On June 2, restaurants, cafés, and bars in Paris — still considered an orange zone in terms of COVID-19 risk — were able to open for business, exclusively in outdoor areas. I was one of several reporters from around the world to share a brief picture of the moment with Eater for their piece: One Day in June . This is the unedited version and includes additional photos by my friend and colleague, Joann Pai.

Until very recently, it felt inconceivable to imagine that the cornerstone of Parisian society would regain its place in everyday lives. But as the number of deaths and hospitalizations steadily declined, and restaurateurs ramped up their delivery offers to make it through the lockdown (and bring comfort to clients in the process), hope began returning. 

Walking around eastern Paris on June 2 for phase two of the city’s post-confinement rebirth was not unlike the experience I distinctly remember in the week following the November 13 attacks, when locals flocked to their favorite bars and restaurants in solidarity. From the early risers gleefully settling onto café terraces for their first morning espressos to friends gathering for extended apéritifs, intrepid Parisians were determined to reclaim control over a way of life that had been unceremoniously disrupted, both then and now. 

Until June 22, Parisian restaurants, bars, and cafés are only permitted to open outdoor seating areas. Defiant in the face of an invisible threat and an altered dining format, locals rejoiced; they chatted casually with friends (though no more than ten at a time, as per state-mandated limits) around bistro tables and high tops, arranged one meter apart, that spilled onto sidewalks, parking spaces, and even onto some streets that City Hall blocked off to give restaurant owners extra space to operate. 

Until 10 p.m., they sipped cocktails, ordered cheese and charcuterie plates from masked severs, and, generally, behaved as if their worlds hadn’t just been rocked by a global health crisis. With minimal social distancing and very few masks, it was instead as if they were simply catching up after a long summer holiday. 

The insouciance is undoubtedly premature and yet entirely understandable: bars and cafés have always played (and will continue to play) a starring role in our life stories. Let’s hope that endures.