The Best Terraces in Reims for a Drink

Le Parvis

It is hard to beat this for a setting. Le Parvis sits directly opposite the façade of Reims Cathedral — one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in France and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The terrace is modest in size, unpretentious in style, and the surroundings do the rest. This is the essential address for a glass of champagne a few metres from the medieval stonework, with a wine list focused on local growers and the great Champagne houses. On summer evenings, when the last light catches the pale stone of the cathedral, the effect is genuinely memorable.

Champagne by the glass (growers and grandes maisons), regional wines, sharing boards.

Au Bureau

Au Bureau operates in a category of its own: its only real selling point is its location, and that location is unbeatable. The terrace spreads across the place du Cardinal Luçon, directly at the foot of the cathedral, with a straight-on view of the Gothic façade. Think English pub atmosphere, draught beers and a brasserie menu — you don't come here for refined cuisine, but to enjoy the spectacle of the square and the constant movement of the cathedral square. It is the most tourist-facing terrace in Reims, and it shows, but the setting overrides everything else.

Draught beers, cocktails, soft drinks. Happy hour on weekdays.

Café du Palais

Since 1930, the Café du Palais has been a Reims institution, kept alive by the Vogt family with great care. Its terrace — around thirty covers on the pedestrian place Myron-Herrick, facing the Palais de Justice and a short walk from the cathedral — embodies the spirit of the neighbourhood café steeped in history. The interior is equally striking: an Art Deco glass canopy by Jacques Simon, a drawing by Chagall, a bohemian bric-à-brac atmosphere. But it is out on the terrace, in the afternoon light, that the place truly works its magic. Reims regulars and passing visitors mix here without any fuss.

Champagne by the glass, wines, coffees, freshly pressed juices.

Le Général

Le Général holds a prime spot on the place du Forum, one of the most lively squares in central Reims, built directly above a first-century Roman cryptoporticus. A large terrace in full sun, open from 7am for coffee and through to the evening for drinks — this is the ideal place to settle in and watch the square come alive. In summer, outdoor concerts held at the adjoining cryptoporticus naturally extend the evening atmosphere on the terrace. A relaxed, mixed clientele and the quintessential feel of a French café-de-place.

Beers, wines, classic drinks, lunch menus.

Le Wine Bar by Le Vintage

Born from the renowned Reims wine merchant Le Vintage, the Wine Bar has become the city's champagne reference for after-work drinks. On the place du Forum terrace, guests settle in as dusk falls to choose from a staggering list of over 400 champagnes — independent growers, biodynamic producers, grandes maisons — all available by the glass. Brothers Nicolas and Pierre-Louis Papavero know every producer personally: this is arguably the most expertly curated champagne-by-the-glass list in Reims. Book ahead in summer. For more champagne bar recommendations, see our guide to the best champagne bars in Reims.

400+ champagnes by the glass, wines from across France, charcuterie and cheese boards.

Le Gaulois

One of the flagship brasseries on the place d'Erlon, Le Gaulois offers one of the most spacious terraces in the city centre — heated in spring and autumn, it stretches along the square and the rue Condorcet with seating for several hundred. This is a brasserie for everyone: families on Sunday lunchtime, groups of friends in the evening, regulars throughout the week. Generous traditional French cooking, a strong beer selection and a few champagnes to honour the region.

Draught and bottled beers, champagne by the glass, cocktails, full brasserie menu.

Le Lion de Belfort

A Reims institution for several decades, Le Lion de Belfort occupies the corner of the place d'Erlon directly facing the Subé fountain — the symbolic centrepiece of the city centre. Its double terrace — street-level on the square and a raised upper deck — makes it one of the best vantage points for watching the ebb and flow of Reims's longest pedestrian square. Open from morning to well past midnight, it works just as well for a morning coffee as for a final drink of the evening.

Champagne by the glass, beers, cocktails, brasserie menu.

Le Stalingrad

Le Stalingrad is one of the oldest and most celebrated cafés in Reims — the square it sits on was formerly called place de la Magdeleine before being renamed Stalingrad in 1946 in tribute to the decisive World War Two battle. Its south-facing terrace is one of the few in Reims to enjoy full sun throughout the day, making it a natural gathering point at the first sign of good weather.

The setting itself is worth noting: the Art Deco facades surrounding the square, built during the reconstruction of the 1920s, form a handsome and coherent architectural ensemble. At the centre of the square stands Dans l'Intervalle (In Between), an installation by artist Christian Lapie — seven six-metre-tall human silhouettes in treated oak, placed here in 2010 when the city's tramway was inaugurated. An unexpected artistic dimension in what is, at heart, a deeply local neighbourhood terrace.

Beers, wines, classic aperitifs, coffees. Open 7 days a week.

Le Clos

Behind an unassuming door on the rue du Temple, a short walk from the Halles du Boulingrin covered market, lies the most legendary courtyard in Reims. Le Clos is an open-air patio reimagined as a guinguette — string lights, potted olive trees, reclaimed furniture, a pétanque pitch, barrels and repurposed casks. In summer, the terrace hosts DJ sets and jazz concerts; as the evening progresses, the atmosphere edges towards a speak-easy feel. The drinks list revolves around champagne — a different grower is featured by the glass each week — alongside a good natural wine selection. Open from midday on Saturdays for those who like their terraces long and leisurely.

Grower champagne by the glass (weekly rotation), natural wines, cocktails, beers. Tapas and sharing boards.

Market Brewhouse

A fully British pub two minutes from the Halles du Boulingrin market, the Market Brewhouse stands out for the sheer size of its outdoor space: 160 covers on the terrace, making it one of the largest street terraces in central Reims. Lively atmosphere, English craft beers imported directly from Bedford, cocktails, big screens for live sport — this is the city's reference British pub, with a loyal regular crowd and a packed weekly events calendar. The terrace comes alive from happy hour and handles large groups with ease.

English craft and draught beers, cocktails, wines, tapas and burgers.

Le QG & Le Balto — two addresses, one neighbourhood spirit

At numbers 16 and 22 on the rue de Mars, less than fifty metres apart, two addresses share the same DNA of the lived-in neighbourhood terrace. Le QG is a proper neighbourhood brasserie: sunny terrace, warm welcome, loyal regulars, an honest menu. The kind of place where you lock up your bike and end up staying two hours without noticing.

Le Balto, the café-tabac next door, open from 7am, plays a different role: it is the unmissable Saturday morning meeting point after the Halles du Boulingrin market. Small terrace, big atmosphere, newspapers under one arm and the first drink of the day for those who found their vegetables — this, too, is what Reims is about.

Le QG: beers, wines, aperitifs, brasserie cooking. Le Balto: coffees, beers, morning drinks.