The 1st in May means that constant tourist density, but also micro-pockets of quiet you wouldn't suspect when passing through: the gardens of the Palais Royal, the streets of Beaubourg early in the morning, the cafés hidden behind Rivoli. The arrondissement isn't an obvious choice for remote work on a terrace, but when you know where to look, it has a few gems.

We've combed through Villédo, Rivoli and the surroundings of the Palais Royal to find the terraces that are genuinely worth the trip for working. Here are four addresses to save in your 1st arrondissement favourites.

Télescope Café

Rue Villédo, Télescope Café is a minimalist café with a beautiful machine at the centre, several varieties roasted in-house and good pastries. It's a classic for coffee lovers who want to work for an hour or two.

Wi-Fi available, food, carefully curated atmosphere, deliberately quiet, small terrace. Google rating of 4 from over 500 reviews. Intimate format — best for short sessions.

Our favourite for starting the day with a quality coffee on a quiet street.

NOZE

Rue de Rivoli, NOZE is a bright, very quiet spot with an impressive view of the Opéra, a cosy lounge area, a pleasant terrace and healthy dishes. Less of a desk-café format than other addresses, but the environment more than compensates.

Wi-Fi available, quiet guaranteed, laptops welcome, good food, carefully curated atmosphere. Google rating of 3.9 from 135 reviews. The Opéra view changes the experience.

The right choice for sessions where you want a distinctive setting without sacrificing comfort.

Café Kitsuné

Place André Malraux, Café Kitsuné is a Parisian classic with several locations across the city, and the one in the gardens of the Palais Royal is unbeatable for the terrace. More coffee-to-go than desk-café format, but the gardens offer a rare setting for working.

Palais Royal terrace. Google rating of 3.8 from nearly 1,900 reviews. Best for short sessions rather than a full day.

Our visual favourite for short sessions in the gardens of the Palais Royal.

Motors Coffee

Rue des Halles, Motors Coffee is a small coffee shop with a few indoor seats and outdoor tables, and excellent pains au chocolat. Compact but well run.

Food, decent terrace. Google rating of 4.4 from over 1,700 reviews. Better for short sessions than long days.

A good spot for fitting in an hour with a snack that keeps you going.

How to work well on a terrace in the 1st

Three useful rules in this arrondissement:

  • Tourism weighs on everything. Aim for the side streets (Villédo, Sainte-Anne, Argout) rather than the tourist thoroughfares.
  • The gardens of the Palais Royal are a gem. For short sessions, it's a truly exceptional setting for working — just arrive early at weekends.
  • Cafés here are mainly set up for quick consumption. The 1st isn't the arrondissement for long sessions. Aim for 1–2 hours per address.

To go further

If you want our complete selection of spots in Paris 1e, we also have a guide that brings together all the good spots in the arrondissement (cafés, coworking spaces, community spaces), not just terraces. For detailed listings of places in Paris 1e, head to our city page.

Looking for terraces in another city this summer? We also have our selections for Courbevoie, Boulogne Billancourt, Rueil-Malmaison.

In summary

The 1st isn't the obvious choice for remote work on a terrace, but the arrondissement has a few real gems for short sessions in settings that are unique in Paris. Our selection covers the different use cases: a sharp coffee shop, a café with an Opéra view, a Palais Royal terrace, a coffee-to-go spot.

Want to explore another part of Paris? Find our selections by arrondissement and our city guides on Deskover.