In Paris, La Société Restaurant Draws Fashion Crowd

The Costes family, the hip restaurateurs behind many of Paris’ most fashionable canteens, has opened a new hot spot only steps away from left-bank legends Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots.

La Société, a 130-seat eatery located in a 19th-century building across from the historic Saint Germain church, has already attracted the Fendi family, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, Bernard-Henri Lévy and former French justice minister Rachida Dati.

French interior designer Christian Liaigre, the man behind Selfridges in London and the Mercer Hotel in New York, gave the place an artsy bent with contemporary sculptures like Marc Rebollo’s “Never Die” marble work and Sara Favriau’s marble cubes. Meanwhile, the patina finish of the parquet floors and the leather and mahogany furniture lend a modern and loungelike feel.

The menu, which includes lobster and herb salad and shrimp risotto, will not surprise Costes regulars, but there are a few additions, including a “Le Club Saint Germain” sandwich or the Paris gratinée (French onion soup), that are a wink to the Saint Germain spirit.