Lunch by a lake, settling down in the shade of a vineyard, enjoying an impromptu gourmet break in the middle of the forest, or savoring a meal overlooking the sea… Far from the traditional sandwich stuffed into a bag, more and more hotels and restaurants are reinventing the picnic by offering carefully curated takeout baskets.
Seasonal ingredients, chef-created recipes, elegant tableware, or an insulated backpack: these all-in-one options let you enjoy the sunny days without sacrificing the pleasure of fine dining. From Paris to Annecy, via Provence and Brittany, here’s a selection of establishments where a picnic becomes a true gastronomic experience.
Le Meurice, Paris
Le Meurice offers a new takeout lunch menu, designed as a refined take on the lunch box. Created by Chef Clémentine Bouchon, it features a seasonal salad as a starter, followed by a veal pastrami bun or a vegetarian alternative with mozzarella, followed by sweets by Cédric Grolet, including cookies and honey-propolis-vanilla madeleines. The meal comes with a bottle of chilled water.
Priced at 28 euros, this set menu is available Monday through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., for pickup at the reception desk of Le Dalí restaurant ( 2 toques), through September 15.
At La Côte Saint-Jacques (4 toques), the picnic is offered in a gourmet version that you can customize to your liking. Priced at 38 euros per person, the set menu lets you choose a starter, a main course, and a dessert from a selection of summer dishes, such as deviled eggs with trout, chicken, or a vegetarian option for the starter, a club sandwich (with rabbit, trout, or vegetarian), before finishing with a thin almond tart or seasonal fruit.
To round out the meal, a charcuterie platter, ham from the Aldudes Valley, an assortment of cheeses, and a selection of wines, beers, fruit juices, or water are available for an additional charge. Presented in eco-friendly containers with bread, cutlery, and an insulated basket, this picnic invites you to extend the restaurant’s culinary experience into the great outdoors, in the heart of Burgundy.
At Les Hortensias du Lac ( 2 toques), the picnic feels like a gourmet interlude crafted by Chef Philippe Moreno. Crafted around local ingredients and market-fresh inspirations, each basket features a selection of gourmet creations to enjoy in the great outdoors—on the sand, by the shores of Lake Hossegor, or in the shade of the Landes pines. At lunchtime, guests can choose from a selection of fresh bites, such as cod tarama, an avocado roll with salmon, hummus, or tomato and burrata, while the aperitif menu features a charcuterie board, aged cheeses, and foie gras, accompanied by a selection of wines from Domaine de Fontenille or a glass of Veuve Clicquot champagne.
An elegant experience that invites you to savor the landscapes of the Landes region while enjoying seasonal cuisine—particularly delightful at sunset overlooking the lake.
The Sodade restaurant at Maison Vieira invites you to pack a taste of Cantal into your backpack with a picnic basket designed to accompany a hike or mountain bike ride through the volcanic landscapes. This package showcases local products with a ham, butter, and pickle sandwich; a salad with Cantal cheese and cheese shavings; a selection of regional cold cuts and cheeses; seasonal fruits; travel-friendly pastries; and a bottle of mineral water.
A version tailored for children under 10 is also available, making this offer an ideal choice for a family gourmet getaway in the heart of the Cantal region.
Overlooking the crystal-clear waters of Lake Annecy, the Auberge du Père Bise (4 toques) offers a picnic package that lets you take Jean Sulpice ’s cuisine with you on a stroll. The full set includes a seasonal fruit and vegetable salad seasoned with a carrot condiment, a sandwich of your choice (chicken with herb mayonnaise, beef with arugula pesto, féra with watercress and cucumber, or a vegetarian option with goat cheese), a gourmet dessert (a large madeleine with blueberry confit coated in chocolate or a cookie with various dried fruits), and a beverage—water or iced tea. A lighter option is also available, featuring a salad or a sandwich, a cookie, and a beverage.
An ideal option for extending the restaurant’s culinary experience during a lakeside stroll or an excursion into the surrounding mountains.
Price: fullset menu for 35 euros; light set menu for 22 euros.
At the Impérial Palace in Annecy, a picnic becomes a true culinary experience to be enjoyed in the heart of an exceptional natural setting. Reserved for hotel guests, this offer invites you to explore the shores of Lake Annecy in a different way—on foot, by bike, or even by boat—thanks to an insulated backpack containing a meal carefully presented in individual portions. Three options are available depending on the time of day: a full picnic basket for two (€90) featuring local products such as burrata, smoked trout, cheeses from Marc Dubouloz, chicken sandwiches, and fruit salad, accompanied by a bottle of rosé; an appetizer basket (€60) featuring artisanal charcuterie, cheeses, eggplant caviar, blinis, and white wine; and a snack basket (€60) featuring homemade pastries, fruit salad, fruit juice, and a bottle of champagne.
