How to Picnic in Paris Like a Local - A Hedgehog in the Kitchen

Few things are more romantic than a picnic in Paris. If you will be in Paris in the Spring (or Summer), make sure you plan at least a picnic or two during your stay. Discover the best picnic spots in Paris, what food to bring and even some of our favorite easy picnic food recipes that you can make ahead for your picnic. We love being able to bring our dogs with us when we plan a picnic and maybe you do too! I put a little dog next to the Parisian picnic spots that are dog-friendly in case you are wondering where to have a picnic in Paris with your dog.

Table of Contents

Where to Picnic in Paris (15 Best Picnic Spots in Paris)

We have included affiliate links in this post for your convenience. You can read our disclosures here. Thanks for supporting A Hedgehog in the Kitchen!

Planning a picnic in Paris is so much fun! Just decide where to picnic in Paris, then grab your authentic French picnic basket and head to one of these amazing Parisian picnic spots!

Some of the best hotels in Paris, including the Hotel du Louvre, even offer picnic baskets you can reserve in advance. How cute is that?!

Palais Royal 🐕(the most Parisian Picnic Spot!)

Address : 8 rue de Montpensier 75001 Paris

A former royal palace, located in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, the Palais Royal is one of our favorite picnic spots in Paris. Bring your favorite picnic food and enjoy it on one of the benches, on the chairs around the fountain or on a blanket on the ground while admiring the beautiful garden, including Buren’s famous columns. Added bonus : the Palais Royal gardens are dog-friendly.

French Picnic essentials near the Palais Royal

Coffee : Cafe Kitsune inside the Palais Royal gardens
Food : Onigiri at Omusubi Gonbei
Pastries : Japanese desserts at Aki Boulangerie

Book your tickets to go up the Eiffel Tower!

Parc Monceau 🐕(one of the best parks in Paris to picnic!)

Address : 35 Boulevard de Courcelles 75008 Paris

We absolutely love the Parc Monceau and walk our dogs here most days. This chic garden is one of the best places to picnic in Paris. Take your time to savor each mouthful and taking in the sights. This is one of the few gardens where dogs are allowed in Paris, so if you are a dog lover like us, you will be in Heaven. Bring some baguette, a selection of cheeses, fruits, wine, pastries and you can munch on delicious things and watch chic Parisians and their adorable pups go by all day. (This is definitely our idea of the perfect day in case you were wondering.)

French Picnic essentials near the Parc Monceau

Coffee : Eric Kayser Boulevard Malesherbes
Food : Pierre Hermé Boulevard Malesherbes
Pastries : Eric Kayser has great sandwiches too

Related : Best Croissant in Paris (where to find the absolute best croissants – after years of taste testing!)

Place des Vosges

Address : Place des Vosges 75004 Paris

The Place des Vosges gets quite crowded when the sun is out. Since it’s rather small, I would recommend going early to enjoy your picnic without having to squeeze between too many people on the grass. Have an early picnic for lunch (around 11am) and you should be fine, or have a late lunch (around 3) to avoid the crowds. Bring some magazines, a great book and French picnic items. You could spend the afternoon lazily taking in the beautiful square!

French Picnic essentials near the Place des Vosges

Coffee : Café Hugo (there is a takeout coffee counter on the side of the restaurant)
Food : Turkey pastrami sandwich from La Boutique Jaune on the rue Rosiers
Pastries : Carette Place des Vosges or ice cream from Amorino across the street

Book your skip-the-line ticket to visit the Louvre!

Invalides 🐕

Address : 129 rue de Grenelle 75007 Paris

When it’s warm and sunny out, you will find Parisians of all ages on the grass at Invalides. Les Invalides in the 7th arrondissement is the perfect Parisian picnic spot. Locals regularly bring picnics and if you visit on a Sunday, you are sure to see large family picnics taking place.

French Picnic essentials near Invalides

Coffee : get a flat white at Coutume Café
Food : or pick up fresh fruit, veggies, bread and cheese along the rue Cler
Pastries : Mori Yoshida (best know for his incredible flan)

Champs de Mars

Address : 2 Allée Adrienne Lecouvreur 75007 Paris

The Champs de Mars always reminds me of being a student at the American University of Paris. We used to regularly go for an Eiffel Tower picnic on the Champs de Mars as it was right next door to our school buildings. The day we graduated we even had a Champagne toast underneath the Eiffel Tower (back when that kind of thing was allowed). Today, you can still pack a picnic lunch and head out to the Champs de Mars where you can enjoy your picnic on the grass or seated on one of the garden’s benches.

