16 Things to eat in Paris and where

French cuisine and its delicacies are known all over the world. However, we are led to think that eating in Paris only means enjoying refined dishes cooked by great chefs in luxurious restaurants. Wrong! The French capital is not only enchanting, but also a great place to indulge in sins of gluttony within everyone's reach.
Can you name the best ones? No problem, we'll introduce you to the 16 must-try specialities in the Ville Lumière.

1 - Baguette

Absolutely unmissable, a real must-try! Forget about the ones you've eaten so far in Italy or elsewhere: the real French baguette is something superfine. It is not just bread, it is an institution, and has recently been included among the Intangible Heritage of Humanity by Unesco.

Its delicious crust and soft interior will blow you away, especially when freshly baked. No matter if it is stuffed or not, it is simply a masterpiece! Remember, the real thing 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 does it cost: €1.00 approx.

2 - Croque-Monsieur and Madame

You will find it in cafés and bars very easily. Don't let its simple appearance of a stuffed sandwich fool you, though, because it is a real explosion of goodness. No one knows why it is called a'ladies' bite', but it consists of grilled toast with ham and cheese (usually Emmental or Gruyère). Its more elaborate version also includes béchamel. There is also a 'ladies' variant, the Croque-Madame, with the addition of a fried egg on top.

• Recommended for: lunch or as a hearty snack

• How much does it cost: about €4.50

3 - Croissant

Think France and, after the word baguette, you immediately think croissant. A sweet delight of leavened puff pastry and butter, lots of butter. A joy for the palate that you cannot resist tasting and then buying several times a day.

The croissant (literally'crescent') is so called because of its crescent moon shape. According to several popular and erroneous tales, this typical French pastry got its shape thanks to a baker who, while working at night, heard the noise of the Turks digging an underground tunnel. As a reward for saving the city, he received the exclusive right to produce crescent-shaped pastries to commemorate the event.

• Recommended for: breakfast with a cup of coffee, as per tradition, or as a snack.

• How much does it cost: €3.00 approx. one croissant + coffee

4 - Pain au chocolat

It will literally blow your mind and you will want to eat it again and again! This absolutely wonderful freshly baked treat is a kind of buttery square croissant rolled on one or more chocolate bars. Doesn't your mouth already water at the very thought?

• Recommended for: breakfast or for tasty snacks

• How much does it cost: about €3.50 a pain au chocolat + coffee

5 - Paris-Brest

Photo by Deror_avi. Another sweet and wonderful French pastry creation consisting of a choux pastry dough (the kind used to make cream puffs) filled with buttercream and decorated with almond slivers. This cake was created by a pastry chef from Maisons-Laffitte, Louis Durand, in 1891 to commemorate the Paris-Brest-Paris cycle race. Its circular shape represents a wheel. It became popular among the cyclists in the race because of its high energy content and goodness. It later spread to pastry shops all over France.

• Recommended for: dinner as a dessert or for a hearty snack

• How much does it cost: €4.50 approx. a single paris-brest, €25.00 approx. for 4 people

6 - Macarons

Macarons are like cherries: one pulls the other! And they are so pretty with their endless 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 delicious cream. They come in many colours to match the taste.

• Recommended for: dinner as a small dessert or for a sophisticated snack

• How much: about €1.50 each

7 - Soupe gratinée à l'oignon

This is no ordinary onion soup, but much more. It really is a delicious, traditional French dish that you absolutely must try in its Parisian au gratin version. Don't be fooled by the word soupe because this is no ordinary soup, but rather a hearty dish of peasant origin so tasty that it can be found in practically all classy restaurants and prepared by top chefs. The old tradition was to eat it in the bistros near the Halles (the general markets), at dawn after a night of revelry. Even today, some of these establishments, open all night, serve this tasty soup.

• Recommended for: dinner

• How much: €10.00 approx.

