What To Eat In Paris: 10 Famous Foods You Need To Try

Are you traveling to Paris with an intention to indulge in the most magical food of your life? You’ll accomplish this mission pretty easily as long as you follow these 3 rules:

1. Walk at least 1 km away from any tourist attraction
2. Avoid any place open from 3-6pm
3. See an English translation on the menu? RUN.

Aside from this, an important part of any solid foodie experience in another culture is taking a bite of a few items the locals are most proud of. In this guide we will do just that! Below is a list of 10 items you must add to your Paris Foodie Bucket List along with a couple places you will find them.

1. Escargot

Drenched in garlic and parsley butter, these edible snails are one of the first things you should order upon arriving in Paris. Worried about the texture? Snails are more firm than one might think, similar to what you’d experience biting into a mushroom. Escargot will always come with fresh baguette – Scoop, smear, and enjoy!

Best Place To Find Affordable Escargot
Bouillon République – Classic Escargot served with fresh baguette
While this is nowhere near the best Escargot I’ve had in my life, one order is under $10 and it’s a great spot for solo travelers looking to try some classic French foods!

Best Place To Find Escargot W/ A Twist
Le Café des Musées – The Escargot here is removed from the classic shell and broiled in a mushroom cap, making it one of my favorite dishes in Paris for two reasons: (1) It is much easier to cut through a mushroom cap than to scoop a snail from a shell. (2) The mushrooms soak up the butter right alongside the snails, meaning double the flavor and double the juiciness!

Best Place To Find Classic Escargot
Any local cafe with Escargot on the menu will taste generally the same, so take a look at a few FRENCH menus and choose the place that entices you most!

2. Raclette

Perfect for a group experience, Raclette is as fun as it is delicious – If you’re into cheese that is. After selecting your fromage of choice, you’ll likely be presented with a Raclette wheel, which you can use to melt a portion of cheese each time you’re ready for a new bite. Once melted, pour over your vessel (charcuterie, potatoes, sausage, vegetables, or bread) and enjoy!

Best Place To Find Raclette
Le Chalet Savoyard – Here you will be presented with a large menu of cheese options, sides, wine, and more. The staff is super friendly, and the crowd is always cheerful and lively, as this is often a celebratory experience. (Although visiting Paris is a celebration in itself, so join the party!)

3. Croissant

This flaky French pastry is the epitome of eating as a local. The stereotype is no exaggeration – If a Parisian is out for breakfast, they’re more than likely picking up a croissant au beurre. Speaking of which, “Croissant Au Beurre” is exactly what you should order, and it should be in the shape shown above. To find the best croissants in the city, hop in line at a nearby pâtisserie around 9am when they’ve likely just popped out of the oven!

For the best croissants, head away from any tourist areas, as we discussed, and look for a pâtisserie with a line of Parisians pouring out the front. Easy peasy!

Best Croissants in Paris According to The Internet
Blé Sucré – This pâtisserie is mentioned in almost every online blog as one of the best, and typically sells out on Saturday mornings – Get in line early or try for a weekday!

4. Baguette

Just as you would expect a Parisian to pop into a local patisserie for their morning croissant, you can expect them to head over to the nearest boulangerie for some fresh baguette to serve with lunch or dinner. So what do we do in Paris? We do as the French do! I personally love to grab a fresh baguette, a little charcuterie and fruit from the store, and enjoy a picnic at the park.

For the best and crunchiest baguette, you should ask for the “Baguette Tradition,” which is handmade and baked on premises. You can tell which loaves are handmade by finding quirky features in the bread, such as pointy ends and little curves.

Best Baguette In Paris
Boulangerie Utopie – 2024’s best according to Paris Insider’s Guide! While I have never been here, their food photography left me drooling. This has been added to my Paris bucket list, so I will be sure to update this post once I’ve experienced it for myself!

5. Beef Bourguignon

There is absolutely nothing better than a warm bite of Beef Bourguignon on a cold rainy evening in Paris, especially when you have a little cold. (Yes, I know from personal and recent experience.)

Melt in your mouth beef, braised in red wine and beef broth, flavored with all the goodies – Garlic, mushrooms, carrots, onion, fresh herbs, and whatever else the chef has in store – This dish is what dreams are made of, even for a stew-hater like myself.

Best Place To Find Affordable Beef Bourguignon
Bouillon Chartier – Classic Beef Bourguignon served with macaroni noodles
For under $10, this is a great place to grab a bowl of stew and relax. Again, when we are talking about any of the Bouillon restaurants – We are looking for a decent bite for a few bucks, not the bite of your life.
*When ordering here, I like to add a side of mushrooms, as the dish does not come with many veggies.

