The food in Paris, France has earned an impressive reputation around the world. From traditional French cuisine to more experimental dishes, the City of Light has a truly amazing food scene.
Throughout my ten years as a Paris local, I’ve sampled all of the top dishes and tested out the best Paris restaurants. In this Paris food guide, I break down my favorite French foods so you know what foods to try and where to find them around Paris.
Let’s dive in!
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19 Best Paris Food Experiences to Try
Macarons
This delicate yet satisfying cookie comes in hundreds of flavors, sizes, and textures.
🍽️ Where to Find Macarons:Ladurée (6th arrondissement), Pierre Hermé (6th arrondissement)
The macaron is a French delicacy. These luxurious cookies have a meringue base and incorporate almond flour. In the 19th century, they became sandwich cookies, so they now have fillings that echo the main flavor of the macaron.
Hundreds of bakeries and specialty stores in Paris offer macarons. The most famous of these, Ladurée, lives up to its reputation. Beware though—these cookies are best eaten within a day or two. They do not travel well!
Onion Soup
French “soupe à l’oignon” hits the spot as a hearty and satisfying meal.
🍽️ Where to Find Onion Soup:La Jacobine (6th arrondissement), Les Philosophes (1st arrondissement)
French onion soup is my favorite food in Paris for a light dinner. It’s the best Paris food for a cold day or a light meal year-round.
This soup features caramelized onions. Various types of melted grated cheese go on top of this. This French classic typically has a toasted baguette slice in the soup itself, beneath the melted cheese.
French onion soup shows off traditional French cooking at its best, so you can find it at many bistros and places around Paris. This is particularly true in the winter months when it’s often featured as a special.
Croque Monsieur or Croque Madame
This toasted sandwich makes the perfect crispy and cheesy meal for visitors on the go.
🍽️ Where to Find Croque Madames or Monsieurs:Faste (10th arrondissement), Le Petit Clair (7th arrondissement)
The Croque Monsieur sandwich is one of the most famous foods in Paris. This sandwich resembles grilled cheese, but it’s fancier and more filling. It has a slice of boiled ham between two pieces of toasted bread and cheese on the outside.
For even more protein, request a “Croque Madame.” This is the same as the traditional Croque Monsieur, except it has a fried egg.
Even if Croque Monsieur isn’t on the menu, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a Paris restaurant that won’t whip up these sandwiches at lunch. Even Michelin-starred restaurants or institutions like Les Deux Magots serve them.
Steak Frites
This classic dish makes the perfect filling meal after a long day of sightseeing.
🍽️ Where to Find Steak Frites:L’Aller Retour Marais (3rd arrondissement), Sacrée Fleur (18th arrondissement)
Steak frites combine the pleasure of French fries with eating rib steak! This French food varies in preparation by restaurant. However, most restaurants pride themselves on the steak’s seasoning.
French restaurants serve meat slightly rarer than American restaurants. When I eat in Paris visitors, I often recommend that they order their steaks cooked at the next level of doneness from what they order in the United States.
Shorter cooking levels include blue (very rare), saignant (rare), and à point (medium rare). Longer cooking levels include demi-anglais (medium), cuit (medium well), and bien cuit (well done).
Confit de Canard (Duck Confit)
This tender duck dish is sure to delight diners who don’t normally like duck.
🍽️ Where to Find Duck Confit: La Grange aux Canards (5th arrondissement), Le Bistrot Du Périgord (5th arrondissement)
Duck confit is a classic food to eat in Paris. This dish uses the entire duck. I don’t usually like duck, but I love this dish. The process of cooking it in its fat makes the meat incredibly tender.
I recommend ordering duck confit for a cozy dinner. It’s not the best type of food in Paris if you plan on doing activities after, as it can be heavy.
Restaurants typically serve duck confit with garlicky potatoes also cooked in duck fat.
Waffles
A French twist on this classic Belgium treat makes a delicious, crispy snack.
🍽️ Where to Find Waffles:Méert (3rd arrondissement), La Grande Épicerie de Paris (7th arrondissement)
American-style waffles have become popular breakfast items in Paris recently. However, the soft breakfast food isn’t what you should expect when ordering a waffle everywhere in Paris.
Waffles in Paris can be a small, sweet snack. It usually consists of two hard waffles held together with caramel or another sticky sauce.
Many European waffles come from Belgium. However, check out the Maison Méert in the Marais for a truly French waffle. This Lille patisserie dates back to 1761. Their boxes of luxury waffles also make great gifts from Paris.
