep side by side with the Eiffel Tower. Now, a rectangular glass box will play host to diners being served whatever the chef in chief Gilles Stassart fancies on the day. How very progressive.