8 - Crêpes

A symbol of French cuisine, impossible not to love. You can find them in both sweet and savoury versions and they are absolutely delicious. Perhaps not everyone knows that the name comes from the ancient Latin'crispus', meaning'rolled up' precisely because the dough, once filled, has to be artfully rolled onto itself. In France, it is definitely a traditional dish that tourists and Parisians love to eat in specific restaurants: crêperies. However, it is also possible to enjoy them thanks to street stalls on every corner of the city. There are many varieties of crêpes, but undoubtedly the most famous is the Crêpe Suzette (filled with orange sauce and infused with Grand Marnier liqueur).

• Recommended for: breakfast or snack

• How much does it cost: €3.50 / 6.00 approx. depending on the filling

9 - Parisian quiche (and more)

There are many variations of quiche, including the famous Quiche Lorraine. The Parisian version includes, in addition to the brisée pastry casing, a filling of béchamel sauce, smoked ham and gruyère cheese. In any case, in addition to the 'capital' version, amuse your palate by tasting all the possible variations: you won't regret it!

• Recommended: as an appetiser

• How much does it cost: €2.50 approx. per slice, €1.50 approx. for a single-serving pie

10 - Omelette

Already the name reveals its clear French origins, and in the Parisian one, the secret is not so much in the ingredients but in the cooking. First of all, butter is used instead of oil, and then it is only cooked on one side, not turned (otherwise it would be the equivalent of an omelette), and in this way it retains its soft texture. Finally, the mixture to be poured into the pan is made with eggs and milk. They are generally filled with ham and cheese and a sprinkling of herbs.

• Recommended: breakfast, starter, main course

• How much does it cost: from around €8.00

11 - Escargot

This is a Parisian speciality for refined palates and cuisines. First of all, let us point out that Escargot are large land snails, of the Helix Pomatia type. After cooking, they are stuffed with a creamy mixture of butter, garlic, chopped parsley and pepper and then placed in the oven to melt and absorb this cream. Not everyone knows that snails, after being purged, are taken out of their shells: this is then stuffed with the cream, the snail is put back in again and sealed with the butter and garlic cream. Take care when cooking to keep the mouth of the shell upwards, so as not to let the butter drain off and thus create unwanted burns.

• Recommended: as an appetiser

• How much does it cost: about €15.00 to €30.00 per portion

12 - Foie Gras

Foie gras is goose (or duck) liver. It is a much sought-after dish and a must at banquets of a certain importance. To prepare it, great care must be taken not to spoil the meat, which is very delicate, while separating the connective tissue. Then it is left to marinate for at least 24 hours with brandy, salt, sugar, pepper and spices and then cooked in a bain-marie oven. Then it is lowered in a bowl with ice, and left in the fridge for 24 hours.

• Recommended: as an appetiser

• How much does it cost: from about €50.00 per kilo, about €40.00 a portion in a restaurant

13 - Boeuf bourguignon

A great classic of French cuisine, especially for those who prefer meat. It has peasant origins, and is a kind of beef and bacon stew cooked slowly in a marinade of wine, spices, carrots and onions. In some variants it is prepared with mushrooms.

• Recommended: as a main course or single dish

• How much does it cost: from approx. €15.00 per portion

14 - Coq au Vin

Coq au Vin is Chicken in Wine, but it would be too reductive to limit it to this. It requires first of all a nice, free-range chicken, and a marinade to be prepared at least a day in advance with wine, carrots, herbs, shallots and juniper berries. The chicken is poured into the marinade and left for 24 hours. The rest of the preparation is anything but light: after browning the chicken pieces in duck fat (or lard), a base is prepared with bacon, shallots, garlic, all flamed with brandy, then the chicken pieces are put back in and finished cooking.

• Recommended: as a main course or single dish

• How much does it cost: from about €20.00 per portion

15 - Ratatouille

Made famous by the Disney Pixar film, Ratatouille is actually exactly what you see in the film: a poor man's dish, with evidently peasant roots, consisting of vegetables cut into slices or cubes and seasoned with oil and garlic. Actually, it seems that there is no single recipe, but each peasant family had its own version and its own selection of vegetables, which are usually aubergines, courgettes, peppers, tomatoes and onions. The secret is to cook the vegetables separately before combining them into a single dish.

