Paris Best Picnics
Pique-nique is a French word that dates back to the 1600s, and has always been a very popular activity. Picnics are still popular with Parisians today, so much so that the city hosted a giant picnic on the Champs Élysées. On my group tours, I always plan a picnic near the tower, where we buy our food from the local street market à la Française, so I thought it would be nice to make a list of my other favourite places to picnic with suggestions on what to bring. Even if it isn’t a full-blown picnic, I encourage you to find a garden, a fountain, or a green space on your way somewhere and enjoy a quick picnic (quick-nic?). And yes, it is legal to drink in the parks here, so feel free to bring a bottle of wine along (make sure you have a corkscrew or buy one with a twist-off cap!)
Picnics are the perfect way to enjoy some of Paris's most beautiful locations.
Place des Vosges
Place des Vosges: One of the rare gardens in Paris where you can have a real sit-down picnic on the grass, the Place des Vosges is one of the most beautiful squares in the entire city. Created in the 1600s, the townhouses were the first planned square in Paris. The actual garden in the square dates to the mid-1800s and the Haussmann renovations. Featuring 4 perfect fountains in each quadrant, the square has perfectly pruned Plane trees that create shaded allées for benches. The grassy spaces here look like you might not be welcome to step over the tiny fence, but the many people probably already on the grass means that you can go right ahead. Parisians make their own rules.
The garden isn't far from the Marché Bastille, one of the largest markets in Paris, so you can shop for things like cheese, bread, charcuterie, olives, fruit, and other perfect picnic items. If not the Marché, there’s a Monoprix nearby, on rue de Saint Antoine, or you can grab a focaccia sandwich from Brigat Boulangerie. You can also grab an ice cream from the Brigat Gelato place next door, with a much smaller line than the one on the other side of the Square. Sit in the shade on a classic Parisian park bench, with a view of a beautiful fountain, or use a light scarf (layers for chilly mornings or evenings are smart) to claim your picnic space on the grass before all the Parisians close in.
Even a quick coffee from Kitsuné makes a picnic at the Palais Royal
Palais Royal: Another spot originally built in the 17th century that was redone in the 19th century, the Palais Royal is a large palace square with a beautiful garden courtyard surrounded by colonnades called “galeries.” The entrance to the Palais Royal has a huge gate, but that isn’t how you get in. The gate is for the building, which houses a Ministry office for France. The Palais Royal itself is sort of hidden, even though it’s right across from the Louvre, and you’ll find the entrance to the left of the gate in Place Colette or along the side streets. The famous black-and-white striped “Buren Columns” by artist Daniel Buren are found in the main part of the square and conceal the ventilation system for the ministry buildings. Just past that are two fountains that look like a cluster of giant silver balls by the artist Pol Bury. Continue to the back where the garden is, and you’ll find the treed alleés with benches, similar to the Place des Vosges, and a beautiful, large central fountain ringed by the quintessential green chairs found in most Paris gardens. You cannot go on the grass, but you can walk your dog, and there are lots of great shops in the Galeries.
Getting food here is mostly takeout coffee and cake from Café Kitsuné, or you can walk to the end of the colonnade to the little street in the back, Rue de Beaujolais. Just go up the private staircase on the corner to your right, cross the street and hop up to the Rue des Petits Champs. The Opera Market has all the bits and pieces you need for a sweet picnic on a shady bench (check for bird poop) or in the sun on a green chair like all the Parisians who are there eating their lunch (for real, it is very busy here at lunch). Nearby is also Aki Boulangerie, which serves up amazing Japanese versions of French dishes and French-inspired Japanese fare with ready-to-go meals, snacks, and beautiful pastries. You will find plenty of Japanese food options here, in the Opera area, and lots of bubble tea if you aren't a coffee drinker.
The tip of the Île Saint Louis is a great spot to enjoy a picnic while you watch the sun set along the river.
La Seine: You can picnic anywhere along the Seine with many user-friendly areas set up to hang out. My favourite spots are right across from the tip of the Île Saint Louis, where you can sit right at the edge of the river along the right bank. There is a small bench on the point of the island, which makes a great table to set up on for a group picnic. You can get sandwiches from plenty of bakeries or groceries from the shops along the Rue Saint Antoine. Or if you are coming from the Île de la Cité behind Notre Dame, there are a couple of sandwich places just before you cross the bridge. If you aren’t into the stairs down to the river, the Island has some benches on the street level, and at some places there are ramps to get down to the Parc de la Seine.
One other place you should consider for your picnic, even though it is a little further away, is on the left bank across the bridge, at the other end of the Île Saint Louis. The garden to your left, off the bridge, is an outdoor sculpture museum featuring mid-20th-century modernist sculptures. It’s about a 10-minute walk through with lovely places to sit along the river or in the garden on a bench. You will need to carry your picnic, and it's more concrete than grass for sitting or sprawling. I like to sit under the incredible tree they have right in the middle, with some shade and a view of the river.
I hope this inspires you to take a little time out of your busy Paris schedule to sit yourself down in a beautiful spot and enjoy a snack or a drink, just like the Parisians do. If you’d like more ideas for your trip, including hotel suggestions, restaurants, museums, and off-the-beaten-path places, I offer a free 15-minute consultation to answer your questions.