Love is the poetry of the senses. - Honoré de Balzac

At 1, rue St-Florentin and the corner of rue de Rivoli, stands the American Consulate, a gorgeous mansion enjoying one of the most stunning views of Paris- the Tuileries gardens, place de la Concorde, and the Hôtel des Invalides across the river. In the early 19th century this was the sumptuous home of Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand, one of France's most fascinating statesmen, the only one who managed to slither through all the brief regimes that rose and toppled one by one during his life time. He died a natural death here in 1838, a content old man of 86. There were no flies on Napoleon regarding his right-hand man's machinations as Talleyrand methodically spun the web that would bring about the emperor's downfall, but all Napoleon could do was diagnose him as "a piece of shit in a silk stocking."

The amorous career which he led in parallel with his political one was as prolific and as colourful, especially since he initially trained as a priest. It was during his student years in the Grand Séminaire next to the church of St-Sulpice on the Left Bank that he first noticed fourteen-year-old fair-haired Julienne at her window. Talleyrand himself was barely sixteen at the time. After an initial exchange of love messages in huge characters displayed at their respective windows, Talleyrand started going over the wall: "Climbing down the high wall of the garden at night did not seem to me impracticable because I was very much in love. Only going back was awkward. In order to return to my prison, I had to make the carriage draw near the devout fence, then climb from the seat to the upper deck, then from the upper deck to the wall and reach the branches of a lime tree and let myself slide down to its foot." Talleyrand's feat was all the more remarkable since he was a cripple, but there is no stopping candid love: the two lovers did nothing but roam by moonlight through the city's boulevards, chaperoned by one of Julienne's girlfriends. This was love at its purest, but it was short lived: five months later he was in the arms and bed of 25-year-old Luzy, an actress at the Comédie Françe;aise who confided in him that she hated the theatre.

Not to worry, he replied; he hated the church just as much. The nocturnal double life he led, while training to become a priest, proved an excellent school in diplomacy and duplicity, as he implicitly acknowledged in old age to one of his lady acquaintances : "If I told you how I had spent my youth, you would be less surprised by many things."

Love is love and that's a thing that resembles nothing else. - Jules Michelet

On the night of November 29 1900, Oscar Wilde died almost anonymously in this hotel aged 46. It was a tragic ending, after the two-year ordeal in jail that destroyed his health. His wit, however, remained unimpaired to the end, as reflected by his last comment: "I am dying beyond my means".

This note, along with an unpaid bill for Fr 2643.40, now hangs on the wall in his room no 23. Only Robin Ross, his devoted old friend, and "Bosie" Douglas, his demon, attended his funeral and followed his hearse to the Père Lachaise, alongside a handful of the hotel staff who left the note "To our tenant" on the wax bead wreath.

In 1984, another famous guest at the Hôtel, the Argentinian Jorges Luis Borges, left the following written homage: "This hotel ... where one can't find two identical rooms. It seems to have been sculpted by a cabinet-maker." Jean-Paul Besnard, the present owner of l'Hôtel, took the "sculpture" one step further.

For many years, he had dreamt of owning a hotel in his beloved Saint-Germain-des-Prés neighbourhood. Thanks to serendipitous timing, this one was put on sale by Monsieur Dubucheron when Besnard was ready to buy it and lavish on it his boundless passion and imagination. As far as romance goes, it has few rivals.

It starts at the reception with the Venus/Cupid emblem. Or rather it starts way back four centuries ago when, legend has it, Queen Margot had a love nest on this site. Today each of the twenty rooms feels like a love nest, whatever its style, whatever its size. They are so eclectic that you'll have to come back many times and try them all out.

Nothing could be further apart than the voluptuous opulence of a 19th-century boudoir that is Room no 54, and the fresh Art Deco Room no 36. The sunny, soft orange hue of the walls and the mirror-covered furniture that once belonged to the celebrated singer Mistinguett make this room a stunning period-piece.

If you want a spectacular view and a fantastic terrace all for yourselves, book Room 62, la Cardinale. The old roofs of Paris and the belltower of Saint Germain will be your backdrop.

The public areas are just as eclectic and include a lobby filled with Jean Cocteau paintings, a cosy library and a wonderful restaurant, Le Bélier. Downstairs, under a romantic vault, you may relax in the smoking room or luxuriate in the jacuzzi or sauna in the fitness club. The well, it is rumoured, was used as a fridge by Queen Margot and her companions when they repaired to this hideaway.

With so much going for the Hôtel, you will not be surprised to find out that it was favoured by the grand and the mighty. Ava Gardner, Marcello Mastroianni, Roman Polanski, Roberto de Niro, and Claudia Cardinale are among those who stayed here.

