Paris Foodie Things to Do: A Chef’s Ultimate Guide
Paris is the city I have travelled to the most. And as a professional chef, I have spent the bulk of my time there eating and exploring its gastronomy.
I’ve visited for 4 days (my first time) and for stretches up to three months (nowadays I’m a slow traveler). I’ve returned more times than I can count, and this Paris foodie guide is a summary of all my culinary research.
So if you’re a foodie planning a trip to Paris, you’re in the right place. Below is my complete list of the best foodie things to do in the City of Light, from enjoying food tours and famous cafés to finding the best crêpes, markets, picnic spots, and more.
Foodies should take a stroll down Paris’ Rue Cler.
1. Take a Paris Food Tour or Cooking Class
If you only have a day or two in Paris, a food tour is the fastest way to eat your way through the city like a local.
A good guide will take you to the shops and stalls that most tourists walk right past. And if you really want to learn about French cuisine, a hands-on cooking class is the answer.
Some food tours will take you by famous landmarks like Sacré-Coeur.
Ultimate Paris Food Tour
This is my top pick for best food tour in the city. It stops at 8 different spots in Le Marais for 11 samples, including a croissant, cheese, chocolate, macaron, and French onion soup. It also visits Le Marché des Enfants Rouges, the oldest covered market in the city.
More info: Ultimate Paris Food Tour
Montmartre Walking Food Tour Paris
This is my #2 pick, and a favorite for its setting alone. This walking tour winds through the charming streets of Montmartre, near the Moulin Rouge and Sacré-Coeur, with six food stops along the way. These include opportunities to savor pastry, cheese, chocolate, baguette, charcuterie, and classic crêpes. It ends with a secret mystery dish and a wine tasting.
More info: Montmartre Walking Food Tour Paris
Paris Dinner Cooking Class
Rated 4.9 out of 5 with over 475 reviews, this is one of the most highly rated cooking classes in the city. Choose the option with a market visit in the Latin Quarter, where your chef teaches you how to pick out quality ingredients before heading back to the kitchen to prepare a 3-course French meal, paired with wine.
More info: Paris Dinner Cooking Class
For more guided tour options and cooking experiences, including a Champagne and food pairing, a chocolate-focused tour, and a macaron walking tour, check out my full guide: Best Paris Food Tours.
2. Try the Parisian Specialties
The French capital has more than 44,000 restaurants, so deciding which famous foods to eat in Paris and where to eat them can be overwhelming.
Below are some of the most traditional dishes. They’re the ones I always come back for, and I’m sharing the best places at which you should try them.
Duck Confit at Bo Man Café
Croque Monsieur & Croque Madame
Croque Monsieur is the quintessential Parisian snack. It’s a toasted ham and cheese sandwich with béchamel and Gruyère cheese, crisped on the outside. Add a fried egg and it becomes a Croque Madame. (Learn more about Croque Monsieur and Croque Madame.)
Croques are everywhere, and I’ve never had a bad one in Paris. For classics and modern twists, try Fric Frac Montmartre, 4 Rue des Trois Frères, 75018.
(Make a lighter version at home with this Croque Monsieur Recipe.)
Duck Confit
This classic is slow-cooked duck leg with crispy skin, usually served with potatoes cooked in duck fat. My favorite (and cheapest) version in the whole city is at Bo Man Café, 33 Rue Notre Dame de Lorette, 75009.
Moules Frites
Enjoy these mussels steamed in garlic, shallots, and white wine, served with french fries on the side, not in the bowl. Sit at a casual outside table and put away a whole pot at Le Royal, 8 Rue La Fayette, 75009.
Escargot
Quite simply, these are snails drenched in garlic butter. Escargot is one of the few things more affordable in Paris than almost anywhere else in the world.
Some consider escargot one of France’s weird foods, but they are genuinely delicious and worth trying at least once. Order some at L’Escargot Montorgueil, 38 Rue Montorgueil, 75001
For the full list of what to eat and where, read Top 10 Paris Foods.
3. Visit the Famous Paris Cafes
Paris café culture goes back to the late 1800s. Writers, artists, and philosophers used to sit for hours over a single coffee, and many of their favorite cafés are still open today.
I never feel guilty about skipping the historical sites and hanging out at the cafes: They can be just as interesting as museums in their own right.
Cafe de Flore, tied for most famous Paris Cafe with Les Deux Magots
Le Procope
The oldest café in Paris, Le Procope was founded in 1686 on the Left Bank. Napoleon dined here, and Benjamin Franklin once wrote a treaty at one of its tables.
