to guarantee to bump into a friendly face
in the 'English Bar,' as it was unofficial-
ly known, on the far side of the parade
ring?
The demise of this particular
favoured sport for some cham-
pagne-enhanced paddock-watch-
ing aside, I loved it. The ul-
tra-modern, minimalist feel of
the new stand with its gold
hue and daring overhang is
a far cry from Longchamp
as we knew it. While still
sizeable, it has less of a han-
gar-like feel to it than the
old grandstand which really
only hummed on this
one weekend of the year. The trees dotted
here and there behind the stands, such a
welcome feature of the old racecourse,
remain, some even having been incorpo-
rated into the design of the new structure.
Only the French could successfully pull
off a full-sized traditional brasserie at
the head of the paddock. Seated inside,
you could easily be back in the centre of
Paris, but a hop, skip, and a jump outside
the door you'll find the horses circling for
the next race.
By far the swankiest way to dine at Paris-
Longchamp, however, is in Le Panorama,
which, as the name suggests, gives you not
only magnificent bird's-eye views of the
racing itself, but also across the surround-
