This is the Paris Louvre Museum Giftshop

The Carrousel du Louvre is a shopping center 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 buying 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 center 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 great option. It's also the place to go if you're looking for new clothes, jewelry, books, or a special gift to take back on the plane.

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 centers in central Paris.

It is not only a shopping center 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 center and form an integral part of it.

As if that weren't 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.

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 center.
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 uncovered 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 center was built in the 16th century.

The shopping center offers fashion, jewelry, home design, gifts, books, and many other specialty boutiques.

In addition to a wide variety of stores, including the Apple Store, a Lancel leather goods store, and a Bickici jewelry store, the Louvre store 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 specializing in cosmetics.
• L'Occitane: Shop selling mid-priced, high-quality French cosmetics and gifts.
• Comédie-Française: A place to buy tickets for the French comedy theater.
• Hertz Car Rental: Car rental service in Paris, a very good option to consider.

The Bistrot Benoit restaurant is located in the heart of the museum, just below the pyramid, and is the only restaurant in the Louvre store, which is why it is also known as "the shopping center 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 fine 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 store 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 Mall restaurant

Bistrot Benoit welcomes visitors throughout the day with a pleasant and cozy 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 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 meters and a capacity for 90 people.
‎

Another of the shopping center's most notable places to eat is its pastry shop. Despite being the only pastry shop in the shopping center 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 euros. In addition, 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're visiting the Louvre with children. However, keep in mind that it doesn't 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 cafes and restaurants near 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.
• Hours: Continuous service from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Prices: Breakfasts between €8 and €12 per person.

Don't buy just for the sake of buying: although the shopping center 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 center, but going directly to the Louvre museum entrance. This entrance has the same name as the shopping center: Carrousel du Louvre, and is much less crowded than the main entrance (Pyramide).

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.

The shopping center is located at 99, rue de Rivoli. If you are taking the metro , I recommend getting off at the Palais Royal-Musée du Louvre stop (Line 1). However, if you have your own transportation, keep in mind that parking is available at the Caroussel du Louvre.

If you are traveling by bus, lines 21, 24, 27, 39, 48, 68, 69, 72, 81, and 95 will take you there. You can also take the RER trains to get there. The Chatelet - Les Halles stop, where lines A, B, and D stop, is only about 650 meters from the restaurant.
‎ ‎
‎You can also use tourist buses as a means of transport, or even the water buses that run along the Seine, dropping you off at stops near the Louvre Museum and the Bistrot Benoit restaurant. ‎