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We've compiled the best of the best in Around the Louvre - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
Founded in 1903 and patronized by literary luminaries like Marcel Proust and Gertrude Stein, Angelina is famous for its chocolat "l'Africain"—an ultrarich hot chocolate topped with whipped cream. The beautiful chestnut "Mont Blanc" pastry is the ideal accompaniment. Fashionistas should be sure to stop for a photo op at table #10, Coco Chanel's favorite.
Set in the Galerie Vivienne, Paris's loveliest covered passage, this charmingly authentic 19th-century bistro feels both cozy and welcoming, and the food and drink are well above average. With all-day hours as well as a double terrace either inside Galerie Vivienne or on a picturesque street a few steps from the Palais Royal gardens, this is a satisfying spot for a quick coffee or glass of wine, a snack, or a full meal.
This Japanese-inspired minichain of coffeehouses is the place to be seen during Paris Fashion Week. There are four locations in Paris: one at 208 rue de Rivoli, one at 2 pl. André Malraux with a full restaurant menu, one at 30 rue du Vertbois that also serves as a roastery, and this one—the original and persistent favorite, thanks in large part to the views over the Palais Royal gardens.
Run by the Costes family, this café overlooking the main courtyard of the Louvre and its famous glass pyramid is a stylish place to meet for a drink or a coffee, whether in the chic, jewel-toned dining rooms or on the Louvre's long, sheltered terrace. Regular café service shuts down during meal times, when fashion-conscious folks dig into classic bistro fare like steak tartare or duck foie gras with a handful of lighter offerings like quinoa with avocado and pomeranate or vegetarian pasta with a slightly spiced tomato-basil sauce.
With its globe lamps, molded ceilings, and giant mirrors, this romantic neighborhood institution feels elegant yet not overpolished, attracting a wonderfully Parisian mix of elderly lone diners, business lunchers, tourists, couples, and the post-theater crowd, all of whom come for the enormous seafood platters, duck foie gras with Sauternes jelly, steak tartare, and roasted chicken rendered famous by Diane Keaton in Something's Gotta Give. Open every day, Le Grand Colbert is also a pleasant destination for a quick bite between 3 pm and 6 pm, when most everything else is closed and the restaurant offers a French-style teatime complete with a pastry.
