Originating in the same country as the famed Michelin Star scale used to rate restaurants across the world, it’s no surprise that French food is truly in a league of its own. Remarkably inventive and inspiring, French cuisine is ubiquitous, being replicated in even some of the more remote places of the world like the Sahara. Although we could never pretend to be foodies or to have the sophisticated palates of food critics, we do love to eat and must say that, before the end of our first day in Paris, we were over-the-moon for French food. Literally everything we ate in France was delicious and very different from the American version of French food that we’d been plied with before our trip to France. To us, each dish we tried was a masterpiece, showcasing the artistry and creativity of French cuisine. Even better than the food was the enormous selection of delectable pastries and unique dessert creations that we sampled across the country. From escargot and lamb confit to croissants and pain au chocolate, every bite we savored in France was mouthwatering and impeccably prepared. Honestly, we think the sumptuous French food that so meticulously focuses on the use of clean, preservative-free ingredients prepared in intriguing ways is the real reason that anyone should go to France. Keep reading to see some of our favorite restaurant picks in France!
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Weird French delicacies that will keep you coming back for more — or not!
Now, every nation has dishes that they identify with. The kinds of foods that are considered “home-cooking” and which are often difficult to replicate in other parts of the world. We’re talking about foods like authentic Jamaican Jerk Chicken or the high-altitude Pan Chuta bread of Peru or even the classic all-American cheeseburger! Well, France is no different! The French also love their comfort foods and many of the rustic dishes from France’s storied past are still served today especially in smaller towns and villages. So, before we move on the fancy dishes to try in France, of which there are many, we want to highlight some of the local delights that remain near and dear to the French people. We can’t promise that you’ll love, or even dare to try, all these dishes but if you do have the courage to order them then we promise that you’ll be in for a one-of-a-kind culinary adventure!
Escargot
Well, we’d be picking our jaws off the floor quite literally if someone was to say they’d never heard of Escargot. Escargot, much like the croissant, is synonymous with France. The main feature of this dish is, of course, the land snails which are known as Escargot. The snails are prepared in a variety of ways but are almost always served warm with butter and herbs and a few toast-points to soak up all that buttery goodness. Although we were quite biased and were predisposed to avoid escargot in general, we decided to try it anyway! How else could we reliably decry this much-loved French delicacy? Well, to our surprise, we loved the delicate texture of the Escargot served to us and who could resist toast and garlic butter? To be honest though, the snails were served with so much clarified butter that it’s hard to truly say what they taste like. So, the question now is do we actually like escargot or are we just suckers for amazing garlic butter? Hard to say really! As for the texture of the escargot, they possessed a texture similar to that of well-prepared and tender octopus. Our favorite Escargot dishes — yes, we ate it more than once! — were from Rose DuPont and La Tablee in Chamonix. So, should you try escargot when you visit France? Yes! This treat is much tastier and much less intimidating than you might think is definitely a must-try dish when in France!
Foie Gras
Another very French and a very Haute Cuisine delicacy in France is Foie Gras. But what is it exactly? Well, Foie Gras is very fatty duck or goose liver that is often puréed into a spread and served as an appetizer. Lovers of this delicacy describe it as buttery and succulent, and we’ll have to take their word for it as we’re not fans of offal and would not touch it with a ten-foot pole. Furthermore, did we mention that Foie Gras is a controversial food that is banned in multiple countries due to questionable treatment of the animals from which it is obtained? That being said, our goal here isn’t to dissuade you from sampling it if it’s on your list of things to try especially as we’ve heard glowing reviews from locals and as France is likely the best place in the world to get a taste of Foie Gras if you really want it.
Andouillette
Literally the only food we hated in France, the Andouillette sausage is a special concoction that we believe you’d have to lose your sense of smell or taste to try. Sounds like we’re being a little dramatic? Well, we’re not! Having stopped for lunch in the picturesque town of Beaune, we decided to try some of the traditional, countryside dishes. We were particularly fascinated to learn of a locally made specialty sausage from our waitress who practically drooled while describing it. Well, one order and several minutes later we were presented with what looked like a short, rotten log of Bologna. About five or six inches in length, the sausage was 3-4 inches wide and came in a casing of an unsettling shade of gray.
