Paris never runs out of ideas, but you have to know where to look. Every week, we comb through the capital to bring you 5 must-do experiences, including restaurants, exhibitions, cultural outings and activities that make the city's heart beat.
The SO/Paris hotel prepares your summer picnic, ready to enjoy: The “Picnic by Veuve Clicquot” basket contains a gourmet salad (choice of: lobster, chicken or vegetarian), a selection of French cheeses, bread, a flaky brioche, a seasonal fruit tart, half a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Brut Carte Jaune for two, as well as tableware: a plate, a Souleiado tablecloth, a champagne glass and cutlery, all to take away in a lovely signature basket. Available to both hotel guests and external customers, you must collect the basket and return it (along with the tableware) to the hotel after your picnic. Located near the banks of the Seine, So/Paris suggests picnic spots along the riverbanks or in the surrounding gardens. Le Printemps Haussmann, again in collaboration with Veuve Clicquot, offers a takeaway picnic package for two – without a basket this time – featuring a half-bottle of Veuve Clicquot Brut Carte Jaune, two glasses, and a selection of gourmet creations to share, devised by Le Printemps’ chefs.
SO/Paris
Picnic Basket by Veuve Clicquot
€75 per person, to take away
Until 30 September 2026
Every day from 7.30 am to 9 pm
10, rue Agrippa d’Aubigné, Paris 4th arrondissement
Printemps Haussmann
€89 for a picnic for two
To be collected from La Terrasse du 7e Ciel, on the 7th floor of the women’s department
Until 30 September 2026
Every day from 10.00 to 20.00
40, boulevard Haussmann, Paris 9th *
The very first Pouchard Paris boutique presents a world inspired by the sacred, conceived by artists and craftspeople (artistic metalworkers, ceramicists, painters, calligraphers, mosaic artists, archaeologists, perfumers, etc.). Six eaux de parfum are waiting to be discovered in exquisite silver-set bottles: Nuit Sans Lune (ylang-ylang, patchouli), Rose de l’Alchimiste, Piège (iris and violet), etc. The olfactory experience designed by the boutique is truly original: you try the basil and coriander-scented exfoliator (sugar and olive stones), ‘Sucre d’Honneur’, at the shell-shaped fountain, before moisturising with the hand lotion, followed by the Baume Sacré lip balm enriched with frankincense essential oils and shea butter, presented in an elegant silver shell.
The highlight of the show is a visit to the confessional, the ‘Antre des vérités’ – a glass-walled booth where you embark on an olfactory journey thanks to ‘Souffle’, a bespoke invention designed in collaboration with the French brass instrument brand Adrien Jaminet. This ‘dry olfactory tasting’ instrument – resembling a trumpet bell attached to a wooden table – diffuses the fragrance through a stream of purified air; the scent dissipates in less than two seconds, leaving only the purity of that first impression. By using particles finer than those in an eau de parfum, it allows you to discover a wide variety of scents… without tiring your sense of smell. Brilliant!
Pouchard Paris
Eau de parfum, 75ml, €230; Lip balm, €65; Hand scrub, 300ml, €89
Tuesday to Saturday, 11am–7pm
50, rue des Saints-Pères, Paris 7th arrondissement
From 9 July, Japan Expo makes its grand return to the Paris-Nord Villepinte Exhibition Centre, much to the delight of Japan enthusiasts. Manga, anime, video games, cosplay, music, martial arts, gastronomy and traditional crafts: the event celebrates every facet of Japanese culture, from the most ancient to the most contemporary. Over several days, visitors, exhibitors and guests from Japan come together for a packed programme combining demonstrations, talks, concerts, cosplay competitions and meet-and-greets with artists and creators. A true institution for fans of Asian pop culture, Japan Expo establishes itself every summer as one of the most eagerly awaited events of the season in the Île-de-France region.
Japan Expo, 9–12 July 2026
Paris Nord Villepinte – VIPARIS, 82 avenue des Nations – ZAC Paris Nord 2 – 93420 Villepinte
Le Café Richelieu, at the Louvre Museum, is opening a new chapter in culinary delights with a menu created by Jessica Préalpato, crowned the world’s best pastry chef in 2019 by the World’s 50 Best. Heirloom flours, herbs, honeys and botanicals make up the pastry chef’s highly contemporary repertoire, with flavours that are always spot on. As soon as you walk in, the dessert counter is a mouth-watering sight: cheesecake (raspberry and yuzu, €15, her signature creation),
roasted apples Tatin-style, glazed in a black lemon-infused caramel (€17), a vanilla Saint-Honoré with cinnamon buds, seasonal fruit tarts, as well as cakes, madeleines, waffles and ice-cream sundaes are all to be savoured here, before or after a visit to the museum… On the savoury side, you can have lunch at any time of day with a courgette salad with marjoram and burratina, a thin-crust tart with carrots, roasted apples, mustard seeds and sheep’s cheese, or a vol-au-vent of spring vegetables with free-range chicken and tarragon. You simply must try the generous brunch (€35), served every morning until midday, or the afternoon tea (€20, from 3 pm), in what was once the finance minister’s office – a recently renovated Second Empire-style salon with a painted ceiling, period parquet flooring and midnight-blue walls. And then there’s the breathtaking view over the Cour Napoléon and Ieoh Ming Pei’s glass pyramid…
*Café Richelieu, inside the Louvre Museum, Richelieu Wing, 1st floor
Open every day except Tuesdays from 10.00 to 16.45
Access to the café requires a museum entry ticket *
To support Les Bleus during the World Cup, Les Chocolats de Yannick Alléno have teamed up with the French Football Federation to unveil a unique collaboration. The world’s most Michelin-starred French chef, at the helm of numerous exceptional restaurants from Paris to Saint-Émilion, via Courchevel and Dubai, London and Monte Carlo, has reimagined his gourmet chocolate sticks in a blue, white and red design, as a tribute to the French national team. Beneath this tricolour wrapper lies a hazelnut praline encased in a melt-in-the-mouth, delicious chocolate coating, perfect for nibbling with joy – or frustration – throughout the tournament. A delightful little gourmet treat to give as a gift or to share!
Yannick Alléno Chocolates
*Box of 6 chocolate sticks, €15 (50g); box of 18 sticks, €36 (150g)
Available until 31 August at the two Yannick Alléno shops in Paris (9, rue du Champ de Mars, Paris 7th arrondissement and 25, rue du Vieux-Colombier, Paris 6th arrondissement), at the Galeries Lafayette Le Gourmet corner (35, boulevard Haussmann, Paris 9th arrondissement), online and at the French Football Federation shop at 85, boulevard de Grenelle, Paris 15th arrondissement. *
In February 2026, Paris offers a wide choice of outings for lovers: exhibitions, shows, fairs...
Pampered, arty, gourmet or quirky – there are a thousand ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day in Paris!
