Everyone has an opinion about the best terrace in Paris. We went for a question with an actual answer instead, namely the biggest one. We dug through the 24,220 terrace permits issued by the City of Paris, cross-checked every venue against the national Sirene business registry to keep only places where you can actually drink, and verified each address. Here is the ranking, official figures included.
How we counted, first
The City of Paris publishes its full registry of active terrace and display permits as open data, with the venue name, the address, the type of installation and the dimensions down to the centimetre. We added up the permitted surfaces of each venue, then filtered out everything that is not a bar, a café or a brasserie.
Two honest caveats before the ranking:
- A venue’s surface is a combination of permits (sidewalk terrace, counter-terrace, summer extension), not necessarily one giant stretch of tables.
- Without the filter, the podium would look different. The third biggest permitted terrace in Paris belongs to a bakery on rue d’Amsterdam, and a Monoprix supermarket in the 14th tops 200 sqm. Open data has a sense of humour.
Three numbers to set the scene. Paris counts 24,220 active terrace permits for 14,795 venues. The 15th arrondissement is the most terrace-heavy (1,713 permits), followed by the 10th (1,682) and the 11th (1,555).
The two giants of north-east Paris
Billy Mango, 960 sqm on the canal (10th)
The Paris record. Billy Mango holds a combined 960 sqm of permitted terrace along quai de Jemmapes, facing the Canal Saint-Martin. The kitchen plays the afro street food card, the bar keeps up, and the sheer size means you can still find a table when the whole canal is packed.
This is the kind of place built for big tables of fifteen who do not want to think about booking, and a natural landing spot after a walk along the canal.
Good to know: 106 quai de Jemmapes, 75010 Paris, right on the Canal Saint-Martin.
La Rotonde Stalingrad, 900 sqm in a monument (19th)
Right behind, La Rotonde Stalingrad lines up 900 sqm of permitted terrace at the foot of Ledoux’s rotunda on place de la Bataille-de-Stalingrad. The venue runs as a festive complex, part bar, part restaurant, with evening programming and the Bassin de la Villette as a backdrop.
Big capacity, big terrace and a métro station at the door make it the easiest option in this ranking for gathering a large group with zero logistics.
Good to know: 6 place de la Bataille-de-Stalingrad, 75019 Paris, métro Stalingrad or Jaurès.
The institutions with the square metres AND the history
La Closerie des Lilas, 280 sqm of legend (6th)
The Montparnasse address once frequented by Hemingway holds 280 sqm of permitted terrace on boulevard du Montparnasse, tucked behind its hedge. It is not the cheapest drink on this list, but between the piano bar and the leafy terrace, it is the one with the most stories to tell.
Save it for occasions that deserve a stage, a birthday that matters or a drink meant to impress someone.
Good to know: 171 boulevard du Montparnasse, 75006 Paris, RER Port-Royal.
Café Beaubourg, 216 sqm facing the Centre Pompidou (4th)
Designed by architect Christian de Portzamparc, Café Beaubourg spreads 216 sqm of permitted terrace with a straight view of the Centre Pompidou piazza. The show happens on the square as much as in the glasses, and it is one of the very few really large terraces in central Paris.
Good to know: 100 rue Saint-Martin, 75004 Paris, métro Rambuteau or Châtelet.
La Bohème Montmartre, 116 sqm on place du Tertre (18th)
Having a drink on place du Tertre without fighting for elbow room is normally a small miracle. La Bohème holds 116 sqm of permitted terrace there, the largest surface at the top of Montmartre in our data, right in the middle of the easels.
Good to know: place du Tertre, 75018 Paris, métro Abbesses or Anvers, funicular for tired legs.
The village squares punching above their weight
Delaville Café, 185 sqm on the Grands Boulevards (10th)
The big brasserie of boulevard de Bonne-Nouvelle spreads 185 sqm of permitted terrace over the Grands Boulevards. Strategically placed between the theatres and concert venues of the area, which makes it a very efficient pre-show meeting point.
Good to know: 34 boulevard de Bonne-Nouvelle, 75010 Paris, métro Bonne Nouvelle.
