22 Midnight in Paris Locations, the Woody Allen Movie That Will Whisk You Back to 1920s Paris

Imagine Paris in the 1920s, the time of the lost generation, when you could rub shoulders with the likes of Cole Porter, Scott Fitzgerald, Pablo Picasso, and Ernest Hemingway.

Well, the movie Midnight in Paris gives you all that and more. It’s a feast for the senses and takes you to some wonderful spots in the city. Whenever I need a Paris fix, I watch this movie. So much so that I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve watched it, but we’re well into double figures. If you’ve seen it, you’ll understand why.

If you want to know how to find some of the Midnight in Paris locations, you’re in the right place. This Woody Allen film is my favorite movie about Paris as it features the fabulous Belle Époque period, the golden era in Paris.

The film takes you to some of the most stunning spots in Paris. From the quirky flea markets of Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen to the stunning views of Paris from the rooftop of Hotel Le Meurice, it makes you want to hop on a flight to the City of Love.

A Quick Synopsis of the Plot of Midnight in Paris

Midnight in Paris tells the story of Gil Pender, a screenwriter and aspiring novelist, who is in Paris with his soon-to-be in-laws and fiancée, Inez. 

Gil wanders through the streets of Paris at night in an attempt to find inspiration for his novel and finds himself mysteriously transported back to the 1920s each night at midnight.

Along the way, he encounters legendary figures from art and literature, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Gertrude Stein. 

During these trips back in time, he meets Adriana, a fictional muse to some of the era’s most celebrated artists. As Gil’s nightly escapades through the past continue, his fascination with the golden age of the 1920s is paralleled by his growing affection for Adriana. 

Their romance unfolds against the backdrop of a Paris filled with jazz, literature, and art. Adriana’s dreams and desires resonate deeply with Gil, who is searching for meaning and authenticity in his own life. 

Together, they explore the complexities of nostalgia and the human longing for a “golden age,” questioning whether any era is truly perfect or if the beauty of life lies in its imperfection.

Midnight in Paris Locations Map

22 Midnight In Paris Locations To Visit in 2024

No. 1 Claude Monet’s Fountain

The movie opens with Owen Wilson’s character Gil and Rachel McAdams’ character Inez taking a walk through Monet’s garden. 

He’s trying to convince her that moving to Paris and leaving their luxurious life in LA behind is a good idea. However, Inez is having none of it and is not drawn into the magic of Paris in the way he is.

She tells him he’s in love with a fantasy, and it’s time to get back to town and meet her parents for dinner.

📍84 Rue Claude Monet, Giverny, 27620 | 🌐 Book a Tour of Claude Monet’s House from Paris

No. 2 Le Grande Véfour

Gil and Inez head back to town for dinner at Le Grande Véfour, a beautiful 18th-century fine dining restaurant. It was a favoured meeting spot for many of the most influential figures in French history and culture, including Napoleon Bonaparte and Victor Hugo. 

It’s also where we’re first introduced to Paul and Carol, two friends of Inez. Paul is an insufferable know-it-all you can’t help but hate from the minute you meet him in the movie.

📍17 Rue de Beaujolais, 75001 | 🌐 Make a Reservation at Le Grande Vefour

No. 3 Palace of Versailles

After bumping into Paul and Carol, the four set off for the Palace of Versailles the next day. Here, they are subjected to Paul’s non-stop commentary about Versailles, the meaning behind the name, and the history behind the palace and gardens.

You get some gorgeous shots of the garden as they walk through, as they visit during the summer months rather than winter, when many parts of the garden are shut and covered up.

As they stroll through the gardens, we hear more about Gil’s desire to live in Paris and finish the novel he’s writing. 

📍Place d’Armes, Versailles, 78000 | 🌐 Book a Tour of the Palace of Versailles

No. 4 Rodin Musée in the Hotel Biron

Perhaps one of the most beautiful museums in Paris, situated in the 18th arrondissement, is the Rodin Musée. ​​The museum showcases the works of the French sculptor Auguste Rodin and is housed in the Hôtel Biron, surrounded by beautiful gardens. Inside is an extensive collection of Rodin’s sculptures, including iconic pieces like “The Thinker” and “The Gates of Hell.”

Gil and Inez go on a tour with Paul and Carol, and the tour guide in the movie is none other than Carla Bruni, the former First Lady of France.

Once again, Paul takes over and tries arguing with the tour guide over who was married to Rodin. It takes your level of dislike for the character up several notches. I mean, really, who argues with a tour guide? 

