Top 10 foods you should try in Paris

Planning a romantic break to France's capital city? Between casual strolls along the Seine and stops to enjoy the many cultural offerings, make sure you indulge in some of the city's most delicious cuisine.

1. Baguette

It is safe to say that Paris is the place on Earth with the highest density of top-quality, artisanal baguettes. Each year a competition is held to elect the 'Meilleure Baguette de Paris', and the list of best-baguette awardees is a good resource to select your provider. Don’t forget to tear off the crusty, still-warm tip and nibble on it as you walk away, as any self-respecting Parisian does.

2. Steak-frites

The epitome of the bistro dish, this simple pairing of a grilled steak with various optional sauces and chips is elevated to serious heights when the meat is well selected and carefully matured, and the potatoes are fresh, hand-cut and double-fried.

3. Croque-monsieur

Most brasseries and cafés in Paris offer non-stop service, and a staple of their menu is the croque-monsieur, an oozy and crisp grilled ham and cheese sandwich usually moistened by a touch of Béchamel sauce. If you’re extra hungry, get the croque-madame, which adds a fried egg on top.

3. Flamiche

Flamiche means 'cake' in Flemish and this dish originates from northern France, near the border with Belgium. It is a puff-pastry crust filled with cheese and vegetables and resembles a quiche. The traditional French filling is leeks and cream. There is also a pizza-like version of flamiche, which is without the top crust of the pie. For a southern French twist, try the thin crusty pissaladière which is topped with anchovies, onions and olives.

4.Croissant

Walk past any bakery in the wee hours of the morning and you’ll be instantly spellbound by the warm buttery smell of fresh croissants escaping from the air vents at pavement level. This is your cue to step in and get your golden prize, which you can tuck into and savour on your morning walk as the city awakens. 

5. Confit De Canard

Confit de canard is a tasty French dish of duck – although goose and pork can also be used – and is considered one of the finest French dishes. The meat is specially prepared using a centuries-old preserve and slow-cook process (confit), where the duck meat is marinated in salt, garlic and thyme for up to 36 hours and then slow-cooked in its own fat at low temperatures (an alternative to deep-frying).

6.Macarons

The delicate pastry, consisting of two almond meringue shells glued together with buttercream or ganache, has taken the world by storm but its birthplace is resolutely Paris. Available in all sorts of flavours and just as many colours, macarons are two-bite delights, but it is worth seeking them out from reputable pastry shops that actually make their own – many just hop on the bandwagon and sell factory-made ones that aren’t worth your time or dime – and go easy on the rainbow-style food colourings.

7. Street-stand Crêpes

Walking around Paris, you’ll see street stands selling crêpes everywhere. One of the few truly native street foods, the crêpe is indeed a lovely treat to indulge in when it’s time for an afternoon snack. Be sure to pick a stand that cooks crêpes to order (rather than reheat them from a pile cooked earlier), makes them thin (nothing worse than a gummy, undercooked crêpe) and is kept spotlessly clean. 

8. Nicoise salad

Salade niçoise is a typical French salad from the Provence region, which can be served as a side dish or a meal on its own. It's typically a filling salad of lettuce, fresh tomatoes, boiled eggs, canned tuna, green beans, Nicoise Cailletier olives and anchovies, although many variations exist.

9.Ratatouille

Ratatouille is another globally known French dish, hailing from the southeastern French region of Provence. It is a stewed vegetable recipe that can be served as a side dish, meal or stuffing for other dishes, such as crepes and omelettes. The vegetables are generally first cooked in a shallow pan on high heat with a small amount of fat, and then oven-baked in a dish. French chefs debate the correct way to cook ratatouille: some do not agree with sauteing all vegetables together, such as Julia Child, and argue the vegetables should be cooked separately and layered into the baking dish.

10. Absinthe, ‘The green fairy’

You’ll find wine bars all over France, with a great selection of wine bars in Paris. Even the smallest villages have bars, sometimes in part of a private house, where you can have glass of wine, a bottle of beer or a café. Find a traditional bar à vins with a zinc top counter and ask for a glass of absinthe. This bright green, aniseed flavoured liqueur was popular amongst Parisian writers and artists in the early 20th century. It was banned for 100 years, up until 2011, for its supposedly hallucinatory effects.