Paris is a city that should be explored and enjoyed outside – especially during the spring and summer months when the sunlight hits the Haussmannian stone, turning it creamy gold. There’s nothing nicer than watching the world go by as you snuggle into your scarf on a Parisian terrace with a hot coffee or Croque Madame in front of you. Here are our favorite cafés and restaurants to go to if you love the outdoors!
For a Light Snack or Drink
Tucked away from the bustling rue des Martyrs on a small side road is the Hôtel Amour. Its unassuming facade is easy to walk straight past, but once inside make your way to the back and out into their charming garden/terrace. At night they light candles, making it the perfect place for you to bring your own amant.
Hôtel Amour, 8 Rue de Navarin, 75009
Another hidden secret is the outside terrace at the Café A, between the Gare de l’Est and the Canal Saint Martin. In this old covent they host exhibitions and concerts as well as a bar and restaurant. Walk up into the entrance of the Maison de l’Architecture and under the arches, turn right and push your way through the doors into the café. Keep going straight and you’ll come out the other side into the peaceful graveled garden.
Café A, 148 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Martin, 75010
Talking of peaceful, how do you feel about the sound of birds tweeting while you nibble at a sweet pastry and sip a steaming green tea? If this sounds like your thing, you need to get yourself to the Mosquée de Paris opposite the Jardin des Plantes in the 5th arrondissement, where the charming outside garden will win you over.
La Mosquée de Paris, 2bis Place du Puits de l’Ermite, 75005
For a busier, more lively experience, try out the Bellevilloise up in north-east Paris. It’s known as a bar, nightclub and concert hall, but the food is also good and the outside space – with olive and palm trees hanging over the tables – is unique.
La Bellevilloise, 19-21 Rue Boyer, 75020
Restaurants
There’s nothing hidden about the Le Saut du Loup. In fact, if you’ve been to Paris before you’ve probably seen it already. Located right outside the Louvre, this restaurant might be on the expensive side, but the views and setting more than make up for it. Choose a spot on the lawn with a heater just in case and watch the Eiffel Tower (down the river on the other side) light up. The perfect place for a debriefing after a Skip the Line – Louvre Tour!
Le Saut du Loup, 107 Rue de Rivoli, 75001
Two of my favorite places to bring visiting family on a Sunday are in the Buttes Chaumont Park. Rosa Bonheur and Le Pavillon du Lac are two café/bar/restaurants located inside the park. While Rosa Bonheur caters for a young, hip crowd that parties long into the night on weekends, Le Pavillon du Lac is better suited to families and has an excellent menu.
Parc des Buttes Chaumont, Place Armand Carrel, 75019
The hipsters you’ll see dancing the night away at Rosa Bonheur on a Saturday may well end up going to the new-ish Recyclerie the next day for brunch. While its location at the Porte de Clignancourt is not yet the most tourist-friendly area, the garden at the back of this super trendy restaurant is unique, running parallel to the disused rail tracks below and the community vegetable patches opposite.
La Recyclerie, 83 Boulevard Ornano, 75018
Perhaps the most secret of our top terraces in Paris, the Hôtel Particulier does indeed have a particularity – its gorgeous outside garden, dappled with light from the tall trees that surround it. Once you get to the address, you have to press a buzzer and walk down a semi-private cobbled path to get to the hotel gates. Press another buzzer, a waiter will open the heavy iron door and you’ll be led into one of Montmartre’s truly hidden gems.
L’Hôtel Particulier, Pavillon D, 23 Avenue Junot, 75018
