Secret Terrasses for the Summer in Paris
A warm breeze is in the air, the days are longer, and the sunsets are breathtaking. Summer has arrived in Paris — but where to spend these lazy days? Public parks and gardens can get overcrowded, and Paris Plages is not yet in full swing. Why not hang out and grab a drink at some of the hidden terrasses around the city? I visited 13 secret terrasses across hotels, museums, parks, and rooftops to help you find the perfect spot to relax and while away the long summer days.
The Hôtel Particulier Montmartre, listed as one of my top unique hotels in Paris, is hidden away in a private neighborhood of Montmartre. It’s listed as a protected historical site and has the largest hotel garden in Paris despite being the smallest hotel (with only five suites!). Their restaurant and cocktail bar, Le Très Particulier, is nestled in the garden, where four terrasses exude different atmospheres: beauty and wonder at the main terrasse, intimacy and romance at the fountain terrasse, peace and quiet in the statue garden, and confidentiality at the speakeasy terrasse. The hotel is classified as a “Maître Restaurateur,” and Le Très Particulier is open every day from 8 am-2 am, offering seasonal dishes for breakfast, lunch, teatime, and dinner, with brunch on the weekends. Their speakeasy bar, tucked away from the other terrasses, is open from 6pm.
Photo credit: Hôtel Particulier Montmartre – Raphael Metivet
The goal of this garden is to create a green space that makes people feel as if in they’re in the countryside. There are even rabbits from the nearby public garden who enjoy visiting the terrasses. The garden was redesigned several years ago to include more vegetation and tall trees, which help increase privacy and block out surrounding noise. On Thursdays and Fridays, visitors can enjoy live acoustic music, and the terrasses can be privatized for work or personal events. Hôtel Particulier Montmartre also hosts special evenings for Valentine’s Day and Saint-Sylvestre (New Year’s Eve). Online reservations are required, except for the speakeasy bar.
Address: Ring at the gate marked “Voie privée,” located at 23 Avenue Junot, 18th
Musée de Montmartre. Photo: Maria Kern
2. Café Renoir – Musée de Montmartre
A bit higher up the hill from Hôtel Particulier Montmartre, Musée de Montmartre sits on a quiet street — surprising, perhaps, considering its proximity to Sacré-Cœur and Place du Tertre, which are frequented by artists, locals, and tourists alike. Before the museum opened in 1960, the surrounding gardens were a haven for artists. In fact, part of the museum was once the apartment and workshop of Suzanne Valadon, Maurice Utrillo, and André Utter. The museum’s Café Renoir is named for Auguste Renoir, who was among the artists who once painted in the gardens. The café and gardens provide a calm, pastoral spot to relax and partake in seasonal snacks, refreshing drinks, and a light lunch. It’s possible to buy a ticket for the gardens and café only, but a museum ticket also provides access to the gardens. Café Renoir is open every day from 11 am-6 pm, while the museum is open from 10 am-7 pm.
Address: 12 rue Cortot, 18th
courtesy of Ora Farmhouse
Nestled in the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, Ora Farmhouse opened a couple years ago to great accolade. This bucolic country home, renovated to become one of Paris’s trendiest restaurants, is the perfect spot for vegetarians and flexitarians. With seasonal menus and sustainable habits, Ora Farmhouse is more than just a restaurant; they are a true pioneer in sustainable gastronomy. Two terrasses offer exceptional views of the surrounding park. A picnic and snacking area, called “La Guinguette,” is open year-round with its own seasonal menu and provides a more laid-back vibe for those who want to soak up the summer sun.
Address: Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, Rue Manin, 19th (enter the park along Rue Manin and look for Ora’s security guard)
Palais Royal. Photo: Jill Amari
4. Palais Royal
The public gardens of the Palais Royal in the 1st arrondissement are a perfect spot to find some shade in the summer. Lesser known than the Tuileries but still just minutes away from the Louvre, the Palais Royal features a water fountain, flower gardens, and shady spots to grab a chair and read a book. Along the colonnade, several restaurants and shops set up terrasses that spill into the gardens, ideal for relaxing with a cold drink or gathering with friends and family.
Address: 8 rue Montpensier, 1st
After reopening in February, Musée de la Vie Romantique has renovated nearly all of its space, including the charming salon de thé Rose Bakery located in the greenhouse next to the museum. Now wheelchair accessible, Rose Bakery and the surrounding gardens are a beautiful spot to enjoy seasonal snacks and drinks. The bakery offers gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan options, and they always use local, fresh ingredients that evolve each season. Nestled in the bustling 9th arrondissement, the museum grounds are surprisingly calm and quiet, providing an escape from the city during the warm summer months.
Address: 16 rue Chaptal, 9th
Maison de Balzac. Photo: Jill Amari
Maison de Balzac was home to famous author Honoré de Balzac for seven years, when the town of Passy was not yet part of Paris. There, he wrote some of his most well-known chefs d’œuvre, including La Comédie Humaine, which is the collective title for the majority of Balzac’s novels and stories.
Like Musée de la Vie Romantique, Maison de Balzac is part of the Paris Musées group, and they have their own Rose Bakery in the gardens. Offering sweet treats and drinks, Rose Bakery is set up in the midst of the gardens, which are effectively hidden from the street above. Picnic tables, benches, and lounge chairs provide sunny and shady spots to enjoy a cool drink, read a book, or simply relax and enjoy the gorgeous view of the Eiffel Tower. As a bonus, the house and gardens are always free (except for temporary exhibitions), and no reservation is required.
