Paris for Foodies
Some people travel to see historical sites. Some people go to the beach. Us? We like to travel for food and wine!
During our Paris explorations, we also go in quest of the best food in Paris and we tell you about our nicest findings on this Paris food guide.
If you are looking for good food, Paris, won’t disappoint you. On this Paris foodie guide, you will find our best food tips, where to eat in Paris (restaurant, brasserie, or bistro), the best places to eat in Paris, and what to order. Here’s our Paris food guide with something for everyone!
1. Eating in Paris Like a Local
When talking about the culture of a country, it is impossible not to speak about food. Take part in a cooking class and learn how to make macarons or croissants. Go and visit the city’s markets with local, fresh produce. Enjoy a French apéritif (and some planches) with your friends. Have fun at any of the French food festivals in Paris. Eat street food and dine in local restaurants. Eat Like a Local!
When you are planning your trip to Paris, be sure to learn about French food in Paris and the best places to eat in Paris like a local. If you’re not trying the Paris food, you are far away from getting to know the culture in Paris.
2. Famous Food in Paris
Here is the list of the most famous food in Paris: from typical food in Paris to delicious cheap eats or traditional Paris cakes, there is something for every taste.
- Baguette
- Café & Croissant
- Jambon-beurre (also called “Parisien”)
- Croque-monsieur (or croque-madame)
- Steak-Frites
- Onion Soup
- Duck confit
- Crêpes
- Oysters
- Raw Milk Cheese
- Saint-Honoré
- Café Gourmand
3. Paris Food Tours
Food Tours are a great way to discover a specific Arrondissement of Paris or a Parisian neighborhood while tasting delicious food.
Food tours in Paris usually last 3 to 4 hours and combine walking & sightseeing with gourmet breaks, so you get the best of both worlds.
Sometimes, these Paris food tours include a visit to a local market or a gourmet store so you can see what’s on Parisians’ shopping baskets in every season.
The most popular food tours in Paris are cheese tours and French pastry tours but Paris chocolate walks are also very requested. Remember that in France cheese is neither an entry nor a dessert, cheese is just cheese!
BEST FOOD TOURS IN PARIS
- Le Marais Walking Food Tour. Duration 3 hrs
- Market Tour with Tastings. Duration 2 hrs
- The Best of Paris Original Food Tour. Duration 3 hrs
- Montmartre Food & Walking Tour. Duration 3 to 3.5 hrs
- Left Bank Delicacies – St Germain-des-Près Duration 3 hrs
- Gourmet French Food Walking Tour. Duration 3 hrs
- Parisian Bakery Behind the Scenes Tour. Duration 2 hrs
4. Wine Tasting in Paris
Amongst all the French drinks, wine is the star in Paris; the wine regions of France produce between 7 and 8 billion bottles of wine per year!
Wine tasting tours in Paris are a great way to start a memorable night in Paris. More than ever, people want to know more about French wine and the best wine regions in France.
Wine tasting tours in Paris are usually led by a professional sommelier who can answer all your questions about wine in France during the wine tasting. Some wine tours are more pedagogical, where you learn about the grapes, soil, best wine regions in France, and wine tasting techniques. Other tours, instead, are more focused on tasting the best French wines from different wine regions.
Usually, wines are paired with some gastronomic specialties or typical food in Paris like cheese or cold cuts.
TIP: Want to ensure your wine makes it home? Find the best wine bags for travel.
A good introduction to French Wine
BEST WINE TOURS IN PARIS
- Grand Cru Wine Tasting Session in Paris, Duration 2 hrs
- French Wine Experience in Paris, Duration 1.5 hr
- Paris Wine Tasting with Professional Sommelier, Duration 1 hr
TIP: Always store your wines at the right temperature, check out our small wine coolers review
5. Cooking Lessons in Paris
Cooking lessons are a great way to learn about delicious food in Paris whilst having fun. The finished product is one thing but you truly get an appreciation of a certain type of cuisine when you see where the ingredients come from and how the food is prepared.
Cooking lessons help to immerse yourself in the local culture and it is also a great way to connect with other foodies in Paris. Add a cooking lesson in Paris to improve your cooking skills and learn how to prepare the best traditional food in Paris.
6. Best Food Markets in Paris
This Paris food guide would not be complete without the markets of Paris. Paris has numerous food markets selling fresh, locally-produced food. Food Markets in Paris are foodies’ paradise! Parisian markets (marchés in French) can be found in all the districts of Paris and a visit to a local market alone or with a guided tour can be one of the best local experiences in Paris.
Some Parisian markets, like le Marché des Enfants Rouges, also host small eateries where it is possible to eat lunch or a second breakfast for a small price.
BEST FOOD MARKETS IN PARIS
- Marché des Enfants Rouges, in Paris 3
- Marché Mouffetard, in Paris 5
- Marché Bastille, in Paris 11
- Marché d’Aligre, in Paris 12
7. Best Food Streets in Paris
In addition to restaurants and markets, the French capital boasts a myriad of colorful food streets populated with typical Parisian cafés, food stalls, and gourmet shops.
If you’re in the mood to shop and snack at the same time, add a couple of these streets to your Paris bucket list, these streets are still the main hub for food lovers in Paris.
BEST FOOD STREETS IN PARIS
- Rue Montorgueil, in Paris 1 – 2
- Rue Saint-Anne, in Paris 1 – 2
- Rue des Rosiers, in Paris 4
- Rue Saint-Antoine, in Paris 4
- Rue Mouffetard, in Paris 5
- Rue du Bac, in Paris 7
- Rue Saint-Dominique, in Paris 7
- Rue Cler, in Paris 7
- Rue des Martyrs, in Paris 9 – 18
- Rue Daguerre, in Paris 14
- Rue de Lévis, in Paris 17
8. Where to Eat in Paris: Restaurant, Brasserie, or Bistro?
French cuisine sounds fancy but in the end, food in Paris is all about quality – fresh products and creating a harmonious dish that elevates the quality of the main ingredient.
The City of Lights boasts over 70 Michelin starred restaurants, but people with lower budgets can still find delicious food in Paris in a traditional brasserie or bistro.
Brasserie, or bistro: where to eat in Paris?
Both places serve typical French cuisine. Bistros are usually pretty casual neighborhood restaurants, with a limited offer and specific opening hours for lunch and dinner. Bistros are good places to find local dishes and the best desserts in Paris. The brasseries, instead, are bigger spaces, serve throughout the day until late at night, and have a larger menu.
Traditionally, a Parisian bistro was a low-key place to eat but nowadays you can find also trendy or upscale Parisian bistros based on the concept of ‘bistronomie.’
A contraction of “Bistro” and “Gastronomie”, the term bistronomie combines the cuisine worthy of great chefs with the affordable prices of a bistro. You can read more about this topic in our e-book about the Parisian bistros which comes with a list of best bistros in Paris by arrondissement.
Best Places to Eat in Paris [2023]
What are the best places to eat in Paris? In a city like Paris, you will be spoilt for choice! If you are wondering where to eat in Paris, check out our lists of best restaurants in Paris 2023 listed by district, category, or type of food.
BEST RESTAURANTS IN PARIS 2023 (BY DISTRICT)
We are gathering lists of the coolest restaurants in Paris right now:
TIP: Paris is one of the best cities in Europe for being gluten-free if you know the right places to go. Check out this quick guide to Gluten-Free in Paris.
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