picnics in Paris
 

This may sound like a very silly question...how do you picnic in Paris? Do you bring picnic gear from home or buy it there. We are going in Sept. with three children. I imagine we will have a few picnics in the week that we are there. I'd appreciate all your tips.

What kind of picnic gear are you envisioning needing? I usually go to an open-air market or grocery store or chacuterie, buy what I want to eat and drink, find a bench or other suitable venue, and eat.

I say keep it simple. You can find a street with a bakery, a cheese shop, etc.--like Rue Cler. Then buy french bread, cheese, fruit, drinks and head for the nearest park. You can also buy lots of really good "street food." My boys loved the crepes. The Parisians really do know how to eat well at any price point!

Every supermarket sells paper or plastic plates, plastic glasses, etc., if that's what you're worried about.

Right. The only things you need are plastic utensils, a corkscrew and some napkins. If you are thinking about a picnic on a blanket, I am not sure that you can spread out on the grass in many Paris parks..

I sometimes pack some inexpensive stainless forks and knives (sometimes I bring a few plastic cups for my own meals on the plane..) to use for this purpose but you can pick up this stuff when you arrive..

Picnic may not be the right word...more like buying takeout and eating it in a park. There are shops everywhere selling sandwiches, sweets, drinks, takeout meals. Pick an area (Champ de Mars, Luxembourg Gardens) and as lunch time approaches, pick something up and go sit at one of the park benches. There are also quite a few wine shops around,so if you pre-plan with a corkscrew and some cups...the adults can tipple a bit.

At one picnic I had with some American friends in the forest of Saint Germain en Laye, people who were not used to all the wine, one of them said at the end of the meal "these trees are spinning faster than when we arrived."

People who talk about picnics in Paris on here usually just mean eating some takeout on a park bench. You aren't really allowed to do the fullblown picnic thing like you do in the US at public parks, at tables with grills, tableclothes, coolers, etc. You aren't allowed on the grass at many Parisian parks, basically.

There are a couple parks where you are allowed on the grass, though, I think there have been some threads on that, but I wouldn't try to plan a lot of elaborate picnics.

Park Bench picnics

go to Monoprix stores, all over, and you can assemble a healthy and inexpensive picnique in minutes.

They have excellent French sandwiches - a baguette lathered with sauces, cheese, meat, etc.

great pastries for desert and a supermarket for pop, wine, etc. and often a deli with prepared take-out foods.

Any park will have lots of benches for pinics and often great people watching as well.

i just saw this article today on gridskipper. a list of take-away food venues plus a recommended spot nearby to enjoy your lunch!

http://gridskipper.com/travel/paris/...and-267115.php

What article, missdaisey? I scrolled through a number of pages, and saw nothing about picnic takeouts.

Interesting site, however.

:-)

We picnic in Paris for lunch most days when we visit. We pick up some bread, cheese, fruit and some salami/sausage, and some wine. I usually get wine before hand transfer to small water bottle ahead of time to avoid carying around heavy glass bottle. A swiss army knife is all the utensil we really need. Then find a bench in one of the parks.I love doing this in the Tuillerie garden or Luxembourg where you are surrounded by the sights of Paris.

Perhaps this might come in handy!!!


http://www.golfspast.com/page/E/PROD/AMB/M1354

When in Paris we always shop at the food hall in Bon Marche and then picnic in the park across the street. The Bon Marche has the most wonderful foods to select from. It is a lovely little park with benches and a play ground for children.

We pack the following (you won't see my posts on the packing light thread):
corkscrew
flexible bread board
bread knife
acrylic wine glasses
couple of cloth napkins - used for a table cloth

As well, we tend to stop at "Aires" for picnics while driving .

It wasn't Paris, but I gotta write about the best meal I ever had in France.
We were in Avignon, walking down the main street, and came upon a McDonald's. Directly below Mac's was a COIN department store with a deli section. We went down there and saw some of the most gorgeous cold cuts, etc. ever. We asked the guy behind the counter if he woyuld make some sandwiches for us. He said "sure", and he told us to go upstairs, next to the Mac's, and purchase some bread. We did so, and he then proceeded to construct some of the greatest sandwiches ever made, with all sorts of meat, cheeses, dressings, etc. We then bought a bottle of good wine there, and went upstairs and on our way. About 1/4 of a mile past the Mac's, towards the center of Avignon, there is a great carousel, with nice benches and low walls surrounding the merry-go-round. We promptly sat down and we opened up our sandwich bags, took the cork out of the bottle of wine, and poured ourselves generous drinks in plastic cups. We then watched the kiddies on the carousel, watched the scenery and people around us and had a fantastic meal. Not only was the meal great, the environment was fabulous, AND IT WAS ON THE CHEAP!!

