Come for the location, not the service. For coffee, drinks or dessert coupled with one of the best terrace views in Paris (I.M. Pei’s Pyramid) this restaurant gets high marks. The service is snooty, the food quality mediocre, but it averages out to a must-do before or after visiting the Louvre. Museum crowds thin out around four, so going before your visit is a hot tip. Or go for an hour or two, visit the cafe – the salade Nicoise is good – and return afterward since your ticket is good for all day.

If you opt out, there’s always the lawn outside for a romp in the sun followed by a splash of refreshing mineral water.

Cafe Marley
93 Rue de Rivoli
+33 1 49 26 06 60
Metro: Palais Royal – Musée du Louvre