BEST FOODS TO TRY IN PARIS :11 FOODS YOU HAVE TO TRY IN PARIS AND WHERE

If you can only think of croissants and chocolate as the best Paris foods, probably you need to think twice. Folks say that the three secrets of French cuisines are: butter, butter, and butter. But the French has over 90,000 restaurants (50,000 in Paris alone), which means buttering in around 3000 different ways? OMG! You must have already heard about the most common foods to eat in Paris starting with baguettes, crepes, steak frites, pita, and so on. But there’s a lot more to know about the history of Paris foods and the best French cuisines that cannot (consciously) disappoint a dinner night in Paris.

Here’s the 11 best Paris foods recommendations you should not miss when you visit Paris. If you are still confused where to start from, we would highly recommend you take a Paris food tour. A 3-hour tour will give you a budget ride around the best of foods in Paris by exploring local markets, top dine-ins, and the best bread, cheese, chocolate, and some other local French cuisines.

1. START YOUR DAY WITH A CHOCOLATE BREAKFAST

Umm.. let’s not start with the cliche “French Bread from the best Boulangerie”. But don’t worry, you can surf the top places to taste French Bread at the end of this blog.

A French chocolate breakfast is the best way you can make a happy start to your Paris trip. The French are amazing when it comes to breakfasts and the French chocolate is a step ahead of this. Dip your baguette in it or drink it in place of coffee - it’s a best-of-both-worlds feeling. The Frenchs' master secret to making delicious hot chocolate are just three - frothing, pure chocolate (no cocoa powder), and lastly - no whipped cream or sugar.

No matter where you lodge in Paris, you will get plenty of options around you for a chocolate breakfast. Go early before breakfast serving starts - that’s when you get the pure hot chocolate in any French cafe. They also call it “pain au chocolat” - literally, chocolate bread.

You also get creamy hot chocolate if you like it that way - don’t miss out on “Chocolat chaud” for a rich, thick, creamy experience.

Some top eateries:

Carette : 4 Place du Trocadéro et du 11 Novembre, 75016 Paris

Ladurée : 75 Avenue des Champs Elysées, 75008 Paris

Jacques Genin : 133 Rue de Turenne, 75003 Paris

Debauve & Gallais : 30 Rue des Saints-Pères, 75007 Paris

2. SAY CHEESE

Not only say cheese, eat as much French cheese as possible because you won’t get the taste anywhere else in the world. Most bakeries have a variety of cheese to offer, but the best way to taste local cheese is to take a Paris food tour or get your hands on the best French cheese from the local market. One of the best cheese in Paris are the cheapest and only found in the local market (you may need a bargain sometimes).

Best cheese in Paris:

Fromagerie Chez Virginie: 54 Rue Damrémont, 75018 Paris

Barthélémy: 51 Rue de Grenelle, 75007 Paris

Recommended: local market

3. PROFITEROLES

Profiteroles are a rich name for cream puffs, but are more delicious than those in other parts of the world. These chocolate-covered puff pastries are filled with either whipped cream, custard, pastry cream, or vanilla ice cream. History claims the first chefs who created the Profiteroles in France and southern Germany began filling them with savory cheese mixtures and herbs. These are often served as breakfast, snacks, lunch alongside wine, tea, coffee, or hot chocolate.

Best Profiteroles in Paris:

Le Relais de l’Entrecote: 101 Boulevard du Montparnasse, 75006 Paris

Cafe Constant : 139 Rue Saint-Dominique, 75007 Paris

Benoit : 20 Rue Saint-Martin, 75004 Paris

L’Encrier : 55 Rue Traversière, 75012 Paris

4. OYSTERS!!!

You absolutely cannot forget this!

For oysters, size really matters a lot - you will see most oysters are tagged as N°00 - N°5. The smaller the number, the bigger it is with more meat content. Ofcourse, larger oysters take more time to be cultivated and are often done by professional handlers - so you pay more for the larger ones but it’s absolutely worth it.

Typically, the best oysters in Paris are freshly shucked and served with shallot, red wine, vinegar, or a delicious sauce over ice to preserve its flavor. While you can resort to the local food market for the fresh oysters, you can visit the top eateries too for the best oyster cuisines in Paris.

Best oyster restaurants in Paris:

Huguette, Bistro de la Mar : 81 Rue de Seine, 75006 Paris

Huitrerie Régis : 3 Rue de Montfaucon, 75006 Paris

Langousta Passy : 20 Rue Singer, 75016 Paris

(Related: 18 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU TRAVEL TO PARIS – PARIS TRAVEL GUIDE 2020)

5. COQ AU VIN

This is one of the best French foods to try in Paris - Coq Au Vin. Coq au vin is a French cuisine with braised chicken served with a blend of wine, hot butter, lardon, and mushrooms. This dish is one of the must-tries in Paris that you cannot miss. Every restaurant adds a bit of their special touch to the recipe but the basic taste is more or less the same everywhere. Here are some of the places that serve the best Coq Au Vin in Paris.

Buvette Paris: 28 Rue Henry Monnier, 75009 Paris

Shaka Loa : 99 Rue Monge, 75005 Paris

6. CROQUE MONSIEUR

This is the beloved sandwich “Croque Monsieur” of Paris - first created in 1910 in a little bistro near the Paris’ Opera district that makes the perfect Parisian lunch. It is composed of: 2 or 3 slices of bread with ham, cheese, butter and a “bechamel” (a white sauce). The cheese is spread over both - in the sandwich and on top of it, and baked until each part has melted into one another! And it is then served to you, usually, with a side salad! You can also try a Croque Madame which is essentially the same thing but with a fried egg on top.