It's ok to be on the grass at the Champ de Mars, Parc Montsouris, Buttes-Chaumont, Parc Monceau... maybe a tiny stretch somewhere in Jardin de Luxembourg but I don't know where. If you see others doing it, you'll be ok doing it, too.
(also, along the Grand Canal at the Versailles chateau).

We went to the Latin qtr and bought chicken from the outdoor rotisserie, which also has potatoes on it. We then got figs and a couple of types of cheese. We found a little park with a fountain and had a fabulous lunch.

Thank you, most of the replies were very helpful. Now I understand "picnics" in Paris. Basically its eating take out on a bench. Where have I seen all the images of people on blankets with lovely baskets of food, plastic cutlery and glasses?

Not in real life in Paris -- either in ads or movies, most likely. You could do that more in the country, probably, but not in Paris.

hi, silvia,

with 3 kids, I'd take several packs of "wet wipes", cos you'll need them.

apart from that, OPs have got it covered.

have a great trip,

regards, ann

Our favorite spot for a picnic in Paris is in the Latin Quarter (5e).
The Arenes de Lutece is great for spreading out and watching the kids playing soccer, the old men playing boules and the lovers playing....

http://tinyurl.com/2uauld

"..Where have I seen all the images of people on blankets with lovely baskets of food, plastic cutlery and glasses?.."

Why can't this be managed on Champ de Mars? We spread out a tablecloth to lounge on, and have a bottle of wine and unbreakable glasses and snacks...

Also, perhaps one of the "Bois" would have grassy areas that would be fine for such a picnic?

One of my favourite picnic spots in Paris is the parc André Citroen in the 15th arrondissement. Big expanses of grass that you are allowed to sit on, nice (modern) landscaping, fountains (on hot days you'll see kids in swimsuits playing in the water) and a tethered hot air ballon that you can go up in.

People may have gotten the wrong idea about Paris picnics from the Renoir painting "Le déjeuner sur l'herbe". It may be pointed out that women at picnics do not necessarily disrobe, but it would not be frowned upon if they did.

If I disrobed, we'd all lose our appetite.

bkm

From Misdaisy's article

"Follow local custom by waiting to eat (no sidewalk snacking) until you are gracefully situated on the lawn. Do as the Parisians do by taking small bites, chewing slowly, and then furiously making out in the grass"

Ooooooh, I LIKE that last suggestion!

:-)

Adding to hanl's reply about the Parc Andre Citroen, the nearby Cave L'Os Moelle restaurant rents bicycles for picnics. I assume they will also pack up a nice one for you.

181 rue de Lourmel
Paris 75015 France
+33 1 4557 2828

Hate to rain on anyone's parade, Hanl and Danna, but I looked up the Parc Andre Citroen, and found a site that rates parks of the world. This park is listed as one of their "Parks of Shame", and says it is little better than the old car factory it replaced.

http://tinyurl.com/ysk7hy

Sorry about that ----

:-(

You have to take the kids to the Luxembourg Garden to be kids. Also a great place to feed them a picnic would be under the Eiffel Tower right before you take them up. It has a park atmosphere and everyone else will be doing the same. Also there is a small park on the left bank caddy corner from Notre Dame and a stones throw to Shakespeare & Co. bookstore. Don't forget that crepes are great and usually a whole meal in themselves, but like someone suggested, make sure you have face/hand wipes. I wish I had had some, and I'm a grown woman! Now I wish I had a crepe. I shouldn't have mentioned them! Have a wonderful time.

<<Hate to rain on anyone's parade,>>
I am pleased to say that the sun is still shining

Nukesafe - You obviously did not read far enough in your own reference to discover that all (8) the responders think that this attempted trashing of this modern park is out in "left" field.
Pique- niquing seems to abound, park usage is great and everyone except this organization seems to think that the park is just great.

Danna---We visited Parc Andre Citroen and found it a fascinating counterpoint to the more "formal" Parisian parks. It is definitely worth a stroll-through. Start at the Balard or Javel Metro station and leave from the other one.

Robjame,

Mea Culpa! Sorry I did not read further on that thread. I feel properly chastened. another example of letting out the clutch before engaging the brain.

Now I am going to have to use up some of my precious time in Paris in October to check the park out for myself. I don't think I have ever been in the 15th, so I'll look on it as another adventure.

:-)