📍77 Rue de Varenne, 75007 | 🌐 Book your Tickets for the Rodin Musée

No. 5 Hotel Le Meurice rooftop

With possibly one of the best views of Paris, we’re treated to a look at the rooftop of the Hotel Le Meurice, where Gil and Inez are doing a wine tasting, courtesy of her parents. Of course, Paul and Carol are invited along, and naturally, Paul is an expert on French wine.

The hotel is part of the Dorchester collection and is where is a hotspot for celebrities. Alain Ducasse is the chef at the two-Michelin-star restaurant on site, and you’re a stone’s throw away from Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysées.

It’s a little out of my price range, but I’ll carry on dreaming.

📍228 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 | 🌐 Take a peek insire Hotel

No. 6 St Etienne du Mont

And this is where the adventure really begins. After an evening of tasting wine, Paul, Carol, and Inez go off dancing, and Gil takes to the streets for a late-night wander through the Latin Quarter.

He eventually realises he is completely lost and sits on the steps of the church, St. Étienne du Mont. The clock strikes midnight, and that’s where it all starts.

An old 1920s car draws up to where Gill is sitting on the steps and tells him to jump in, which he does. He’s driven off to a party where he finds Cole Porter playing the piano and meets Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald.

At this point, he realises that things aren’t as they should be and that he has somehow fallen through time into the 1920s, his favourite era in Paris.

Now, I must tell you that on my last trip to Paris, I was staying in a small hotel in the Latin Quarter, just a five-minute walk from Saint-Etienne-du-Mont. And I just couldn’t help myself.

At 10.30 pm, I left my hotel, walked up to the church, and sat on the steps. It looked just as it did in the movie. Unfortunately, though, I wasn’t whisked back to the golden era of Paris.

📍Place Sainte-Geneviève, 75005 | 🚇 Nearest Metro: Cluny – la Sorbonne

No. 7 Quai de Bourbon

The scene for the first party Gil goes to in the movie, when he steps back in time, is a building somewhere on the Quai de Bourbon. It looks so romantic at night with the street lamps lit and the cobbled streets.

The party is being held in honor of Jean Cocteau, the French playwright, novelist, and poet.

📍Ile St-Louis, 75004 | 🚇 Nearest Metro: Pont Marie

No. 8 Bricktop’s Le Grand Duc

Zelda decides she’s bored and suggests they all go to Bricktops, a nightclub run by the Grande Dame of the Jazz Age in Paris, Ada ‘Bricktop’ Smith. Unfortunately, the nightclub is no longer in existence, but in 1920s Paris, it was the place to be.

In the movie, the location was near the Pantheon on Rue Malebranche. 

📍17 Rue Malebranche, 75005 | 🚇 Nearest Metro: Luxembourg

No. 9 Le Polidor Restaurant

From Bricktops, it’s on to Le Polidor Restaurant for a whiskey sour, and it’s here that Gil meets Ernest Hemingway. And luckily, it’s still in existence. I had lunch there, and you couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.

I couldn’t believe I was sitting in a place where the likes of James Joyce and Paul Valéry, among others. These luminaries were drawn to Le Polidor not only for its food but also for its bohemian atmosphere. It opened its doors in 1845 and has been a hub for discussions, debates, and the exchange of ideas during Paris’s culturally rich periods. 

📍41 Rue Monsieur le Prince, 75006 | 🌐 Book a Table at Le Polidor

No. 10 Hotel Le Bristol

Now we see our first glimpse of Hotel Le Bristol, where Gil, Inez, and her parents are staying. One day, I’ll get to stay here, if for no other reason than to try out the rooftop swimming pool with its views of the Eiffel Tower. 

It’s just a few minutes walk from the Champs-Élysées and La Madeleine Place, and has not one, but two Michelin-starred restaurants, the 3-Michelin-star restaurant “Epicure” and the 1-Michelin-star restaurant “114 Faubourg”.

📍112 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, 75008 | 🌐 Take a look at Hotel Le Bristol

No. 11 Antiquités Philippe De Beauvais

We get a fleeting glimpse of the antique store as Inez goes shopping for furniture, with the promise of using her Mum’s interior designer discount. But at €18,000 for a chair, I’m not sure I’d be tempted.

📍43 Avenue Bosquet, 75007 | 🌐 Their Facebook Page has their latest items

No. 12 Gertrude Stein’s home

On Gil’s second night in the 1920s, Ernest Hemingway takes him to Gertrude Stein’s house, where he first meets Adrianna. She’s in a relationship with Pablo Picasso, and upon their arrival, a heated discussion ensues about Pablo’s drawing of Adriana.

