free Jazz concerts and parties 

After a long day exploring Paris, a huge plate of noodles is basically the dream. Le Chef Thai is small and cosy, although I think they have a downstairs too which we didn’t see. It’s really relaxed inside and filled with plants so there was a nice calming energy. The guy that served us was super-friendly and we all had an excellent feed for a reasonable price. Happy days.

Boasting some 150,000 objects.

This is another artistic centre that opened recently, this time housed in a former 19th century music hall that later became an indoor roller coaster attraction (yeah, really). The temporary exhibitions can be hit or miss, but I like hanging out in the free, open-to-all library on the first floor where you can sit in the futurist media pods and flip through the latest arts, culture, music, design and architecture magazines. Their shelves are also filled with a growing endowment of books which seem to be acquired according to the theme of the aforementioned exhibitions. Internet access is available on a dozen or so PCs (or via WiFi on your own machine) and for gamers, there are a few consoles connected to largish plasma screens. The café upstairs, with its classic baroque meets retro-futurist interior, is a sight to behold.

At Dries van Noten I always find something and often wear it for years.