Address: Pictours Paris Photography, 2 Rue de Monttessuy, 75007 Paris
Website: pictoursparis.com
Stretching between the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre, the Berges de Seine (banks of the Seine) are a playful, pedestrianised promenade with a little something for everyone, whether you’re a jogger, a biker, or a flâneur. There’s plenty here for the kids, too: aside from the usual fun and games (think, mazes, hopscotch, and ping-pong tables), they can amble along on scooters, taking advantage of the climbing walls and free 3D time-scope binoculars, a virtual-reality experience that plugs you into the heart of 17th-century Paris.
Address: Parc Rives De Seine, 4e Quai des Tuileries, 75001 Paris
Website: parisjetaime.com
Courtesy Zia
A welcome break from the beaten Eiffel Tower track, this airy little cafe just off the Champs de Mars appeals with tiled walls, tall ceilings, and art for sale. Owned by former Arpège and Verjus chef Justin Kent – who regularly pops out of the kitchen to say hello – the restaurant expresses some of Kent’s New Mexican roots, from the ram’s skull above the coffee counter to the Zia logo, which recalls the state flag. Grab the kids a light snack, like homemade yoghurt or avocado toast, and order yourself a nitro cold brew to fuel your next round of sightseeing.
Address: Zia, 22 Av. de Tourville, 75007 Paris
Website: ziaparis.com
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The French do formal well, and visitors benefit from all the formality when it comes to their green spaces. Paris’ royal Jardin des Plantes, the immaculately manicured botanical garden on the Left Bank, is a great example. Originally designed in 1635 by Guy de la Brosse, Louis XIII’s doctor, the garden was planned with scientific exactness – and incidentally, that’s what makes it great for kids. (See: the Art Deco hot house to the enormous network of hollowed-out bushes, where Parisian tots love to hide, or the conical maze leading up a hill.) There’s a little something for parents to appreciate, too: As the Parisian flâneur always needs to take a break, there’s no shortage of benches.