Alternatively, you could order a picnic to go! (or a “panier picnic” in French). (FYI, this service needs to be ordered 48 hours in advance.) You will need to pre-order your picnic on the website and then pick it up 22 Avenue de Tourville, just steps from the Champs de Mars, the perfect picnic place in Paris!

The Paris picnics to go include French wine (or Champagne), French cheese, saucisson (dried French sausage), fresh French baguette, market fresh salad, quiche or sandwich using seasonal ingredients, fruit-based dessert and bottled still water. The Parisian picnic also includes a blanket, cutlery, glassware and dishes. How perfect is that?!

Visit the Eiffel Tower before or after your picnic!

French Picnic essentials near the Champs de Mars

Coffee : Coutume Café in La Grande Epicerie Passy
Food : fresh fruits, veggies, cheese and bread on rue Cler
Pastries : Sadaharu Aoki (try the genmaicha Eclair)

Tuileries 🐕

Address : Place de la Concorde 75001 Paris

The only dog-friendly part of the Tuileries is the raised portion along the side (not the main garden). Make sure you also stop by the Orangerie (one of our favorite small museums in Paris).

French Picnic essentials near the Tuileries

Coffee : Cafe Kitsune across the street
Food : Bo & Mie (Louvre-Rivoli)
Pastries : macarons from Pierre Hermé, madeleines or other tasty treats from the Ritz Paris Le Comptoir, trompe-l’oeil pastries or the giant cookie from Cédric Grolet. (FYI, Bo & Mi has amazing sweet treats too!)

Learn to make French macarons at Galeries
Lafayette during a French macarons pastry class in Paris!

Jardin des Plantes (one of the best Parisian picnic spots!)

Address : 57 rue Cuvier 75005 Paris

The Jardin des Plantes is a lesser known garden in Paris, a bit off the beaten path. It is also one of our favorite gardens, it is so beautiful, especially during cherry blossom season in Paris. Pack your picnic, eat it laid out on a blanket on the grass, and once you’ve finished, you can visit the — serre, and the Musée de l’Histoire Naturel and … If you’re traveling with kids, they will love being able to go for a ride on the Dodo Manège, one of the most unusual carrousels in the world, dedicated to endangered and extinct animals.

French Picnic essentials near the Jardin des Plantes

For coffee : Nuance Cafe
Food : sandwiches from Le Boulanger du Monge
Pastries : oriental pastries from the Salon de The at La Grande Mosquée

Jardin du Luxembourg

picnic in Paris in the Luxembourg Gardens

Address : 75006 Paris

The Jardin du Luxembourg is absolutely stunning, whether you are sitting in front of the Médecis fountain, or in the iconic green chairs scattered all over the garden, you will love munching on your favorite picnic foods while taking in the beauty of the garden.

French Picnic essentials near the Jardin du Luxembourg

Coffee : Treize au Jardin
Food : delicious bread from Poilâne
Pastries : you can get amazing cakes at Treize au Garden as well

Schedule a Seine river cruise to experience Paris from the water!

Buttes Chaumont 🐕

Address : 1 rue Botzaris 75019 Paris

Buttes Chaumont is one of the best parks in Paris to picnic! One of the great things about this park is that you can bring your furry friends to picnic with you. This is one of the few parks in Paris where you are allowed to bring your dogs. We love having our dogs, Violette and Chou Chou, with is, making this one of our favorite picnic spots in the city.

French Picnic essentials near the Buttes Chaumont

Coffee : La Brûlerie de Jourdain
Food : sandwiches from Boulangerie Patisserie Chez Paco, fresh bread from Poilâne
Pastries : Boulangerie Patisserie Chez Paco has lovely desserts too

Square des Batignolles

Address : 144 bis rue Cardinet 75017 Paris

This small square is quite lovely, especially in the Spring when you can spot cherry blossoms and baby ducks in the garden.

French Picnic essentials near the Square des Batignolles

For coffee : Dose across the street
Food : takeout pizza from Alice Pizza
Pastries : Boulangerie Eric Kayser

Steps of Notre Dame des Blancs Manteaux church in the Marais 🐕

Address : 1 rue de l’Abbé Migné 75004 Paris

This is is our favorite spot to stop for an impromptu picnic when we’ve picked up falafel on the rue de rosiers.