Address: 13 Rue de l'Ancienne Comédie, 6th arrondissement
Les Deux Magots & Café de Flore
The two most famous cafes in Paris are across the street from each other in the neighborhood of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Hemingway, Picasso, Sartre, and Simone de Beauvoir all spent time at both.
Address: 6 Place Saint-Germain des Prés (Les Deux Magots); 172 Boulevard Saint-Germain (Café de Flore), 6th arrondissement
Angelina Paris
This is the home of what I consider the best hot chocolate in the world, the Chocolat Chaud L’Africain. It’s also the birthplace of the famous Mont-Blanc pastry.
Address: 226 Rue de Rivoli, 1st arrondissement
For the full list of 17 historic cafés, including some legends in Montparnasse, check out my Famous Paris Cafes article.
4. Walk the Best Paris Food Streets
Parisians don’t do most of their grocery shopping in a supermarket. They go street by street, shop by shop, and when in Paris, so should you. On these streets you’ll find everything from fresh produce and historic bakeries to inviting bistros with outdoor tables. Take your time to soak in the experience.
Artisan de la Truffe serves fantastic truffle pastas.
Rue des Martyrs
This is my favorite food street in the city, and the one I chose to live near for a month. Produce markets, cheese shops, bakeries, and chocolatiers line both sides of the street. Don’t skip Artisan de la Truffe, my go-to spot for truffle honey (one of the best foodie souvenirs you can bring home).
Address: 9th arrondissement, Pigalle
Rue Montorgueil
Explore the oldest and most historic of Paris’ food streets, with a livelier, slightly more touristy feel than Rue des Martyrs. It’s great for people-watching while partaking in an early happy hour.
Address: 2nd arrondissement, near Les Halles
Rue Cler
Rue Cler is a charming, partly pedestrianized market street in the 7th arrondissement, just a short walk from the Eiffel Tower. It’s lined with cheese shops, butchers, bakeries, and cafés.
Address: 7th arrondissement, near École Militaire
Rue du Cherche-Midi & Le Bon Marché
This fashionable shopping street is home to the legendary Boulangerie Poilâne and just steps from Le Bon Marché, a department store with an unbelievable food hall on the ground floor. If you want to bring home French food as a souvenir, this is one of the best stops in the city.
Address: 6th arrondissement (Rue du Cherche-Midi); 24 Rue de Sèvres, 75007 (Le Bon Marché)
Read more: The Best Paris Food Street
5. Indulge Your Sweet Tooth
Parisians eat dessert at lunch. They eat it for breakfast. Basically, they eat it at least once a day. Honestly, so did I most days I was in Paris, and my taste buds loved me for it.
Paris Brest, one of the French capital’s must-try desserts for foodies
Paris Brest
This is the signature dessert of the city: hazelnut praline cream sandwiched between two rings of puff pastry. Try it at Sébastien Gaudard, 22 Rue des Martyrs, 75009.
Berthillon Ice Cream
A family-run ice cream shop since 1954, Berthillon is still considered the best ice cream in Paris. Treat yourself at 31 Rue Saint-Louis en L’Île, 75004.
Macarons
These popular confections are light, colorful, and iconic. They might not be my personal favorite Paris dessert, but no visit to the city is complete without trying one.
Pierre Hermé and Laduree are two of the most famous macaron makers. If you’re on the Champs-Élysées, you can’t beat this iconic location: Laduree 75 Avenue des Champs-Élysées, 75008.
For more sweet treats, from Grand Marnier soufflé to flan vanille, read Best Desserts in Paris.
6. Sip French Wine at a Wine Bar
The Paris wine bar culture ranges from casual, unpretentious, standing-room bars to bistros specializing in French wine and helmed by famous French chefs. The great thing about either option? There are plenty of bottles of wines to discover at reasonable prices.
Even at Frenchie Wine Bar, I like to watch the kitchen.
Frenchie Bar à Vins
This buzzy, no-reservations wine bar from Chef Greg Marchand is tucked on the same tiny street as his flagship Michelin-starred restaurant. Expect a smart, ever-changing wine list and a small-plates menu that punches well above its weight.
Address: 5-6 Rue du Nil, 75002
Verjus Bar à Vins
This candlelit, intimate wine bar just steps from the Palais Royal is run by the team behind the restaurant of the same name. Small plates and a thoughtful, internationally leaning wine list make it perfect for a slow evening or a pre-dinner glass of wine.
Address: 47 Rue de Montpensier, 75001
Le Baron Rouge
An old-school Parisian favorite near the Marché d’Aligre opts to pour its wine straight from the barrel and also offers oysters shucked right on the sidewalk. Bring your own bottle to fill, or just grab a stool and stay a while.
