Traditional Food in Paris
Wondering what to eat in Paris? French cuisine is world-famous, with many tasty culinary delights based on traditional recipes and quality produce. There are countless delicious dishes to be found in Paris. Some foods can be found all over the country whilst others are traditional Paris food.
Below, we list 15 things to eat in Paris – traditional food in Paris worth ordering when you travel to the French capital. From elaborate dishes to things to eat on the go or yummy desserts, here’s how to eat like a local in Paris.
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TIP: food tours are a great idea to learn about famous food in Paris while exploring the city. Check out our favorite food tours in Paris.
Must Eat in Paris – Food to Try in Paris on Your Next Trip
So what food is Paris known for? Below, we list the must-try food in Paris, including the places where you can find them.
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1. Café & Croissant
In Paris, there’s no better way to start your day than with a café & croissant. Inherited from the Austrian bakeries that opened in Paris in the 1830s, the croissant is a Viennese pastry appreciated for its delicious buttery taste.
The croissant is a must-eat in Paris and – thanks to its unique shape and taste – the most popular food in Paris on this list. It is the perfect French staple for breakfast and a perfect buttery snack at any time of the day.
Most of the hotels in Paris propose the combination café & croissant in their breakfast menu, but we recommend trying it also in one of the traditional cafés in Paris or grabbing a croissant directly from your favorite bakery when it is still warm.
TIP: Learn how to make French croissants with this top-rated workshop with a chef!
2. Croque Monsieur, Croque Madame
Another popular food to try in Paris is the croque-monsieur. This Paris famous food is a classic of the brasseries, but you can find it also in some Parisian cafés, and it is always eaten on-site, with fork and knife.
The croque-monsieur consists of two slices of bread filled with boiled ham and béchamel and covered with a generous layer of melted cheese. It is a staple served warm, and it is perfect for a break during your city explorations. If you’re extra hungry, get the croque-madame, which adds a fried egg on top.
3. Jambon-Beurre
The jambon-beurre, also known as “Parisien,” is another famous food to eat in Paris, the most Parisian of sandwiches! If you want to eat something really Parisian, then go for a jambon-beurre.
The jambon-beurre comes as a fresh half baguette, its insides smeared with butter and filled with jambon de Paris (cooked ham) with optional cornichons.
Jambon-beurre is one of the best cheap eats in Paris, perfect for eating something on the go while exploring the city. You can buy a jambon-beurre in many corner bakeries or order it from the counter at most Parisian cafés.
4. A Plate of Oysters
Despite being far from the sea, oysters (huîtres) are a popular food in Paris. Parisians love to eat oysters, especially if they are washed down with a glass of good white wine!
There’s a specific way to eat oysters and also a specific time. You open the oyster, put some drops of lemon on it, and eat it right from its shell. Also, oysters are in season during any month that has an R in it in French (September-April), but you start having the best oysters in October.
You can find the best oysters in Paris in Huîtrerie Régis (3 Rue de Montfaucon, Paris 6), and they’re available for take-out or to eat on the spot in their little dining room. For something more casual, I love the neverending apéritifs of the Baron Rouge (1 Théophile Roussel, Paris 12), but they only serve oysters on Saturdays and Sundays.
5. Soupe à l’Oignon (Onion Soup)
The French onion soup is the best food to eat in Paris in wintertime. This traditional food in Paris, simple but hearty, used to be served by eateries in the old market halls to reinvigorate the handlers and night revelers.
The onion soup consists of a rich flavored soup of broth (made of stock meat) and caramelized onions, topped with a layer of melted grated cheese mixed with crunchy croutons. Usually, it is served with some slices of bread or half a Parisian baguette.
Onion soup can be found in all good brasseries, and it is perfect when it is cold to feel warm and full.
6. Escargots (Snails)
Escargots (snails) are one of the most interesting foods to try in Paris. Some people may be surprised that we French eat snails but actually, human beings have been eating snails since prehistoric times!
Another common idea outside France is that escargots are a fancy meal only found in expensive restaurants. In Paris, however, you can find escargots also in many simple restaurants or Parisian bistros.
So how do snails taste? Escargots are fluffy, and they tend to taste like whatever they are cooked in, which is usually butter, garlic, and parsley. It doesn’t sound very sophisticated, right?
The best place to taste this Paris famous food is L’Escargot (38 Rue Montorgueil, Paris 2). This restaurant with a huge golden snail on its roof was founded in 1832 and has been serving snails since then in an elegant atmosphere.
7. Moules-Frites
Moules-frites is another popular food in Paris. Moules-frites is a typical food in Belgium, but we Parisians do not have any problem adopting things when they are so good!
Moules-frites consist of cooked mussels (usually a kilogram per person) and French fries served in separate places. You can eat French fries with your fingers. For mussels, we usually eat the first one as we can (i.e., with a fork), and then we use the empty shell as a wrench to eat the rest of the mussels.
You can eat moules-frites in many restaurants in Paris. There is a Belgian chain called Léon specializing in moules-frites, with restaurants everywhere in the city. I like to go to La Petite Hostellerie (Rue de la Harpe, Paris 5), where they offer a set menu of moules-frites + a glass of beer (or wine) for 10 euros.