At this point we were dubious but not yet deterred. After rolling it around and examining it from all sides, we figured “what the hell” might as well try it because no one wants to just waste 20 Euros right? And that remains the worst decision we made during our entire time in France. Cutting open the sausage, whole pieces of pig intestines spilled out and an odor as foul as a festering septic tank rose to our noses. Not only was this sausage nothing like the Johnsonville Andouille sausage we expected, it was also, in our opinion, not even a sausage! Just a sack of smelly intestines! Anyway, we quickly requested its removal but so rank was the smell that even the knife used to cut it open had to be replaced. So, how is this a delicacy, you ask? We truly don’t know! The locals may love the Andouillette, but we recommend that you approach with caution and be ready to flee at the poke of your fork!
La Tete de Veau
Although reportedly much tastier than the Andouillette, La Tete de Veau is nevertheless another intimidating French delicacy. This dish, made of calf’s head, is a specialty that is harder to find in restaurants but that is frequently served at family feasts. It is said that the Tete de Veau was created to commemorate the decapitation of the reigning King during the French Revolution and initially involved the French citizenry cutting off and braising entire pigs’ heads. Over time the practice changed and now calf’s head is the centerpiece of this dish. To prepare the dish, the calf’s head is boiled along with aromatic vegetables and herbs for several hours until tender then it is trimmed and served with a mustard based sauce known as Gribiche. Fortunately for us, we did not find a restaurant serving La Tete de Veau while in France and never had to make the difficult choice of “to eat or not to eat?” What we have heard though is that if you’re not too squeamish and won’t turn green at finding a part of a tongue on your plate, then you may enjoy this dish of fork-tender and flavorful meat.
Must-try Restaurants in France and Monaco
Putting aside the dubious delicacies described above, there is much to explore in France when it comes to intricately and deliciously prepared foods. From France to Monaco, here are some of the restaurants and dishes that we enjoyed the most and that we know you’ll love too!
Paris
Volfoni
Located on the Champs-Elysée, Volfoni is an Italian restaurant with large indoor and outdoor dining areas. Reminiscent of a lively Mexican joint, Volfoni’s indoor area boasts bright colors and upbeat music and is one of the rare “street-side” cafes with good air conditioning along the Champs-Elysée. Although not the best restaurant on the famous avenue, Volfoni is nevertheless nicely located, reasonably priced and has an indoor brick-oven that leaves no doubt about where their pizzas are coming from. If you do get a chance to try them out, we particularly recommend the fried prawns and the chicken rosso pizza with scamorza cheese. While we felt that the fried prawns were crunchy and flavorful, the portion size was a little small for the price we paid. The pizza, on the other hand, was perfect with a light airy crust, nicely seasoned chicken and the creamy, slightly nutty scamorza cheese. Now that we’re reflecting on things, perhaps we’d have been better off ordering two pizzas and ignoring the rest of the menu! We should also mention that Volfoni is a part of a chain of restaurants and can be found scattered throughout France and Switzerland so we’re sure you’ll get an opportunity to try them out even if you miss them in Paris.
Chez Pippo
A classic street-side Parisian Café, Chez Pippo is an Italian restaurant located within a 5-minute walk of the Eiffel Tower. The quaint café is small with limited seating and reservations are a must if you would like to dine there. As for what to order, the menu at Chez Pippo is set but they do offer creative daily specials. We tried the Duck Risotto, Squid ink pasta with prawns and the Pappardelle with Bolognese. We found both the risotto and the squid ink pasta to be delicious and unique however the bolognese was a bit of a letdown as the sauce was quite bland. All in all, we had a good experience at Chez Pippo with its the lovely ambience and exceptional service and would recommend a visit. Just steer clear of the red sauces and you ought to be just fine!