Address: 1 Rue Théophile Roussel, 75012
Aux Deux Amis
A lively neighborhood spot in the 11th, Aux Deux Amis is known for small-producer natural wines and a tiny kitchen that hosts a rotating guest chef. Great for a casual apéro or a full dinner of shared plates.
Address: 45 Rue Oberkampf, 75011
7. Eat Local Street Foods
Even with some of the best restaurants in the world, Paris takes its street food seriously too. Jambon buerre is the most traditional street food (ham and butter sandwich). And while I’ve eaten plenty over the years, I encourage you to try something you may not have had before.
Street food is also the arena in which the city’s international side really shines.
It’s hard to pass a street cart full of cheese and not grab a bite.
Falafel on Rue des Rosiers
The historic Jewish quarter in Le Marais is the epicenter of Paris falafel. The original purveyor, still widely considered to have the best falafels in town, L’As du Falafel, opened in 1979. But also know that the long line of passionate fans waiting to get in often stretches down the block.
Address: 34 Rue des Rosiers, 4th arrondissement
Chez Alain Miam Miam
The draw here are legendary over-stuffed grilled sandwiches just steps away from the Marché des Enfants Rouges. Anticipate a wait, but expect it to be worth it.
Address: 26 Rue Charlot, 75003
Cheese from a Street Cart
Sometimes the best street food in Paris is a quick snack without a lot of fanfare—especially if it’s cheese. Pick up a mini-wheel or a few slices of cheese from a fromager’s sidewalk counter and call it lunch.
Try it at Fromager Chataigner, 3 Rue des Martyrs, 75009
For a bunch more amazing street food, read Best Paris Street Food.
8. Breakfast Like a Parisian
A typical French breakfast is lighter and sweeter than you might expect: bread or pastry and a hot drink like coffee, tea, or hot chocolate. Eggs are almost never part of it. Here are some ways to start your day like a Parisian.
Pain chocolate and coffee—the perfect Parisian breakfast
Croissants
The classic French breakfast pastry is flaky and buttery, and best eaten fresh from a boulangerie the same morning it’s baked.
Pain au Chocolat
This croissant has chocolate baked right into its center. Order it alongside a café au lait and you’ve got a perfect Parisian morning.
Pain aux Raisins
A soft, spiraled pastry is filled with pastry cream and raisins. It’s less famous than the croissant, but just as worth trying. The most famous in the city is at Du Pain et des Idées.
Read more: French Breakfast Pastries.
9. Find the Best Crêpes
Crêpes originally came from Brittany, not Paris, but the French capital has embraced them completely. They are a popular street food in Paris, but the best ones will be found at crêperies. BTW, sweet crêpes use white flour, savory galettes use buckwheat.
My favorite Paris crepe with a view of the Panthéon
La Crêperie
Located across from the Panthéon, La Crêperie allows you to gaze at this famous landmark and check out the constant flow of passersby while enjoying your crepe or galette at an outside table. The Alaskan Galette (smoked salmon and avocado) is my personal favorite here.
Address: 12 Rue Soufflot, 75005
Breizh Café
Widely considered one of the best crêperie brands in Paris, Breizh has a devoted following and 12 locations around the city.
Address: 23 Rue Paul Bert, 75011, among many others
Au P'tit Grec
This tiny, budget-friendly spot on the foodie street Rue Mouffetard offers great choices, but expect to take yours to go.
Address: 68 Rue Mouffetard, 75005
Read more: Best Crepes in Paris.
10. Picnic in a Park
I’ve spent months at a time in Paris, and grabbing some French cheese and a fresh baguette for a picnic is still one of my favorite ways to enjoy the best of the city.
This type of dining is cheap and easy, and it usually provides a better view than a sit-down meal.
Even if you don’t take a picnic, the Medici Fountain is worth a gander.
Luxembourg Gardens
This is one of the most beautiful parks in Paris, and home to the Fontaine de Médicis, a shaded, romantic fountain that’s an absolute must-see. This park is also a big part of the local culture. Take time to watch a game of boule (France’s answer to bocce) afterwards.
Jardin des Tuileries
Right between the Louvre and Place de la Concorde, this gem has plenty of green chairs to set up wherever you like.
Parc Monceau
Parc Monceau is a quieter, more residential park in the 8th arrondissement that offers whimsical follies constructed in the late 1700s to surprise visitors. You’ll also have fewer tourists to contend with here than at a lot of the better known options.
Bois de Boulogne
A massive park on the western edge of the city, this behemoth is more than twice the size of Central Park. It has lakes, gardens, and plenty of open lawn. When you see a movie with people in a row boat in Paris, this is where they are.
For everything you need to build the perfect cheese spread, read French Cheese Board.
