Air-Conditioned Tea Rooms in Paris

Why Isn't Everywhere Air-Conditioned in Paris?

If you're visiting from North America, Australia or parts of Asia, you may be surprised that air conditioning isn't common throughout Paris.

Many cafés occupy beautiful historic buildings where installing external air-conditioning units is either restricted or impractical. Traditionally, French buildings stayed cool thanks to thick stone walls, shutters and high ceilings rather than mechanical cooling.

Things are gradually changing as summers become hotter (although many visitors are surprised by how uncommon it still is) but today, it's not easy to find places with good air conditioning. If staying cool is your priority, your safest choices are the Grand Magasins (department stores), palace hotels and larger modern venues.

How to Spot Air Conditioning in Paris

For cafés, restaurants and tea rooms, look for signs saying "Salle climatisée" or simply "Climatisation" near the entrance.

If you don't see a sign, don't hesitate to ask:

"Est-ce que la salle est climatisée ?" (Is the dining room air-conditioned?)

During a heatwave, staff are very used to this question.

Where to Cool Off with Tea and Pastries in Paris

While many independent pâtisseries don't have air conditioning, there are still plenty of comfortable places to cool off if you know where to look. Here are the places I recommend most during a Paris heatwave.

Department Stores with Air-Conditioned Cafés

Paris's Grands Magasins are among the easiest places to escape the heat. Le Bon Marché, La Samaritaine, Galeries Lafayette and Printemps all offer spacious air-conditioned cafés, restaurants and pastry counters, making them ideal for a relaxed break without booking ahead.

La Grande Épicerie

Need a break while browsing Le Bon Marché French department store? Stop at Le Petit Café inside La Grande Épicerie for excellent coffee, macarons or pastries in cool comfort. It's one of my favourite places to escape the afternoon heat without a full afternoon tea.

For more nearby, see my guide to Rue du Bac, Paris's Pastry Street.

Galeries Lafayette and Printemps

Both department stores have several cafés and restaurants where you can cool down. I particularly love Printemps' Bar Perché, where you can enjoy the terrace view from the comfort of the air-conditioned interior before stepping outside if the weather allows.

Luxury Palace Hotels for Afternoon Tea

If you're celebrating a special occasion - or simply escaping the afternoon heat -Paris's luxury palace hotels are hard to beat.

Every 4- and 5-star palace hotel has excellent air conditioning, elegant lounges and superb afternoon teas. They're certainly more expensive than your average café, but for a couple of relaxing hours in cool comfort, they're one of my favourite summer treats.

When temperatures climb into the high 30s or even 40°C (over 100°F), this is honestly where I'd head.

Shangri-La Paris

Set in the former home of Roland Bonaparte, this is one of Paris's most beautiful afternoon tea experiences - and blissfully cool in summer. Excellent if visiting the Asian Guimet Museum across the road, also fully air-conditioned.

Read my Shangri-La teatime guide.

Ritz Paris

If you're celebrating something special, afternoon tea in the Ritz is hard to beat. Elegant, beautifully air-conditioned and one of my favourite luxury escapes in Marcel Proust's favourite room, as his portrait watches over your madeleines.

Read my full Ritz afternoon tea guide.

Le Crillon

Head to the calm of the Butterfly Pâtisserie, home to some of Paris's finest pastries in an elegant air-conditioned setting.

Paris is spoilt for choice. Other excellent options include Le Bristol, The Peninsula, Four Seasons George V, Mandarin Oriental, La Réserve, Le Royal Monceau and many more.

Museums with Air-Conditioned Cafés

If you'd rather combine sightseeing with a cooling break, several of Paris's museums offer climate-controlled galleries and comfortable cafés.

Petit Palais

My favourite value-for-money escape is the Petit Palais. Entry is free (you simply pass through security), and after wandering the beautifully air-conditioned galleries, stop at the museum café overlooking the peaceful courtyard garden. It's self-service rather than formal afternoon tea, but one of Paris's loveliest places to cool down if you don't mind queuing.

Musée Guimet

The Asian art collection at the Guimet museum is fully air?conditioned and one of my favourite quiet museums in Paris. Although they have a small café, for a more memorable teatime experience, head to the Shangri?La across the street.

Musée d'Orsay

The galleries are climate-controlled to protect the artwork, making them pleasantly cool during summer. If you fancy a longer break, head upstairs to the magnificent Belle Époque restaurant, where you'll find a comfortable air-conditioned dining room with wacky modern chairs, cakes and ice cream from the dessert menu.

Some of My Favourite Independent Air-Conditioned Tea Salons

If you're looking for something more affordable than the luxury hotels, here are a few more of my favourite air-conditioned tea salons.

Bontemps (Paris 3)

Hidden in a pretty cobbled courtyard near the Marais, Bontemps is one of my favourite places to escape the heat. Their air-conditioned salon is bright and peaceful, and their famous salted sablé pastries are worth the detour. Try their exquisite fruit tarts.

Mado à Paris (Paris 1)

Their buttery madeleines are still warm (if you can manage that kind of warm) from the oven and make the perfect stop after a walk through the Tuileries gardens.

KL Pâtisserie (Paris 17)

A contemporary tea room where many pastries are assembled à la minute. I always order Kévin Lacote's legendary Parisian flans - and it's a wonderfully cool place for breakfast or an afternoon break.

Cool Off in Paris's Covered Passages

If you can't find air conditioning, head indoors yet stay outside. Paris's beautiful covered passages stay a little cooler than the surrounding streets thanks to their glass roofs and shade.

One of my favourites is le Valentin, with cafés in both Galerie Vivienne and Passage Jouffroy. They're perfect for a coffee, hot chocolate or pastry after browsing the independent bookshops and boutiques. While these historic arcades aren't air-conditioned, they offer a refreshing break from the summer sun and are well worth adding to your Paris itinerary.

A Few Local Tips for Staying Cool in Paris

Living just outside Paris, I've learnt to slow the pace during the hottest days and hydrate. When it becomes exceptionally hot, stay indoors or go to the cinéma, a very French activity that has never gone out of fashion.

My favourite strategy is to explore outdoors early morning, enjoy lunch or afternoon tea somewhere cool indoors between 12pm and 5pm, then head back outside once temperatures begin to ease.

Many of Paris's major museums are air-conditioned too, even if some not completely. If you're mainly escaping the heat, I'd avoid the Louvre during peak summer afternoons when it can become extremely busy. Instead, combine a quieter museum such as the Musée Guimet with a stop at one of the nearby tea rooms.

A few more tips:

• Carry a reusable water bottle and refill it at the city's many public drinking fountains.
• Take advantage of the air-conditioned Grand Magasins.
• Combine a museum visit with an afternoon tea.
• Book one of the palace hotels for the coolest, most relaxing experience.
• Look for "Salle climatisée" signs outside cafés.

Looking for Even More Tea Rooms?

These are just a few of my favourite cool spots for summer. For my full list of Paris tea rooms organised by arrondissement or landmark - with every air-conditioned venue marked (AC) - see my complete Paris Tea Room Guide.

Following Paris's recent record-breaking heatwave, I've updated this guide with my latest recommendations. Every place mentioned is somewhere I'd happily return to myself, and none of them are sponsored.