Need suggestions please....

About to visit Paris end September for the first time with my partner. He'll also have his birthday whilst in Paris.

I want to prepare a birthday picnic for him but it will be a complete surprise. So...

1. In London, you can go to Harrods/Selfridges foodhalls, as well as some hotels, and pick up a gourmet picnic box inc champagne. Do you know of anywhere in Paris that sells this?

2. If not, I will have to somehow prepare one in advance. I want to be able to say "ta da" and he sees the complete picnic, as opposed to dragging him round. Therefore:
a) where is the best place to buy stuff for picnic, ie baguettes, pastries, champagne, but the shops need to be close together
b) where is the best place for a romantic picnic (Eiffel Tower must be in view!)

I look forward to hearing from you.

Go to rue Cler and shop there. Or perhaps better, about a half a block from rue Cler's intersection with Av. Lamotte Picquet, there is a Flo "delicatessen"/shop. You could get EVERYthing there with ease. Then walk down Av. Bourdainnais toward the Eiffel Tower. Cut over to the Champs de Mars and enjoy the view.
Metro Ecole Militaire, and you are a half block from Flo.
On rue Cler there is Davoli that might also be a one stop shopping place, but Flo for sure.

I would check out Fauchon. Even if they don;t offer this as a regular service - I would think they could do it.

If not perhaps your hotel could reco another supplier.

Hi WW,

Lovely idea.

Look up "Charcuterie"in the district where you will be staying at www.pagesjaune.fr

The one you choose will also be able to send you to a boulangerie, wine shop, etc.

Where will you get the picnic basket, wine glasses, napkins, etc?

If you are in the vicinity, check out http://www.lagrandeepicerie.fr/index_en.asp



There are hundreds (thousands?) of places in Paris to put together a picnique.

Check out the delicacies at L'Epicerie in the Bon Marché department store--you'll find all sorts of delicious things for a picnic, and I wouldn't be surprised if the store carries picnic baskets as well. You could also inquire at the Galerie Lafayette department store.

I'd also suggest posting your query on the bonjourparis.com web site in the Paris section. You'll likely to get replies hear from members living there, and I'm sure there are places in Paris where you can order a picnic-to-go. Sounds like fun.

You can also get some very nice takeaway from Lenotre. They have several shops in Paris:

16th 44 rue d'Auteil
7th 40 rue Cler
8th 15 boulevard de Courcelles
15th 61 rue Lecourbe
17th 121 avenue de Wsgram

new openings (5 july - 30 aug)
14th 91 avenue du General Leclerc
4th 10 rue St Antoine
7th 36 avenue de la Motte-Picquet
16th 61 avenue de la grande armee
16th 102 avenue du President Kennedy
12th 22 avenue de la porte de Vincennes

Hope this helps
Mike

Here are some ideas for pre-assembled baskets:

"l'epicerie fine" - pascal mievre
8, rue du Champs de Mars 75007
Métro Ecole Militaire
Tél. 01 47 05 98 18,
fax 01 47 05 92 18
According to Rick Steves, you can ask for Pascal to prepare a basket for you... no hint of a price given...

"Le Petrossian"
18 Bd de Latour-Maubourg
75007 PARIS
Tel: 01 44 11 32 22
fax : 01 44 11 32 25
They have gift / assortment boxes on the website, perhaps they could assemble something for you...

You didn't ask but for a nice picnic location you might like the pedestrian bridge "Pont des Arts". It's the first bridge north (towards Eiffel Tower) from the "Pont Neuf" and the tip of "Isle de Cite". It connects the Louvre and The Institute of France. Always lots of people having picnics and playing music there. Also the little park at the very tip of Isle de Cite is a popular spot.

Larry J

I agree with Underhill. L'Epicierie at Bon Marche will put a gourmet picnic together for you, too easy. As for picnic spots, the grass section at Luxembourg Gardens has plenty of room to spread a picnic cloth. Another option, which I think is very romantic, is picnicking just before night falls, on the grass in front of the Eiffel Tower. A wonderful picnic dinner with champagne and then the lights come on, ahhh!

I think stepping on the grass in the Luxembourg garden is verboten, from reading other threads.
Champs de Mars is allowed.

The Oh! Poivrier restaurants make interesting lunch boxes.

What fantastic ideas. thank you so much.

I loved the Tuilleries for a picnic. We found a pair of chairs under a nice shade tree.

Have a great time!

I agree with Underhill. L'Epicierie at Bon Marche is great. I was a bit let down with Fauchon's--the food is beautiful, but the selection is tiny compared with Bon Marche. Actually a trip to Bon Marche just to see the L'Epicierie is worth your time.

Another great place for a picnic--the grounds of the Rodin Museum.

We pickicked in Paris several times to save money. By far the best place is the Champs du Mars if you can wait till later and don't mind crowds. But a fun one during the day for us was the park in front of the Marmottan Museum. You have to walk through this park to get to the museum from the Metro. It's not an extraordinary park, by any means, but you get very tourists. It is full of Parisians with their children playing on the playground.

Being in tourist crowds almost the entire time, it was nice to have a break and a pleasant picnic with the locals. Oh, and we got our stuff from the Bon Marche twice. It's really very good.