This famed Paris restaurant was booked out. But I had a secret weapon

3 hours ago 2

It’s just after 8.30pm on a Tuesday evening in the Bastille neighbourhood. My husband and I are sitting at the end of a beautifully rustic wooden communal table in an industrial-style room, glass of champagne in hand, dish of XO-daubed white asparagus wading in poulette sauce below us, toasting to what’s already proving to be a dining highlight of our Paris trip – a meal at Septime.

The restaurant, helmed by chef Bertrand Grébaut, holds a Michelin star and currently ranks No.40 in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list (No.11 at the time we dine).

Unlike our tablemates, we didn’t book Septime three weeks ago.

We’re sharing our long table with a friendly, albeit jet-lagged, Californian couple and their two young children, who just landed in Paris hours earlier. Like other diners here, they made the reservation three weeks ago in accordance with the restaurant’s strict seat-release policy, and are thus determined to savour the experience. Even if that means plying restless toddlers with noisy iPads. And fighting the urge to nod off in a bowl of bitter watercress and rocket veloute with truffle oil (a revelation, served with smoked hay-infused cream and fresh brioche tiled with thick discs of truffle).

While we’re not too thrilled about the iPad situation, you won’t hear us complaining; we’re over the moon to just have a seat at the table. Because unlike the nice travel-weary couple, we didn’t pre-plan and book three weeks in advance. We didn’t even book one week ago.

Watercress and arugula veloute, hay-infused whipped cream, truffle oil and a side of truffle brioche at Septime, Paris.

We got the reservation the day before in a feat that, if you’d asked me last week, I would have said was impossible. Our secret weapon? Well, we got lucky – our hotel has a concierge who is very good at his job.

We’re staying at Hotel Dame des Arts, which opened in Paris’ historic Latin Quarter in 2023, and, in truth, meeting with a concierge had been about as high on my agenda as doing taxes. I’m a traveller who loves a plan; arriving in a new city with at least some reservations and enough Google Maps pins to crash a small satellite is par for the course. Plus, the role of concierge was the product of a time before internet, smartphones, Google Maps and exhaustive travel guides – aeons before TikTokers were telling us all exactly where to find the best croissant.

Back then, visitors relied almost exclusively on local expertise; a concierge filled the void, acting as a guide, translator, problem-solver and jack of all trades. Their local knowledge was paramount; their connections priceless.

Times, however, have changed. At least that was my thinking before a single message sent me on a different course.

An admittedly smug Instagram video – the view from my hotel’s ninth-floor rooftop terrace, complete with ravishing Eiffel Tower and peachy sunset backdrop – caught the attention of a trusted foodie friend back in Sydney.

An Instagram-worthy sunset perch … sweeping views from the rooftop terrace at Hotel Dame des Arts.

His words cut through my inbox like a Michelin-star chef’s knife: “This hotel has the BEST fixer.” A screenshot of the concierge’s WhatsApp details followed, with a message urging me to reach out to a chap named Erwin if I have any spare meal slots.

Spare meal slots? In Paris? The cheek of it. But the word “fixer” had my attention. Was my dining itinerary in need of a zhuzh? It was time to revisit my gastronomic wishlist and check in with this Erwin fellow.

The hotel’s stellar record was easy to verify; a string of positive online reviews cite long, personalised lists of restaurants and tenacious checking for cancellations. Some claims were quite extraordinary; an offer to babysit as one couple duck out to nearby Musee Cluny.

The hotel’s stellar record is easy to verify.

It’s true not all concierges are so stellar. Some accept kickbacks. Some nudge you towards places that would only appeal to the most buttoned-up guest (our tip for gleaning quality recommendations? Head to a popular bar and ask cool-looking staff for their favourite spots).

But the role of the concierge is evolving with the times, according to Erwin, concierge at Hotel Dame des Arts. “The world has changed and so have people’s expectations ... genuine hospitality starts with listening.”

So, I start talking. All cards on the table. I’m frank: just how slim are our chances of getting a table at Septime? The last time we visited, Septime had been our white whale. Now, back again, we’re willing to take any day – any time slot.

