Paris, France — It is finally warming up in Paris where one of the city’s best kept secrets is its not always such great weather. But there is another one, too, and so it is time to let the terrace out of the bag. The boutique hotel La Belle Juliette, tucked away on the Left Bank near the Bon Marché department store, the Lutetia Hotel and a host of fine food shops, has one of the greatest of all time terraces in Paris. The terrace opens up onto a beautiful garden that is both landscaped and wild at once. Under the sunlight or moonlight it is a wonderful spot to enjoy cocktails, excellent wines by the glass, superb champagnes like a bottle of Blanc de Blancs Cuvée Charles (2010) Charles Colin, a delightful vintage, fresh and 100% Chardonnay. 

There are delicious dishes elaborated by the hotel’s chef, François Gagnaire including a lobster bisque and an authentic Niçois salad, relatively hard to come by in Paris, actually even in Nice as well. There is also an excellent smoked Scotch salmon from the Maison Kaviari. The Belle Juliette also offers an impressive tea time, with a large selection of teas, including a black tea elaborated especially for the hotel featuring Italian savors like lemon zests and amaretto, three different champagnes and delicious cakes and tarts all happening in the hotel’s famous music room, the Clos Belle Juliette.  Special to The Gourmet Gazette. Hotel & Spa La Belle Juliette, 92 rue du Charche Midi, 75006, Paris, France. Tel: + 33 (0) 1 42 22 97 40. https://www.hotel-belle-juliette-paris.com/