The Chalet des Îles, is a secret address of Parisians, a guinguette at the edge of the water since the end of the 19th century.

A real swiss chalet

Installed in a real Swiss chalet bought by the city of Paris during the Universal Exhibition of 1867 before being installed on the Île de Reuilly, the Chalet des Îles was a guinguette very popular with Parisians from the end of the 19th century. Today with a large terrace equipped with designer furniture, the restaurant allows you to enjoy nature in a very comfortable way, both indoors and outdoors.
In 1852, the Bois de Boulogne was ceded by Napoleon III to the city of Paris and major redevelopment work began the following year under the direction of Baron Haussmann. Since that time, access to this site has always been by boat. The Emperor’s kiosk was the first building built in 1857 by the architect Gabriel Davioud at the tip of the island.

A wish of the Empress Eugénie

As for this Chalet, it was to fulfill the wish of the Empress Eugénie, who fell under the spell of a real Chalet built by the architect Seiler in the vicinity of Bern, in Switzerland, which the Emperor had dismantled, transported by train and go back to the identical building on the big island at the edge of the lake.VERY IN Vogue DURING THE SECOND EMPIRE, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 20TH CENTURY LE CHALET DES ISLES BECAME A LITERARY CAFÉ VERY PRIZED BY ALL OF PARIS DURING THE BELLE EPOQUE WITH, AMONG OTHERS, ILLUSTRATED CUSTOMERS PROUST AND ZOLA.

A haven of peace

Over the years, it has been restored and refurbished many times to maintain its exceptional appeal. Today, embellishment work has been carried out to provide modernized dining and reception areas while retaining the original charm of the place. The island location and the preserved environment of fauna and flora also contribute to making it a unique haven of peace where you can just walk or eat, work and receive people in a friendly and peaceful way.
http://chalet-des-iles.com/