The Jardin du Petit Palais, a hidden gem with terrace and café-restaurant

Did you know? In Paris, the Petit Palais hides behind its beautiful façade a charming green setting. When fine weather warms the capital, it's hard to resist a stroll through this secret garden. For gourmets or strollers in search of a well-deserved break, a café-restaurant called the Jardin du Petit Palais awaits you for a sweet moment throughout the day.

The Petit Palais, built for the1900 Universal Exhibition, is a remarkable work of architecture by Charles Girault. Influenced by Italy, Girault developed a classicism inspired by the Baroque. The building, which bears a striking resemblance to the Saigon Opera House, has housed the Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris since its inauguration on December 11, 1902. Its collections, made up of generous donations and remarkable works, offer a veritable voyage through art, from Antiquity to the 19th century.

At the heart of this exceptional site lies a semi-circular exotic garden, a green setting accessible to the public free of charge, just like the museum's permanent collections. It's a treasure trove hidden in the heart of Paris. Designed around a semi-circular peristyle bordered by elegant colonnades, this fan-shaped garden offers visitors a haven of peace and greenery. To our delight, deckchairs are set up all around the garden, allowing us to sunbathe while admiring the lush landscape.

The garden is divided into three distinct areas, each organized around one of three Art Deco-style curvilinear pools. These basins, decorated with mosaics in shades of blue, turquoise, violet and gold, are reminiscent of interior Moorish fountains and were created in 1937 by sculptor Raoul Lamourdedieu. Their play of water lends the garden a refreshing charm.

The garden's vegetation is exuberant and diverse, blending exotic plants with local species. The ends of the semi-circle are home to potted orange trees, palm trees and ornamental cherry trees. Closer to the basins, the vegetation becomes more luxuriant, partially masking the rigorous architecture of the site. There are Japanese banana trees, cold-hardy hemp palms, glorious yuccas with creamy-white flowers, and Japanese aralias with large, lustrous leaves.

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The garden is also dotted with perennials such as acanthus, whose spikes of pink, mauve or white flowers emerge amid the water rushes in summer. Giant grasses, such as Misanthus zebrinus and micanthas, add a spectacular touch to the plant scene. Waffle-leaved hostas and perennial garrigue euphorbias are other species present in this ornamental garden.

Le Jardin du Petit Palais, a café-restaurant nestled in the heart of the garden, offers an exceptional setting for a sweet break, breakfast or lunch on the go. With its warm, designer decor, it opens onto the surrounding greenery, surrounded by interior arcades and mosaic tables positioned around water basins. In summer, diners particularly appreciate the coolness of the place, in the shade of palm trees for a coffee break on the terrace, far from the hustle and bustle of the Champs-Elysées.

The menu at café-restaurant Le Jardin du Petit Palais offers fast, delicious lunchtime cuisine, including specialties such as tarte salée with salad, chicken croque puff pastry or pasta of the day served with two extra salads. The restaurant also offers a breakfast menu for €9.90 and a snack for €12.90, including a pastry, a fresh fruit juice and a hot drink.

Open non-stop from Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 am to 5:15 pm, Le Jardin du Petit Palais offers lunch formulas at prices ranging from €15.90 to €21.90. Don't hesitate to discover this hidden garden and its café-restaurant on your next visit to the Petit Palais. A country escape in the heart of Paris, not to be missed! In any case, it's the perfect spot to relax before or after an exhibition, or simply to stop off during a stroll along the quays or the Champs-Elysées.

Please note that it's been over 4 years since our last visit, so the place and experience may have changed.