Top 15 Must-try Food of Paris and Where to Find Them

Paris, the city of light, is famous for the elegance and romance that it brings into the world. But what drags you out on the streets of Paris is the city's incredible food. The gastrology of Paris is no less adored than the visual beauty of the city of love.

As the hub for richly diverse French cuisine, Paris is a delight to every food lover. Parisian food prioritises quality and freshness mixed with the charm of creative cooking and presentation. The city offers an array of dishes that may include classic slices of bread, wines, or the lavish Coq Au Vin and raise your food standards to a different extent.

Here is a list of some of the best foods to try in Paris, from the basic street side foods to the Michelin-starred restaurant gourmets.

1. Baguettes - The freshly baked loaves of bread!

Baking bread is a dedicated culinary practice in Paris, and these long loaves of bread, called Baguettes, are the basis of many recipes of Parisian cuisine. Made of a lean dough of flour, Baguette is the star of every bakery shop in Paris that you can find every 5 kilometres on the streets of the city.

The simple bread tastes delicious due to the use of fresh ingredients and is eaten alongside cheese. A baguette with freshly brewed coffee will make a perfect breakfast in Paris.

The influence and importance of Baguette can be estimated by the fact that the office of the Mayor holds a competition called “Meilleure Baguette de Paris” every year to award the best Baguette baker in Paris.

Where to find it

• Maison Julien Les Saveurs de Pierre Demours

Location: 13 Rue Pierre Demours, 75017 Paris
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday: 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Contact information: +33 1 45 72 46 78

• Boulangerie Au 140 par Frédéric Comyn

Location: 140 Rue de Belleville, 75020 Paris
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday: 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Contact information: +33 1 46 36 92 47

• Les Boulangers de Reuilly

Location: 54 Bd Reuilly, 75012 Paris
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday: 6:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Contact information: +33 1 46 28 32 77

2. Chocolate Croissant

Chocolate croissant, also called Pain au chocolat in French, is a delicacy you won’t regret tasting! Made of layered dough like a pastry in a crescent shape filled with chocolate inside, pain au chocolat is served directly from the oven in every Paris Bakery, alongside the traditional croissants. Chocolate croissants' airy and flaky texture can be paired with hot chocolate, jams or even cheese. 
A bite of a warm croissant will satisfy your sweet-seeking taste receptors.

Where to find it: 

• Du Pain et des Idées

Location:34 Rue Yves Toudic, 75010 Paris
Opening hours: Monday - Friday: 7:15 AM - 7:30 PM.
Contact information: +33 1 42 40 44 52

• Stohrer

Location: 51 Rue Montorgueil, 75002 Paris
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday: 8:00 AM - 8:30 PM.
Contact information: +33 1 42 33 38 20

• Pain Pain

Location: 88 R. des Martyrs, 75018 Paris
Opening hours: Tuesday - Sunday: 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM.
Contact information: +33 1 42 23 62 81

3. French Cheese

Cheese is the heart of French gastrology. French people consume 30 kilograms of Cheese every year, with more than 400 varieties of cheese available. You can taste cheese as a snack, refresher or any other meal in Paris. The best and most renowned way of eating cheese in Paris is taking it before or after a meal, and you can even pair it with baked pieces of bread or pizzas. France's naturally prepared and fresh cheese is famous for tasting heavenly with red and white wine! 

Cheese making is also a traditionally carried forward activity in Paris that is fascinating for visitors to watch and learn the art of cheese making. Fromagerie, Camembert, Brie, and Roquefort cheese are the must-try categories in Paris.

Where to find it: 

• MONTBLEU Faubourg Montmartre

Location: 37 Rue du Faubourg Montmartre, 75009Paris
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday: 12:00 PM - 10:30 PM
Contact information: +33 1 45 89 23 96

• Pain Vin Fromages

Location: 3 Rue Geoffroy L'Angevin, 75004 Paris
Opening hours: 7:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Contact information: +33 1 42 74 07 52

• Le Chalet Savoyard

Location: 58 Rue de Charonne, 75011 Paris
Opening hours: 12:00 PM - 2:30 PM
Contact information: +33 1 48 05 13 13

4. Macarons

Macaron is one of the top delicacies of Paris, which is as pleasing to the eyes as it is to your taste buds! These small cookies are a colourful delight of meringue and almond flour that is sweet and crunchy in taste. The cookies are filled with buttercream, ganache or even jams of different flavours. You can demand your favourite flavours like pistachio, caramel, vanilla, chocolate, coffee or raspberry.

