At Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, travelers are invited into a travel hub of culinary and design excellence.
I Love Paris | Santa & Cole
A Parisian Jewel at 30,000 Feet
At Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport, an unexpected touch of elegance awaits travelers: I Love Paris by celebrated chef Guy Martin. Opened in 2015, the restaurant marked the airport’s first foray into fine dining, a bold move that transformed a travel hub into a culinary and design excellence.
“For years, I watched the airport evolve into a showcase of Paris, luxury, fashion, and art,” recalls Martin, a Michelin three-star chef. “What it lacked was a contemporary restaurant that truly captured the city’s spirit.”
To bring that vision to life, Martin collaborated with renowned architect and designer India Mahdavi. Her interpretation of the Palais Royal infused the space with a modern yet timeless Parisian allure, think soft curves, sumptuous velvet, leather, stone, and brass, all woven into a visual narrative of sophistication and comfort.
The restaurant unfolds across two elegant zones: a central bar serving light fare and a lounge for savoring refined dishes. At the heart of the design, lighting takes center stage. Mahdavi selected the Cirio Circular lamp by Antoni Arola for Santa & Cole, featuring warm brass shades that radiate a soft, golden light. Inspired by the grand chandeliers of Istanbul’s Hagia Sophia, the Cirio system creates a luminous rhythm that elevates the dining experience, balancing intimacy, warmth, and architectural presence.
In I Love Paris, light does more than illuminate; it defines the mood. A tribute to craftsmanship and cultural harmony, this project perfectly captures the Parisian art of living, inviting travelers to pause, indulge, and feel at home, even between flights.
