As we slog through work to distract us from the squalls and uncomfortable temperature spikes, we can’t help but steal moments to scan the sky for a glint of blue light. And when the sun blankets the city, infrequently as it may be, we transform into beaming children, impatient to break free from the confines of our work spaces and run blithely through the streets. On va prendre un verre en terrasse, non? (shall we get a drink on a terrace?), goes the refrain.

Parisians crow about open spaces to have a drink, dive into brunch or gobble up a pizza with friends but in reality, terrasse is used somewhat loosely. It can also be a massive deck like at Wanderlust or a bright sunroom brimming with lush greens like the coveted hangout at Hotel Amour.

Of course, if you can tolerate inhaling dense clouds of smoke, a number of sidewalk cafés across the city make for prime people-watching on a picture-perfect afternoon. Le Floréal has sidewalk seating and an elevated terrace where I frequently meet friends because it’s local (it’s often a toss up between there and Les Petites Indécises). La Chambre aux Oiseaux recently made outdoor seating available and the popular coffee shop Kooka Boora, perched on a corner of rue des Martyrs, gets great light; the trick is snagging a seat.

Dans les Landes, Le Plein Soleil, Café Latéral by the Arc de Triomphe, Le Sésame and nearly everywhere in the haut marais are all worthy contenders but bobo mecca Café Charlot will always get my vote if only because I know, from recent experience, that Jean Dujardin occasionally makes an appearance. And that possibility, my friends, might be worth more than the evasive sun. 

Which terraces in Paris make your list? 

{Little Pleasures in Paris is a new series! Check out the 1st post here}