French Delights

Restaurants, exhibitions, festivals and more: Le Monde's picks for cultural things to do and see in Paris and across France.

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Tradition done right: Five Paris restaurants reimagining the classics

Are you a fan of French cuisine classics such as 'œufs en meurette' (poached eggs in red wine sauce), 'navarin d'agneau' (lamb stew) and apple tart? Discover our selection of five Paris restaurants that awaken both the appetite and a sense of nostalgia.

Published yesterday at 1:33 am (Paris), updated yesterday at 8:33 am Léo Pajon

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France's best art exhibitions this fall, in Paris and beyond

Here is Le Monde's selection of must-see art exhibitions, from painter John Singer Sargent to medieval forgeries to contemporary Nigerian artist Otobong Nkanga, which will go on display through the end of the year.

Published on September 6, 2025, at 5:00 am (Paris) Harry Bellet, Philippe Dagen, Claire Guillot, Emmanuelle Jardonnet, Sylvie Kerviel, Emmanuelle Lequeux and Isabelle Regnier

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Paris Design Week: A 15th edition marked by abundance

Some 375 locations across the French capital are hosting, free of charge from September 4 to 13, the very best in contemporary design. From Aude Franjou's textile coral installation to Hugo Falaise's embroidered furniture, here is our selection of must-see works.

Published on September 5, 2025, at 10:21 am (Paris) Véronique Lorelle

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It's pain suisse time! Five places in and around Paris to find this treat

The recipe for this comforting pastry, enjoyed as a snack or at breakfast? Croissant dough, vanilla custard and chocolate chips. Here is our selection of bakeries offering the best versions.

Published on September 4, 2025, at 2:17 am (Paris), updated on September 4, 2025, at 11:48 am Zazie Tavitian

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Esa-Pekka Salonen will be Orchestre de Paris' next maestro

Born in Helsinki in 1958, the Finnish conductor will succeed his compatriot Klaus Mäkelä for a five-year term in September 2027. He will serve as principal conductor as well as hold the Creativity and Innovation Chair at the Philharmonie de Paris.

Published on September 3, 2025, at 3:16 pm (Paris), updated on September 3, 2025, at 4:15 pm Marie-Aude Roux

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Louvre says 'game over' to its Nintendo 3DS visitor guide

Since 2012, visitors to the Paris museum have been able to use Nintendo's handheld console as a multimedia guide. The service ends on Monday, and the consoles will be returned to Nintendo.

Published on September 2, 2025, at 3:43 am (Paris), updated on September 2, 2025, at 10:09 am Pierre Trouvé

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In Saint-Louis, eastern France, the Fondation Fernet-Branca swaps stills for contemporary art

'Strange places for an exhibition' (4/6). Le Monde explores six art centers housed in unexpected locations. Today, the former distillery of a famous liqueur, now transformed into a venue for art exhibitions.

Published on September 2, 2025, at 12:29 am (Paris), updated on September 2, 2025, at 9:37 am Harry Bellet

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Andrea Branzi's 'Second Nature' on display in Giverny

A painted bamboo forest, a 'tree fountain' sculpture: The Musée des Impressionnismes in Giverny is showing works by the Italian designer through November 2, where elements of nature blend with industrial materials.

Published on August 28, 2025, at 4:56 am (Paris), updated on August 28, 2025, at 9:48 am Véronique Lorelle

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Paris extends Seine swim season as turnout nears 100,000

The Seine reopened to swimmers last month, marking the first time since 1923 that bathers could take the plunge in the waterway following a years-long clean-up effort.

Published on August 27, 2025, at 3:48 pm (Paris) Le Monde with AFP

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At the Venice Film Festival, French filmmakers take on literary adaptation

Valérie Donzelli, François Ozon, Cédric Jimenez and Olivier Assayas are all presenting films adapted from novels at the Mostra, running from August 27 to September 6.

Published on August 27, 2025, at 12:56 pm (Paris), updated on August 27, 2025, at 4:23 pm Boris Bastide

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La Piscine in Roubaix invites visitors to take a plunge into culture

'Strange places for an exhibition' (3/6). Le Monde explores six art centers housed in unique locations. Today: an Art Deco building transformed in 2001 into La Piscine Museum of Art and Industry in northern France.