The house, where Stein lived with her partner Alice B. Toklas, became a hub for the avant-garde arts scene in the early 20th century. Stein, an American writer, art collector, and patron of the arts, hosted regular Saturday evening salons attended by a who’s who of the literary and art world.

These gatherings were pivotal in shaping the course of modern art and literature, offering a space for collaboration, critique, and camaraderie among emerging and established creatives. Her collection of modernist artworks featured works by Cézanne, Picasso, and Matisse. Today, the building remains, with a plaque outside bearing her name, but unfortunately, it is no longer accessible..

📍27 Rue de Fleurus, 75006 | 🚇 Nearest Metro: Saint-Sulpice

No. 13 Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen

Swallowed up in the romance of his nightly exploits, Gil goes to Marché aux Puces de Saint-Ouen to try and find a Cole Porter record. He meets Gabrielle, a beautiful young French girl selling memorabilia and old vinyl records, just like the plot of his book.

The Marché aux Puces is one of the largest and most famous flea markets in the world, and the French are passionate about their brocantes and flea markets. It’s located on the outskirts of Paris, just beyond the 18th arrondissement, not in the centre of Paris as depicted in the movie, but it’s well worth a visit with its eclectic mix of antiques, vintage items, clothing, and curiosities.

Opening in the early 1900s, Les Puces has grown from a small collection of rag-and-bone men to an institution in Parisian social and cultural life. It’s a place where the past and present merge, which is why Gil ends up finding himself there.

📍 Le Marché Paul Bert, 96-110 rue des Rosiers | 🚇 Nearest Metro: Porte de Clignancourt

No. 14 Musée de l’Orangerie

I love the scene in the movie shot in Musée de l’Orangerie because it’s where Gil finally gets to outsmart Paul. He talks with confidence about Picasso and the drawing of Adrianna, leaving the others open-mouthed. It’s a great scene.

Originally built in 1852 as a greenhouse for the Tuileries Palace, the Orangerie was transformed into a museum by architect Camille Lefèvre in the early 20th century, with Monet’s Water Lilies murals installed between 1922 and 1926. 

They are spread over two rooms and are quite literally breathtaking. Beyond Monet’s work, it also showcases an impressive collection of post-impressionist and modern art, including the Jean Walter and Paul Guillaume Collection, and features renowned artists such as Renoir, Cézanne, Picasso, Matisse, and Modigliani, among others. 📍 Place de la Concorde, 75001 | 🌐 Book Your Tickets to Musée de l’Orangerie

No. 15 Musée des Arts Forains at the Pavillons de Bercy

On the following evening, Gil gets to go to yet another party, and this time, it’s a fairground theme featuring the beautiful carousel at Musée des Arts Forains.

Of course, he bumps into Adrianna, and they leave the party to go for a walk. In reality, the walk would have been huge, as they suddenly find themselves in Montmartre, miles away from the Bercy district where the museum is located.

There is a lovely shot of them coming down the steps of rue du Chevalier de la Barre, one of the most photographed sets of steps in Paris. And from there they walk onto rue Lamark.

The Musée des Arts Forains (Museum of Fairground Art) is a privately owned museum dedicated to preserving and showcasing the art and artefacts of historical fairgrounds, amusement parks, and carnival attractions from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Founded by Jean-Paul Favand, an actor and antiques dealer, the museum opened its doors to the public in 1996 within the ancient wine warehouses of Bercy. The collection features beautifully restored carousels, vintage fair booths, century-old games, and exquisite carnival art, including automated pianos, German swings, and Venetian carousels, each piece telling a story of a bygone era of entertainment and spectacle.

I was lucky enough to visit a while back and could have spent hours there indulging myself in the fantasies of a hundred years ago.

📍 53 Avenue des Terroirs de France, 75012 | 🌐 Book Your Tickets to Musee des Arts Forains

No. 16 The Bouquinistes along the Seine

As Gil wanders around, he stops at one of the lovely little bookstalls on the banks of the Seine and buys an old journal that catches his fancy, written in French. He takes it and goes and sits on a bench in front of the Notre Dame.

On the bench is a French woman, who just so happens to be the guide Paul argued with at the Rodin Musée. He asks her to translate some of the journal for him, and he discovers that Adrianna is the author. There is a passage talking about him and the earrings he gave her. He realizes she was in love with him.

A brief history of the bouquinistes of Paris, the iconic green bookstalls that line the banks of the Seine River. This unique tradition of selling books outdoors has its roots in the 16th century. Initially, these sellers were itinerant peddlers who roamed the city’s streets. 

