Paris has thousands of cafés, one on almost every corner, but some are hidden away in gardens of museums or inner courtyards in ancient buildings that most people never see. To feel like a true Parisian on your next visit, here are three of our top recommendations.
Alaia Café/Restaurant
Tucked away smack dab in the middle of the bustling Marais, a stone’s throw from the Hotel de Ville, is Alaia Café/Restaurant, an open-air café under a glass rooftop. Alaia Café/Restaurant is in the courtyard of a 17th-century former mansion, which houses the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation, a gallery that hosts fashion and style exhibitions. (Azzedine Alaia was a great couturier and fashion designer, rising to fame in the 80s and 90s, dressing top models and celebrities.)
The café is filled with black Bertoia, grill work chairs and bottle green tabletops. Italian chef Ivan Schenatti creates a menu of simple Italian specialties such as risotto, salads, pasta, fish, cheese and dessert. It’s a full-scale restaurant and café, and you can enjoy everything from a simple espresso to a four-course meal with wine.
Alaia Café/Restaurant is open for lunch and dinner and offers a two-course lunch special for €27.
Visit www.fondationazzedinealaia.org/cafe-restaurant.
Le Café 1902
The Petite Palais, built for the 1900s World’s Fair, is one of the most beautiful and decorative museums in Paris. It’s Art Nouveau architecture exemplifies the opulent period of the early 20th century with hand-painted ceiling frescoes and intricate mosaic tile floors. Today, the Petite Palais is a city museum, focusing mostly on 19th and early 20th century art and design exhibitions.
The courtyard has a garden in the middle and on the sides, in a semi-circle design, are tall columns of pink Vosges granite and gilt-bronze, creating a covered gallery. Here, Le Café 1902 has small tables and chairs overlooking the serene garden with views of the stunning architecture of the museum. A light menu offers sandwiches, salads and plats, plus desserts and pastries. Good to know: There’s also an inside dining room.
Tip: Admission to the museum is free and the café is open until 5 p.m.
Visit www.petitpalais.paris.fr.
Fabula at the Carnavalet Museum
Two 17th-century palaces built for royals in the Marais were combined in 1880 to create the Carnavalet Museum. The museum, with 40 decorated galleries, is dedicated to the history of the city of Paris and contains 3800 objects on display.
After a recent four-year renovation and modernization in 2017, the Carnavalet Museum reopened in 2021. One of the new additions to the museum was the outdoor café, Fabula. Located in the centerpiece garden, the café is surrounded by low box hedges formed in the shape of the Fleur de Lis, the official emblem of Paris.
Thomas Chisholm has designed a contemporary menu with dishes such as roasted vegetables with tahini sauce, a pastrami sandwich on sourdough bread, and multicolor tomatoes with buffalo milk burrata. Cocktails, mocktails, wine, beer and soft drinks are also available.
Note: Fabula is open from May to October for lunch and dinner.
Visit www.fabula.paris.
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