Published on August 21, 2025, at 1:41 am (Paris), updated on August 21, 2025, at 9:36 am Roxana Azimi

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In Hyères, gold bars are replaced by photographs, sculptures and paintings

'Strange places for an exhibition' (2/6). Le Monde explores six art centers set up in unusual locations. Today: a former financial institution turned municipal museum.

Published on August 20, 2025, at 3:04 am (Paris), updated on August 21, 2025, at 9:41 am Sylvie Kerviel

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The third life of a synagogue transformed into a contemporary art center

'Strange Places for an Exhibition' (1/6). Le Monde explores six art centers housed in unexpected venues. Today: a former sanctuary that was blown up by the Nazis and rebuilt after the war.

Published on August 19, 2025, at 3:11 am (Paris), updated on August 21, 2025, at 9:40 am Roxana Azimi

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Outsider art: Two African artists somewhat lost amid the vast Decharme collection in Paris

At the Grand Palais, 402 works by 156 artists are on display in the Parisian building through September 21. Africa is represented by two creators, one from Benin and one from Angola.

Published on August 7, 2025, at 3:45 am (Paris), updated on August 7, 2025, at 11:00 am Olivier Herviaux

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Agnès Varda's Parisian wanderings at the Musée Carnavalet

An original exhibition focuses on the artist's relationship with Paris, highlighting her photographic work and her atelier in the 14th arrondissement.

Published on August 4, 2025, at 10:34 pm (Paris), updated on August 5, 2025, at 10:05 am Claire Guillot

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The artistic and personal friendship of Beauvoir, Sartre and Giacometti in postwar Paris

The Giacometti Foundation is examining the connections between the couple and the sculptor across a wealth of documents and artwork.

Published on August 2, 2025, at 4:20 am (Paris) Philippe Dagen

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Cybèle Idelot: From Hollywood to self-sufficiency in the Paris region

'Chefs' Gardens' (1/5). The 50-year-old chef transformed a former coaching inn in the Yvelines, just outside of Paris, into a domain that now welcomes guests to bed-and-breakfast rooms, a bistronomic restaurant and above all, a vegetable garden that allows the restaurant to be self-sufficient.

Published on July 30, 2025, at 1:55 am (Paris), updated on July 30, 2025, at 10:32 am Léo Pajon

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K-pop boy band Stray Kids light up Paris with well-oiled show and adoring fans

The South Korean group performed two concerts at the Stade de France on July 26 and 27, for the French leg of their Dominate World Tour.

Published on July 28, 2025, at 12:15 pm (Paris), updated on July 29, 2025, at 1:40 am Laetitia Limmois

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A deep dive into Vivian Suter's immersive paintings at the Palais de Tokyo

The Paris museum showcases 500 works by the Argentine-Swiss artist, spanning the walls or arranged on racks.

Published on July 28, 2025, at 2:00 am (Paris) Philippe Dagen

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2024 Olympics: A Montmartre street again becomes Paris's cycling hotspot for Tour de France finale

After three weeks of racing, the Tour delivers one last thrill on Sunday during its final stage, with a passage through Rue Lepic in Montmartre. This is a nod to last year's Paris Olympic road race, which saw incredible public enthusiasm.

Published on July 27, 2025, at 11:15 am (Paris) Valentin Baudry

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At Musée d'Orsay, a Courbet painting gets a new life before visitors' eyes

The public is invited to witness the restoration of 'Un Enterrement à Ornans' and to meet the professionals working on the canvas.

Published on July 26, 2025, at 3:03 pm (Paris) Max Blanc

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Avignon Festival 2025: An edition marked by emotion and fragility

The arts event in southern France featured powerful performances, from 'Le Soulier de satin' ('The Satin Slipper') to 'Le Procès Pelicot' ('The Pelicot Trial'), but also disappointments due to the program's constraints.

Published on July 26, 2025, at 5:00 am (Paris) Fabienne Darge

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Harry's Bar: A taste of America in Paris

A Parisian temple to the cocktail, Harry's New York Bar has continued, since its founding in 1911, to attract both Americans on the move and French patrons looking to quench their thirst for all things American. Visitors come to savor perfectly executed classics as well as elegant new creations.

Published on July 24, 2025, at 11:45 am (Paris), updated on July 24, 2025, at 12:52 pm Laure Gasparotto

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At the Avignon 'Off' Festival, Taiwanese artists give voice to their island

Several dance and circus performances at the French performing arts festival evoke instability and tension – both interpersonal and geopolitical.