Best Croque Monsieur in Paris:

Le Petit Cler : 29 Rue Cler, 75007 Paris

La Fontaine de Belleville : 31-33 Rue Juliette Dodu, 75010, Paris

Les Deux Magots : 6 Place Saint-Germain des Prés, 75006

7. STEAK FRITES

Steak frites will be the top recommendation by French locals if you inquire locally. Steak frites literally translate to “steak and fries” and it is just that: a plate with a cut of meat and French fries with a blob of yummed sauce. Before diving into the best steak frites restaurants, it’s a good idea to know some vocabulary in case you stumble into a brasserie that doesn’t offer menus in English.

The most common French cuts of beef are the entrecôte (rib steak), the faux filet (the rough equivalent to a sirloin steak), and rumsteak (rump steak). Many Parisians also love bavette (skirt steak) and onglet (flank steak). And for the frites, you’ll find just a normal side of French fries. This does sound like a top pick for french fry lovers, doesn’t it? You do find elegant recipes of steak frites in Paris too, but traditionally, it is considered as a street food in Paris, actually the best of all.

Best steak frites in Paris:

Le Relais de L’Entrecôte: 20 Rue Saint-Benoit

Le Relais de L’Entrecôte: 15 Rue Marbeuf

Le Relais de L’Entrecôte: 101 Boulevard du Montparnasse

Le Relais branches are the best place you can go for authentic steak frites experience. You can try it in other restaurants too.

8. DUCK CONFIT

This classic French dish is made by salt curing the duck (covering it with salt and herbs for a couple of days in the refrigerator) and then slowly cooking it in its own fat until incredibly tender. The flavorful result is then often jarred to last a few months.

Unfortunately, because of its delicate preparation, a good recipe is hard to find in Paris except for a few places. Josephine Chez Dumonet is a popular choice among locals, guides, and travellers. If you can get your hands on it, don’t miss the chance! You can also try in Le Petit Canard where it's served with an interesting sauce and broccoli.

9. FALAFEL

Here comes the next delish - a warm and fluffy pita bread, filled with falafels made of chickpeas, served with a slew of other ingredients - including cilantro, white and red cabbage, tahini, hummus, grilled eggplants, and their very own homemade spicy sauce. If you’re passing through Paris and find yourself at l’As du Fallafel, not tasting their Falafel is the worst mistake you could do. Theirs has also been mentioned by the New York Times quite a few times.

l’As du Fallafel: 34 Rue des Rosiers, 75004 Paris (website not available, more of a street food)

(Related: PARIS PUBLIC TRANSPORT TOURIST GUIDE – DO NOT GO TO PARIS! (UNTIL YOU READ THIS))

10. BOEUF BOURGUIGNON

Boeuf bourguignon includes Burgundy’s two most famous exports: pinot noir and Charolais beef, the region’s famed white cattle. Most French restaurants do not prepare this dish too much because it takes much time, patience, and effort, but mostly because it’s perfect preparation is delicate.

The best French eateries will cut no corners to cook a perfect boeuf bourguignon, and let it simmer for five to seven hours. The Charolais beef cheeks are then stewed with mushrooms, bacon, and chives. Finally, the plum-colored sauce is extremely concentrated and the meat is prepared to melt in your mouth. Accompanied by a side of creamy mashed potatoes, it’s the ultimate in elegant comfort food.

Best Boeuf Bourguignon in Paris:

Au Bourguignon du Marais: 52 Rue François Miron, 75004 Paris

Josephine Chez Dumonet : 117 Rue du Cherche-Midi, 75006 Paris

Le Café des Musées : 49 Rue De Turenne, 75003 Paris

Miznon Paris : 22 Rue des Ecouffes, 75004 Paris

11. MERINGUES

A blend of egg whites and sugar, whipped and baked, meringues are an old standby you should not leave Paris without eating. Out of the three meringues - Italian, French, and Swiss - the French ones are the most popular with people all over the world. You can try it from any pastry shop in Paris.

12. FRESH BREAD FROM A FRENCH BOULANGERIE

Lastly, for fresh bread, you can visit the following shops in Paris if you cannot go to the local farmer’s market at all:

Boulangerie Bo : 85bis Rue de Charenton, 75012 Paris

Boulangerie Utopie: 20 Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, 75011 Paris

Le Grenier à Pain Abbesses : 38 Rue des Abbesses, 75018 Paris

Dupain: 20 Boulevard des Filles du Calvaire, 75011 Paris

You get loads of other French cuisines but these are the ones you must not miss. When choosing a restaurant, try to stay away from the top tourist attraction places in Paris. The ones not mentioned over here in detail but prominent dishes to try in Paris would be Fig Gelato (or Gelato in general), Macaroons, Beouf Bourguignon, Salted Butter Caramel, Basquiat Pizza, Local Beer, Pralines, Meringues, French Onion Soup, Crepes, Escargot, and Couscous.

If you are on time constraints and want a brief walk through the best French cuisines in Paris, taking a Paris food tour would be the best thing to do. You get to know about the history of Paris foods, dine the best local cuisines, explore the farmer market, learn to make cheese and wine, and much more in just 3-5 hours. You can also take a virtual Paris food tour through our blog and get to know what to expect before you choose a guide company.