The Five Best Places for “Al Fresco” Dining in Paris

When the temperature reaches a comfortable level, natives of France come out in a mass to people-watch and have food and beverage on street corners in the capital city. However, the loveliest places are those which you might not immediately see. Here are five of the best locations to eat outside during your trip to the nation’s capital.

Monsieur Bleu

There is no better way to start your day than at Monsieur Bleu. This Palais de Tokyo restaurant is a terrace setting adjacent to the River Seine. It was reopened just recently. You will see the Eiffel Tower, on the other side of the Seine, from this open-air restaurant. The menu of the restaurant is delicious and simple, with plenty of fish items evening out the more common French meats, and it even has a prix fixe menu for brunch on the weekends.

Ralph’s          

Centrally situated in the Saint-Germain-des-Pres area, dining at Ralph’s restaurant is the ideal way to satiate your appetite for lunch and shopping. At Ralph’s, you get to have the American-style food in a quintessentially French setting. If you are alone here during a private tours Paris program on a summer day, then cool down with feta salad and cucumber or ceviche-style swordfish, followed by a classic main dish of the restaurant. It is the best possible combination of Parisian and American.

Musée de La Vie Romantique

While the collection of the “Museum of Romantic Life” is tastefully curated and small, it is the tea room and garden that have found a spot in this list. Having tea at the terrace café near the museum in summer, when the roses blossom, will take you to Paris of the bygone times, a calm respite from all the hustle and bustle of the ninth administrative district just outside.

Polpo

Venture a bit outside of Paris for this gem, particularly if you have a craving for seafood. From its happy-hour oysters to various preparations of mussel to octopus, you can have all of its seafood offerings upon a covered terrace. It offers a panoramic view over the River Seine, just outside of the city in the Levallois-Perret suburb.

Le Moulin De La Galette

You may have spotted the namesake windmill of the restaurant while walking through Montmartre, but you might not guess behind the entrance there is a charming unroofed terrace area for a restaurant which serves locally-sourced French food. It has a fixed-priced menu, with 5 to 6 options to pick for each course, plus the menu changes based on what is available at a particular time of the year.