Serena Williams and children denied access to Michelin restaurant in Paris

Serena Williams has publicly criticized a Michelin-starred restaurant in Paris, claiming that she and her children were denied access. The tennis legend took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share her experience at L’Oiseau Blanc, the rooftop restaurant of The Peninsula Hotel. In her post, Williams expressed her disappointment, stating that it was the first time she had been denied entry somewhere with her family.

She wrote, “Yikes @peninsulaparis. I’ve been denied access to a rooftop to eat in an empty restaurant of nicer places [sic] but never with my kids. Always a first.”

Fans quickly came to Williams’ defense in the comment section, with one user reminding everyone of her considerable net worth: “You can buy the whole damn place.” Another chimed in, “Who doesn’t make room for a queen?” Some suggested that the denial was rooted in prejudice, with one person noting, “You were denied access because they were serving prejudice. Shame on them.”

In response, the hotel’s official X account explained their side of the story. “Dear Mrs Williams,” they wrote. “Please accept our deepest apologies for the disappointment you encountered tonight. Unfortunately, our rooftop bar was indeed fully booked and the only unoccupied tables you saw belonged to our gourmet restaurant, L’Oiseau Blanc, which was fully reserved.”

Williams had arrived in Paris in late July for the “unforgettable” Olympic opening ceremony, where she participated as a torch bearer. She followed in a proud tradition of athletes carrying the torch, joining figures like Rafael Nadal and Carl Lewis, along with French sports icons such as Zinedine Zidane and Tony Parker.

Since retiring from professional tennis after the 2022 US Open, Williams has continued to engage with the sport as a spectator. She was seen at various matches over the past few weeks, including Novak Djokovic’s gold medal win against Carlos Alcaraz in the men’s singles tournament. Djokovic’s victory came in a straight-sets match (7-6, 7-6) and marked his first-ever Olympic gold medal. Meanwhile, the women’s singles title was clinched by China’s Zheng Qinwen, who defeated Croatia’s Donna Vekic.

Throughout her illustrious career, Williams amassed four Olympic gold medals, including one in women’s singles at the 2012 London Games. The other three were in women’s doubles, where she and her sister, Venus Williams, achieved victories in Sydney in 2000, Beijing in 2008, and London in 2012.

Williams’ experience at The Peninsula adds to the ongoing conversation around inclusivity and how celebrities, regardless of their status, can still face unexpected challenges and exclusions. Her candid social media post shed light on an incident that many find disappointing, especially for an icon of her stature.

Source: Independent