Published on July 23, 2025, at 5:00 pm (Paris), updated on July 23, 2025, at 5:09 pm Diana Liu

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At Lollapalooza Paris, 'rather high social status' festivalgoers seek to let loose

The festival – which this year featured Olivia Rodrigo, Benson Boone, Macklemore, and David Guetta – has become one of the French capital's biggest, but also one of the most expensive.

Published on July 21, 2025, at 12:36 pm (Paris) Max Blanc

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The challenge of surtitling at the Avignon Festival

Attracting audiences from around the world, the theater festival features performances in a variety of languages and places a strong emphasis on live translation.

Published on July 20, 2025, at 11:31 pm (Paris), updated on July 21, 2025, at 9:31 am Calypso Joyeux

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At Paris Museum of Decorative Arts, fashion designer Paul Poiret is king of the image

A new retrospective highlights the great couturier's innovative use of illustration, showcasing his colorful, festive visual universe.

Published on July 20, 2025, at 2:36 am (Paris), updated on July 20, 2025, at 11:31 am Sophie Abriat

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At Lollapalooza Paris, Olivia Rodrigo and Benson Boone rock the stage

The opening night of the Paris festival, on Friday, July 18, featured American singer Olivia Rodrigo and pop star Benson Boone, who delivered electrifying performances.

Published on July 19, 2025, at 5:19 pm (Paris), updated on July 19, 2025, at 6:03 pm Stéphane Davet

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Avignon staging of Pelicot trial brings theater of the real to a new height

In 'Le Procès Pelicot,' Swiss director Milo Rau brought four months of the landmark Pelicot mass rape trial to the stage on Friday, July 18, with unflinching rigor and an avoidance of sensationalism.

Published on July 19, 2025, at 3:00 pm (Paris) Fabienne Darge

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In Arles, Fragonard's Museum of Fashion and Costume gracefully unveils treasures

With a collection of 20,000 garments and accessories, the Musée Fragonard de la Mode et du Costume opened its doors on July 6. Housed in the former Bouchaud de Bussy mansion, which the architects of Studio KO have shaped into a Provençal jewel box, the museum showcases three centuries of traditional dress history.

Published on July 17, 2025, at 5:30 am (Paris) Litza Georgopoulos

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Kendrick Lamar and SZA deliver three-hour tour de force at Paris concert

The two leading figures of contemporary American rap and R&B have crafted a joint three-hour show for their Grand National Tour, which is stopping in Paris for two nights.

Published on July 16, 2025, at 12:08 pm (Paris) Stéphanie Binet

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'Paris l'Eté': Summer performing arts festival explores new venues around French capital

The event marks its 35th anniversary by staging some 30 artistic projects in previously unused locations.

Published on July 16, 2025, at 5:30 am (Paris) Rosita Boisseau

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Our eight favorite photo exhibitions to see in Arles this summer

Among the many offerings at the Rencontres d'Arles photography festival, we have selected a diverse range of exhibitions to see through October.

Published on July 16, 2025, at 5:04 am (Paris), updated on July 16, 2025, at 8:58 pm Claire Guillot

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Photography, politics and protest collide at Rencontres d'Arles

The 56th Rencontres d'Arles opened with a 15% rise in attendance. But behind the packed halls and sold-out screenings, tensions flared over cries of cultural gentrification, uneven art shows and political protests.

Published on July 15, 2025, at 11:42 am (Paris), updated on July 15, 2025, at 12:38 pm Claire Guillot

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Avignon Festival: 'When I Saw the Sea', Ali Chahrour's peaceful and political work

With his new work presented at the Festival d'Avignon, the Lebanese choreographer denounces the living conditions of domestic workers from Africa in Lebanon.

Published on July 10, 2025, at 3:30 pm (Paris) Rosita Boisseau

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From 'Amsterdam' to 'Ne me quitte pas,' Jacques Brel's songs take center stage in Avignon Festival

At the Carrière de Boulbon, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, accompanied by Solal Mariotte, brings 26 classics by the Belgian singer to life through dance, sometimes risking an overly literal interpretation of their message.

