French cuisine and its delicacies are known all over the world. However, we are led to think that eating in Paris means only enjoying refined dishes cooked by great chefs in luxurious restaurants. Mistaken! The French capital is, in addition to being enchanting, an excellent place to indulge in gluttony within everyone’s reach.
You could list the best ones
. No problem, we will introduce you to the 10 specialties you absolutely must taste in the Ville Lumiere.
1 – Baguette
Absolutely unmissable, a real must! Forget about those previously eaten in Italy or elsewhere: the real French baguette and something superfine. It’s not just bread, it’s an institution!
Its delicious crust and soft interior will blow your mind, especially when fresh from the oven. It doesn’t matter if it’s stuffed or not, it’s simply a masterpiece! Remember, the real one is made with only 4 ingredients : water, flour, yeast (beer or sourdough) and salt.
- Recommended for : lunch, dinner, as a snack … whenever you want!
- How much it costs : € 1.00 approximately
2 – Croque-Monsieur and Madame
You will find it in cafes and bars with extreme ease. But don’t be fooled by its simple stuffed sandwich appearance because it’s a real explosion of goodness. It is not known why it is called “mordi sir”, but it consists of a grilled toast with ham and cheese (generally emmental or gruyere). Its more elaborate version also includes béchamel. There is also a “feminine” variant, the Croque-Madame, with the addition of a fried egg on top .
- Recommended for : lunch or as a substantial snack
- How much it costs : approximately € 4.50
3 – Croissant
Think of France and, after the word baguette, you immediately think of croissants. A sweet delight of leavened puff pastry and butter , lots of butter. A joy for the palate that you cannot fail to taste and then buy even more times a day.
The croissant (literally “growing”) is so called due to its crescent shape. According to various popular and erroneous stories, this typical French dessert would have this shape thanks to a baker who while working at night heard the noise of the Turks who were digging an underground tunnel. As a reward for saving the city, he received the exclusive right to produce crescent-shaped pastry to commemorate the event.
- Recommended for : breakfast with a cup of coffee, as per tradition, or as a snack.
- How much does it cost : about € 3.00 for a croissant + coffee
4 – Pain au chocolat
It will literally drive you crazy and you will want to eat it again and again! This exquisite delight, absolutely wonderful fresh out of the oven, is a kind of buttery square croissant rolled on one or more bars of chocolate . At the very thought of it you don’t already have your mouth watering
- Recommended for : breakfast or for tasty snacks
- How much does it cost : about € 3.50 for a pain au chocolat + coffee
5 – Paris-Brest
Photo of Deror_avi. Another sweet and wonderful creation of French pastry made up of a dough of choux pastry (the one used to make beignets) filled with butter cream and decorated with almond flakes . This dessert was created by a pastry chef from Maisons-Laffitte, Louis Durand, in 1891 to commemorate the Paris-Brest-Paris cycling race . Its circular shape represents a wheel. It became popular with racing cyclists because of its considerable energy supply and its goodness. It later spread to pastry shops throughout France.
- Recommended for : dinner as a dessert or for a substantial snack
- How much it costs : approximately € 4.50 for a single portion paris-brest, approximately € 25.00 for 4 people
6 – Macarons Macarons
are like cherries: one leads to another! And then they are so cute with their infinite pastel shades and it is practically impossible to resist the temptation to eat “just one more” … They are pastries made up of two small domes with a delicious crunchy crust and filled with exquisite cream. There are many colors matched to the taste .
- Recommended for : dinner as a small dessert or for a sophisticated snack
- How much it costs : about € 1.50 each
7 – Soupe gratinee a l’oignon
It is not a banal onion soup, but much more. It is truly a delicious dish of the French tradition , a must try in its Parisian version au gratin . Do not be fooled by the word soupe because it is not a trivial soup, but a substantial dish of peasant origin so tasty that it is present in practically all classy restaurants and prepared by great chefs. The ancient tradition wanted it to be eaten in the bistros near the Halles (the general markets), at dawn after a night of partying. Even today, some of these places, open all night, serve this delicious soup.
- Recommended for : dinner
- How much it costs : about € 10.00
8 – Crepes
A symbol of French cuisine, impossible not to love. You can find them in both sweet and savory versions and they are absolutely delicious. Perhaps not everyone knows that the name derives from the ancient Latin “crispus”, that is “rolled” precisely because the pasta, once filled, must be rolled up on itself . In France it is certainly a traditional dish that tourists and Parisians love to eat in specific restaurants: creperies . It is possible, however, to enjoy them also thanks to itinerant kiosks present in every corner of the city. There are many varieties of crepes, but undoubtedly the most famous is the Crepe Suzette(filled with orange sauce and inflamed with Grand Marnier liqueur).
- Recommended for : breakfast or snack
- How much it costs : approximately € 3.50 / 6.00 depending on the filling
9 – Parisian quiche (and not only)
There are many variations of quiche , including the famous Quiche Lorraine. The Parisian version includes, in addition to the brisee pastry wrapping, a filling of bechamel, smoked cooked ham and gruyere . In any case, in addition to the “capital” version, entertain your palate by tasting all the possible variations : you will not regret it!
- Recommended : as an appetizer
- How much it costs : about € 2.50 per slice, about € 1.50 for a single-portion cake
10 – Parisian chocolate
Don’t be surprised to find chocolate among these 10 musts because in Paris this “banal delight” is something else entirely. Maitre chocolatiers create true works of art that are also masterpieces of goodness. Passion is not enough: it also takes dedication, preparation and talent. And in Paris you will find a lot of them in this area.
- Recommended : as a delicious treat
- How much it costs : from about € 4.50 upwards per piece
Where to eat in Paris: best restaurants, typical bars and street food
Paris is one of the capitals of world gastronomy: you will find the best of French cuisine but also international culinary proposals.
A French meal basically consists of 3 courses : the appetizers and / or first courses (hors-d’oeuvres or entrees), the main courses or the main course (the plats) and the desserts.
You will have two ways to order : a la carte, or take advantage of the advantageous formulas, complete menus that allow you to take 2 or 3 courses together at a predetermined price.
There is an infinite number of restaurants in Paris, but the most typical places to try French cuisine are Bistros andBrasserie .
Here are the best places to eat in Paris .
1 – The Tour d’Argent
- Description : very elegant restaurant with a beautiful view of Notre Dame. The oldest restaurant in the city with a cellar that has over 400,000 bottles. Ideal for a romantic dinner
- Specialty : rare duck
- Average price : from € 190.00 per person
- Address : Get Directions – Website
2 – Lipp Brewery
- Description : typical restaurant whose strengths are meat dishes and desserts
- Specialty : canard and entrecote
- Average price : from € 40.00 per person
- Address : Get Directions – Website
3 – Louis-Marie Crepes
- Description : small quaint place specializing in both sweet and savory crepes
- Specialty : crepes
- Average price : from € 8.00 per person
- Address : Get directions – Facebook page
4 – Frog & Underground
- Description : underground-style venue perfect for spending an evening with friends, specializing in burgers and beers
- Specialty : beers and burgers
- Average price : from € 15.00 per person
- Address : Get Directions – Website
5 – The Inn
- Description : typical restaurant where you can taste both meat and fish dishes very well cared for and made at fair prices. Quality wines and friendly staff
- Specialty : tartare and canard
- Average price : from € 35.00 per person
- Address : Get directions – Facebook page