However, over time, they were granted the right to establish permanent stalls along the riverbanks, provided that they could easily dismantle them, thereby preserving the aesthetic and integrity of Paris’s scenic views.

The bouquinistes’ stalls have survived through the ages, witnessing and withstanding the many transformations of Paris. By the 19th century, they had become an established part of Parisian culture. Today, there are approximately 900 boxes run by around 240 bouquinistes along the Seine, offering a treasure trove of old, new, and rare books, along with engravings, magazines, and various collectibles.

No. 17 Maison Deyrolle

On his next trip back in time, Gil goes to a Surrealist wedding where Adrianna is a guest. The wedding is set in Maison Deyrolle in Paris’s 7th arrondissement. Founded in 1831, it has become renowned worldwide as a temple of taxidermy and natural sciences, boasting an extensive collection of taxidermied animals, insects, shells, and botanical prints, arranged in a manner that feels more akin to a museum than a retail space. 

Over the years, Deyrolle has served educational purposes, offering tools for teaching natural sciences, while also appealing to collectors and enthusiasts of the natural world.

The interior is reminiscent of a Victorian cabinet of curiosities, filled with specimens ranging from exotic butterflies to majestic lions, each telling its own story of the natural world. 

Although the shop’s appearance in the movie is brief, it encapsulates the film’s fascination with the extraordinary aspects of Parisian culture and history.

📍 46 Rue du Bac, 75007 | 🚇 Nearest Metro: Rue de Bac

No. 18 Restaurant Paul

The restaurant is only briefly in the movie and is where Adrianna has her own time travel experience, accompanied by Gil. A horse and carriage pull up, and they get in and are transported into Adrianna’s dream period. 

📍  15 Place Dauphine, 75001 | 🌐 Reserve a table at Restaurant Paul

No. 19 Maxim’s De Paris

Oh, to be part of something like this and sit at a table with Toulouse Lautrec, Gauguin, and Degas in Maxim’s, which is what Adrianna and Gil do. It’s here that Gil finally tells Adrianna where he is from and that he has travelled through time.

Maxim’s epitomizes the opulence and glamour of the Belle Époque period, the golden age of French culture and art, spanning from the late 19th century to World War I. Established in 1893 by Maxime Gaillard as a small bistro, it rapidly evolved into one of the most fashionable and exclusive restaurants in Paris. 

By the turn of the 20th century, Maxim’s had become the emblem of Parisian high society, attracting aristocrats, wealthy businessmen, and celebrities from around the world.

The decor is stunning, featuring mirrored panels on the walls, ornate lamps, mahogany woodwork, stained glass, and a gorgeous painted ceiling.

📍  99 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 | 🌐 Make a Reservation at Maxim’s

No. 20 Restaurant L’Île

After finally splitting with Inez after she admits to sleeping with Paul, Gil goes for another wander and ends up sitting at Restaurant L’Île to have a drink.

📍  Parc de l’Ile Saint-Germain, 170 Quai Stalingrad, 92130

No. 21 Shakespeare & Company Bookshop

Possibly one of my favourite spots in Paris is the Shakespeare and Company Bookstore, which appears briefly at the end of the movie. 

Founded in 1951 by George Whitman and named after Sylvia Beach’s original Shakespeare and Company, which was a hotspot for expat writers in the 1920s and ’30s, it’s been a home away from home for wandering writers and thinkers ever since, nicknamed tumbleweeds. 

With its weathered shelves crammed with books that whisper the secrets of the past, and cosy corners that invite you to lose track of time, it’s one of the best places to while away an hour or two.

And just one street away is my favourite tea room in Paris, Odette’s, where the only thing they sell is cream puffs.

📍  37 Rue de la Bûcherie, 75005 | 🌐  Check the website for opening times

No. 22 Pont Alexander III

Pont Alexander III is one of the most famous bridges in Paris, and has appeared in many movies, but in this movie, it features at the very end. Gil bumps into Gabrielle from the flea market at the end of the evening. It’s raining, and together, they walk across the bridge talking about Gil’s new life in Paris.

🚇 Nearest Metro: Invalides

FAQS: Midnight In Paris Movie Locations

Final thoughts: The Locations of Midnight in Paris

There have been plenty of movies set in Paris, from Amelie to Julie Julia, but this one has more visually amazing moments than all of them put together.

If you love movies, you might enjoy learning about the places in France that have inspired some Disney movies. 

And another favourite movie of mine, which doesn’t feature Paris until the last ten minutes of the movie, Paris Can Wait.