As soon as the sun comes out in Paris, locals begin clamoring for a seat in the sun.
But I don’t clamor – I just head to Le Hibou, a spot just off of the Carrefour de l’Odéon where, I’ll admit, sky-high prices keep most people away. But where I don’t mind splurging just a bit for the perfect afternoon in the sunshine.
Le Hibou offers a few brasserie staples, but the burrata (which has become a tired trope on the Paris dining scene) is my favorite, served as it is with a sweet mango purée, diced avocado, and a hearty pinch of Espelette pepper.
Most of the dishes are quite simple – a mere assembly of ingredients (albeit high-quality ones). But due in no small part to the pretty-high prices – and perhaps given its proximity to ultra-popular le Comptoir du Relais and the Avant-Comptoir – Le Hibou one of the only places in Paris that I feel relatively certain I’ll be able to snag a terrace seat on a beautiful day.
And since French etiquette allows you to nurse a glass of wine or two (and maybe share a burrata) for hours without being edged out by the staff, it’s definitely a warm-weather favorite, for me.
Le Hibou – 16 Carrefour de l’Odéon, 75006