5 Food and Drink Venues With Stunning Paris Views

Here’s where you can pair a Paris backdrop with drinks and light bites from morning to night.

Excluding historic landmarks like the 280-meter Eiffel Tower and 64-meter Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris restricts the height of new buildings to 37 meters (121 feet or about 11 floors), which accommodates largely unhindered 360-degree views from low levels all around the sprawling city.

To drink it all in, literally and figuratively, here’s where to grab a beverage and a bite to eat with a stunning backdrop of the architecture and array of landmarks, from the icons above to the Arc de Triomphe, Gare de Lyon clock tower, Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris on Montmartre, and beyond. (We highly recommend reservations for prime sunset views.)

Laho Rooftop

18th floor, near the Gare de Lyon train station

Laho tops a coworking space that starts 60 meters up with a bar, cornhole, and foosball surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows. Venture outside and ascend another floor for panoramic views stretching out across the city amid fragrant herbs and varied seating. Wind around to a dance floor (really a green) with a DJ on weekends, though I prefer the lower key weeknight vibe. A platform in the center of the roof grants a select 20 or so guests elevated views of the Eiffel Tower, the Seine, and beyond. The platform is cramped but congenial, and the menu complements fun, colorful, approachable snacks with cocktails based on each herb growing. I paired a lavender concoction with fruit overflowing from a pineapple and crudités with blue chips, though nostalgic hard shell tacos caught my eye on the menu. There was a line outside, so make reservations and plan for sunset. There’s plenty of space for a group, and the vibe is buzzy but relaxed with a notably friendly staff.

Open 6 p.m. to midnight, closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Bonnie at the SO/ Paris Hotel

15th floor, near Notre-Dame

Right above the Seine, the SO/ hotel’s rooftop restaurant, Bonnie, offers the most scheduling flexibility if your nights are booked. I walked in for breakfast, which was primarily occupied by guests, and relatively relaxed at 9 a.m. on a Friday. The buffet spread is inviting with beautiful French pastries and a granola bar, but I opted for a fruit salad and simple omelet a la carte, which are pretty straightforward and adequately executed, alongside fresh fruit juice (a standard at breakfast in France) and coffee. Though the decor feels like a cruise ship dining room, the views are breathtaking, even when the patio is closed for dining. The tables outside wrap around the west side of the hotel and offer truly front-row seats over the river and out to the Eiffel Tower. Even from the interior banquettes, you can watch boats reflected in the mirror on the ceiling and catch views over the booths between you and the floor-to-ceiling windows. It doesn’t hurt that the hotel lobby is bright and full of art on the way there and back.

Open 7 a.m.-10:30 a.m., 12 p.m.-2:30 p.m., 7 p.m.-11 p.m. daily.

The Roof at Hôtel Madame Rêve

4th floor, near The Louvre

The lowest level on the list, this space compensates with 1,000 square meters to roam, and the height brings the landmarks to eye level, with the massive Saint-Eustache Church looming when you emerge from the lift. Right before sunset, the lines outside and at the host stand are long and tense, so arrive early and be patient if you’ve made your reservation. The Eiffel Tower view is an airy, lavender-lined walk away from the action and worth it. The bar surrounds a Japanese-inspired restaurant that’s inset a floor below, and the menu from Chef Benjamin Six is available on The Roof. I paired a tart and refreshing non-alcoholic cocktail called Sunset Lovers (cranberry, ginger, grapefruit, yuzu) with tuna tartare and sweet potato teriyaki. Both were light and delicious. There’s loud music, a random pool table that guests actually took advantage of, and French wines like a rouge Sancerre by the bottle.

Open 4 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily.

Mūn

8th floor, on the Champs-Élysées

Just when you think you’ve seen the Eiffel Tower from every angle, head to brunch through this unassuming black entryway beside whatever contrasting activation Lancôme has displayed next door. The elevator opens into an ornate Japanese restaurant with a blooming floral centerpiece, and you’ll wind around the foyer onto a patio lined with brazen white umbrellas. Between them, a striking closeup of the landmark juts out alongside a flag waving the rooftop’s name: Mūn. More robust herbs overflow at the corner of the deck, and a second bar is surrounded by labeled varieties of plants. Make a reservation for the best table and attentive service — ordering food is required. As a walk-in, I waited 20 minutes and never got a menu before rushing to my departing flight, but a mocktail and Japanese snacks looked enticing.

Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, closed Sundays.

Eiffel Tower Terrace

1st floor, on your way up or down

The most accessible way to dine in the Eiffel Tower still entails a reservation, a security line to enter the esplanade, and an elevator ride, but if you're visiting anyway and don't need a sit-down meal, stop on the first of three platforms where you see the bistro takeaway eatery and Madame Brasserie restaurant. Beside concessions for ice cream and pizza, an open-air bar terrace (open June through September for summer with a covered experience in the winter) offers first-come, first-served seating and standing with views south and east from 57 meters up. This isn't as epic as the views from the top, where you can pair a plastic cone of Moët & Chandon with a tin of Kaviar at 276 meters, but it's an easy place to stop on the way up or down, especially if you're taking the stairs. (The one-Michelin-starred Jules Verne restaurant on the second floor is the paramount meal with a view, but we couldn't even get a reservation.)

Open 9 a.m. to 11:45 p.m. June through September, 9:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. October through May.

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