Plenty of people will tell you August in Paris is dead and that you should skip it, but it's actually my favorite time of year in the city. Parisians leave for the holidays and whole areas empty at once. You hear birds in streets you used to find loud, you can bike around without getting honked at. It's true that a lot of restaurants are closed, but there are still more than enough open and the ones that are running are way less packed.
Here's what I love doing in Paris in the summer, and what I'd recommend if you're coming.
Slow down
A Paris summer comes down to a handful of simple things. The moment the sun is out, everyone heads outside. People go to parks, grab a drink on a terrace, or sit with friends by the Seine with a bottle of wine and a cheese board.
My favorite parks are the Luxembourg for the green chairs you drag into the sun, Buttes-Chaumont for afternoon picnics, and the Canal Saint-Martin where the banks turn into one massive apéro from 6pm onwards.
And the quais of the Seine. You stop by a bakery, pick up a warm baguette, some saucisson, cheese, a bottle of rosé, and you settle by the water. It's one of the best things you can do in the city and it costs less than 15€.
If you want a view from above on a summer evening, head up to the top of the Arc de Triomphe at sunset. 360° view, the Eiffel Tower sparkling at nightfall, the twelve avenues fanning out below. Way less overrated than the Eiffel Tower itself.
The terraces where I actually go
A few addresses I like depending on the mood.
For something simple and lively, I really like the Café des Deux Gares in the 10th for the vibe, Aux Deux Amis in the 11th for the small plates and natural wine, and Le Cornichon in the 14th, an honest bistro away from the tourist trail. More central, the Fontaine de Mars in the 7th is a small tucked-away square near the Eiffel Tower.
For a long lunch near Les Invalides, the Café de l'Esplanade is a solid classic. And when the occasion calls for it, I go to the Pavillon de la Reine, a one Michelin-star in a flowered courtyard on Place des Vosges, or Le George at the Four Seasons for something chic but not stuffy.
Book ahead, especially for dinner. The Parisians who stay in town go out a lot and the terraces fill up fast.
Ice cream
Berthillon on île Saint-Louis is still an institution, and it earns it. Get in line once, order two scoops, walk along the quai. Their raspberry, delicious!
My real favorites are elsewhere: Isotope, JJ Hings and La Crèma. Everything is made in-house and the flavors rotate with the seasons. If you come across a white peach sorbet in peak season, get it without thinking twice.
For a proper treat, the Cheval Blanc rooftop and one of Maxime Frédéric's coupe glacée. It's expensive (15€) but the view over Paris makes it so worth it.
Summer events worth catching
If you can time your trip around a big event, do it. La Fête de la Musique on June 21st turns the whole city into an open stage, with jazz on one corner and techno on the next, and it's free everywhere.
From mid-July to late August, the open-air cinema at La Villette is another Parisian ritual. You set up on the lawn with a blanket, the film starts when night falls, and it's free too.
On the paid side, Rock en Seine and We Love Green are the two big music festivals of the season, with solid lineups and a pretty chill atmosphere.
A day outside Paris
If you're staying more than a few days, it's worth getting out for a day. Versailles is still a classic, and I'd recommend going early and ending with the gardens, which are honestly better than the overcrowded château.
Giverny and Monet's house is one hour by train and it's a completely different world, quieter and more poetic. The Chalet des Îles in the Bois de Boulogne is a restaurant on a small island you reach by boat, technically still Paris but it feels like the countryside.
If you're traveling with kids, Disneyland Paris or Parc Astérix are at their peak season. Pack a hat and sunscreen.
A few practical things
The weather is unpredictable. Summer in Paris can mean 20°C and rain or 35°C and a heatwave, sometimes in the same week. Check the forecast a week before, bring a light raincoat even when the sky is blue in the morning, and accept that a 20-minute downpour might hit. You grab a coffee somewhere covered and wait it out.
As I mentioned, a lot of restaurants close in August. If you've got a specific spot on your list, double-check before walking over there.
On the safety side, the real thing to watch in Paris is pickpockets. Never keep your phone in your back pocket, don't leave it on the table at a terrace (especially on the big tourist avenues), and wear your backpack in front of you in the metro.
If you're coming in summer, don't over-plan. Leave room for afternoons that stretch on, terraces where you end up staying longer than you meant to, evenings by the Seine that run late. That's when the city really shows itself.
If you want the full picture, I've mapped out all my top food picks and recommendations on my curated map.