Friday 9am: Board the premier cabin of the Eurostar (eurostar.com) after grabbing a ginger shot (we resisted the early champagne) in the premier lounge at London St Pancras. Just two hours 15 minutes later, we arrive at Gare du Nord.
Friday Afternoon
12pm: Head to the Shangri-La Paris, with its unrivalled view of the Eiffel Tower. This 100-room listed hotel, built in the 1890s by Napoleon’s great nephew, doesn’t come cheap but it has star power: Zendaya and Tom Holland left the day we arrived.
2pm: An afternoon of Parisian culture, within walking distance of the hotel. First up: the newly refurbed Grand Café – choose the Comté soufflé, £22. Then it’s round the corner to the Grand Palais for the fabulous Matisse exhibition (until 26 July, £16).
Friday Evening
6pm: Back to the Shangri-La for a tour, hosted by head concierge Anthony, who entertains us with the history of the lavish Versailles-inspired rooms and sweeping marble staircases. Next, a leisurely swim in the luxurious 17-metre spa pool.
8pm: Cocktails at the hotel’s handsome Le Bar Botaniste, then dinner at Shang Palace – the first Chinese restaurant in France to win a Michelin star. The lobster roll is my new death-row meal of choice, closely followed by the Wagyu bao.
Saturday
11am: At opening time there is already a long, chic queue for La Galerie Dior. Housed within the site of Christian Dior’s first ateliers and boutique, expect original sketches, fairy-tale rooms and magical gowns (£14, galeriedior.com/en).
3pm: We grab an Uber and head for the cool cobbled streets of Le Marais, hunting Rue de Turenne for vintage finds by the likes of Chanel, Alaïa and Isabel Marant; breaking only for dreamy flaky pastries at the Petite Île boulangerie.
7pm: The specialty at the Shangri-La’s decadent restaurant Les Salons de Prince? Caviar and champagne, naturally. But £39 will get you an unforgettable sea bass with buttermilk sauce, salmon roe and citrus-infused rice.
Sunday
10am: I spend ages soaking in the tub as it’s not every day you bathe with a view of the Eiffel Tower. After a breakfast of poached eggs with daintily sliced avocado and pomegranate, it’s time to head back to the Eurostar for a date with reality.