La Grille, 153 sqm on the Aligre market square (12th)
The family-run brasserie of place d’Aligre enjoys 153 sqm of permitted terrace on one of the liveliest market squares in Paris. In the morning it is the regulars’ café for the market crowd. In the evening the square quiets down and the terrace becomes one of the best spots in the 12th for a long, slow drink.
Good to know: 4 place d’Aligre, 75012 Paris, métro Ledru-Rollin.
Les Nouveaux Sauvages, 137 sqm on place de la Réunion (20th)
The true neighbourhood bar of this ranking. Les Nouveaux Sauvages occupy 137 sqm of permitted terrace on place de la Réunion, and the fun part is that the bar next door, La Chope, holds another 134 sqm right beside it. Together, these two terraces turn this quiet square of the 20th into one of the largest open-air drinking areas in eastern Paris.
Good to know: 71 place de la Réunion, 75020 Paris, métro Alexandre Dumas or Buzenval.
The comparison at a glance
| Venue | Neighbourhood | Permitted surface | Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| Billy Mango | 10th, Canal Saint-Martin | 960 sqm | Restaurant-bar, big tables |
| La Rotonde Stalingrad | 19th, Stalingrad | 900 sqm | Festive complex |
| La Closerie des Lilas | 6th, Montparnasse | 280 sqm | Institution, piano bar |
| Café Beaubourg | 4th, Beaubourg | 216 sqm | Design café facing Pompidou |
| Delaville Café | 10th, Grands Boulevards | 185 sqm | Pre-show brasserie |
| La Grille | 12th, place d’Aligre | 153 sqm | Market square brasserie |
| Les Nouveaux Sauvages | 20th, place de la Réunion | 137 sqm | Neighbourhood bar |
| La Bohème Montmartre | 18th, place du Tertre | 116 sqm | Montmartre brasserie |
Surfaces based on the combined active terrace permits in the City of Paris registry, retrieved in August 2026.
The right terrace for your occasion
- Big afterwork: the two giants of the north-east, Billy Mango or La Rotonde Stalingrad, swallow a whole team without booking gymnastics. More formats on our afterwork in Paris page.
- Hen or stag party easing in: a giant terrace as a starting point before the real activity gets everyone in the mood. Our ideas for a hen party in Paris and a stag party in Paris for the rest of the night.
- A drink meant to impress: La Closerie des Lilas or Café Beaubourg, square metres with history included.
- Low-key local night: place de la Réunion or place d’Aligre, the two loveliest villages of this ranking.
- Moving indoors afterwards: our fun bars and venues in Paris take over when the rain shows up.
Your questions
What is the biggest bar terrace in Paris?
According to the City of Paris permit registry, the largest permitted surface for a venue where you can drink belongs to Billy Mango, at 106 quai de Jemmapes in the 10th arrondissement, with a combined 960 sqm. La Rotonde Stalingrad follows with 900 sqm.
How many terraces are there in Paris?
The official registry lists 24,220 active terrace and display permits, for 14,795 venues. A single venue can combine several permits, sidewalk, parking spots and summer extensions.
Which Paris arrondissement has the most terraces?
The 15th arrondissement, with 1,713 active permits, ahead of the 10th (1,682) and the 11th (1,555). The 17th and the 18th complete the top 5.
What does a permitted terrace actually mean?
Every terrace set up on public space in Paris must be authorised by the city, with precise dimensions. These permits are public. A venue’s surface can combine several footprints, which is why we talk about permitted surface rather than the size of a single seating area.
Sources and useful links
Surfaces computed from the City of Paris official open dataset, venues qualified through the national Sirene business registry, existence and activity of each venue verified in August 2026. Permits evolve, the registry is updated continuously.
- Terrace and display permits (opendata.paris.fr)
- French business registry Sirene (data.gouv.fr)
- Billy Mango
- La Rotonde Stalingrad
- La Closerie des Lilas
- Café Beaubourg
- Delaville Café
- La Grille
- La Bohème Montmartre