21 Best Paris Foods To Try in 2024
One of the best reasons to travel to Paris is to indulge in delicious Paris food. The French capital city is one of the most renowned culinary destinations in the world, so you’ll want to get familiar with its iconic dishes before you travel. Paris foods range from simple sandwiches to over-the-top dishes, but always with an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients.
As the city is so walkable, you’ll have no trouble working up an appetite for Paris foods. And lingering meals are a staple of French culture, so plan to spend some time when you dine. Whether you're planning a trip soon or just want to learn more about this iconic city's culinary scene, read on for the 21 most renowned Paris foods.
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Get a Taste of the Best Paris Dishes
Taking one of many food tours in Paris is a great way to get an introduction to Paris foods. If you don’t speak or read French, it can be difficult to navigate menus on your own. Food tours connect you with local guides who speak the language and can help you decipher the various dishes and preparations. With a little guidance, you’ll be much more comfortable ordering all kinds of dishes, from a simple coffee to a multi-course meal.
The 21 Best Foods in Paris, France
1. Jambon Beurre
One of the most classic Paris foods to try is a simple ham and cheese sandwich known as a jambon beurre. This classic French lunch is made using a fresh baguette spread with butter and layered with French ham. Throw on some cheese and you have a jambon et fromage.
The butter adds a distinct richness to the sandwich which is quintessentially French. You can find this sandwich almost anywhere, but it’s almost always available in museum cafeterias and makes a great midday pick-me-up.
2. Steak Frites
One of the most famous Paris dishes is steak frites, the French version of steak and fries. This Paris food can be ordered to your preferred doneness (à point for medium-rare) and you may have a choice of sauces. The frites are not your average French fry. They are usually house-cut potatoes that are double-fried for the perfect crispy bite.
3. Croque Monsieur
The French love a melty sandwich and the croque monsieur is the father of them all. This Paris food is essentially a ham and cheese melt made more decadent with the addition of a bechamel sauce (a seasoned sauce made from butter, flour and milk). Don’t let the simple description fool you — this is a hearty meal that may require a post-lunch nap.
4. Café au Lait
The smell of French press coffee brewing in the morning will become a defining memory of any trip to Paris. Pair it with a little steamed milk and you have café au lait, the perfect complement to a fresh croissant or other French pastry. This mild version of your favorite morning beverage is often more widely available than water in Paris!
5. Croissants
No food is more thoroughly French than the croissant. The French have mastered the art of folding pastry dough with butter and then baking it to achieve fluffy, flaky heaven. You’ll find some form of this classic Paris food on every street corner, every breakfast buffet and every dessert menu. A croissant and a café au lait are staple foods in Paris that you must enjoy together at least once.
6. Duck Confit
One of the dishes not to be missed in Paris is duck confit. “Confit” is a term that refers to braising meat in its own fat and juices, in this case, duck, often the leg or breast. Preparation of duck confit is serious business. Most restaurants have a three-day process and you’ll taste every minute of that dedication in each bite.
Duck confit is one of the most famous Paris dishes and is found on dinner menus throughout the city. It is often served with Lyonnaise potatoes (roasted potato wedges with onions) or mashed root vegetables and a side of haricots verts.
7. Croque Madame
We’ve already covered the iconic croque monsieur, the French version of a hot ham and cheese sandwich made truly French by the addition of a rich bechamel sauce. But what you may not know is that the sister sandwich, a croque madame, takes this “mister crunch” sandwich and adds a fried egg on top for added fun. As with the jambon beurre, this Paris food is widely available in cafés and restaurants. It’s also one of the best foods in Paris for late-night snacking.
8. Haricots Verts
Haricots verts sound exotic but this is just the French term for green beans. In France, green beans are a slightly different variety than those seen in the United States. They are more slender and the ends are cut at angles (French cut greens beans are available in the frozen foods section of many grocery stores). They are a universal side dish for many other Paris foods.
9. Baguette
The French baguette is among the most important Paris foods to try. Bread baking is an art that is centuries old yet essential to everyday Parisian life and there are even rules that bakers must follow in the city for their bread to be officially called a Parisian baguette.
If you wander the streets of Paris in the pre-dawn hours, your nose will likely catch the scent of baking bread in the air and it's impossible to resist the temptation to grab a fresh baguette. You can spread some French butter on it, add a slice of cheese or build a sandwich. But don’t discount the simple joy of tearing off chunks of fresh baguette and eating it by itself.
10. Steak Tartare
Some of the best food in Paris is served raw instead of cooked. Tartare refers to any meat or seafood that is thinly sliced or diced and served in raw form. The French preparation of this Paris food usually involves mixing the raw beef with capers, parsley, garlic and olive oil for flavor, though you’ll often see those seasonings served as sides instead of mixed in.
Steak tartare is usually found listed under appetizers on restaurant menus and may also be served with a raw egg yolk on top. This is another Paris food that you should try in a fine dining establishment for the best experience.
