LA BELLE FRANCE pledges to bring you What’s New, What’s Next… and What’s Best in France.
Ashley Williams, Publisher, is based in Virginia but travels frequently to France. Her love affair with France began more than twenty years ago and led her to Paris where she completed the prestigious Grande Diplome at Le Cordon Bleu. She then studied under Roland Durand at le Pré Catelan before returning to the United States. She has traveled around the world many times, and has written about her travels in such publications as Men’s Journal, Manhattan Magazine, Hamptons Magazine, The Golfer, Golf Odyssey, and, of course, La Belle France! Ashley and her husband also import and distribute wines from around the world.
Corinne LaBalme, Editor, has lived in Paris for 25 years. She’s been the full-time editor of La Belle France for just about as long! She knows as much as anyone about the restaurant and hotel scene in Paris and throughout France. If a new bistro opens, chances are she’s been there, or has plans to be there in the next day or two! Renovation coming to a grand hotel? She knows before the manager (just about!). She keeps La Belle France readers up-to-date and is happy to answer any questions directly.
Corinne’s free-lance articles about food, fashion, architecture and design have appeared in ID, Diversion, and The New York Times Travel Section. She is the author of Monaco: The Magic Principality (Bartleby Press) and is currently at work on a novel that takes place near Paris’s Place de Clichy.
Why do you need “LA BELLE FRANCE” ???
La Belle France doesn’t bore you with every single dining and hotel option in France. We weed through the vast sea of addresses… so you won’t waste your precious time.
We are a small, monthly publication. Because we are on-the-ground, we can publish breaking news of openings, closings, renovations, and any other valuable travel information faster than our larger, more cumbersome competitors.
Unlike travel magazines loaded with paid-for publicity, La Belle France accepts NO advertising. We don’t “owe” our good reviews to chefs or hotel managers. And we understand that “great food” doesn’t always come with a “top wine-list” or “designer furnishings”. With our 5-part scoring system — Cuisine, Decor, Service, Wine List, and Overall Value — La Belle France takes much of the risk out of restaurant-hopping.
The same holds true for our hotel evaluations. Where will you be treated like a celebrity – and where will you be treated like help? Which Left Bank hotel rooms are too small for comfort? Where do you get both a shower and a bathtub? Where can you find charm on the cheap, and luxury that deserves its high price-tag?
La Belle France looks for off-the-beaten-track gems and buzz-generating newcomers while keeping a critical eye on legendary establishments which are surfing on reputations they may no longer deserve.