Top 10 Restaurant Terraces in Paris

13 May 2015 by Margaret Kemp    4471  
Top 10 Restaurant Terraces in Paris
Margaret Kemp
By Margaret Kemp
At the beginning of Spring, sun-starved Parisians head for cafe and restaurant terrasses. Here are some of our favourites. Le Cour Jardin The elegant courtyard garden restaurant of the Plaza Athénée, headed by chef Alain Ducasse, has been given a design makeover by Bruno Moinard. This is the perfect spot to relax before or after shopping or gallery gazing on Avenue Montaigne. On the menu, you’ll find both classic favourites– Chilled Blue Lobster with Caponata and Coral Vinaigrette, Mediterranean red mullet, tender new potatoes, courgettes, bouillabaisse jus– and new ideas from young Japanese talent Fumiko Kono via her chic “Bento Box Cour Jardin”. Spectacular summer fruit desserts, some are sugar-free, by chef-pâtissiers Christophe Michalak and Jean-Marie Hiblot. Hotel Plaza Athénée, 25, avenue Montaigne, 8th. Tel: 01 53 67 66 02. Metro: Alma Marceau. Open 7/7 Lunch & Dinner until mid September. Average spend 110€ + wine Camélia Yes, that’s a blackbird singing in the shady green and white garden flanked by two elegant camelia bushes. Head chef Thierry Marx’s brasserie is a zen-style haven of peace deep in the heart of retail therapy land. Signature dishes include Calamari Risoni, with squid ink, ginger and lemongrass emulsion. Char-grilled Charolais beef filet, buffalo mozzarella and Daikon crab wrap, shrimp and green tea jelly as well as his “Daily Marx” suggestions and chef’s spin on Saint-Honoré, the delicious dessert that honours the patron saint of pâtisserie. Which table ? Book the sexy three-tier birdcage; they should call it Fifty Shades of Shade. And, finally, choose some designer pastries from the cake boutique, then leaving will not be so difficult, you’ll take a little taste of Camélia with you. 251, rue Saint-Honoré, 1st, Metro: Concorde. Tel: 01 70 98 78 88. Open 7/7. Average Spend Lunch 60€ Dinner (+wine). Sunday Brunch from 12.30 – 3.30 88€ Les Climats Les Climats is a unique project by Carole Colin and Denis Jamet, to showcase the bounty of Burgundy wines. Located in a handsome left-bank listed 1905 building that once housed the Telephone Exchange. Beyond the bar area, for wine tastings and light snacks, is a winter garden/ orangerie and then the secret country garden, open for lunch only. Décor throughout is by Bambi Sloan, read William Morris meets Sarah Bernhardt. Young chef Julien Boscus, awarded a Michelin Star in the 2015 Guide says. “We are a team and I work with sommelier Franck-Emmanuel Mondésir to match wines with my food, there are 1,500 references”. Need to know: In Burgundy vineyards “climat” describes the ‘terroir’: a parcel of land with its’ own characteristic soil and microclimate. Each winegrowing community in Burgundy has a great number of “climats”, which may be classified as Premier Cru: Grand Cru: or be unclassified. Use of “climat” names are strictly regulated and listed in Le Journal Official de la République Française, produced by the French Government.” 41 rue de Lille, 7th, Metro: rue de Bac. Tel: 01 58 62 10 08. Closed Sunday-Monday. Average Spend Lunch 36-42€ Dinner 86-150€ (+ wine) La Maison Blanche Poised on the roof of the historic Théatre des Champs Elysées, a favourite address for the likes of Mick Jagger, Sharon Stone, Nicole Kidman and Catherine Deneuve, read « le tout Paris » They love the food and picture-postcard views from MB’s two terraces. You want to be seen? Book the Eiffel Tower side, otherwise hide on the other overlooking the Church on Avenue Marceau and the George V. There’s a nod and a wink to the Mediterranean coming from the kitchens of La Ciotat born chef Fabrice Giraud. Wines are by glass or bottle, the sommeliers present their daily picks in chic metal baskets, you can copy this at home. Add the charming welcome from General Manager Bruno Franck, he takes care of everything, even lends Ray Bans, provides sun block, theatre tickets! 15 avenue Montaigne, 8th, Metro: Alma Marceau. Tel: 01 47 23 55 99. Closed Saturday & Sunday lunch. Average spend Lunch 48-58€ Dinner 69-145€ (+ wine) Chalet des Iles The Swiss style chalet, built by Napoleon 111 as a gift for Empress Eugénie in 1857, is accessed, in two minutes, by free ferry boat, no passport required. Chef Cedric Poncet says, “We’re on an island, so I create menus influenced from here and there, say, roulade of aubergine with fresh goat cheese, roquette and pistou. Sea-bass ceviché, coconut milk, chopped seaweed.” There’s also his spin on Chalet Burger with chips, then Cheesecake, Sablé Breton, Mont Blanc du Chalet for dessert. Owner Raphael de Montremy, motorbike champion, all round sportsman and restaurateur explains, “We are very keen on conserving the flora and fauna of the island, including the peacocks and ducks”. So, post lunch/ dinner, take a Chalet rowboat or explore this fragrant space on foot. In just five minutes from the centre of Paris, you’re in the heart of the countryside. 14 Chemin de Ceinture du Lac Inférieur, 16th, Bois de Boulogne, Metro: Porte Maillot. Tel: 01 42 88 04 69. Open 7/7. Average spend Menu Chalet 25-35€. Children 15€ Pavillon Elysée Lenôtre From this romantic pavilion, built for the 1900 Universal Exhibition, you can almost see into the gardens of the Elysée Palace, home to Monsieur Le President ! A perfect address for light lunches, afternoon tea and exquisite cakes and pastries. There’s a boutique selling Lenôtre logo aprons and excellent, original table accessories. Sit back, under a shady parasol, read the newspapers and enjoy chilled tomato gazpacho, chicken or salmon Caesar salad, roasted black tiger prawns with lemongrass sauce, followed by something sweet from the dessert cart. The Pavillon’s famous Lenôtre Cookery School has its state-of-the-art kitchens here so you may want to check out the schedule before leaving. (I learned to…
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Lead photo credit : Camelia

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By Margaret Kemp

Born in Hampton, Middlesex, UK, Margaret Kemp is a lifestyle journalist, based between London, Paris and the world. Intensive cookery courses at The Cordon Bleu, London, a wedding gift from a very astute ex-husband, gave her the base that would take her travelling (leaving the astute one behind) in search of rare food and wine experiences, such as the vineyards of Thailand, 'gator hunting in South Florida, learning to make eye-watering spicy food in Kerala;pasta making in a tiny Tuscany trattoria. She has contributed to The Guardian, The Financial Times Weekend and FT. How To Spend It.com, The Spectator, Condé Nast Traveller, Food & Travel, and Luxos Magazine. She also advises as consultant to luxury hotels and restaurants. Over the years, Kemp has amassed a faithful following on BonjourParis. If she were a dish she'd be Alain Passard's Millefeuille “Caprice d'Enfant”, as a painting: Manet’s Dejeuner sur l’herbe !