By the water
The most beautiful and iconic place to picnic in Paris is of course along the banks of the Seine. This is Paris at its most timeless, where the river becomes the backdrop to everything and time seems to slow down. As the sun begins to set, the quais fill with locals sharing wine, music, and conversation beside the water.
One of the best areas to prepare your picnic is near Île Saint-Louis, where you can easily gather cheese, charcuterie, pastries, and wine from the island’s small specialty shops. Find a quiet stretch along the quay and enjoy views of Notre-Dame de Paris glowing in the evening light.
At the western tip of Île de la Cité sits Square du Vert-Galant, a small riverside park surrounded by the Seine. Hidden slightly below street level, this peaceful spot feels wonderfully removed from the city’s bustle. At the tip of the island is the iconic weeping willow, a perfect picnic spot in the shade.
Just two minutes away lies Place Dauphine, one of the prettiest squares in the city, shaded by chestnut trees and quieter than the surrounding streets. Sit on one of the benches and people-watch, or play pétanque in the square with drinks and snacks.
An alternative waterside option is the Canal Saint-Martin, where locals gather along the water’s edge. It has an easy, sociable atmosphere and is a great place to escape the crowds of more touristy areas of Paris. Groups gather along the stone banks with picnics and drinks, making it a relaxed place to spend a few hours by the water.
Another way to enjoy the Seine is to hire a boat, taking in the famous landmarks, beautiful architecture, and lively atmosphere of Paris while enjoying food and drinks on board. For boats with a skipper, check out Le Bateau Francais, or to hire your own, explore companies such as Marin D'eau Douce.
Relax in the iconic green chairs
Paris' green chairs are one of the quiet signatures of Paris, scattered across some of the city’s most loved parks and gardens. In Jardin du Luxembourg, they circle the grand fountain and rest beneath rows of chestnut trees, where people stay for hours with picnics, or alone with a coffee and a book.
At Jardin des Tuileries, the chairs sit beside reflective pools and wide gravel paths between the Louvre and Concorde, creating little pockets of calm in the middle of the city. The Jardin du Palais Royal is a beloved spot for those who need a quiet oasis in the bustle of the surrounding streets. It feels tucked away, surrounded by perfectly clipped hedges and elegant arcades - where people pause between galleries and cafés.
You’ll also find the famous green chairs throughout Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, Parc Monceau, and parts of Jardin des Plantes. They quietly turn Parisian parks into open-air living rooms, where people gather, linger, and wait to secure two or three seats together.
On the grass
Parc des Buttes-Chaumont is one of Paris’s most loved local picnic parks, with rolling hills, cliffs, waterfalls, and wide grassy slopes where people gather with blankets and stay until sunset.
The Esplanade des Invalides offers a calmer alternative to the crowds at the Champs de Mars. There is more space, and a slightly more local feel.
Jardin des Plantes, in the 5th arrondissement, is a calm botanical garden known for its tree-lined paths, seasonal flowerbeds, and historic greenhouses filled with exotic plants. You can also visit it's small zoo and natural history exhibits!
Parc Monceau is one of the city’s most elegant picnic spots. Quieter than the big central parks, it has curved pathways, little bridges, classical statues, and perfectly kept lawns shaded by tall trees. A short walk brings you to Rue de Lévis, a lively market street where you can pick up everything you need.
Parc Montsouris is a large, slightly wild-feeling park in the southern part of Paris, known for its lawns, lake, and relaxed local atmosphere. Designed in the 19th century in the English landscape style, it offers curved paths and clusters of trees instead of strict symmetry.
Secret gardens of the Marais
In the Marais, Place des Vosges offers one of the most elegant grassy squares in the city. The central lawn is compact and formal, but the atmosphere is calm and beautiful, making it a favourite place to relax on the grass by the fountains.
The neighbourhood also has several quieter gardens. Jardin Anne Frank is tucked behind Rue Beaubourg and feels unexpectedly secluded, while Jardin Lazare-Rachline is more formal and geometric. Jardin des Rosiers - Joseph-Migneret is quieter and more layered in its layout, and Jardin des Arts - Albert Schweitzer near the Seine is one of the more relaxed spaces where sitting on the grass is encouraged.
Where not to picnic
When people visit Paris, they often want to picnic around the Eiffel Tower, but it is best to avoid Champ de Mars and Jardin du Trocadéro during peak hours. These areas are often very overcrowded, with vendors, and security - which makes for a less relaxing experience.
In the Jardin du Luxembourg and the more formal areas of Jardin des Tuileries, grass access is restricted or heavily controlled. These gardens are designed more for sitting on benches or green chairs than for picnics on the grass.
What to buy
One of the most enjoyable parts of a picnic in Paris is not just the eating itself, but the process of putting it together. It starts well before you reach the Seine or find a patch of grass in the gardens. There is a slow rhythm of exploring neighbourhood streets, stepping into small specialist shops, and discovering local markets that appear several mornings a week.
Parisians often build picnics by curating each element from specialist shops across the city, starting with bread. A fresh baguette from a local boulangerie is essential, ideally a baguette tradition. There are two types of baguette: the baguette ordinaire and the baguette tradition. Both use flour, water, salt, and yeast, but the ordinaire can include additives, while the tradition must use only those four ingredients. It also cannot be frozen and must be made on-site in the bakery, which is why it is seen as the benchmark of quality in Paris.
Fresh fruit and vegetables are best chosen according to what is in season at the market that morning. Good options include strawberries, raspberries, peaches, apricots, grapes, cherry tomatoes, and radishes. Aim to buy from a maraîcher, a producer from the Île-de-France region who brings produce directly to market each morning. Their stalls may be less polished, but they are filled with freshly harvested, seasonal produce, often still a little earthy.
Paris has many wonderful local markets, including Marché Maubert, Marché Monge, and Marché des Enfants Rouges. Many appear across the city on selected mornings; to find out which are open, visit this link to find full schedule of markets in Paris.
For charcuterie, find a local boucherie or dedicated charcuterie counter, where products are sliced to order. Look for classics like saucisson sec, jambon cru, pâté, and rillettes, and do not hesitate to ask for a small mixed selection. Quality matters more than quantity, so choose a few well-made items rather than a large assortment.
Buy cheese from a local fromagerie, ideally somewhere you can taste before choosing. Treat it as part of the experience and ask your fromager for help selecting a mix of strengths, seasonal options, and a good balance of flavours. Good choices might include Comté, Brie, or goat’s cheese.
Wine and drinks are usually the final stop. Find a local caviste who can recommend something chilled and well matched to your picnic, or choose a few of your favourites drinks to share!
You can keep things simple, or make your picnic extravagant, its really up to you! Some optional extras include a picnic blanket, glasses, napkins, a small knife (an Opinel is ideal) and a corkscrew. Water bottles can be filled at the city’s many green Wallace fountains, introduced in the 1870s by Sir Richard Wallace to provide free drinking water for Parisians.
Now it is time to find the perfect spot, settle in, and enjoy-bon appétit!
