Relais Saint-Germain

How does one separate the Relais Saint-Germain from its restaurant, the Comptoir de l'Odéon ?

Furthermore, how can one ever separate this restaurant from the personality of its owner-and-chef, Monsieur Yves Camderborde ?

Beneath its four flawless contiguous facades hides one of Saint-Germain-des-Prés's most expressive boutique hotels de charme.

Until its 2005 acquisition by the Camderborde family, the Relais Saint Germain and its bistro enjoyed a routine left-bank lifestyle.

However, this monotony was not to the liking of this lively family hailing from the southwest of France. The new owners quickly set out to revamp the restaurant.

What kind of table would the owner-and-chef conceive, considering his experience at the Ritz and the Crillon under the wing of famous Parisian restaurateur Christian Constant, and considering he managed to draw in Paris's most elite gourmets at the Régalade located in the remote end of the 14e arrondissement ?

The answer : a table made of many !

Adorned with art deco engravings and large window panes, this small bistro offers the following meals : breakfast for those staying at the hotel, creative main dishes (brasserie-bistro-chic style) during weekday lunches, and finally, a five-dish menu - complete with cheese and dessert - for the weekday evenings' gourmet meal.

You may have missed part of the menu, but don't worry : the gourmet meal has not gone unnoticed by an attentive international clientele whose members scramble for a seat at the Comptoir de l'Odéon's smallish compact tables, increasingly prolonging the wait in line...

... except for those staying at the hotel.

An additional reason to stay at the Relais Saint Germain !

Any other reasons to do so ?

A boutique hotel comprised of 22 rooms much like tiny Paris apartments, the Relais Saint Germain is above all a hotel of amiable proportions, with only two or three rooms a floor, each room opening up to the pleasant Carrefour de l'Odéon albeit with fine acoustic insulation.

These spacious rooms are of two types : the single bedroom is actually the size of most Paris hotels' deluxe double rooms, while the double room could be called a junior suite due to its lounge adjacent to the bedroom.

Almost every room stretches out extensively, both its windows letting the light shimmer through their beautiful curtains, while the bed lies in the background near the bathroom.

On the top floor just under the rooftops, two rooms sport a slightly different arrangement : while a bit smaller than their counterparts, they each have access to their own quite romantic deck and might as well be cozy love nests.

Whatever the format, the rooms' exposed pillars give them incredible charm. In order to fine-tune the character of a small Parisian apartment, each room's front door has just the appearance of an outside door, complete with doorbell.

And since this is, after all, a literary quarter of Paris, the rooms are named after famous writers. The hotel might be stylish but never pretentious, so it chooses to feature James Joyce and Dumas alongside Antoine Blondin and Frédéric Dard, the indescribable author of the San Antonio series.

Madame Camderborde and her interior decorator handled the design, refurbishing every room with a touch of modernity sprinkled with a speck of glamour.

Each room is unique in diversity and character, its decoration fiery yet never excessive.

While theme-based, the design doesn't overpower you ; it includes African-style and Chinese-style rooms, and even Ancien Régime, such as the room adorned with beautiful fabric upholstery replicating patterns found in George Sand's house.

The featured colors range from claret to ocre and orange.

The classic furniture is massive, very handsome, marbled, and assorted with surprising features such as wrought iron grids or a ship's figurehead. The indirect lighting from free-standing lamps brings a warm and benevolent touch to the room.

With materials of the highest quality, the lounges have parquet flooring with fine stitch, while the bedroom are carpeted ; some closet doors are wooden and come from marbled wardrobe doors.

In a nutshell, space, history, charm, character, and a location at the heart of the Odéon neighborhood are the essence of the Relais-Saint-Germain.

What more could you ask for ?

Room service !

Actually, room service provides the bistro's brasserie menu as late as 10PM.