If you are looking to plan the perfect gourmet Eiffel Tower picnic, I’ve got you covered! I just recently spent a month in Paris and have rounded up all the best places to make your Eiffel Tower picnic something that you’ll never forget. There are some items I tried to save money on and other items that I definitely splurged a little too much on. You obviously don’t have to go to the same places I did, but if you don’t want to think about it and just execute a gourmet picnic, this is for you. Let’s get to it!

• Related Article: Previous Eiffel Tower Picnic Article

 

Can I Bring Alcohol To The Eiffel Tower?

I feel like every time I want to have a picnic at the Eiffel tower, I have to always double check if there’s some new official rule regarding if you can bring alcohol to the Eiffel Tower or not. I think the official non-official rule is that as long as you are not causing a disturbance or nuisance, you can bring it. You don’t even have to be shy about hiding it either because there are PLENTY of random men with buckets walking around trying to sell you beer and wine. So, it’s not a big secret that people are drinking. 

 

When is the Best Time to Take Photos of the Eiffel Tower?

In my opinion, I think sunset time is the very best time to take pictures for two reasons, First, you get golden hour which makes it incredibly picturesque for your photos. Second, the first Eiffel Tower sparkle happens on the hour right after the sun sets. So, you might as well catch the Eiffel Tower sparkle while you’re there too. I did my picnic during the summer months so the first Eiffel Tower sparkle was at 10:00 pm. I know it’s late but it kind of worked out since my picnic pretty much acted as my dinner time. It does get cold and windy at night, so make sure you bring something warm. 

 

Advice on the Locations of Where I Bought my Picnic Supplies

First, please be aware that I did my shopping over a couple of days. I do NOT recommend you do this all in one day. You’re going to be so tired from all the running around. Second, and this is very important, you do NOT have to go to the exact locations I did. A lot of the popular places have multiple locations. The locations I went to just happened to be because I was already in the area or other locations were closed so I had to find a different location.

For example, Laurent Dubois and Maison Verot have locations near Galeries Lafayette so essentially you can knock those two out pretty fast. The locations I chose was just because I happened to be in a certain area on a certain day. So what I’m trying to say is just Google Map these places to see if there are locations more convenient to you. Below I provided a map for your convenience, Whatever is in blue is where I went and in yellow are alternate locations. The yellow location aren’t also the only ones. It’s just a few places I bookmarked to help you along. Again, Google Maps is your friend. 

 

 

The Perfect Gourmet Eiffel Tower Picnic List

1. Picnic Blanket 

First order of business, if you don’t want to sit on the grass, you’ll need a blanket. Since I was already thrift shopping around Paris, I made sure to keep an eye out for something affordable that I could sit on. Luckily, I found this scarf for less than €1. It was perfect since it was going to get dirty anyways. Obviously, if you don’t have to do this if you don’t care about sitting on the grass but it’s just something nice to have to lay out all your food and drinks on.

📍 Les Sales Voleurs Republique, 66 Av. de la République, 75011 Paris, France

(The thrift store that I went to was called Les Sales Voleurs Republique which is kind of out of the city center, but there’s a location in the 5th that’s closer if you want to check it out called Les Sales Voleurs Monge.)

 

2. Baguette (Boulangerie Utopie)

I went to Boulangerie Utopie since they were the winner of the best baguette in 2024. I bought the regular baguette and the charcoal baguette for around €4. Fair warning, I was already in the neighborhood so it was easy for me to pick this up. Otherwise, this bakery is kind of far from the city center.

You might be wondering if the baguette is worth it. I would say that I’m glad I tried the charcoal baguette but there’s no need for you to come all the way out to the 11th just for a baguette. There are plenty of bakeries around Paris that make amazing baguettes. If you do come to Boulangerie Utopie though, I recommend getting at least some of their other pastries like the sesame roll. If you come on the weekends, they have even more special pastries that they only make for the weekend where you can check out on their Instagram.

📍 Boulangerie Utopie, 20 Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, 75011 Paris, France

 

3. Cheese + Butter (Laurent Dubois)

There are no shortage of cheese shops in Paris, but my Google research has pointed me into the direction of Laurent Dubois. People say it’s supposed to be the best cheese shop but honestly, it can all be subjective on the type of cheese that you like, right? I was able to get two small cheeses for €6.

