Paris is filled with fabulous events and things to do, especially during the summer time.
Yesterday, there was an amazing event called “Dîner en Blanc de Paris” or “Dinner in White in Paris.” It all started 25 years ago by François Pasquier and a handful of friends. Today, the event boasts a crowd of nearly 15,000! What exactly is this exclusive pop-up event? Well, thousands of people come dressed in white accompanied with their most elegant etiquette for a massive “chic picnic” in one of the city’s beautiful public spaces. The event is supposed to evoke the refinement and glamour of court society. The location is only given out at the very last minute, so its very secret for such a public affair. Every year a different spot is chosen, but has included: the Pont des Arts, the Eiffel Tower site, Place Vendôme, the Château de Versailles, the Esplanade de Notre-Dame, the Esplanade des Invalides, the periphery of the Place de l’Étoile, the Champs-Élysées, Place de la Concorde and this year: the lovely Palais Royal!
It doesn’t stop there either! “Dîner en Blanc” is actually an international event that takes place in close to 40 different locations throughout the world!
Did you miss out this year? Make sure you get an invitation for next year’s magical event!
Everyone loves a good picnic, but a Parisian pique nique is not your standard affair. Think less packaged sandwiches and more artisan baguette, less cocktail sausages and more charcuterie. We understand that the idea of walking around in the heat to find all your picnic food is enough to put you off having one altogether… and that’s why we’re about to let you in on a little secret: ready-made picnics. Whether you’re after a luxury hamper bursting with champagne and caviar or something a little more rustic, we’ve tracked down the best picnics in Paris so that all you need to do is place an order, then sit back, relax and enjoy the sunshine whilst someone does all the hard work for you. Bliss.
Lovely gourmet Picnics by husband and wife food lover in Paris. Love Picnic Paris offers 4 different picnic baskets delivered to various locations in Paris for a great traditional picnic experience. From the sourcing of the finest ingredients and the creation of delicious homemade dishes to the assembly of our beautiful wicker Basket and its delivery to you at the picturesque Champ de Mars next to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Miyoko and Olivier will take care of everything so you don’t have to.
l’Hotel Burgundy
source: www.leburgundy.com
If you’re looking for something seriously special then look no further! Hotel Burgundy’s Michelin Starred chef Pierre Rigothier has created the perfect luxury picnic hamper which includes caviar, foie gras, braised ox cheek terrine and other delightfully fancy items. It also comes with champagne and vodka and the best bit? Just let them know where you’re going to have your picnic and one of their valets will deliver it to you!
6-8 rue Duphot 75001 Paris
+33 (0)1 42 60 34 12
Epicerie Générale
source: www.epiceriegenerale.fr
This charming deli offers a variety of different ready-made picnics. The basic is the “Panier Dejeuner” for 50€ which includes salads, sandwiches and patisseries, but for just 10€ more you can enjoy the “Panier Apero” which includes charcuterie, cheese, caviar and a bottle of wine. For €120 you can buy the “Panier Champagne” or really splash out on the “Panier Vodka” (200€) and enjoy luxury picnic food and, you guessed it, a bottle of vodka and mixer. The Epicerie is also perfectly located just across the road from the Tuileries Gardens.
43 Rue de Vermeuil 75007 Paris
+33 (0)1 42 60 51 78
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Great Value Options
Jeanne A
source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Until 15th September 2013, this eat-in or take-out épicerie is offering “Pique-niques du Jeanne A”. For 10€ per person (minimum 4 people) you receive a bottle of wine, an assortment of sausages, crisps, radishes, and a baguette. For 19€ per person ( minimum 2 people) you can enjoy an assortment of sausages, vegetable tarts, salads, baguette, madeleines and a chocolate cookie. Order the picnic the day before then pick it up from the shop on the day and wander over to the nearby Canal Saint-Martin.
42 Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, 75011 Paris, France
+33 (0)1 43 55 09 49
Le Faitout
source:www.resto-de-paris.com
Every Sunday this typically French bistro situated just next to the beautiful Parc des Buttes Chaumont offers picnic hampers filled with meats, cheese, salads and more. It’s brilliant value for money too – for around 20€ per person you can enjoy a great picnic and for around 40€ you can treat yourself to luxury foods such as foie gras. But be sure to order in advance!
23 Avenue Simon Bolivar, 75019 Paris
+33 (0)1 42 08 07 09
Chez Michel
source: www.linternaute.com
This much-rated French restaurant provides a starter, a main, cheese, desert, bread and wine for just 43€ for two people. Your picnic must be ordered at least an hour in advance and please be aware that they are closed at weekends and that you must provide your own cutlery and serviettes etc.
10 Rue de Belzunce, 75010 Paris
+33 (0)1 44 53 06 20
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Composing your own picnic
If you want your picnic to be more personalised you needn’t have to traipse around looking for the best places to buy; these places offer a huge selection of top quality food all in one place.
Rue Cler
source: www.paris-eiffel-tower-news.com
Rue Cler is a quaint street lined with bakeries, butchers, cheese shops, wine shops and chocolate shops – you really can find everything you need for the perfect picnic in one street! Other plus points are the picturesque cobblestone pavements and its proximity to one of the best picnic spots in Paris, the Champ de Mars (the gardens surrounding the Eiffel Tower).
Gérard Mulot
source: www.girlsguidetoparis.com
If you’re looking for the perfect one-stop shop for all your picnic needs, look no further than Gérard Mulot. Founded in 1975, there are now three shops in Paris offering bread, pastries, hot meals and desserts. We recommend visiting the Saint-Germain shop on Rue de Seine, just a short walk from the gorgeous Luxembourg Gardens.
76 rue de seine 75006 Paris
93 rue de la glacière 75013 Paris
6 rue du Pas de la Mule 75003 Paris
La Grande Epicerie de Paris
source: www.lagrandeepicerie.com
This huge food hall found in the Bon Marché department store in the 7th arrondissement has just about every food you can think of, from simple to gourmet. They offer take-away dishes from a variety of different cuisines and are happy to help you out with disposable cups and cutlery.
38 rue de Sèvres 75007 Paris
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So now you know the secret to the perfect Parisian picnic… gone are the days of wandering from shop to shop, working up a sweat in the summer heat with arms full of bags, only to get to the park and realise you forgot the plastic cups (we’ve all been there). Say hello to days lazing in the sun, to sipping organic wine in between bites of your fresh baguette, say hello to your friends thinking you’re a culinary genius able to whip up a gourmet hamper as if out of nowhere… well, we did say it was a secret.