Address: 47 rue Raynouard (entrance at number 49), 16th
7. Le Passage à Niveau
Situated in the 19th arrondissement along La Petite Ceinture — the old railway tracks that encircle the city — Le Passage à Niveau is part restaurant, part urban garden. With an eco-friendly philosophy, Le Passage à Niveau has compost bins, a huge terrasse encircled by native plants, and a largely vegetarian menu. This is a great place for families, couples, and groups who want to be surrounded by nature and feel removed from the city without leaving its boundaries.
Address: 2 bis rue de l’Ourcq, 19th
Devant Musée Picasso. Photo: William O’Such
Perhaps surprisingly, the crowded Marais neighborhood is home to many secret terrasses. The Musée Picasso’s rooftop café, for instance, is one that’s easily missed: after all, it’s only visible from inside the museum! As I explored the museum’s collections one day, I was surprised to see patrons chatting idly on the rooftop. From there, you can admire the courtyard and façade of the hôtel particulier which houses the museum, the Hôtel Salé. The café offers snacks and light meals using seasonal products and is open during the same hours as the museum.
Address: 5 rue de Thorigny, 3rd
Restaurant Joli at the Carnavalet. Photo: Jill Amari
9. Restaurant Joli – Musée Carnavelet
Restaurant Joli, known for its grandiose interior and sun-dappled terrasse, is effectively hidden because it’s located within the private courtyard of the Musée Carnavalet. A brief walk through the museum (which is well worth a visit on its own) is required to access this secret oasis, discreetly concealed behind a nondescript wooden door. Don’t be afraid to ask for directions, as only a couple of signs point the way.
Once you’re through to the garden, the atmosphere takes on a whole new vibe. Lounge chairs and tables are scattered throughout, and the colonnade stretches all the way to the restaurant’s interior. At night, the terrasse becomes even livelier, with DJ sets and dancing. With refreshing cocktails and mocktails, classic French dishes, and mouthwatering desserts, Restaurant Joli is one of the best spots to soak in the summer sun or enjoy a night out.
Address: 23 rue Madame de Sévigné (from 10 am to 6 pm) or 16 rue des Francs Bourgeois (from 10 pm to 1 am), 3rd
10. Café Fika – Institut Suédois
A couple minutes’ walk away from both Musée Carnavalet and Musée Picasso is the Institut Suédois, the only Swedish cultural institute located in a foreign country. If you’re looking to try some Swedish-inspired dishes in the heart of the Marais, the institute’s Café Fika is the place to go.
The Institut Suédois was opened in 1971 in the Hôtel de Marle, a hôtel particulier constructed at the end of the 16th century. Café Fika is so well-hidden that I happened to just stumble upon it by accident. The name “fika” comes from the Swedish tradition of snack breaks, which occur multiple times a day. As such, Café Fika offers light options for breakfast, lunch, and apéro, with other snacks offered in between. Menus are seasonal and are designed by a Swedish chef, though Café Fika was created by two Parisians with a passion for Swedish food and culture.
Address: 11 rue Payenne, 3rd
Petit Palais. Photo credit: Flickr, russavia.
If you’ve never visited the Petit Palais before, you might not know there’s a secret garden in the center of the museum. Serene and green, the garden provides an escape from the city, effectively silencing the honking cars and general bustle of the nearby Champs-Élysées.
Café 1902, which has a terrasse set up in the garden and under the surrounding colonnade, is accessible to everyone, free of charge, though it’s necessary to go through the museum to reach the café and gardens. The café’s name comes from the inauguration year of the Petit Palais, which was built, along with the Grand Palais, for the 1900 World’s Fair. There, visitors can enjoy light meals, drinks, snacks, and desserts, which change seasonally.
The Petit Palais’s garden is quite unique, with mosaics, palm trees, and water fixtures that evoke the spirit of the Parisian salons of the early 20th century, when creatives would gather to converse, reflect, and debate. Today, the café and gardens maintain an ambiance of both tradition and modernity, in a space where art and culture meet the natural world.
Address: Avenue Winston Churchill, 8th
12. Plantation Paris
The upper 18th arrondissement has slowly become more ecological, despite being one of the most populated areas. Improved parks, small but frequent green spaces, and rooftop gardens have begun to pop up in the neighborhoods around Porte de Clignancourt and La Chapelle. One such rooftop garden is Plantation Paris, an urban farm combining greenhouses, vegetable gardens, and a bar/restaurant. Like Ora Farmhouse and Le Passage à Niveau, Plantation Paris is dedicated to using seasonal and local ingredients, with a largely vegan and vegetarian menu. But Plantation Paris is more than just a garden and restaurant: it’s also an event space, where locals come together for dancing, documentary screenings, workshops, and more. With an unmatched view of Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur, Plantation Paris is a one-of-a-kind space to enjoy the sunny days and warm evenings, while also promoting a sustainable lifestyle.
Address: 37 rue des Cheminots, 18th
View from the Institut du Monde Arabe. Photo: Jill Amari
For another sweeping view of the city, albeit in a completely different neighborhood, the rooftop terrasse of the Institut du Monde Arabe is the place to go. Café Dar Mima on the 9th floor offers a spectacular view of the Seine, Notre-Dame, and Sacré-Cœur. The restaurant portion of the terrasse is private and shaded, while the rest of the terrasse is open to the public. Because the rooftop is open to the elements, it’s closed in case of inclement weather, but is otherwise open year-round. While a ticket is required to visit the institute’s exhibitions, it’s not necessary to buy one in order to visit Café Dar Mima or the terrasse.
Address: 1 rue des Fossés Saint-Bernard, 5th
Lead photo credit : Photo credit: Hôtel Particulier Montmartre - Raphael Metivet
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By Jill Amari