One thing that I do like about this shop is that they sell the super famous Maison Bordier butter. I wasn’t planning on getting a whole slab of butter for myself, but I figured YOLO! I got the 4% salé (salt) butter because I absolutely LOVE salted butter on my baguette. They sell non-salted butter as well along with specialty flavors. 

📍 Laurent Dubois, 47Ter Bd Saint-Germain, 75005 Paris, France

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4. Charcuterie (Maison Verot)

What is cheese without some meat! Google gave me a couple options but I ultimately chose Maison Verot because not only do they have charcuterie, but they also have award winning pâté en croûte. I got the jamon de parme (€6), rosette salami (€1.55), canard/fig/foie gras pâté en croûte (€11.31). Total came out to be around €19. (Side note… the pâté en croûte was FANTASTIC and I highly recommend you trying it).

📍 Maison Verot, 35 Bd Haussmann, 75009 Paris, France

 

5. Macarons (Gem la Pâtisserie Paris)

We all know Pierre Herme or Ladurée but I wanted to get macarons that I could only get in Paris. I heard this place (Gem la Pâtisserie Paris) had unique macaron flavors like ube and pandan (which are some of my favorite flavors) so I decided to make the trek down there. The macarons were so fun to eat and it was nice for once to try different flavors. I will say though that they are a bit sweeter than your average macaron and it’s probably because they really stuff the filling. Just something to keep in mind. 

📍 Gem la Pâtisserie Paris, 1 Rue de Marivaux, 75002 Paris, France

 

6. Wine (Le Vin Qui Parle)

If anyone has been reading my blog for a while, you would know that I spare no expense when it comes to wine. This time was no different. I knew I wanted to get a champagne for myself but I wanted a special one that you can’t just find in regular grocery stores. So, I went to a more boutique wine shop near my neighborhood. The sales person introduced me to this smaller domaine and showed me three different types of wines from there. My favorite type of champagne is a blanc de blanc and there were two kinds. I went for the premier cru and of course, it was the most expensive bottle too at €56. Oh well, YOLO AGAIN!

📍 Le Vin Qui Parle, 64 Bd Saint-Germain, 75005 Paris, France

 

7. Glassware (Monoprix)

So, there’s no way in hell that I was going to get a nice bottle of champagne and then drink it out of a plastic cup. So, I decided to go to Monoprix to see if they sell any single glass champagne flutes and they did! Not all Monoprixs sell single champagne flutes but this location that I went to did. It cost me a little over €4 euros. They also sell plastic versions for cheaper, but come on, do you know me? We’re going full on out!

📍 Monoprix, Centre Commercial Forum Des Halles, 75001 Paris, France 

 

8. Ice (Franprix)

As with the same mentally of the champagne flute, I can’t have warm champagne, can I! That was definitely out of the question. Luckily, from years past, I remember that there’s Franprix market next to the Eiffel Tower that I can grab a bag of ice at. It cost me €3. I wanted a whole bag of ice because it’s going to act as my makeshift wine bucket. 

📍 Franprix, 34 Av. de Suffren, 75015 Paris, France

 

Perfect Gourmet Eiffel Tower Picnic Price Breakdown

Blanket:	€1
Baguette:	€4. (€2 Each)
Cheese:	€7
Butter:	€5
Charcuterie:	€18.96 (€6 Jamon de Parme, €1.55 Rosette, €11.31 Pate En Croute Canard fig and foie gras)
Macarons:	€12
Champagne:	€56
Champagne Flute:	€4
Ice:	€3
TOTAL:	€111 or $130 USD

 

Conclusion

I know I KNOW! I spent a lot and to be honest, I didn’t even know I spent that much until I did the math for this blog post. Whoops! To be fair, this picnic could have fed 2-3 people but I guess it’s one of the downsides of traveling solo. Also, half of this was the champagne and its accessories. You definitely don’t need to buy a bottle as expensive as I did nor do you need you need a fancy champagne flute. But I am me and that’s what I like. I love creating experiences/moments and I honestly, I will remember this picnic forever. The day I went was absolutely picture perfect as well. Hopefully this helps you on your Paris adventure and creates a memorable experience for you as well.