Since its reopening in 2021, the Hôtel de la Marine has brought two centuries of naval splendor back to Parisians, transformed into a cultural destination. This summer, its Mimosa restaurant is stepping outside its walls to create a Riviera-inspired terrace on the hill overlooking the square. A few meters’ walk that changes everything.
On the north side of the Place de la Concorde stands a building that has long looked out over Paris without Paris really noticing it. The Hôtel de la Marine—headquarters of the Royal Navy and later the French Navy for two centuries—reopened in 2021 following a restoration led by the Centre des monuments nationaux. Visitors discovered restored apartments, wood paneling returned to its original condition, and a dining room that seemed to still be waiting for the Intendant of the Navy.
Mimosa, the restaurant set within this setting, chose from the outset to create a contrast: that of Mediterranean cuisine with sunny accents, in stark contrast to the solemnity of the venue. The menu showcases the flavors of the region—citrus fruits, sea herbs, and coastal produce—and the restaurant’s very name evokes the French Riviera, with its clusters of yellow flowers that fill the gardens as early as January.
Toward the Light
This summer, Mimosa is taking things a step further. The new Riviera terrace, which opens up high on the building, extends this concept of contrasting tones. While the interior exudes monumental grandeur, the terrace embraces a carefree spirit: bright, saturated colors, Mediterranean vegetation, and natural light in one of the capital’s most historic squares.
This is no small matter. The terraces of Paris’s most discerning establishments generally adhere to a specific aesthetic—unbleached canvas arbors, white flowers, and umbrellas that match the tablecloths. Mimosa’s terrace seems to be aiming for something else: a genuine change of scenery, a calculated incongruity between the stone monument and the vacation vibe that takes hold there.
Calculating the Location
Dining al fresco in Paris is all about compromise. Crowded sidewalks, logistical constraints, and unpredictable weather: these are all obstacles that discerning restaurants try to overcome through the only means available—the choice of location. The terrace at the Hôtel de la Marine boasts one of the most unique layouts in the capital: it’s high enough to be removed from the street, offers an unobstructed view of the Place de la Concorde and its obelisks, and provides a relative tranquility that the ground floor simply cannot match.
It is precisely in this contrast—between the magnificence of the setting and the simplicity of the menu—that Mimosa forges its own identity. The restaurant does not seek to mirror its stone host. Instead, it chooses to shed a different light on it, contrasting the warmth of the maquis with what one might expect to be the grandeur of the courtyard.
A Mediterranean Moment
In recent years, Mediterranean cuisine has become one of the most celebrated expressions of understated gastronomic refinement. In contrast to the technical complexity of top-tier Michelin-starred restaurants, it emphasizes the quality of the ingredients, precise cooking techniques, and the natural flavors of the produce. Summer is evident on the plate just as much as in the decor.
The Riviera Terrace fulfills this promise with a space designed for the middle of the day—a leisurely lunch, an aperitif on the rooftops, or dinner in the golden light of a Parisian evening. It adds an extra touch of soul to a place that was already full of it, but which benefited from expressing it in a different way—toward the sky, toward the south, toward the sun.
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