If you have a sweet tooth, Macarons are a perfect option to munch on with coffee or tea in the morning. These small sandwich cookies are the bomb of tastefulness in literal senses and, thus, are the unrivalled king of cookies worldwide.

Where to find it:

• Ladurée

Location: 16 Rue Royale, 75008 Paris, France.
Opening hours: 8:00 AM -7:30 PM
Contact information: +33 1 42 60 21 79

• PIERRE HERMÉ Paris Bonaparte Store

Location: 72 Rue Bonaparte, 75006 Paris, France
Opening hours: 11:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Contact information: +33 1 45 12 24 02

• Carl Marletti

Location: 51 Rue Censier, 75005 Paris
Opening hours: 10:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Contact information: +33 1 43 31 68 12

5. Oysters

You can’t get enough Oysters in Paris. The favourite seafood of Parisians, Oysters, can be cooked or raw. It is a must-try food in France for the fact that France is a pioneer in Oyster consumption and export throughout the world. This fact makes it evident that the country has the best methods of preparation of this seafood. 

Eating oysters prepared in different styles can be an enlighteningexperience. Eating raw oysters adding vinegar and lemon, steaming, roasting or frying or even baking, and the list goes on! The taste is often enhanced by dipping the oysters in traditionally made butter and garlic. The best oysters are found inwinter season and are ranked 0 to 6 according to the size of the oysters, 0 being the largest.

Where to find it

• Huguette, Bistro de la mer

Location: 81 Rue de Seine, 75006 Paris
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday: 12:00 PM - 2:00 AM
Contact information: +33 1 43 25 00 28

• Le Mary Celeste

Location: 1 Rue Commines, 75003 Paris
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday: 6:00 PM - 2:00 AM

• Le Baron Rouge

Location: 1 Rue Theophile Roussel, 75012 Paris
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM and 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM.
Contact information: +33 1 43 43 14 32

6. Steak Frites

Not to anybody’s surprise, French fries are French! Steak Frites is the best pocket-friendly meal option in Paris. A grilled or fried steak is paired with fried potato fingers and salad to make a flawless dish loved by all Parisians. The plate, presented with the perfect combination of colours: the golden potato fries and the saucy steak will make you drool instantly. So, in France, don’t stop yourself from trying these delicious frites at all.

Where to find it

• Le Relais de l’Entrecôte

Location: 15 Rue Marbeuf, 75008 Paris
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday: 12:00 PM - 12:30 PM and 6:45 PM - 11:00 PM.
Contact information: +33 1 49 52 07 17

• La Maison de l'Aubrac

Location: 37 Rue Marbeuf, 75008 Paris
Opening hours: Sunday, Monday and Tuesday: 12:00 PM - 1:00 AM 
Wednesday: 12:00 PM - 6:00 AM
Thursday and Friday: 12:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Contact information: +33 1 43 59 05 14

• Le Pré aux Clercs

Location: 30 Rue Bonaparte, 75006 Paris
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday: 6:30 AM - 1:00 AM
Contact information: +33 1 43 54 41 73

7.  Crepes

Crepes are yet another interesting, easily found, street food adored in Paris. These are sleek pancakes served with Nutella, bananas or hams. Crepes can be of two kinds, savoury and sweet. The savoury crepes are often served with fillings like butter, cheese, vegetables or meats, while the sweet crepes are best eaten with various flavoured spreads, jams and even ice creams! 
The best part of crepes is that they can be eaten even while walking and saves you time in the mornings when you are in a hurry. Plus, you can find street side stalls for crepes every few steps in Paris. This basic, delicious and filling food is a must-try!

Where to find it

• Breizh Café

Location: 109 Rue Vieille-du-Temple, 75003 Paris, France
Opening hours: Monday - SUnday: 10:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Contact information: +33 1 42 72 13 77

• Crêperie Genia

Location: 7 Rue de la Harpe, 75005 Paris, France
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday: 11:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Contact information: +33 6 70 60 17 69

• The Crêperie

Location: 12 Rue Soufflot, 75005 Paris, France
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday: 7:00 AM - 12:00 AM
Contact information: +33 1 43 54 22 80

8. Créme Brûlée

Creme Brulee is a traditional sweet dish that is often known as Trinity Cream or burnt cream by non-residents. The vanilla-like smell of this dessert will attract all your olfactory receptors, and you’d end up ordering a Creme Brulee in any Parisian restaurant. Made of a custard base, the essential delicacy tastes heavenly with caramelised sugar layer on top of it. The dish is a favourite dessert  of French people and prefer to have it chilled. It tastes best when the inner core of the custard base is cold while the caramelised sugar layer is slightly warm. It is gluten-free and served fresh with fruit garnishing.

