Serena Williams says she and her children were denied entrance to Paris restaurant: ‘Yikes…Always a first’

Serena Williams is opening up about her experience at a Paris restaurant that she says would not allow her and her children to enter. 

The tennis legend revealed on Monday that The Peninsula Hotel refused to seat her and her daughters, Alexis Olympia Jr. and Adira River, whom she shares with husband Alexis Ohanian. Williams took to social media to call out the establishment, who quickly responded to the four-time Olympic gold medalist.  

“Yikes @PeninsulaParis I’ve been denied access to rooftop to eat in a empty restaurant of nicer places but never with my kids,” Williams wrote on X (Twitter). “Always a first.  #Olympic2024.”

The restaurant responded to Williams’ tweet shortly afterward, explaining that the rooftop bar where she wanted to sit, L’Oiseau Blanc, was fully booked.

Serena Williams attends the Balmain Womenswear Fall/Winter 2024-2025 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on Feb. 28, 2024, in Paris, France. (Photo by Pierre Mouton/Getty Images for Balmain) –

“Dear Mrs. Williams, 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,” the company said in a reply on Monday. 

“We have always been honored to welcome you and will always be to welcome you again. The Peninsula Paris,” the restaurant added in a second post.

One of L’Oiseau Blanc’s employees, Maxime Mannevy, told Variety that Williams looked “unrecognizable” when she tried to get a table, arriving at the establishment with a stroller. 

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“When she came there were only two tables available and they had been reserved by clients of the hotel,” said Mannevy, who added that she was not working when Williams arrived. “My colleague didn’t recognize her and feels terrible, but he told her what he would have told any other client, which is to wait downstairs in the bar for a table to become available. That was absolutely nothing personal.”

Williams’ fans spoke out on social media in support of the former tennis player. 

“Serena I saw their apology, and considering the fact that you can buy the whole place if you wanted to, i’m sorry this happened and honestly you’re not missing out anyways!” one fan wrote on X. “I hope you ended up at a more welcoming and better tasting restaurant.” 

“I’m so sorry this happened to you in front of your children,” another X user commented. “This is so shameful. DO BETTER @peninsulaparis! We’re not living in the old days anymore!! Shame on you!! Shame on you for your prejudice!!”