Le Dîner en Blanc – The White Dinner

Every year in early June, chic Parisians meet “spontaneously” for a night of al fresco dining. It’s a civilized affair – Champagne and haute-cuisine at the foot of a famous monument. Everything from attire to table settings is white, thus Le Dîner en Blanc.

Like any “flash mob” gathering, the location is kept secret until the last minute. An invitation is required (via text message, email or telephone), but I’ve heard of crashers hanging out in Metro stations to spot “white” dinner-goers and jump on the bandwagon. Last Thursday, the dinner was held at the Place de la Concorde. Reports estimate the crowd at 5,000. Sunday’s Pique-Nique en Blanc at the Prix de Diane was a carry-over from this event.

One woman described the occasion as l’art de vivre à la française – perfect for my blog!

The photo above is courtesy of Demotix.com.