Where to find it

• Chez Janou

Location: 2 Rue Roger Verlomme, 75003 Paris, France
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday:: 8:00 AM - 2:00 AM
Contact information: +33 1 42 72 28 41

• La Jacobine

Location: 59-61 Rue Saint-André des Arts, 75006 Paris
Opening hours: Tuesday - Sunday: 12:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Contact information: +33 1 46 34 15 9

• Bistrot Victoires

Location: 6 Rue de la Vrillière, 75001 Paris, France
Opening hours: Monday - Saunday: 12:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Contact information: +33 1 42 61 43 78

9. Couscous

Couscous is an inseparable part of French cuisine that originated as a traditional dish of Maghreb. It is a dish with semolina flour, vegetables, meat or fish and exotic spices. Couscous is like rice in terms of texture and is Steamed to cook and expand into a fluffy edible. 

The steamed dish is usually served with chicken, beef or lamb and some savoury vegetable broth. The spices that give an extraordinary flavour to Couscous are saffron, cinnamon, ginger and coriander. It is also ranked 3rd among the favourite dishes of French people. 

Where to find it

• Le Touareg

Location: 228 Rue de Charenton, 75012 Paris, France
Opening hours: Tuesday - Sunday: 12:00 PM - 2:30 PM and 7:00 PM - 10:30 PM
(Closed on Monday.)
Contact information: +33 1 43 07 68 49

• Yemma

Location: 119 Rue du Chemin Vert, 75011 Paris, France
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday: 12:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Contact information: +33 1 48 05 67 07

• Le Timgad

Location: 37 Rue de l'Alma, 92400 Courbevoie, France
Opening hours: 12:00 - 2:30 PM and 7:00 PM - 10:30 PM
Contact information: +33 1 47 89 84 09

10.  Eclair

There is nothing better than trying eclairs to satisfy your sweet tooth! An eclair is made using choux dough and is filled with cream and flavoured icing of different kinds.  The long pastry bag is baked in such a way that it is hollow from the inside for the filling and crisp from the outer part. You can taste various flavours in an eclair filling, from whipped cream, custard, and rum-flavoured fillings to fruit or chestnut puree. The classic chocolate filling is the most demanded flavour in eclairs by Parisians. This slender puffed bar filled with the goodness of sweet ingredients will surely make you love authentic french cuisine.

Where to find it

• L’Éclair de génie

Location: 14 Rue Pavée, 75004 Paris, France
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday: 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Contact information: +33 1 42 77 86 37

• Boulangerie Utopie

Location: 20 Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, 75011 Paris, France
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday: 7:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Contact information: +33 9 82 50 74 48

• Pâtisserie Yann Couvreur

Location: 137 Ave Parmentier, 75010 Paris, France
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday: 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM

11. Meringues

There is no scarcity of sweetness in Paris! Meringue is a dessert, more appropriately, a candy that is a traditional french sweet dish made with egg whites, whipped cream and sugar. This appealing dish seems difficult to make, but it is a lot easier in reality. A bowl of egg white becomes fluffy and glossy  when whipped continuously. It is served on pies, cakes or even piped into pavlovas! The most loved form of meringue in Paris is the crunchy and brittle large candy-like treat. The kids and adults enjoy this cupful of frothed egg white because sweets need no excuses!

Where to find it

• Aux Merveilleux de Fred

Location: 24 Rue du Pont Louis-Philippe, 75004 Paris
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday: 7:30 AM - 8:00 PM
Contact information: +33 1 57 40 98 43

• Angelina Paris

Location: 226 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, France
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Contact information: +33 1 42 60 82 00

• Le Loir dans La Théière

Location: 3 Rue des Rosiers, 75004 Paris, France
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday: 9:00 AM - 7:30 PM
Contact information: +33 1 42 72 90 61

12. Duck Confit

Paris is a dreamland for those who crave poultry now and then. The French method of cooking duck is very different, which makes the Magret de canard and confit de canard the most mouth-watering bird meat. Confit of duck is the entire leg of the bird seasoned with flavours and slow-cooked until the meat falls off the bone and is tender enough to tear. For someone who hasn’t tried duck meat, it can be described as a rich layer of fat with the texture of steak.

