June 25, 2018
The Big Mamma Group has done it again. And how their latest venture, La Felicità – their 7th, newest, and biggest restaurant in Paris – can be trumped is anyone’s guess. La Felicità (which means happiness in Italian) comes in at 4500sqm (including 1000sqm of terrace) with 1000 seats, also claiming the title as the biggest restaurant in Europe.
Located inside start-up central Station F in the 13th arrondissement (their first restaurant on the rive gauche), La Felicità is a huge dining hall whose endless eating options may be anxiety-inducing for the indecisive amongst us (me). Outside is a wood fire pizzeria Napoletana and a grande griglia serving BBQ meats, inside is a risotto bar; a panificio serving focaccias and salads; a trattoria with antipasti and pasta fresca; a caffeteria for brunch, coffee and sweets; a burger pop-up; and finally a cocktail bar.
Where to sit is the next question. Bask in the summer sunshine in a lounge chair with an umbrella on the terrace, sit with a group at one of their large communal tables, or cozy up amongst two old SNCF carriages that have been revamped with street art. Like their other restaurants, each section of La Felicità has a slightly different decoration and feel. But everywhere are pretty lights, giant painted balloons, vintage carpets and greenery (it’s an Instagrammer’s heaven).
To top it all off, La Felicità will also be running a diverse program of events including live music, exhibitions, creative workshops, film screenings, summer outdoor festivals, kids activities and more. Thursdays are for aperitivo and brunch is served on Sundays.
For those wondering about the queue (a common feature at all Big Mamma restaurants), when I arrived around 12.30pm for lunch there was a small line of people waiting to enter but within 5 minutes I was in. With such a large capacity, if you don’t want to spend an hour lining up for the Big Mamma experience, La Felicità is the perfect place for you. Note that unlike the other Big Mamma restaurants, La Felicità is entirely self-serve.
Related
- Read more about the Big Mamma Group.
- Love Italy? Read my article on Florence.
Written and photographed for HiP Paris.
