The Best Places to Picnic in Paris

I have always been pretty vocal about my love for picnics, which I shared recently for Veranda Magazine. (You can read it here.) When the sun is out in Paris, I love to round up my kids, a few friends, and fill a basket or a bag with linens, food and wine, & then head off to one of my favorite spots.  

In no particular order, here are some of the best spots to picnic in Paris: 
(I haven’t included any addresses because you will want to use google to find the closest entry point as all these locations have multiple access point.) 

1. Parc de Buttes Chaumont
We tend to picnic here a lot because it’s close to our neighborhood and a less touristy option. I love the rolling hills, playgrounds, and multiple areas to get lost. 

2. Tuileries Garden
If you want to picnic in the center of the city with the Louvre and Eiffel Tower in view, this is wonderful central spot to picnic. I love to grab sandwiches (& then some ice cream from Pierre Hermé) and lay in the grass surrounded by history. 

3. Canal St. Martin
There are many great restaurants along the Canal St. Martin in the 10th where you can grab food to-go and sit along the canal amongst crowds of locals. Alternatively, you can go into the grocery store on Rue Bichat + grab wine, cups, bread, and charcuterie for an improptu gathering along the water. 

4. Parc de Sceaux
This parc is a bit further and requires a car or hoping on the RER but you will be rewarded when you get to the gardens surrounding a little chateau. And if you want to recreate the photos you see here, then go during Cherry Blossom season. 

6. Along the Seine river
The Seine is full of spots to picnic! You can sit on the concrete and dangle your legs over the water, find little patches of grass, or get food from the boats set up along the river and hang. My go to area is a walk from the metro Hotel de Ville down the Quai Celestine but there are so many spots to explore! 

7. Place des Vosges
This little square in the middle of Le Marais can sometimes get crowded but who can resist grabbing a falafel or schwarma sandwich from Rue de Rosier and then walking over to plop down in the grass surrounded by breathtaking architecture on all sides of the places. And if you have kids with you -- they will enjoy splashing water out of the fountains, the sandpit, and the playground. (And bonus: the square is a great size so you can stay in one spot while your kids run from the playground and back to you.) 

Enjoy your meal en herbe and don’t forget to pack the one accessory that I never leave home without:  a Madame de la Maison linen tablecloth to use as a blanket. 😉