The Jacquemart-André Museum tea room

A dining room, not a museum cafeteria

Most Parisian museums install their café in a new space, underground or under an added skylight. Here, you sit in the very room where Édouard André and Nélie Jacquemart used to entertain. The ceiling is by Tiepolo, just like the one in the double-revolution staircase, and you can admire it from your chair, leaning back, with no line behind you. The woodwork, drapes, and proportions of the room are all from 1875. I know few places in Paris where you can enjoy tea in such a setting without having to book ahead.

The terrace overlooks the garden courtyard, set back from the boulevard. The façade of the mansion itself is also set back from the Haussmannian alignment, which explains the courtyard: you can hear the boulevard without being overwhelmed by it. On fine days, it’s the best table in the house.

Hours, in detail

The restaurant is open Monday to Thursday from 9:30 AM to 6 PM, Friday from 9:30 AM to 10 PM, and Saturday and Sunday from 11 AM to 7 PM. Last admission is thirty minutes before closing, just like for the museum. Friday is the long day on both sides: the museum’s late opening runs until 10 PM, and Le Nélie follows suit. I’ve detailed everything on the museum’s hours.

Lunch is served from 11:45 AM to 3 PM, with a reduced menu from 3 PM to 4 PM for late arrivals. Brunch is available on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 AM to 2:30 PM, with a children’s option. Tea time takes place on Saturdays and Sundays from 3 PM to 5:30 PM. On Friday evenings in the warmer months, an after-work event is held in the courtyard. The menu revolves around pastries, viennoiseries, and herb-infused eggs—I won’t go into more detail because it changes, and any menu copied here would be outdated in a month.

The upside: it's also the busiest time

The weekend brunch and tea time coincide exactly with the hours when the exhibition is packed. On Saturdays and Sundays between 2 pm and 5 pm, the courtyard, staircase, and dining room are all in high demand, and since the restaurant doesn’t take reservations, you’ll have to wait standing. The trade-off for walk-in access is that no table is held for you.

My favorite times are on weekdays at opening, around 9:45 am, when service begins and the museum hasn’t opened yet, and Friday evenings, when the late opening spreads visitors out until 10 pm. Other quiet moments can be found on the best time to visit.

What the tea room does not replace

Entering Le Nelie does not open the collections. The Painting Room, the grand salon, the private apartments, the winter garden, and the Italian museum on the upper floor require a ticket, which can be purchased at the museum’s ticket office or at 158 boulevard Haussmann, never on GetYourGuide. What I’m comparing here is what happens after closing : the opera evenings in the salons, with a glass of champagne and a private tour of the ground-floor collections. For the daytime visit, the duration and the room-by-room itinerary are on their respective pages.

Getting there

158 boulevard Haussmann is accessible via metro lines 9 or 13, at Saint-Augustin, Miromesnil, or Saint-Philippe-du-Roule stations. I’ve included buses, Vélib’, and parking details on the access page.

Reminder: the above evening event is booked via GetYourGuide, but the museum entry ticket is purchased at the museum ticket office or at the desk at 158.

Frequently asked questions