Published on July 9, 2025, at 3:36 am (Paris), updated on July 9, 2025, at 9:20 am Rosita Boisseau

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Nice's Contemporary Art Biennale explores the city's unique relationship to the sea

The sixth edition of the event is taking place at several venues throughout the southern French city, from the Villa Arson to the Musée Matisse.

Published on July 6, 2025, at 1:10 pm (Paris), updated on July 8, 2025, at 2:05 pm Harry Bellet

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'Art brut' to the point of saturation at the Grand Palais

Although overly dense and insufficiently documented, the exhibition of part of Bruno Decharme's donation, presented by the Centre Pompidou, contains some important pieces of outsider art.

Published on July 5, 2025, at 6:30 pm (Paris) Philippe Dagen

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Champagne bubbles with excitement for 10th anniversary of its UNESCO designation

While bottle sales declined in 2024, especially abroad, the region has opened its hillsides, Champagne houses and cellars to visitors since 2015, sparking a tourism boom.

Published on July 4, 2025, at 4:00 am (Paris) Laure Gasparotto

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Art weaves a thread between Paris and the Ukrainian front line

French-based painter Polina Moroz asked a compatriot, an embroiderer mobilized in the Ukrainian army, to contribute to her canvases. These odes to summer and peace are now on display in Marseille.

Published on July 4, 2025, at 2:46 am (Paris), updated on July 4, 2025, at 11:52 am Anna Koriagina

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20 must-see exhibitions this summer, in Paris and beyond

Museums, foundations and art centers are vying to attract vacationers with a wealth of offerings, giving them the chance to make exciting discoveries.

Published on June 28, 2025, at 5:00 am (Paris), updated on June 28, 2025, at 5:08 am Roxana Azimi, Harry Bellet, Philippe Dagen, Alexis Duval, Angèle Guicharnaud, Claire Guillot, Emmanuelle Jardonnet, Sylvie Kerviel and Emmanuelle Lequeux

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Five cultural outings to enjoy with a baby in Paris

Sensory tours at the Musée Rodin and Musée de l'Orangerie, mezzo forte concerts from the Orchestre Lamoureux, joyful splashing at Centquatre-Paris: More and more cultural venues in the French capital are offering activities for children under the age of two.

Published on June 27, 2025, at 4:48 am (Paris), updated on June 27, 2025, at 2:30 pm Tiphaine Thuillier

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At the Bologna and La Rochelle festivals, a retelling of Hollywood through its actresses

The festivals, which overlap over the same weekend, pay tribute to two major historic American film stars, Katharine Hepburn and Barbara Stanwyck.

Published on June 26, 2025, at 3:57 am (Paris), updated on June 26, 2025, at 11:06 am Mathieu Macheret

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New museum will honor Art Nouveau genius Hector Guimard in Paris

The museum devoted to the architect who designed the Paris metro entrances will be housed in the Hôtel Mezzara, one of his masterpieces. It is expected to open at the end of 2027 or the beginning of 2028.

Published on June 25, 2025, at 12:51 pm (Paris) Philippe d’Indevillers

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Finding inspiration for photography in the kitchen

From Irving Penn's frozen fruits and vegetables to Sabine Weiss's fish trap and the Blumes' flying crockery, kitchens, their utensils, and their ingredients have long inspired photographers. Striking images by some 30 artists add spice to the exhibition 'Dans ma cuisine' ('In My Kitchen'), on view through July 31 at Les Douches gallery in Paris.

Published on June 23, 2025, at 5:00 am (Paris) Claire Guillot

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Ludovico Einaudi, the Italian pianist turned neoclassical star

The Italian musician's tranquil pieces have turned him into the genre's major star. Ahead of his upcoming Paris show on June 21, Le Monde met with him at his home in the town of Dogliani, near Turin.

Published on June 21, 2025, at 12:50 pm (Paris), updated on June 21, 2025, at 2:18 pm Aureliano Tonet

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Beyoncé brings Texas flair to Paris

The American superstar performed the first of three concerts at the arena in Saint-Denis on Thursday. The show centered on tracks from her latest album, Cowboy Carter.

Published on June 20, 2025, at 11:35 pm (Paris), updated on June 21, 2025, at 8:00 am Stéphane Davet

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Why Paris's Centre Pompidou, not even 50 years old, must close for five years

The building designed by Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers is set to undergo major renovations until 2030 in order to reduce its energy consumption by 40%. Since its opening in 1977, the space has been in constant transformation.