• Recommended: as an appetiser or main course

• How much does it cost: from about €15.00 per portion

16 - Parisian chocolate

Don't be surprised to find chocolate among these 10 must-haves because in Paris this 'banal delight' is something else entirely. Mâitre chocolatiers create true works of art that are also masterpieces of goodness. Passion is not enough: it also takes dedication, preparation and talent. And you will find plenty of that in Paris.

• Recommended: as a delicious treat

• How much does it cost: from around €4.50 upwards per piece

Where to eat in Paris: best restaurants, typical places and street food

Paris is one of the gastronomic capitals of the world: you will find there the best of French cuisine but also international culinary proposals.

A French meal basically consists of three courses: the starters and/or first courses(hors-d'oeuvres or entrées), the main course (theplats) and desserts.
You have two ways to order: à la carte, or take advantage of the advantageous formules, complete menus that allow you to take 2 or 3 courses together for a set price.

There are an infinite number of restaurants in Paris, but the most typical places to try French cuisine are the Bistros and Brasseries.
Here are the best places to eat in Paris.

1 - La Tour d'Argent

• Description: a very elegant restaurant with a beautiful view of Notre Dame. The oldest restaurant in the city with a cellar containing over 400,000 bottles. Ideal for a romantic dinner

• Speciality: duck rare

• Average price: from €190.00 per person

• Address: Get directions

2 - Brasserie Lipp

• Description: typical restaurant whose strengths lie in its meat dishes and desserts.

• Speciality: canard and entrecote

• Average price: from €40.00 per person

• Address: Get directions

3 - Les Crêpes de Louis-Marie

• Description: small quaint place specialising in both sweet and savoury crepes

• Speciality: crepes

• Average price: from €8.00 per person

• Address: Get directions

4 - Frog & Underground

• Description: Underground-style venue perfect for a night out with friends, specialising in burgers and beers.

• Speciality: beers and burgers

• Average price: from €15.00 per person

• Address: Get directions

5 - L'Aubergeade

• Description: typical restaurant where you can enjoy both meat and fish dishes very well prepared and made at fair prices. Quality wines and friendly staff.

• Speciality: tartare and canard

• Average price: from €35.00 per person

• Address: Get directions

6 - Cafe le Zimmer

• Description: a delightful café in the centre, opposite the Seine, it is a historic brasserie perfect for a quick lunch or a coffee. Very elegant interior, it has hosted personalities such as Jules Vernes, Emile Zola, Marcel Proust

• Speciality: choucroute, both Alsatian (meat-based) and de la mer (fish-based) versions

• Average price: from €35.00 per person

• Address: Get directions

7 - Treize au Jardin

• Description: located along one side of the Jardin du Luxembourg, right in the centre, this is a perfect place for brunch, tea or a slice of cake. Cosy inside, beautiful outdoor terrace in good weather.

• Speciality: soups and salads

• Average price: from €20.00 per person

• Address: Get directions

8 - Breizh Café

• Description: located in the Marais district, very sustainability-conscious café. Specialised in sweet and savoury crepes, with an excellent quality of ingredients.

• Speciality: crepes

• Average price: from €30.00 per person

• Address: Get directions

9 - Bouillon Pigalle

• Description: very well known bistro, located in the Pigalle district 400 metres from the Mouline Rouge. Very well-kept location, specialising in main courses and desserts. Distinguished by long tables to share with diners.

• Speciality: soupe à l'oignon, escargots persillés

• Average price: from €25.00 per person

• Address: Get directions

10 - Derriers

• Description: an establishment in the Marais district with a very bohemian, informal and un-touristy feel. The inner courtyard is very intimate. Excellent desserts and meats.

• Speciality: boeuf, Agneau

• Average price: from €25.00 per person

• Address: Get directions

11 - Le Cochon à l'Oreille

• Description: right in the centre, in the Les Halles district, 10 minutes from the Louvre. It is an old-style bistro, 19th century atmosphere, offers popular dishes but with excellent quality and modest prices.

• Speciality: Entrecôte de bœuf

• Average price: from €20.00 per person

• Address: Get directions