A stone's throw from the Trocadéro, the Shangri-La was the residence of Prince Roland Bonaparte, before being bought by the State and then by a hotel group which turned it into a palace. The place is superb and offers a breathtaking view of the Eiffel Tower.
You have to climb a large staircase, where candles crackle and at the top of which a string orchestra plays, to arrive in the salons where the debutantes' ball takes place, renamed the Ball – with a capital “B” – quite simply.
Champagne and truffle
The event has a charitable aim: funds are raised for a good cause, this year the ARCFA (Association for Research in Cardiology from Fetal to Adult) and the Maria Fareri Children's Hospital. Which does not prevent us from pulling out all the stops.
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At 9 p.m., after a quick cocktail with clinking glasses of Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé champagne, the doors of a dining room open as if by magic. Tables and white tablecloths are set there with superb floral arrangements.
The dinner is concocted by Quentin Testart, executive chef of Shangri-La Paris at only 28 years old. Before the parade of debutantes begins, commented by Stéphane Bern, the starter is served: Pink gravelax amberjack, with citrus beetroot and pomegranate vinaigrette, Caesar bites (reinterpretation of Caesar salad) and a vegetable terrine truffle celery. All washed down with Château Peyrat 2023 and Château Moulin de Canhaut Médoc 2016.
Before the waltz
After the parade, to calm the spirits, the dish is brought: an excellent turbot stuffed with mushrooms, with lemon mousseline and caviar butter.
To finish, shortly before midnight, the 185 guests tasted a pear and blackcurrant vanilla charlotte. Have the beginners had time to taste it? They who must then already be preparing to waltz.