Best Place To Find Classic Beef Bourguignon
Le Café des Musées – Simmered for 5 hours and served with the creamiest mashed potatoes, this rich and tender beef bourguignon is one of the best in the city! (Definitely the best I’ve had.) The portions are generous and the bread is to die for – If you’re lucky, you will even find the beef bourguignon included in the daily lunch special.

6. Croque Monsieur

I will never forget my first trip to Paris, budgeting only a few dollars per day, and splitting this ham and cheese sandwich with a friend. I had no idea it would be so ooey gooey and delicious, leaving me so sad to only have had a few bites…

You will find Croque Monsieur in just about every cafe in the city, but choosing the best is another feat. I’ve tried many, and the good ones are spectacular, but the latter are dry and lackluster. I recommend saving your first Croque Monsieur experience for a sit-down cafe, rather than ordering to-go at a boulangerie, for starters.

Best Croque Monsier in Paris According to The Internet
Brasserie Bellanger – I found this highly-rated spot through a Reddit thread (where I sometimes find the best local recommendations) and the photos look absolutely to die for! Personally, my favorite Croque Monsieur experiences were had long before I thought to write down names and recommendations, so I am on the hunt for the best right with you. Maybe this will be it?

7. French Charcuterie & Cheese

As someone who never understood the hype of a charcuterie board, aside from the artistic element of designing the board – A bite of salami in the states is not the same experience as a bite in France. I learned this when someone handed me a full log of saucisson at a party – I took a bite and my mind was fully blown.

I believe the difference in taste and quality in France is attributed to their respect for the ingredients and care for the animals, all this in addition to their superb techniques make the French masters of charcuterie.

Let’s take this opportunity to check out one of my favorite places in Paris – La Grande Epicerie. Here you will find a full section of charcuterie, along with everything else you need for a perfect afternoon of grazing on handheld goodies and wine.

8. Steak Tartare

Raw beef, minced, seasoned to perfection, and ideally served with an egg yolk over top – Steak tartare is the first thing I look for when I arrive in Paris (and it’s not hard to find). If you want to get a little crazy, order a side of fries, smoosh the tartare between a folded fry and voila! You’ve got one of my favorite bites in Paris.

Why can you eat raw beef in France? Just as I described with cured meats, the French take great care of their animals, practice strict food safety protocols, and use high-quality meat from dependable butchers, making this the perfect place to enjoy raw beef without worry.

Best Place To Find Beef Tartare
La Poule Au Pot – Personally, I’ve never had a tartare de boeuf I did not love, but I also do not have a stand-out recommendation. Therefore – We look to reddit! This place appeared again and again on reddit threads, as well as in other blogs. I am looking forward to trying it out, but let me know if you do first!

Alternatively, you can find this item on most lunch menus, and it is always good – This is the beauty of a dish so simple!

9. French Onion Soup

Caramelized onions, beefy broth, homemade croutons, and cheesy topping – Sign me up! French Onion Soup has been around since the medieval times, but is less common in French households and restaurants these days. However, we are including it on the list anyways because it is delicious!

Best Place To Find French Onion Soup In Paris
Cafe La Jacobine – This charming cafe has one of the best French Onion Soups in Paris, along with a menu full of highly-rated French dishes such as Foie Gras, Duck Confit, and Coq Au Vin (which are a few items not included on this bucket list, but certainly deserve a spot on yours if you’ve got the time for more).

10. Crepes

We are ending this list of deliciousness with crepes as an homage to my favorite person in Paris (my boyfriend) who requested crepes in lieu of a birthday cake this past year. This was not only my first experience making fresh crepes (don’t ask me to try the flip), but was also my first experience with “galettes” – Which are stuffed with savory ingredients like ham and cheese, rather than nutella.

Best Place To Eat Crepes In Paris
Le Marais – Breizh Cafe – Known throughout France for their fantastic crepes and galettes, Breizh Cafe is the place to go for the best crepes in Paris. Here you will find a menu full of unique flavor combinations, both sweet and savory!

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Looks like we are both leaving this page with a full bucket list and a full stomach in the near future. Do you think you will be able to check off every item? Have you already gotten a head start? Let me know in the comments so we can embark on this culinary adventure together!

Interested in more foodie bucket lists? Check out these 10 Must-Try Foods In Albania next!