11. Paris-Brest
While France is often known for its famous bike race, the Tour de France, there is another event that is important enough to have a pastry named after it. The Paris-Brest is also a well-known biking event, and the pastry named after it resembles a bike wheel. The round pastry shell is filled with praline buttercream, topped with caramelized almonds and dusted with powdered sugar.
12. Beouf Bourguignon
What would a list of top Paris foods be without Julia Child’s signature dish? Boeuf (beef) bourguignon is a fancy term for a beef stew that is slow-cooked and usually includes a generous amount of red wine. Traditional preparations will include onions and mushrooms, and sometimes bacon, in addition to the beef.
13. Ratatouille
Another of the most famous Paris dishes is ratatouille, made known in the U.S. by the Pixar movie of the same name. Before that, it was just another vegetable dish that while beloved in France was lesser known in other locations. Ratatouille is a Paris food that will vary from recipe to recipe, but it often contains eggplant or zucchini in a tomato-based sauce.
14. Crêpes
The best way to see Paris is on foot, so you’ll likely work up an appetite. For a quick snack, try a crêpe from a street vendor. These thin pancake-like treats are a versatile Paris food and it’s as fun to watch them being made as it is to eat them.
Crêpes are often a dessert food and can be stuffed with Nutella, chocolate, banana, butter and sugar or classic lemon and sugar. You can find even more decadent versions as well like crêpes Suzette.
This Paris food is also served in savory preparations with fillings similar to a sandwich — think ham and cheese or spinach and cheese. No matter how you enjoy them, crêpes are a classic food in Paris that should not be missed!
15. French Onion Soup
It goes without saying that French onion soup is a Paris food to try. Yes, you’ve had this brothy dish before. But there’s nothing like French onion soup served up in a Paris bistro. The soup base is never out of a can.
It’s a beef consommé (more of a stock than a broth) that has a perfectly crisped piece of bread submerged inside and a topping of melted Gruyére cheese on top. It’s the perfect belly warmer for cool Paris nights.
16. Cassoulet
Cassoulet is a catch-all term similar to casserole in the U.S. A cassoulet can be made with meat (chicken or rabbit are most common) braised down with vegetables and white beans for a thick, hearty one-pot dish. This Paris comfort food is ideal for cold winter nights. Be sure to have a day-old baguette nearby for wiping up the plate.
17. Éclairs
Paris is not only one of the best foodie cities in general but is also a world-renowned destination for pâtisserie. Of the many desserts and pastry items found in the city, the éclair is a Paris food that most will instantly recognize.
This dessert is one of the pillars of French baking and features a choux dough (the same dough used for profiterole) formed into an oblong shape and then filled with cream. The most classic preparation includes a coating of chocolate ganache on top. You’ll find that this pastry is as ubiquitous as the croissant and tastes as good for breakfast as it does for dessert.
18. Coq au Vin
Another warming and rich Paris food to try is the iconic coq au vin, which translates to chicken in wine. This rustic dish is made by braising chicken thighs and legs in wine and adding bacon lardons and mushrooms. As with ratatouille and boeuf bourguignon, it’s a fancy term for a fairly simple chicken stew. That said, this Paris food done properly can be the star dish on any fine dining menu.
19. Opéra Cake
Opéra cake is one of the more elegant desserts that you’ll find in fancy pâtisseries across the city. This elegant Paris food is similar to tiramisu but is made with a base of almond sponge cake instead of ladyfingers.
It has the same coffee-soaked moisture and creamy filling of tiramisu, but then gets a layer of rich, chocolate ganache to finish it off. If you’re unsure which cake is opéra cake, it should be recognizable by the word “opéra” piped delicately across the top.
20. Escargot
Escargot, or snails, are considered one of the most famous Paris dishes. This delicacy is found as an appetizer on nearly every Paris menu. While the concept may not be for the faint of heart or tongue, fresh escargot with olive oil, garlic and parsley paired with a crusty French baguette is the essence of Paris food.
The best way to try escargot is to order it in an upscale dining establishment. Freshness and proper preparation are key to getting something that is not dry or rubbery. Ask your hotel concierge for recommendations on the best place to enjoy this Paris food.
21. Macarons
Another iconic Paris food is the macaron. These colorful meringue and almond cookies are irresistible and you’ll find them in bright window displays throughout the city. Macarons are truly a work of art so be sure to sample this Paris food at some point during your stay.
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This list of the best food in Paris is just a launching point. As you explore the streets, allow the scents and sights of Paris foods to guide you. Paris is truly a playground for anyone who considers themselves a foodie, so be adventurous.
Visiting markets is also a great way to explore Paris foods and observe what the locals eat, so try to take advantage of a street market during your trip. Making time to linger over Paris foods should be a central part of any itinerary and trying a few of these iconic Parisian dishes won’t disappoint!
For even more ways to explore Paris and beyond, check out other experiences happening on Cozymeal.
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