Une Zebre
Perhaps our favorite restaurant in Paris, Une Zebre is a truly French and surprisingly bohemian restaurant situated in the heart of the Montmartre area of Paris, just up the hill from Moulin Rouge. Although reservations can be made online, Une Zebre is more of a free-spirited restaurant serving locals of Montmarte and operates on a first-come-first-served basis. Guests are welcomed to seat themselves at any available table within the small dining room which does have AC or at one of the outdoor tables. For the best dining experience at Une Zebre, however, we suggest trying to nab one of the few on-street tables, this way you can enjoy a meal and some top-notch people watching as well. As for what to eat at Une Zebre, we guarantee that you won’t be disappointed with anything you order off their small menu. We ordered the Burrata with roasted honey served with ciabatta bread and a nicely dressed salad for our appetizer. We followed this with the Lyonnaise Beef with caramelized onions and potato gratin, the Halibut with lemon sauce and grilled vegetables and a good old cheeseburger and fries. Each of these delectable dishes were perfectly prepared and delivered on flavor. Portion sizes at Une Zebre were large and prices were shockingly cheap. Honestly, the next time we’re in Paris, Une Zebre will undoubtedly be our first stop for dinner!
Check out Dolce Pepone for dessert once you’re done with dinner at Une Zebre. This cute little patisserie and ice cream shop is located just across the street from Une Zebre and serves up some pretty bold and exotic flavors when it comes to their ice creams and macaroons. We particularly loved the mango/passion fruit ice cream!Tip:
Le Ciel de Paris
Situated on the 56th floor of the skyscraper Montparnasse Tower, Le Ciel de Paris’s claim to fame is its spectacular view of Paris and the Eiffel Tower. Reservations are a must for anyone wanting to enjoy an upscale dinner and the accompanying million-dollar views at this restaurant. Le Ciel de Paris offers several menus to choose from including two prix fixe options and a standard al la carte menu. Our party selected both the Balcony menu and a couple of Al la carte dishes as well to fully explore the choices. We sampled the Multicolored tomato salad, the salmon with butternut squash risotto, the cod fillet with cockles and the sea bass fillet with Chorizo sauce. Overall, we found the food at Le Ciel de Paris to be tasty but a little underwhelming. Although Le Ciel’s prices were a little steep, it was still cheaper when compared to other restaurants in the area. Frankly speaking, we didn’t fall in love with the food however the ambiance, service and magnificent views made Le Ciel de Paris more than worth a visit!
The Montparnasse Tower also has an observation deck that you can visit if you don’t want to go to the restaurant. If you choose to go La Ciel de Paris, we suggest making a reservation for later in evening so that you can enjoy the sunset as well as the Eiffel Tower light show.
A La Mere de Famille
Delivering artisanal chocolates to Parisians since 1761, A La Mere de Famille is the oldest chocolate factory in Paris! With several locations scattered throughout the city, it’s not difficult to get your hands on some of A La Mere’s custom creation. We suggest paying a visit to the historic Montmartre shop where you’ll be able to choose from huge wide selection of unique chocolates and freshly made pastries.
Aux Merveilleux de Fred
Internationally renowned for their delectable dessert creations, Aux Merveilleux de Fred is a must-try patisserie when in France. There are several branches of this patisserie scattered throughout the country, many of which are in larger cities like Lyon and Paris. But what makes this bakery worth visiting out of the thousands of other patisseries in France? The Cramique, also known as the brioche, of course! But Brioches are everywhere in France so why go to the trouble of visiting this restaurant? If you’ve ever had a brioche then you know that the texture can range from light and airy to dense and heavy and flavors vary even more drastically from bakery to bakery. Well, if you want to taste the lightest, most pillowy, and perfectly balanced brioche ever created then we suggest that you add Aux Merveilleux to your list of must-try restaurants in France. We suggest getting the Chocolate and Sugar Cramiques and a meringue to top it off. Although the brioches are the star at this bakery, don’t forget to check out the other mouthwatering creations on offer while you’re there!