Baba au Rhum
This rum-soaked cake is the perfect end to a delicious meal, as it’s not too filling.
🍽️ Where to Find Baba au Rhum: Stohrer (2nd arrondissement), Bistrot Paul Bert (11th arrondissement)
Rum Baba should be on any list of food in Paris that visitors should try. This decadent small cake gets soaked in rum and then filled with whipped cream.
As with many French foods, each restaurant offers a slightly different take on the baba au rhum. Some make many small cakes, while others serve slices of a larger cake. Toppings vary from simple garnishes to fruit.
Steak Tartare
This French dish featuring seasoned raw beef makes for a delicious and memorable meal.
🍽️ Where to Find Steak Tartare: L’Atelier Roulière (6th arrondissement), Alix et Mika (18th arrondissement)
Steak tartare is the perfect food in Paris to try if you’re an adventurous meat-eater. This raw beef dish is served as a patty of meat mixed with seasonings from onions to Worcestershire sauce. Many restaurants will provide these seasonings on the side so you can flavor to taste. A raw egg tops off the dish.
Because steak tartare is essentially raw meat, make sure you trust the restaurant where you try it. I recommend saving steak tartare for a fine dining experience or a restaurant with Michelin stars. Always check recent reviews and ask the wait staff about meat sourcing before ordering.
Escargot (Snails)
Adventurous diners shouldn’t miss this French classic with delicious buttery seasoning.
🍽️ Where to Find Escargot:Au Bourguignon du Marais (4th arrondissement), L’Escargot Bar (19th arrondissement)
Escargot has become a universal symbol of famous French food. Eating snails is more than just a popular dish in French cuisine, escargot is a part of French culture.
The snails used for escargot aren’t just any snails, though: they’re terrestrial snails. However, as mollusks, they qualify as seafood.
Though some hesitate to eat snails, most people who try them fall in love with the delicious, buttery taste. Escargot is smooth and typically served in garlic butter, generally with hearty bread.
Oysters
French oysters make the ideal light meal during cooler months.
🍽️ Where to Find Oysters: Au Pied de Cochon (1st arrondissement), Poget & De Witte (4th arrondissement)
French oysters are a must for any seafood fan. These oysters may not be among the most famous foods in Paris, but it is a classic French dish. France actually farms more oysters than any country in the world!
During the cooler months in Paris, try a dozen oysters for dinner at a French bistro or brasserie near Les Halles. You can also find this dish at restaurants specializing in Norman or Breton dishes.
📚 Related Reading: Best Places to Visit in France
Coq au Vin
Coq au Vin makes for a hearty, cold-weather meal with its delicious wine sauce.
🍽️ Where to Find Coq au Vin: À la Biche au Bois (12th arrondissement), Chez Marcel (6th arrondissement)
Coq au vin is the perfect dish to eat in Paris in autumn, winter, and through early spring. This hearty dish consists of braised chicken in wine sauce with lardons and mushrooms.
If you’re sensitive to garlic, be sure to ask the wait staff how the dish is prepared. Coq au vin often contains a hefty helping of garlic, while some restaurants don’t include it at all.
French Cheese
Don’t miss out on France’s endless varieties of cheese, which make a great on-the-go meal with a baguette.
🍽️ Where to Find Cheese:Saisons Fromagerie (3rd arrondissement), 11ème Domaine (11th arrondissement)
The French cheese industry is one of the best in the world. France produces more than 1,200 types of cheese. This makes Parisian cheese shops the center of the universe for cheese lovers!
Most restaurants in Paris will offer a cheese plate option at the end of the meal. But you can also find great cheese to eat in Paris by going to a wine bar. One of my favorite wine bars in Paris for cheese tasting is 11ème Domaine in the 11th arrondissement.
Hot Chocolate
You haven’t tried hot chocolate until you’ve tried the thick, creamy hot chocolate in Paris.
🍽️ Where to Find Hot Chocolate:Angelina (1st arrondissement), Hoct&Loca (4th arrondissement)
Hot chocolate should top your list of famous Paris “foods” to try. Forget everything you know about hot chocolate in the United States because Paris does hot chocolate differently.
Expect thick, melted cupfuls of this sweet drink when dining out in Paris. The hot chocolate here is sure to be a hit with any chocolate lover.