8. Steak-Frites
There are no surprises about this must-eat in Paris: when you order steak-frites, you will get a rib steak and French fries. The waiter just needs to know “la cuisson” – how cooked you like your meat: very rare, rare, medium-rare, and well-cooked. Sometimes you can also choose the sauce, be it Béarnaise or peppercorn.
This traditional Paris food dates back to the 19th century when there was a slaughterhouse at La Villette (Paris 19). The butchers there were fond of eating rib steak with butter and herbs, traditionally served with Pont Neuf potatoes – the ancestors of French fries.
The steak-frites is still a staple dish in Parisian bistros, so you just need to find your favorite bistro in Paris.
GOOD TO KNOW: you will notice that the French tend to eat meat cooked very rare or rare. This is because the less we cook the meat, the more we can feel the meat’s taste.
9. Duck Confit
You can find duck confit in a few Parisian bistros and restaurants, depending on the cook’s mood.
10. Steak Tartare
Adventurous people looking for local experiences in Paris should try the steak tartare. A steak tartare is raw minced or finely chopped beef served with onions and capers. Yes, I said RAW meat, and yes, the French LOVE it!
You can find steak tartare in most brasseries and Parisian bistros. However, when you’re eating raw meat, you want to make sure that you have quality meat and that it’s prepared correctly, so don’t order a tartare anywhere.
Good places to eat steak tartare in Paris are Au Petit Fer à Cheval (30 Rue Vieille du Temple, Paris 4), Les Philosophes (28 Rue Vieille du Temple, Paris 4), and Les Fines Gueules (43 Rue Croix des Petits Champs, Paris 1): all three restaurants are reputed to prepare the best steak tartare in Paris.
11. Coq au Vin
Another of the must-try foods in Paris is the Coq au Vin, which is rooster braised with red wine, usually from the Burgundy wine region.
Coq au Vin is originally from the regions of Auvergne – Bourgogne but it is very common to find it also in Paris.
Coq au Vin is often served with vegetables, garlic, and, of course, a glass of red wine. Coq au Vin is a classic of the Parisian bistro menu. The best place in Paris to try Coq au Vin is La Jacobine (59-61 Rue Saint-André des Arts) in the Latin Quarter.
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12. French Cheese
Cheese in France is not a dessert: cheese is cheese, and it is usually eaten after your meal and before the dessert.
A must-eat in Paris, cheese is also often found in the French apéritif, often together with a plate of cold cuts and bread, to pair it with your favorite wine.
In France, there are so many cheeses that you could eat a different French cheese every day of the year! The traditional cheeses in the Ile-de-France region are the Fougerus, Brie, Coulommiers, and Fontainebleau.
You can find cheese everywhere in Paris, in all restaurants, bistros, brasseries, and also in many wine bars. This wine and cheese paring workshop in Paris always gets good ratings.
13. Sweet Crêpes
Crêpes are a staple or dessert originally from the region of Brittany, but today Paris without crêpes would not be Paris!
A must-eat in Paris, easy to prepare, and vegetarian-friendly, crêpes are one of the few native street foods in Paris and France. You can eat cold or hot crêpes, sweet or salty (called galettes), as the main dish, dessert, or just for an afternoon snack.
Crêpes come with lots of different fillings, but Nutella or fruit jams are the most popular ones.
For authentic Breton crêpes, go to any crêperie around the Gare Montparnasse (e.g Rue Odessa). The first immigrants from Brittany arrived in Paris through Gare Montparnasse, and they settled around the train station, opening the first crêperies in the city.
I love eating crêpes in Paris – traditional Breton crêpes like Crêpe Suzette, but also more original recipes. Check out where to find the best crêpes in Paris.
14. Paris-Brest
One of the best desserts from Paris, the Paris-Brest is a circle-shaped pastry with cream on the inside. The dessert was named after the Paris-Brest bike race and is a circle-shaped pastry (like the wheel of a bike).
The outer layer of the cake is a crispy layer, but inside is the creme where all the flavor comes from. The crème has flavors of hazelnut, paired with almonds sprinkled on top which gives it a nutty taste.
15. Colorful Macarons
Macarons are another Paris famous food which is very popular amongst tourists. Macarons are colorful and sweet bites, perfect with a coffee or a cup of tea. Sometimes, the café-gourmand comes with one macaron or two.
Macarons are composed of two crisp shells made of ground almonds and filled with a sweet paste of classic and exotic flavors such as pistachio, chocolate, or coconut. Today, tourists and Instagrammers have made macarons a must-try food in Paris, and iconic houses like Ladurée or Pierre Hermé see long lines to buy their macarons.
Honestly, if you are looking for macarons, it is worth seeking them out from reputable bakeries or pastry shops that actually make their own macarons. These places come without lines and cost one-third of the price of the most famous brands!
So there you have it, our list of what to eat in Paris, France. Which famous things to eat in Paris would you like to order right now?
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