Bar Terraces in Paris: 16 Spots for a Drink Outside
On a warm evening in Paris, every bar puts out a few chairs, and most of them face a bus lane. The drinks are warm, the prices are set for people who won't come back, and the good terraces are full by seven.
This is our shortlist of bar terraces in Paris worth the detour: 16 spots cross-checked across Le Fooding, The World's 50 Best and local guides, from natural wine to cocktails at a flat price. Rather drink wine? See our wine bars with a terrace. Staying out late? Our late-night bars keep going after the terraces close.
Chef Yves Camdeborde's standing-only tapas counter celebrates pork and natural wines in the heart of Marché Saint-Germain.
Fooding
A vibrant food hall in a converted SNCF warehouse near Gare de Lyon, featuring diverse international street food stands, organic local produce, and a sprawling 1,500 m² garden terrace.
A champion mixologist crafts bespoke cocktails from seasonal, organic ingredients in a pastel-pink paradise where hip-hop meets sustainability at a flat €12 per drink.
A pioneering eco-responsible café-cantine housed in a former Petite Ceinture railway station, combining urban farming, DIY workshops, and sustainable dining since 2014.
A joyful French bistrot where vice-champion œufs mayonnaise meets an exceptional natural wine selection in a convivial, no-frills atmosphere.
Fooding AwardFooding
Award-winning wine bar in the 1st arrondissement offering over 1,000 wine references, intimate tasting dinners, and expert sommelier-led experiences.
A bistronomic gem nestled within a legendary 1880 wine house, offering Chef Benjamin Anthoni's seasonal French cuisine paired with exceptional wines from over 3,000 references.
TheFork Insider
A convivial wine bar in the 3rd arrondissement where 250 natural wine references meet quality charcuterie and cheese boards in a warm, unpretentious setting.
A sophisticated wine and cheese bar in the 11th arrondissement, pairing raw milk cheeses selected by a Meilleur Ouvrier de France with organic wines from independent vignerons.
TheFork Insider
A vintage cocktail bar nestled in a former 1910 pharmacy, serving creative libations and refined small plates on a charming tree-lined terrace.
A joyful, eco-conscious guinguette serving Mediterranean tapas in one of Paris's most beautiful parks, where festive vibes meet inclusive community spirit.
A luminous cocktail bar in Belleville where creative mixology meets accessible pricing, crowned Best Author Bar by Le Fooding Guide 2018.
A floating bistronomic haven on the Seine where seasonal French cuisine harmonizes with live jazz and world music against the backdrop of Notre-Dame.
A standing-room-only natural wine bar in the 10th arrondissement where tapas-style sharing plates meet an exceptional selection of biodynamic wines in a striking marble setting.
Fooding AwardFooding
A sophisticated neighborhood cocktail bar blending Art Nouveau elegance with expertly crafted drinks and curated small plates in Paris's 16th arrondissement.
Fooding AwardFooding
A festive floating guinguette on the Seine where Andalusian-inspired bites, wood-fired pizzas, and DJ sets create Paris's most spirited riverside escape.
How to pick a bar terrace in Paris
The best outdoor drinks in Paris are rarely on the big boulevards. They're under market arcades, in old railway stations, in covered passages and along the canal. Here's where to find them, and how to actually get a seat.
Terraces with a story
L'Avant Comptoir du Marché is Yves Camdeborde's standing-only counter at the Marché Saint-Germain. When the bar is packed, grab a seat on the terrace under the market arcades, dry even when it rains, and order the caramelized pork belly and a foie gras skewer. In the 18th, La Recyclerie lives in a former station of the Petite Ceinture railway, with an urban farm and a terrace open from noon to 11pm every day. In the 2nd, Le Comptoir des Caves Legrand puts its tables inside the Galerie Vivienne, one of the city's prettiest 19th-century covered passages.
Cocktails and natural wine outside
Bisou is run by a champion mixologist who makes cocktails to order from seasonal, organic ingredients, at one flat price per drink. Both of its bars, in the Marais and on the Canal Saint-Martin, have terraces. At Le Barav in the 3rd, 250 natural wines and a charcuterie board wait on a terrace that fills fast: arrive around 6:30pm rather than 7:30pm. Les Petits Crus in the 11th pairs raw-milk cheeses with organic wines and opens its terrace in the warmer months.
Where to look, and what it costs
The results are spread across the city, with a couple each in the Marais, the 10th arrondissement around the canal, the 12th, the 5th and the 19th, where Rosa Bonheur sits in the Buttes-Chaumont park. Most are cheap or mid-priced. For more options in one neighborhood, see our terraces in the 11th; for a coffee rather than a drink, our café terraces.
Timing
Paris terraces fill at the first ray of sun and the moment offices close. Go early, have a second spot in mind, and use the map to see what's around you. Each place page lists the must-try drinks and bites, prices and opening hours, so you won't end up at a closed door. Browse all our bars for rainy days.