Another duck recipe is Magret de canard which is the roasted breast of the bird sliced nicely to be served warm with sauces.

Where to find it

• La Jacobine

Location: 59-61 Rue Saint-André des Arts, 75006 Paris
Opening hours: Tuesday - Sunday: 12:00 PM - 11:00 PM
Contact information: +33 1 46 34 15 95

• Los Filósofos

Location: 28 Rue Vieille-du-Temple, 75004 Paris, France
Opening hours: Wednesday - Sunday: 9:00 AM - 2:00 AM
Contact information: +33 1 48 87 49 64

• Bouillon Chartier

Location: 7 Rue du Faubourg Montmartre, 75009 Paris
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday: 11:30 AM - 12:00 AM
Contact information: +33 1 47 70 86 29

13.  Coq Au Vin

The signature dish of Parisians is undoubtedly Coq Au Vin. What is a Paris visit without trying the classic Coq Au Vin? This is a dish made with braised chicken covered thoroughly in wine. The chicken is cooked in red wine and simmered with brandy that will drown you deep in the exotic taste of French cuisine. Served with fresh mushrooms, bacon and spring onions as sides that make up the savoury gravy or sauce of the main dish, chicken, Coq Au Vin tops the list of foods made out of fermented drinks all over the world. 

This can be described as a high-quality chicken stew influenced by France's wine culture. Eating Coq Au Vin on a frosty night will warm you up from the inside.

Where to find it

• Restaurant Le Coq

Location: 2 Pl. du Trocadéro et du 11 Novembre, 75116 Paris
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday: 7:00 AM - 12:30 AM
Contact information: +33 1 47 27 89 52

• Le Procope

Location: 13 Rue de l'Ancienne Comédie, 75006 Paris
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday: 12:00 PM - 12:00 AM
Contact information: +33 1 40 46 79 00

• Le Mesturet

Location: 77 Rue de Richelieu, 75002 Paris, France
Opening hours: Monday - Friday: 7:30 AM - 11:00 PM and Saturday - Sunday: 9:00 AM - 11 :00 PM
Contact information: +33 1 42 97 40 68

14.  Gelato

Gelato is the name given to all varieties of ice creams. The point of uniqueness lies in the shape of the ice cream, a flower-shaped gelato. Gelato not only quenches the desire to eat something chilly, the aesthetic beauty of Paris's rose-shaped gelato is a treat to the eyes.

The ice cream cones are filled to the top with gelato, and then the experts stack D-shaped petals on the top of the cone. The ice cream is often served with a gelato-filled macaron on top. The creativity shown in making a flower gelato can not be matched! You can come across various gelatos decorated so beautifully that they resemble real flowers. Don’t let the weather stop you; grab agelato, when in Paris!

Where to find it

• Berthillon

Location: 31 rue saint louis en l'ile, 75004 Paris, France
Opening hours: Wednesday - Sunday: 10:00 AM -  8:00 PM
Contact information: +33 1 43 54 31 61

• Glace Bachir

Location: 58 Rue Rambuteau, 75003 Paris, France
Opening hours: Monday - Saturday: 12:30 PM - 10:30 PM
Sunday: 12:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Contact information: +33 9 52 79 73 00

• RAIMO GLACIER PARIS

Location: 59-63 Bd de Reuilly, 75012 Paris, France
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Contact information: +33 1 43 43 70 17

15. Escargot

Escargot is the French word for snail, a classic french appetiser. They are served with their shells and taste like the gravy they are drenched in. The traditional french way of presenting Escargot is with garlic, butter, spring onion and parsley. These mildly flavored and delicate snails are eaten with a small fork and special tongs. 

Escargots are so famous in Paris that you can find them in literally every food outlet in the city ranging from Michelin star bistros to small-scale restaurants. Every place has its unique recipe for cooking these delicious snails.

Where to find it

• L'Escargot

Location: 38 Rue Montorgueil, 75001 Paris, France
Opening hours: Monday - Sunday: 12:00 PM - 10:30 PMContact information: +33 1 42 36 83 51

The culinary richness of Paris is well-known and appreciated by the entire world. On your trip, you can enjoy a wide range of food options in France every day and still won’t be able to taste everything that this capital of gastronomy has to offer. Food and traveling can never be enough, and Paris is an exemplary example of a perfect combination of both!