He listens intently. I study his face; his brow is furrowed. He’ll see what he can do – no promises, is the brisk response. “I should be able to let you know by Tuesday,” he says, already looking slightly stressed.

In the meantime, he makes quick work of another dining request; Racines, an elegant and very popular Italian bistro tucked in the historic Passage des Panoramas arcade. It’s also fully booked but, mysteriously, he secures a lunch reservation for our group of four within 24 hours.

We’re delighted as staff lead us upstairs to a cosy private dining room, charmingly decorated with granny-style crystal pendant lights and mismatched dinner plates. Two hours zip by in a blur of excellent wine, fresh antipasto and rustic pastas; I thank him via a WhatsApp text. “My pleasure, you were lucky to get this reservation at the last minute,” he responds.

Over a few indulgent days, we enjoy many more meals that aren’t (but ought to be) on my radar, guided by Erwin and his team. Sublime drops and decadent sweetbreads at atmospheric Parcelles in the Marais; freshly shucked oysters and champagne at Le Mary Celeste; martinis and gildas at lavishly appointed five-storey cocktail bar, Cravan; a sumptuous picnic spread on the Seine, catered and set up by the hotel.

Gourmet picnic on the Seine, courtesy of Hotel Dame des Arts.

The next message I receive from Erwin is the one we’ve been waiting for, and it comes a day earlier than expected. “Check your email,” he writes. Sure enough, Septime is confirmed for the following evening. What sort of concierge wizardry gets you a booking at one of the world’s best restaurants at a day’s notice?

Later he would explain how he had sent a staff member out to the restaurant to check for us, in person. I feel a flush of guilt at the admission, though I also sense his pride at having solved the grand puzzle.

“In cases like this, it’s about reaching out to someone I know well – someone who understands that when we call, it’s because it really matters,” he says. “It’s a combination of preparation, persistence and trust. And of course, a little Parisian magic.”

It feels serendipitous that my induction into the world of concierges should happen in Paris. Like many things truly excellent and a little bit fancy, the lineage of the concierge can be traced back to France – the word derives from the French comte des cierges (literally “count of the candles”). Over centuries, as candle-lit castles gave way to grand hotels, the role evolved to “keeper of the keys” – in reference to the literal guest room keys and, increasingly, metaphorical keys to the city.

When a concierge works their magic for a table at Septime, they’re tapping into a centuries-old legacy of French tradition, built on trust and a deep understanding of the city. You could say Erwin’s a modern-day comte des cierges, still lighting the way for travellers, only now, instead of a candlelit path to bed, he’s pointing us towards a veloute with truffle oil. And honestly, I prefer the veloute.

The details

Eat
Septime, 80 Rue de Charonne. See septime-charonne.fr
Racines Paris, 8 Passage des Panoramas. Phone: +33 1 40 13 06 41. See racinesparis.com/en
Parcelles, 13 Rue Chapon. Phone: +33 1 43 37 91 64. See parcelles-paris.fr
Le Mary Celeste, 1 Rue Commines. See lemaryceleste.com
Cravan Paris, 165 Boulevard Saint-Germain. Phone: +33 1 87 58 08 60. See cravanparis.com/en
Gourmet picnic experiences can be arranged for guests of Hotel Dame des Arts. See damedesarts.com

Stay
Hotel Dame des Arts in the Rive Gauche has modern rooms and suites, an all-day restaurant Pimpan, a cracking seasonal rooftop terrace bar with Eiffel Tower views, and is ideally placed to explore Boulevard Saint-Germain and the historic sights of the Latin Quarter. From $620 (€350) a night. 4 Rue Danton, 75006 Paris. See damedesarts.com

Fly
Virgin Australia customers can fly to Paris from Sydney, Brisbane and Perth from June 2025, and Melbourne from December 2025, with partner airline Qatar Airways via Doha. See virginaustralia.com

The writer travelled as a guest of Hotel Dame des Arts and Virgin Australia.

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