Published on June 19, 2025, at 7:01 am (Paris), updated on June 19, 2025, at 8:56 pm Isabelle Regnier

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In Paris, the world's most attended cinema turns 30

UGC Ciné Cité Les Halles, a 27-screen complex in a central Paris mall, draws more than 2.8 million moviegoers annually.

Published on June 18, 2025, at 6:00 pm (Paris) Nicole Vulser

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Annecy animation festival awards top prize to 'Arco' by Ugo Bienvenu

Two other French films, 'Little Amélie or the Character of Rain' by Maïlys Vallade and Liane-Cho Han and 'Planets' by Momoko Seto, also received awards amongst winners that primarily celebrated humanist and optimistic works.

Published on June 16, 2025, at 12:18 pm (Paris), updated on June 16, 2025, at 12:19 pm Pauline Croquet

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France's first Slow Fashion Week champions a simple, recycled approach to fashion

Designers and vintage enthusiasts gathered in Marseille from June 7 to June 14, far from the glitz of major fashion capitals, to promote an alternative model for the fashion industry, one where secondhand clothing takes center stage.

Published on June 16, 2025, at 2:50 am (Paris), updated on June 16, 2025, at 12:19 pm Lina Tamine

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Paris Games balloon returns to French capital, minus the Olympic name

The balloon has been installed in the Tuileries Garden. It will rise into the sky with its electric flame on June 21.

Published on June 13, 2025, at 5:22 pm (Paris), updated on June 13, 2025, at 5:24 pm Le Monde with AFP

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Paris exhibition tries to answer the mystery of Cleopatra

Blending archaeological artifacts, pop culture imagery, and paintings, an exhibition on Cleopatra explores how the Egyptian queen has been depicted and perceived through the centuries.

Published on June 12, 2025, at 8:59 pm (Paris), updated on June 13, 2025, at 9:17 am Philippe Dagen

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Charli XCX marks first anniversary of 'Brat' with hedonistic revelry at We Love Green

The British singer-songwriter headlined the second day of the festival on Saturday, June 7, in Paris, where she performed her sixth album in its entirety.

Published on June 9, 2025, at 12:25 pm (Paris) Stéphane Davet

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Forget the jambon-beurre, try these five delicious banh mi sandwiches in Paris

Experience an explosion of flavors with this crispy baguette sandwich filled with grilled chicken, aromatic beef or marinated tofu, along with shredded carrots, cucumber, cilantro and a spicy sauce. Here are five Parisian spots to enjoy this classic Vietnamese sandwich.

Published on June 6, 2025, at 5:00 am (Paris) Zazie Tavitian

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Gabriele Münter, a framing prodigy, emerges from the shadows in new Paris show

This first retrospective in France is dedicated to the painter, photographer and co-founder of the Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider) movement, long forgotten in favor of her companion, Wassily Kandinsky.

Published on June 4, 2025, at 3:44 am (Paris), updated on June 4, 2025, at 11:20 am Harry Bellet

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Maximilien Luce at the Musée de Montmartre: Anarchism on canvas

A long-overdue retrospective celebrates the most overlooked of the Neo-Impressionists, an artist known for his unsparing brushwork and strong political convictions.

Published on June 1, 2025, at 8:00 pm (Paris) Philippe Dagen

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How artists dress: A work of art in itself

The Louvre-Lens Museum is shining a spotlight on the clothing styles of painters, visual artists and sculptors through July. From Rosa Bonheur's blue smock to Joseph Beuys's uniform, it is a topic rarely explored.

Published on May 30, 2025, at 4:00 am (Paris), updated on May 30, 2025, at 7:36 pm Valentin Pérez

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Seven unmissable festivals in France this summer

Le Monde presents a tour of France's best summer events, from late June to mid-August.

Published on May 25, 2025, at 1:05 am (Paris) Stéphanie Binet, Franck Colombani, Stéphane Davet, Pierre Gervasoni, Patrick Labesse, Marie-Aude Roux and Sylvain Siclier

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Tatiana Trouvé's poetic workshop

The French-Italian artist, currently featured in a major exhibition at Palazzo Grassi in Venice, works in a former parquet factory in Montreuil, a suburb of Paris.

Published on May 18, 2025, at 12:00 pm (Paris), updated on May 19, 2025, at 2:39 pm Clément Ghys

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