The best hot chocolate in Paris can be found at Angelina Paris in the first arrondissement (district), so definitely add this to your Paris itinerary. For extra sweets to eat in Paris, try a Mont Blanc pastry on the side. This pastry combines chestnut puree and whipped cream.
Croissants
These flaky pastries make for a buttery yet quick breakfast at any bakery or café in Paris.
🍽️ Where to Find Croissants:Du Pain et Des Idées (10th arrondissement), Boulangerie Utopie (11th arrondissement)
The croissant is an iconic and famous Paris food. These flaky, buttery pastries are classic and not to be missed. Plus, croissants are an easy food to eat in Paris when you need an on-the-go breakfast.
For the best croissants in Paris, don’t bother ordering at a local café. Instead, go directly to a local bakery early in the morning. The croissants will be fresh and often still warm at that time.
Fun fact: A croissant is actually a Viennese pastry! It was appreciated and perfected by the French.
Falafel
These vegetarian wraps make the perfect savory lunch to eat on-the-go.
🍽️ Where to Find Falafel:L’As du Fallafel (4th arrondissement), Falafel for You (5th arrondissement)
A falafel sandwich turns deep-fried chickpea or a bean patty into portable sandwiches, perfect for on-the-go.
Go to the Rue des Rosiers in the Marais district to try this popular food in Paris. Here, you’ll find stalls serving falafel sandwich variations with different sauces, wrappings, and accompaniments. Check out as many falafel offerings as you can before choosing your favorite!
Crepes
This classic French dish is customizable and can be filled with endless flavor combinations.
🍽️ Where to Find Crepes:Creperie Armorix (10th arrondissement), Princess Crêpe (4th arrondissement)
Crepes are a classic food to eat in Paris. These flatter-than-flat pancakes are incredibly different from North American pancakes. Instead, crepes are thin, can be easily layered, and can be filled with endless flavor combinations. Popular crepe fillings include nutella with fruit, sugar, or jam.
Crepes are a great and fairly safe street food to eat in Paris. You can find crepe stands throughout the city. There are also many creperies, which are restaurants specializing in crepes.
Foie Gras
Meat-eaters will savor the rich, smooth foie gras offered in Paris in the winter months.
🍽️ Where to Find Foie Gras:Il Était Une Oie Dans le Sud Ouest (17th arrondissement), Le Colimaçon (4th arrondissement)
Foie gras is fattened goose or duck liver. Meat-eaters should try this specialty food in Paris around the holidays. Traditionally served with bread or crackers, it makes a hearty snack or starter dish. Some restaurants will serve it with chutney or dried fruit on the side.
Paris Brest
A decadent, luxurious, and classically donut-shaped pastry.
🍽️ Where to Find a Paris Brest:Pâtisserie Carl Marletti (5th arrondissement), Carette (16th arrondissement
Parisian pastries are the best in the world, and a visit to pastry shops should top any list of what to eat in Paris. However, narrowing down what pastry to eat in Paris can be difficult. Puff pastry or choux? Cream or fruit? The options are endless.
My recommendation is to try a Paris Brest. This donut-shaped pastry uses choux and features praline cream and almond slices. My favorite version of a Paris Brest is the Paris-Carette variation, which can be found at the Carette café.
Entrecote
A French rib-eye steak loved by locals and visitors alike throughout Paris.
🍽️ Where to Find an Entrecôte: Chez Janou (3rd arrondissement), La Maison de l’Aubrac (8th arrondissement)
An entrecôte is a great alternative to steak frites if you’ve filled up on French fries but still want a lot of protein. This rib-eye steak is one of the foods in Paris that I just keep coming back to.
Depending on where you order it, an entrecôte can come with different sauces. It’s traditionally flavored with butter and herbs, and the classic combination is butter, garlic, and parsley. A potato dish and salad usually accompany it.
FAQs about Food in Paris
What foods are Paris known for?
Paris is known for foods like macarons,escargot,coq au vin, and foie gras. Many of Paris’s most popular dishes are luxurious and more complicated to prepare. However, you can also find simpler fare like cheese and baguettes throughout the city.
What foods are traditional in Paris?
Traditional dishes in Paris include escargot,Croque Madame or Monsieur sandwiches, and crepes. You can find these throughout the city.
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The most famous food in Paris has earned its reputation: Paris famous food is delicious. You don’t need a dining room in a Michelin-starred restaurant to enjoy dining when you visit Paris! Next, check out the best restaurants in Paris.
