Floral partitions, mistral and torrential rains: the French enjoy their first lunch on the terrace

They knew it but nevertheless braved the difficulties.

This Wednesday, in the center of Paris, customers wishing to find unprotected terraces showed inventiveness to counter the rain at lunchtime.

On the Grands Boulevards or around the Sentier, umbrellas and hoods of all kinds were essential to enjoy a pint or, for the more adventurous, a meal outside.

"

It's the game,

" notes with philosophy a thirty-something Parisian, clinging to her umbrella and her glass of white wine.

An image worthy of the best videos posted for a week on the net in anticipation of a rainy weather for this long awaited May 19.

Live: LIVE - Deconfinement: the French are back on the terraces for lunch

Most establishments, long warned, had nevertheless taken the lead on the weather.

Large tarpaulins and awnings have been deployed on the newly reopened terraces.

And to create partitions between customers, as required by sanitary protocol, nothing better than plants.

Result: some Parisian terraces are similar, and probably still for the next few days, to small urban jungles.

In Le Brébant, the Grands Boulevards café made famous in the 19th century for its intellectual dinners, the hasty addition of plants leaves traces on the road.

So much so that plants still litter the ground.

And at Popolare, the very popular pizzeria of the Big Mamma group, the terrace looks like a large bush.

Popolare, pizzeria from the Parisian chain Big Mamma.

Le Figaro

In cafes and restaurants, in plain sight, many take pictures of themselves in front of their dishes.

The result will be these pictures of burgers, pints, glasses of alcohol or dishes of all kinds disseminated in spades on social networks.

Read also: Reopening of shops and terraces: the gentle awakening of the Champs-Élysées

This May 19, Parisians are also reviving the savory additions.

Sometimes over thirty euros for a midday lunch, one of them complains.

And for some establishments, it is a matter of extending the habits adopted in recent months a little further: the queues to find a table often rub shoulders with those of regular take-away sales.

Those who do not reopen

This first phase of deconfinement is also that of establishments that refuse to reopen. Some of the most popular or famous, such as that of chef Philippe Etchebest or Bouillon Chartier, a must-see Parisian brasserie, which will not reopen before June 9 ... Small restaurants, heavily affected by the crisis. Thus a Breton crêperie on rue Léopold Bellan, in the 2nd arrondissement, whose boss indicated last year to be in debt to the tune of tens of thousands of euros. The establishment, which could have placed only two tables on the small terrace at its disposal, did not take the plunge. Not to mention those, like the Delaville Café and its large terrace, who take advantage of this phase of uncertainty to complete work launched during confinement.

In Marseille, reopening to the sun

800 kilometers to the south, another atmosphere, but the same pleasure.

Under a sun swept by a few clouds of altitude, a weather that is considered bad here, the terraces of Marseille were activated from 11 am for lunch.

On the Old Port, at the Café des Arts, Flo and Maud, 40-year-olds from Lyon on vacation, had nothing to do with the wind in front of their dry white balloons.

"We are good people, on vacation for a few days, we could not miss that,

" they say, relentlessly swallowing large prawns.

A little further on, still in the port, three friends, Fazyl, Manou and Malik, in their early thirties, regain a taste for this freedom.

They chose the Baletti.

“

We had almost forgotten this little pleasure!

Said the first.

Tonight they intend to do battle in a bar in Aix-en-Provence, if they find a place in the sun.

Read also: In Paris, the size of certain ephemeral terraces worries elected officials and residents

A few meters further on, the owner of The Shamrock pub Rémi Halegua gives his last advice, receives a caddy of packets of crisps, and finally breathes:

"We have just opened, I could not stand going around in circles,"

said -he.

For this reopening, he hired 6 servers, against at least the usual double.

At the Panier, some customers of the Le Refuge restaurant had made reservations so as not to miss the reopening of the terraces.

LH

Around noon, on Place Thiars, the terraces come alive, the half-bottles of Côte-de-Provence empty, and the mistral is agitated.

"We wanted to go to McDonald's but finally we took pastis."

explains Tomy, 20, as a spokesperson for his student friends gathered here.

"

It's been months that we have not paid ourselves, months that we have not seen our customers, there has been a real social divide,

" continues Sabrina Malek, manager of the restaurant L'Entrecôte du Port.

At the auction

"

FIVE EUROS THE MUSARAIGNE!"

But no madam it's not snakes, the snake you eat it you die, eh ”

Jean-Claude got up at 1 o'clock last night for a meager catch, so a few shrews, and that's about it.

His own terrace, a stall at the back of his boat, he has been able to keep in recent months.

But despite his efforts at auction, times are tough and Jean-Claude again worked at a loss last night.

For him as for restaurateurs, the return of Marseillais and tourists to the streets will do the greatest good.

Read also: Reopening of shops and terraces: the gentle awakening of the Champs-Élysées

Higher up at Le Panier, the steep streets converge on Le Refuge, a restaurant run by Miki-Lou Pinard, 30 years old.

“We don't have time with us !,

” he said under a real bright sun.

For the moment it is fairly calm, but since we haven't worked for 6 months, it might not be so bad to start slowly…

”In the distance on her terrace, two thirty-something Parisians, Melinda and Samira, enjoy a drink of Pic Saint-Loup by sending selfies to their friends at the office. Under the Parisian greyness, they should appreciate.