For those who enjoy sitting outside and making the most of the autumn weather before winter sets in, there is some good news - Paris’s temporary summer terraces will remain open for another month.
The city of Paris announced that the capital’s terrasses estivales (summer terraces) would be allowed to remain in place until the end of November, rather than being dismantled on October 31st as usual.
The move is intended to support Parisian cafés, bars and restaurants affected by the violence that broke out on October 17th and 18th, on the sidelines of recent protests. The additional month has been granted without any extra fees or charges for businesses.
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The summer terraces were introduced during the Covid pandemic and allow café owners to extend their usual outdoor seating areas into public spaces such as pavements, town squares and parking spaces.
For many establishments, outdoor seating accounts for a significant share of their business. The extension is intended to help them continue welcoming customers outside for a few more weeks before packing away the temporary part of their terraces for winter.
Normally, Paris's summer terraces operate from April 1st to October 31st, with all temporary installations required to be dismantled by November 1st.
Opening hours have not been extended alongside the season. The later closing time of 11pm applied only during the summer period, from June 21st to August 30th. Since August 31st, the usual rules have been back in force, meaning summer terraces must close by 10pm to limit disruption for residents.
Where do these pop-up terraces come from?
Back in 2020, in a bid to avoid the spread of the Covid virus in indoor spaces and respect social distancing, Paris authorities granted temporary licences for restaurants, bars and cafés to extend their outdoor seating areas onto pavements, parking spaces or even the street.
The scheme was so popular that it returned in 2021 and the city then decided to make it a permanent feature, rebranded as terrasses estivales for customers to enjoy in the city.
These spaces are in addition to the existing outdoor or terrace spaces that cafés and restaurants have within their own property.
Can terraces still be heated?
No. This is worth keeping in mind if you plan to sit outside in November. Under France’s Climate and Resilience Law, heating or air-conditioning an open terrace is prohibited. Paris’s summer terraces are subject to the same rules and must remain open-air spaces.
As the weather gets colder, you will notice café owners putting up temporary walls and covers around their permanent terraces, so provide a sheltered space that is mostly used by smokers.