When Paris sits down to eat, the whole world is stirred. - Briffault

Tonight you are headed for Ile de la Cité, the heart of Paris where it all began. The ghosts of Héloèse and Abélard linger round the corner and the ringing bells of Notre Dame conjure up visions of a pining Quasimodo and a wild Esmeralda.

This is Paris at its most romantic, the one Victor Hugo flamboyantly embroidered. Be thankful that historical events put an end to Baron Haussmann's career before he had time to wipe out the last remaining old streets north of Notre Dame, a deserted haven where silence prevails. Au Vieux Paris is located in one of the island's two oldest houses, dated the early 16th century. The millions of tourists who cram into the cathedral square or gardens every year rarely venture here; those who do, have heard of it by word of mouth.

The enchantment starts outside, at the pretty sight of the venerable, rustic house, framed by flowers and drowning in greenery. If you visit in spring, the purple blossoms of the blooming wisteria drape down the wall. But you may find it even more special in winter, when after dark, the old, silent stones shimmer in soft light.

Inside it feels deliciously snug, with all those glowing lights and the gleaming dark wood of the bare tables. The upstairs, all draped in crimson, feels like the private dining hall of a manor house. Book Table 106 to have the belltowers of Notre Dame perfectly centred in your window.

And now, passons aux choses sérieuses - let us proceed to serious matters, as the French will say when referring to the business of food.

Your hosts are a charming couple from the Aveyron, a glorious, unspoilt area in the southwest of the Massif Central, an area still dotted with medieval castles and bathing in sunshine and hospitality. The lord of the manor, Georges de la Rochebrochart is in the dining area, where he and the other staff make you feel at home right away, inviting you to climb down to the "family" cellar and pick your own wine, the way it's done at home. Don't feel intimidated, as they will be there to help if you are at a loss.

Odette is in the kitchen, which means - alas! - you will be deprived of her smile and delightful accent. Her lovingly prepared homeland savouries will make up for it, though. She uses the best produce, picked directly from friends' farms back home. If you are adventurous and want to discover new regional specialities, go for her saveurs d'Odette, which will enable you to sample a bit of everything in smaller quantities.

We first had a kir of champagne and wild berries, which came with a wonderful pancake, made of seven different green vegetables and as light as a feather. Only severe self-discipline made me hold back, in view of what was yet to come. Next I had a lamb-lettuce salad, layered with carpaccio de foie gras, and prettily decorated with red grains of pepper. My partner started with a tomato soup with basil and claimed enthusiastically it was the best imaginable.

A coufidou followed, an Aveyronnaise version of boeuf bourguinon, which gets macerated in Marcillarc red wine for eight days before being cooked on a low flame for an entire day. The cow comes directly from a farm in Aubrac and the meat melted in our mouths. If you prefer fish, their scallops (not available in summer) are stuffed in all simplicity with parsley and garlic and are deliciously fresh. They also serve two different fish daily, in white Chablis.

The sweets were on a par with the rest - Odette's crème brûlée delights as soon as your spoon slides into it for your first mouthful, not to mention the repeated delight each time its aftertaste lingers on your palate. The warm chocolate cake is just as tantalisingly good: It is doused in a Brillet Poire William, a blend of pear and cognac which goes back to the 17th century.

But if you can't make up your mind, which is always my agonising dilemma, go for the farandole, an assortment of four different desserts. Mine consisted of fresh fruit salad, cream cheese with berry jam, an apple tart and a warm chocolate dessert, nothing fancy but all homemade by the expert Odette. She couldn't have made me happier.

As soon as I got home I phoned several of my friends to tell them to rush to Au Vieux Paris and within a week I was back with a new set of visitors

Thirza Vallois brings Paris to life in a way that enthralls her readers and provides them with a detailed knowledge of the city which exceeds that of most Parisians, while her fast moving style disguises a depth of historical fact that is normally only found in academic tomes. Writer William Boyd wrote in The Spectator: "I think we can safely toss all other Paris guidebooks aside....There can be no higher praise than when I say they come close to the world's greatest guidebook, J. Link's "Venice for Pleasure" and they should soon achieve similar legendary status." The French Ambassador to the UK wrote: "I am convinced that this guide will constitute from now on, for the British lovers of Paris, a reference book which will have the success it deserves." Around and About Paris, and Romantic Paris may be ordered online here.

If you would like to meet Thirza Vallois, her travel and appearance schedule through March 2993 is here.

A long time resident of Paris, she currently lives just three hours outside of Paris in London, and may be contacted via thirzavallois@iliadbooks.demon.co.uk.

Editor's Note: Dear Readers, while our writers are always delighted to hear and to receive comments, both about their columns in the The Paris Kiosque, as well as your experiences in Paris, they are unable to answer any requests for travel information. Thank you for your understanding.