More about: This is the Paris Louvre Museum Giftshop
The Carrousel du Louvre is a shopping centre in Paris that is very popular with locals and visitors alike. It offers an excellent way to take a break after visiting the famous paintings and works of art in the Louvre museum, for which, by the way, I recommend you buy your ticket in advance. It's not for nothing that it's the most visited museum in the world!
Open seven days a week, this exclusive centre has dozens of shops, a gourmet food court and an elegant and spacious setting. If you're looking for a place to eat near the Louvre, the Carrousel is a very good option. It's also the place to go if you're looking for new clothes, jewellery, books or a special gift to take back on the plane.
What's special about the Louvre shop
The construction of the Carrousel du Louvre was seen as an extension of the entrance in a project that began in the early 1990s. The Carrousel du Louvre officially opened in 1993 and is now one of the most popular shopping centres in central Paris.
It is not only a shopping centre, but also an artistic space, as it was decided that the medieval ruins should be preserved in their original location. They are now visible in the Carrousel shopping centre and form an integral part of it.
As if that were not enough, sculptures have also been added. The Carrousel du Louvre plays a more than practical role for the Louvre, as it houses parts of its past. The Carrousel also provides access to the museum.
Architecture of the Louvre shop
The Carrousel is also impressive from an architectural point of view: the lower section of the famous glass Pyramide du Louvre (Louvre Pyramid), designed by Chinese architect I.M. Pei, is visible from the shopping centre.
In addition, the Carrousel du Louvre includes a large exhibition space where major annual events are held, such as the Paris Photo exhibition.
The Grand Louvre project and the construction of the Carrousel revealed the amazing foundations of the Royal Palace. These are the ruins of Charles V's perimeter wall, a stone wall designed to protect the city. The part visible from the Carrousel du Louvre shopping centre was built in the 16th century.
What to buy at the Louvre shop
The shopping centre offers fashion, jewellery, home design, gifts, books and many other specialised boutiques.
In addition to a wide variety of shops, including the Apple Store, a Lancel leather goods store and a Bickici jewellery store, the Louvre shop brings together typical French brands in one place:
- Mariages Frères: Tea room for taking a break during a day of sightseeing and shopping.
- Fragonard: A brand specialising in cosmetics.
- L'Occitane: Shop selling medium-priced, high-quality French cosmetics and gifts.
- Comédie-Française: A place to buy tickets for the French comedy theatre.
- Hertz Car Rental: Car rental service in Paris, a very good option to consider.
Louvre shop restaurant - Bistrot Benoit
The Bistrot Benoit restaurant is located in the heart of the museum, just below the pyramid, and is the only restaurant in the Louvre shop, which is why it is also known as "the shopping centre restaurant".
Thisrestaurant offers French cuisine menus and dishes, with a menu completely revamped by Michelin-starred chef Alain Ducasse, which blends the traditional with a contemporary touch, as well as providing a large selection of wines and other beverages to accompany your meal.
There is a lunch menu available where you can have a starter, main course and dessert, which also comes with a glass of wine or mineral water and costs around €20 or €30. However, you can also enjoy the food even more by ordering à la carte, as you would in one of the good restaurants in Paris. In this case, Bistrot Benoit (originally called Cafe Grand Louvre) will offer you several options to suit your taste, allowing you to enjoy a three-course meal in a unique and prestigious setting.
Prices and opening hours of the Louvre shop restaurant
Bistrot Benoit is open every day except special holidays for breakfast between 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., then for lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. It is also open in the evening until 9:45 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays, except in summer when it maintains these hours every day.
The average à la carte price ranges from €20 to €50.
Style of the Louvre Shopping Centre restaurant
Bistrot Benoit welcomes visitors throughout the day with a pleasant and welcoming atmosphere. An authentic setting in the heart of the museum. The interior offers an artistic style with zinc, brass, wood and red velvet chairs and tables (a rather formal look that fits in perfectly with the Louvre museum). What's more, you'll also find waiters dressed in traditional style with white aprons and bow ties.
Bistrot Benoit stands out under the prestigious glass pyramid with an area of 200 square metres and a capacity for 90 people.
Louvre shop patisserie - Paul Patisserie
Another of the shopping centre's most notable places to eat is its patisserie. Despite being the only patisserie in the shopping centre and offering some of the tastiest cakes, crepes and croissants, it is not a place to spend a lot of money, and you will hardly find anything that costs more than €8. What's more, it is very close to the museum entrance.
They also serve breakfast in the morning, which is a great way to save time and head straight to the museum, especially if you are visiting the Louvre with children. However, bear in mind that it does not open until 10:30 a.m. If you prefer to visit the Louvre earlier and want to have breakfast nearby, I recommend heading to the cafés and eateries close to the museum.
It's worth mentioning that Pastelería Paul offers very complete French-style breakfast menus with coffee and croissants, the classic French ham and butter sandwich, or a chocolate cake. You can even stop by for a light snack if you want to visit the museum later.
Useful information
- Location: Second floor, just below the Louvre Pyramid.
- Opening hours: Continuous service from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
- Prices: Breakfasts between €8 and €12 per person.
Recommendations for your visit to the Louvre shop
Don't buy just for the sake of buying: although the shopping centre has many electronics and clothing stores, I recommend buying only those items that are exclusive to the museum and cannot be purchased elsewhere. This is because, in general, items not related to the museum tend to be more expensive.
Take advantage of your location to enter the Louvre: if you plan to visit the museum and have already purchased your tickets, I recommend not leaving the shopping centre, but going directly to the Louvre museum entrance. This entrance has the same name as the shopping centre: Carrousel du Louvre, and is much less crowded than the main entrance (Pyramide).
Louvre shop opening hours
The Carrousel du Louvre is open every day from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. With a few exceptions, the shops are open from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., 7 days a week.
Important: Every corner of the Carrousel is accessible to people with disabilities or mobility issues.
How to get to the Louvre shop
The shopping centre is located at 99, rue de Rivoli. If you are travelling by underground , I recommend the Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre stop (Line 1). However, if you have your own transport, please note that parking is available at the Caroussel du Louvre.
If you are travelling by bus, lines 21, 24, 27, 39, 48, 68, 69, 72, 81 and 95 will take you there. You can also use the RER trains to get there. The Chatelet - Les Halles stop, where lines A, B and D stop, is only about 650 metres from the restaurant.
You can also use tourist buses as a means of transport, or even the water buses that run along the River Seine, dropping you off at stops near the Louvre Museum and the Bistrot Benoit restaurant.