11. Explore the Paris Food Markets
Shopping the local markets and discovering interesting French foods is one of the best ways to see how Parisians actually eat.
You can get everything you need for a picnic at Paris’ food markets.
Marché des Enfants Rouges
Dating back to 1615, this is the oldest covered market in Paris. It’s small, but packed with produce stalls, cheesemongers, and international food counters where you can grab lunch on the spot.
Address: 39 Rue de Bretagne, 75003
Marché Biologique Raspail
Every Sunday, this organic market on Boulevard Raspail is in session in the 6th arrondissement. I once lived a few blocks from here and could never resist the fresh figs in season.
Address: Boulevard Raspail, between Rue de Rennes and Rue du Cherche-Midi, 75006
Marché d’Aligre
The Marché D’Aligre is one of the most popular markets with Parisians themselves, and one of my favorites too. It’s really three markets in one: an outdoor produce market, the historic covered Marché Beauvau, and a flea market on the square. It runs six days a week, being closed on Mondays.
Address: Place d’Aligre, 75012
12. Eat at a Michelin-Rated Bib Gourmand
A Bib Gourmand is Michelin’s award for excellent food at a fair price. In other words, they are not Michelin stars, but a stamp of approval that means the cooking is genuinely worth seeking out and of good value.
In my experience, they tend to be less fine dining while featuring more classic French dishes on their lunch and dinner menus than starred restaurants do.
The food at Les Canailles is well deserving of a Bib Gourmande.
Les Canailles Pigalle
This bistronomic spot near the Moulin Rouge was opened by two chefs from Brittany. Expect seasonal ingredients, traditional French cooking, and beautiful presentations.
Address: 25 Rue La Bruyère, 75009
Le Pantruche
A retro 1940s-style bistro near Pigalle, La Pantruche is famous for its seasonal French cooking at fair prices. The lunch menu is the best value of the day!
Address: 3 Rue Victor Massé, 75009
Le Comptoir de la Gastronomie
This Belle Époque institution near Les Halles dates back to 1894. It is known for foie gras, French onion soup, and Burgundy snails, all served in a beautiful old épicerie setting.
Address: 34 Rue Montmartre, 75001
Astier
A Paris institution since 1956, Astier is located near République. It is famous for its generous cheese course and classic dishes like rabbit in mustard sauce, served in a cozy, old-school bistro setting.
Address: 44 Rue Jean-Pierre Timbaud, 75011
Learn the Differences Between Bistro, Brasserie, and Restaurant.
13. Dine in an Ultra Parisian Setting
Sometimes the setting is just as important as the meal. These are the spots I recommend for a truly special Parisian dining experience.
Le Train Bleu will transport you back to the Belle Époque.
Le Train Bleu
This stunning Belle Époque restaurant sits inside Gare de Lyon train station, with gilded ceilings, chandeliers, and 41 painted frescoes. You don’t need a train ticket to eat here.
Address: Place Louis-Armand, Gare de Lyon, 75012
Café Campana
This café is tucked at the top of the Musée d’Orsay, right by the museum’s famous clock. What a great lunch stop this is if you’re planning to spend the day surrounded by art.
Address: Musée d'Orsay, 1 Rue de la Légion d’Honneur, 75007
Le Jules Verne
A two-Michelin-starred restaurant on the second floor of the Eiffel Tower itself, this special spot also boasts sweeping views of the Seine. Reserve months in advance.
Address: Eiffel Tower, 2nd floor, Avenue Gustave Eiffel, 75007
Les Ombres
This highly rated rooftop restaurant sits atop the Musée du Quai Branly, and offers one of the best unobstructed views of the Eiffel Tower in the city.
Address: 27 Quai Branly, 75007
Paris Foodie Tips
You could spend a lifetime in this city and still not eat your way through everything it has to offer—believe me, I’ve tried. Here are a few tips to make the most of the time you have.
Make Reservations
Whether it’s for tours, tickets, or restaurants, if you can make a reservation, do it.
Learn a Few French Words
Yes, there are way more English speakers today than years ago, especially at restaurants. However, a few niceties can go a long way. Bonjour (hello), merci (thank you), and s’il vous plaît (please; pronounced see-voo-play) are the absolute minimum.
Be Flexible
This list is not exclusive—especially when it comes to restaurants. If you see something that catches your eye, look at its reviews, then make an informed decision.
Keep Location in Mind
In order to maximize your time, map out the things you want to do, then group them by location.
Don’t Do It All
This is a guide, not a checklist. Relax, pick a few must-dos, and plan as best you can without running yourself ragged. It’s Paris—you’ll have a great time!
Bon appétit!
