Cafe Mollien at the Louvre Museum
Just like many museums and monuments in Paris, the famous Louvre museum has several cafes and restaurants to choose from if you want to take a break and rest those weary legs, and inside the museum itself you could experience the Cafe Richelieu Angelina or the Cafe Mollien, plus there is the Cafe Grande Louvre which is under the pyramid itself.
About the Cafe Mollien in Paris
The Cafe Mollien is located on the first floor in the Denon wing of the Musee du Louvre on a landing that opens onto the French painting galleries, and takes its name from the monumental Mollien staircase where this cafe in Paris is situated.
It is also close to La Joconde, which most people know as the famous Mona Lisa painting by Leonardo da Vinci, which is protected behind bullet proof glass in a climate controlled space.
But getting back to the Cafe Mollien, in the heart of the Pavillon Mollien that was built by the architect Hector Lefuel, here you will find rich decor and paintings, bas reliefs, sculpted atlantes, which are sculpted columns of men and caryatids, which are ornamental sculpted columns in the form of draped female figures.
This cafe also has a terrace for those nicer days that provides a unique view over the courtyard of the Louvre called the Cour Napoleon, and beyond to the Jardin du Carrousel of the Tuileries Gardens, which is where the Arc de Triomphe du Carrousel is located.
It is also situated underneath the painted ceiling of Charles-Louis Muller, which is called the Glory Distributing Palms and Crowns, and all of these different features combined make it a perfect place to stop for a quick snack, drink or lunch in a unique unforgettable setting.
Cuisine at the Cafe Mollien
This cafe is more designed for quick snacks and basic meals just like the Comptoir du Louvre, compared to some of the other cafes at the Louvre museum and here you could enjoy a traditional French continental breakfast of a large hot drink, pastry and a fresh orange juice for €8.20 as of 2020, which is served between 9am and midday.
However, all day long you can get a hot drink and pastry for €8.50, plus there are numerous snacks available such as packets of crisps, croissants and pain au chocolat, along with fruit salad, chocolate cake, apple pie, etc, not forgetting the a wide selection of hot drinks such as herbal teas and coffee or cold drinks like fruit juices, water and Coca Cola for instance.
But for a lunch you could also opt for something a little more such as a Poppy bagel with pastrami, tomato, salad and honey mustard sauce or a Chicken, Kaffir lime and mustard club sandwich, but for those of you who are vegetarian, do not despair. A plain bagel with tomatoes, goat cheese, cream cheese and salad or a Penne, Feta & cucumber Salad are available.
Hot options of Quiche Lorraine, a Tomato and goat cheese quiche or a Soup of the Day are available for lunch, plus there are also two combinations available, one called the Menu Salade consisting of a large salad, pastry and drink, with the other, called the Menu Bagel, which gives you a choice of either a sandwich or a bagel or quiche plus a pastry and a drink.
To give you an idea on costs, as of 2020, these are around €16 and the different choices you can choose from are indicated on the menu within the Cafe Mollien, yet we would like to point out that the menu does change and the pastries are also varied, so the above is just a general reference.
Access to the Cafe Mollien
Because this cafe in Paris is located within the Musee du Louvre, it can only be accessed while you are visiting and therefore it is also closed on Tuesday, which is when this incredible museum in Paris is also closed.
However, on a Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, it is open from 9:30am through to 4:45pm. Whereas on a Wednesday and Friday, the Cafe Mollien is open from 9:30am through to 6:30pm or until 8:30pm during July and August and during Christ and Easter holidays.
As we mentioned earlier, the Cafe Mollien is located on the first floor within the Denon wing of The Louvre next to the galleries of the large format French paintings by the Mollien staircase and can be accessed by the disabled, although large groups are only catered for upon booking prior via telephoning +33 (0) 1 40 20 53 20.
When it comes to getting to the Cafe Mollien within the Musee du Louvre via public transport you will find that the bus lines 21, 27, 39, 42, 45, 58, 67, 68, 69, 70, 72, 73, 74, 76, 84, 85 and 95, along with the Noctilien Night Bus Service via lines N01, N11, N12, N13, N15, N16 and N24 will all get you within walking distance of this and numerous other tourist attractions in Paris.
Alternatively, the Metro stations called the Palais Royal - Musee du Louvre stop serving lines 1 and 7, the Louvre - Rivoli stop serving line 1, the Tuileries stop via line 1, or at the end of the Jardin des Tuileries by the Place de la Concorde you have the Concorde stop serving lines 1, 8 and 12, which will all get you close by as well.