French Picnic essentials near Notre Dame des Blancs Manteaux Church

For coffee : Boot Café
Food : falafel from Chez Hanna,
Pastries : macarons from Pierre Hermé on rue Sainte Croix de la Bretonnerie, cookies from Scoop Me a Cookie, Jewish cheesecake from La Boutique Jaune on the rue des Rosiers

Experience a fabulous food and wine tour in the Marais!

Quais de Seine 🐕(Picnic on the Seine)

buildings along the banks of the Seine Paris

Address : Quais de Seine

There are many beautiful spots along the banks of the Seine to sit down for a beautiful and tasty picnic.

French Picnic essentials near the Quais de Seine

For coffee : La Caféothèque
Food : galettes and crêpes to go from Le Sarrasin et le Froment
Pastries : pastries from Le Boulanger de la Tour (the bakery of La Tour d’Argent) or ice cream from Berthillon

Get your Paris Museums Pass and get access to more than 60 Parisian museums!

Quai de l’Ourc 🐕

Address : Quai de l’Ourc

This has become a favorite spot of ours in recent years. There are lots of restaurants and nice coffee spots that have opened up along the Quai de l’Ourc in recent years.

French Picnic essentials near the Quai de l’Ourc

For coffee : Paname Brewing Company, Café Caché – Café du 104, Le Pavillon des Canaux
Food : Paname Brewing Company
Pastries : Paname Brewing Company

Parc de Sceaux 🐕

Address : Domaine Départemental de Sceaux, 8 Avenue Claude Perrault 92330 Sceaux

Not technically in Paris, the Parc de Sceaux is our favorite bonus picnic spot, easily accessible by RER from Paris. We are including it here because it is absolutely magical, especially during cherry blossom season.

Don’t hesitate to kiss the one you love while you’re there under the beautiful trees – especially if you happen to visit during cherry blossom season!

French Picnic essentials near the Parc de Sceaux

For coffee : Plaisirs des Thés is a great place to go for coffee or tea
Food : the best bakery in Sceaux is L’Etoile du Berger
Pastries : L’Etoile du Berger

Schedule a Paris photoshoot to capture precious memories from your trip!

Canal Saint Martin 🐕

Address : Canal Saint Martin, 75010 Paris

Visiting the Canal Saint Martin is one of the best non touristy things to do in Paris.

French Picnic essentials near the Canal Saint Martin

For coffee : Caoua Coffee Stop
Food : La Strada Rossa for Italian street food and pizza or El Nopal for Mexican takeout
Pastries : Du Pain et des Idées

Paris Picnic Spots Map

Refer to the map below to find all of these awesome Paris picnic spots!

What food to bring for your picnic in Paris

If you prefer to bring food with you for your picnic you can stop at a bakery, cheese shop or even your local grocery store in the area you are staying in.

Crunchy baguette
A selection of cheeses (we love camembert, chèvre cendré (a type of goat cheese), brie truffé (brie with truffle) and Neufchâtel (a stronger, heart-shaped cheese made with cow’s milk)
Fruits (grapes, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries are always lovely)
Juice, wine, coffee or tea

Easy Recipes You Can Prepare for Your Parisian Picnic

If you have access to a kitchen, why not prepare some easy picnic recipes to bring to enjoy in your favorite Parisian picnic spot?

Where to stay in Paris

Hotel du Louvre – this hotel is perfectly located across the street from the Palais Royal and steps away from the Louvre and the Tuileries.
Maison Souquet – a luxury hotel in the 9th arrondissement housed in a maison particulière from the 1800s. (Their bar is stellar too!)
Maison Proust – a gorgeous new hotel in Paris that also has an absolutely dreamy La Mer spa!
Hotel Parister – a more affordable stay in the trendy 9th arrondissement.
Hotel Delavigne – an affordable option centrally located in the 6th arrondissement near Odéon.
Hotel La Comtesse – affordable 4-star hotel with Eiffel Tower views from all the rooms!

Top Paris activities

Take a Seine river cruise – have a glass of wine while taking in the beautiful Parisian monuments from the water.
Visit Sainte Chapelle – don’t miss this breathtaking chapel, and its stunning stained glass windows, during your trip to Paris!
Visit the Louvre – book your skip-the-line tickets to the Louvre to make sure you can get in a quickly as possible and take it all in.
Go to Paris Disney – Disney lover? Add a day at Euro Disney to your Paris trip.
Go up the Eiffel Tower – no trip to Paris would be complete without scheduling a trip up the Eiffel Tower to see Paris from above!

Picnic in Paris

Everything you need to know about choosing the perfect Paris picnic spot for your next trip! Have a place to add to the list? Let us know in the comments below!