After spending most of my summer holidays in Provence, staying in Paris for the first time this year was a real eye-opener in contrasts.

The city didn’t shut down, it simply slowed down. It was a wet and intensely humid summer so my fantasies of picnicking by the river with fried chicken and bottles of Champagne every day stayed just that - although I got a few great days in.

Some of the best restaurants remained open so those normally hard-to-get reservations were plenty, but my favorite dining companions were vacationing on the shores of Greece or eating their way through San Francisco - however, dining alone in Restaurant Guy Savoy, La Regalade, Le Comptoir, Frenchie and Spring chatting with Guy, Bruno, Yves, Greg and Daniel isn't exactly what one calls a tough week either.