Monaco Restaurant
Café Life Renewed
I am here to testify that there is more to the gastronomic offerings of the 13th arrondissement than Asian restaurants of various stripes. One non-Asian gem is Monaco, once a venerable but declining café, now a spacious, light-filled café/restaurant with … Read More
Madame de Sévigné: Lettres Parisiennes
Lasting Letters
The 400th anniversary this year of the birth of that great letter-writer, the Marquise de Sévigné, afforded me the opportunity both to visit the wonderful new exhibition “Madame de Sévigné: Lettres Parisiennes” at the Musée Carnavalet (located in a building … Read More
Orangutan Playground
Man of the Forest
The five orangutans who live in the Ménagerie in Paris’s Jardin des Plantes have a new outdoor playground. Formerly confined to a glassed-in enclosure, they can now make their way across an elevated bridge to a triangular structure entirely enclosed … Read More
Nan Goldin: This Will Not End Well
Double Exposure
Nan Goldin is a survivor. Nothing could get the best of her, not family trauma, not drug addiction and not the death of many loved ones over the years from suicide, AIDS and overdoses. She photographed it all. Now 72 … Read More
Occasion Restaurant
A Special Occasion
You don’t need a special occasion to go to the new restaurant Occasion in the 10th arrondissement. And although the only dining option – a set menu with four courses for €49 (or, on Saturday evening, five courses for €59) … Read More
Un Chant de la Terre
Speaking of the Earth
For four days between March 7 and March 10, the Philharmonie de Paris staged a series of events to celebrate the work of women poets. I was delighted to attend the opening evening, entitled Un Chant de la Terre (A … Read More
Photo of the Month
A bed of tulips alongside the statue of George Sand in the Luxembourg Garden. © Paris Update
What's Happening in Paris This Month
For full details about an event, click on the title to visit the official Web site (in English when available).
May 5
French movies with English subtitles
Lost in Frenchlation presents Trois Couleurs: Bleu.
L’Epée de Bois, Paris
May 7
French movies with English subtitles
Lost in Frenchlation presents L’Auberge Espagnole.
Luminor Hôtel de Ville, Paris
May 8-9
Electro and cheese
Is Chez Jacques Fromage the only festival in the world that celebrates both electro music and cheese? Techno, trance, hardgroove and drum and bass on three stages, plus cheese tastings, food trucks and fireworks.
Hippodrome, Enghien
May 9
French movies with English subtitles
Lost in Frenchlation presents Les Rayons et les Ombres.
Luminor Hôtel de Ville, Paris
May 6-10
African cinema
NollywoodWeek Paris promotes cinema from Nigeria and the wider African diaspora.
Cinéma l’Arlequin, Paris
May 10
French movies with English subtitles
Lost in Frenchlation presents La Maison des Femmes.
Luminor Hôtel de Ville, Paris
May 9-11
All things opera
Opera houses across France open their doors to visitors and put on performances and workshops for Tous à l’Opéra!
Various locations, France
April 30-May 11
Retail heaven
You can buy just about anything at the century-old Foire de Paris, a gigantic pop-up store. A new section, Made in Paris, features local and artisanal products. For free admission, click here.
Porte de Versailles, Paris
May 8-17
All about bread
Samples, stalls and more from French bakers at La Fête du Pain.
Parvis de Notre-Dame, Paris
March 21-May 17
Young European photographers
The Festival Circulation(s) features the work of emerging photographers.
Centquatre, Paris
May 23
Late-night art
Museums stay open into the night for free and hold special events for the Nuit Européenne des Musées.
Various locations, Paris & Europe
May 18-24
Jazz festival
Concerts, conferences and master classes abound at Festival Jazz à Saint-Germain-des-Prés.
Various locations in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Paris
May 21-24
Pop-up restaurants
Paris’s best chefs offer bite-sized samples of their fare at Taste of Paris.
Grand Palais, Paris
May 20-25
Go outdoors!
Guided walks, exhibitions, open gardens and more will take place across the country for Fête de la Nature.
Various locations, France
May 1-30
Celebrating cycling
Mai à Vélo celebrates and promotes all things cycling. Events in Paris include tours and cycling challenges.
Worldwide
May 25-31
Brewer’s bash
Local bars will feature craft beers throughout the week, and the Paris Beer Festival will take place at Ground Control on the weekend.
Various locations & Ground Control, Paris
May 28-31
Studio-hopping
Some 150 artists open their studios to the public for Portes Ouvertes des Ateliers d’Artistes de Belleville, an occasion to discover not only artworks but also hidden gardens and courtyards in this lively quarter of Paris.
Various locations, Paris
May 28-31
Free performances indoors and out
The Festival Onze Bouge presents free concerts, theater, dance performances and street art.
11th arrondissement, Paris
May 31
Festival of Colors, Love and Spring
Celebration of the joyous Fête de Holi. Don’t wear your best clothes in case you are caught in a shower of color.
Jardin d’Acclimatation, Paris
May 29-June 7
Cello festival
Concerts, dance and more at the Beauvais International Cello Festival.
Beauvais, France
June 4-7
Charity fashion sale
Hundreds of fashion brands have donated clothing to be sold at a 70 percent discount at the Grande Braderie de la Mode de AIDES.
Magasins Généraux, Pantin
June 5-7
Gardens galore
For the Rendez-vous aux Jardins, public and private gardens all over France open their gates and offer educational tours, concerts, tastings and more. This year the focus is on views.
Various locations, France
June 5-7
Stimulating books
The Paris Ass Book Fair gives “an important place to marginal and untimely sensibilities, desires and aspirations, and to affirm a joyful approach to art and publishing, a taste for provocation and the absurd, an urge to stimulate minds and bodies.”
Palais de Tokyo, Paris
June 6-7
Lively literary festival
The festival Mots pour Mot offers free encounters with authors as diverse as Alain Finkielkraut and Riad Sattouf. Reservations recommended.
La Villette, Paris
June 7
Giant bike rally
La Convergence brings together riders from all over the Île de France, who converge on avenue de Saxe in Paris for a group picnic. See website for routes.
Île de France and Paris
March 20-June 21
Drawing season
Le Printemps du Dessin presents exhibitions and workshops highlighting this accessible art form across the country.
Various venues, France
June 5-21
June 5-21
Meet the trees
The festival Les Nuits des Forêts draws visitors into French forests with exhibitions, shows and immersive events, by day and by night.
Various locations, France
April 3–December 31
Art indoors and out
Contemporary art exhibitions on the Île Seguin and in the Seine Musicale for the Extatiques festival. Free admission,