Musée d'Orsay
Pre-eminent collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces (Monet, Van Gogh, Renoir, Degas) set in the dramatic 1900 Gare d'Orsay; the giant station clock overlook is iconic
A major art museum on the Left Bank of the Seine (7th arrondissement), housed in the former Beaux-Arts Gare d'Orsay railway station and focused on French art from 1848 to 1914. Home to the world's largest collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist masterpieces, from Monet and Renoir to Van Gogh.
In Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Paris. Easy to fold into a morning or a longer afternoon; there's usually something else worth a stop within a few minutes' walk.
Owner is friendly to walk-ins; ask about the off-menu items. Reservations recommended Fri–Sat; walk-ins welcome earlier in the week.