A gourmet getaway that lets you savor the region’s specialties while enjoying the iconic scenery of the lake and the surrounding mountains.
Hostellerie du Château des Fines Roches, Châteauneuf-du-Pape
At the Hostellerie du Château des Fines Roches, a picnic turns into a gourmet getaway in the heart of the Provençal countryside. Open to both hotel guests and outside visitors by reservation, this offer is ideal for enjoying a lunch surrounded by nature during a stroll or a relaxing moment with family or friends. The baskets, which can be picked up directly at the front desk, come with everything you need for a comfortable meal: tableware, napkins, a beverage cooler, a picnic blanket, and an individual mini-baguette per person.
Reservations must be made at least 48 hours in advance, with a €50 deposit refunded upon return of the equipment. A practical and elegant option that lets you enjoy an al fresco meal in the enchanting setting of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyards.
In the heart of the Luberon, Le Phébus & Spa invites you to extend the experience of its gourmet dining (3 toques) into the great outdoors with a picnic basket that’s as elegant as it is delicious. Centered around an assortment of tapas, this menu showcases Provençal flavors through an asparagus gazpacho, an artichoke tapenade, a medley of cherries, peas, and fava beans, a carrot salad, thinly sliced guinea fowl from Monsieur Pons served with caper mustard, and fresh cheese from the Ventoux region.
To finish on a refreshing note, a deconstructed lemon and a fruit soup round out this refined lunch, perfect for savoring amidst the Luberon countryside.
Just a few minutes from Beaune, the Hostellerie de Levernois offers a picnic basket that celebrates the flavors of Burgundy in a style that’s both indulgent and refined. Created by Chef Philippe Augé, this package includes a garden salad featuring cherry tomatoes, cucumber, and feta, followed by a club sandwich of your choice, filled with chicken or smoked salmon, bacon, lettuce, a hard-boiled egg, and herb mayonnaise. The meal continues with a selection of cheeses and a seasonal fruit tart, accompanied by a half-bottle of red wine, white wine, or champagne to share between two, as well as mineral water.
Presented in an insulated bag with plates, glasses, and cutlery, this picnic—whose contents change with the seasons and available ingredients—is ideal for a gourmet getaway in the heart of the Côte de Beaune wine region.
At Les Sources de Caudalie, you can enjoy a picnic amidst the vineyards of Château Smith Haut Lafitte. The hotel offers two takeout options, available by reservation 24 hours in advance and to be picked up at the hotel reception desk. The first includes a seasonal salad, hummus to share; a Bayonne ham and cheese sandwich (pescatarian and vegetarian options available), madeleines and cannelés, as well as seasonal fruit and water. The larger “Picnic in the Vineyards” package includes a salad, a foie gras terrine, a salmon club sandwich, regional cheeses, and a pastry to share. Wine lovers can round out their basket with a selection of the estate’s wines or champagne.
As the warm weather arrives, SO/Paris has teamed up with Veuve Clicquot to offer a summer picnic experience designed as a true gourmet escape. Open to both hotel guests and the general public, the package features a food-and-champagne pairing for 70 euros per person. The basket includes a generous salad of your choice (lobster, chicken, or vegetarian), a selection of French cheeses, bread, a flaky brioche, and a seasonal fruit tart.
The experience is accompanied by a half-bottle of Veuve Clicquot Brut Carte Jaune for two people, or a full bottle for four, for a chic and convivial moment to share outdoors.
The restaurant Tête d’Ail (1 toque) puts a new spin on the picnic with its“Canicule Takeout Menu,” a summer special designed to be enjoyed outdoors. This offering highlights fresh, generous, seasonal cuisine specially designed for hot days when you want to eat something light. The menu features, among other dishes, heirloom tomatoes roasted with ajo blanco, pork tataki served with raita sauce, conchiglie stuffed with eggplant caviar, a Caesar salad with crispy guinea fowl, and fresh goat cheese with pink peppercorns and herbes de Provence.
For dessert, the peach and apricot salad with vanilla yogurt and verbena adds a touch of freshness that’s perfect for summer days. Wine lovers can round out their meal with a bottle of white, rosé, or red wine, making this set menu a gourmet alternative to the traditional picnic.