Ladurée
Established in the 1800s, Ladurée is another world-renowned patisserie that gained even more fame after creating jaw-dropping desserts for the 2006 film Marie Antoinette. There are several Ladurée locations around Paris, all of which carry the sought-after macaroons for which the patisserie is known. Although a little on the pricey side, Ladurée’s macaroons were truly in a league of their own and deserving of their fame. We enjoyed loved everything from coffee and strawberry macaroons to the unique mango and passion fruit dessert created just for the Olympics. Although you may hear it whispered that Ladurée is a bit of a tourist trap, we must disagree as we did not find better macaroons anywhere else in France!
Ladurée also has cafes serving full savory menus in many of the locations however these are expensive with mixed reviews. We suggest eating your meals elsewhere and getting your desserts here!
Chamonix Mont Blanc
Rose DuPont
Idyllically located on the Chamonix Bridge, right on the banks of the Arve River, Rose DuPont is a veritable institution; one that has been serving the citizens of Chamonix for almost 100 years. Housed in an eye-catching pink building whose windows are often laden with colorful flowers, the restaurant has two floors with huge windows plus a lovely balcony overlooking the river and town square. Rose DuPont is well known both for its classic French cuisine that is prepared to perfection seven days a week and the magnificent dessert case that forms the focal point of the first floor of the restaurant. The restaurant has a rather large menu, and we doubt that you’d ever be disappointed with any of the offerings. We particularly recommend the escargots, lamb stew with vegetables, the ribeye steak and the mini buckwheat pasta with leek and cheese, all of which we thoroughly enjoyed. Although service was a little slow, portion sizes were good, and prices were more than fair at Rose DuPont. Oh and no matter how full you feel, don’t forget to pay a visit to the dessert case to choose a confection that catches your eye! After all, a French dinner is never complete without dessert!
La Tablee
Offering a more modern take on French cuisine than Rose DuPont, La Tablee is a cozy, artisanal restaurant located in the heart of Chamonix that is a must-try if you ask us. Although best known for its customizable Fondue offerings, La Tablee also serves up mouthwatering dishes like tender, de-shelled escargot in herb butter, crunchy tempura prawns, delicate, seared cod in “exotic sauce” and succulent duck breast with a velvety red wine reduction that are not to be missed. Oh, and even if you’re full after all of this, we must still insist that you order the coconut crème brûlée. We promise, you won’t regret it!
L’Atelier Café
Open for breakfast and brunch daily, L’Atelier Café is located across the Chamonix Bridge from Rose DuPont. The café, with its plentiful outdoor seating and colorful umbrellas is hard to miss. Offering up a full breakfast menu with just about every breakfast item imaginable, L’Atelier is the place for a hearty meal before a day of alpine adventuring. The menu isn’t complicated, and patrons have the option of just ordering the “complete breakfast” which, as you probably can guess, comes with EVERYTHING. We’re not kidding either! Expect a complete breakfast to have toast, eggs, English muffin, yogurt, granola, fruit, tea, juice, and potatoes and more. If you’rw looking for “lighter” options, L’Atelier has those too! We particularly liked the smoked salmon with cream cheese and chives on toast!
Monaco
La Mome
Overlooking Port Hercule in Monaco, La Mome is an open-air, fine dining restaurant with amazing food and killer ambiance. One of three restaurants strewn across France and Monaco, La Mome specializes in artfully prepared and creative dishes sourcing both local and difficult-to-find ingredients like Mazara Gamberi (specialty red prawn sourced from Italy). The restaurant features an indoor/outdoor layout with unobstructed views of the harbor, allowing guests to enjoy views of the super yachts along with their impeccably prepared meals. Even more amazing than the views and ambiance is the service and food at La Mome. We particularly loved the Seabass ceviche, the grilled octopus with tomato and olive sauce, the risotto with Mazara Gamberi and the cod with spiced red lentils. Oh, and let’s not forget to mention that La Mome’s strawberry Pavlova is likely to be one of the best meringue-based treats you’ll ever taste so definitely save a little room for dessert!
La Note Bleue
Of the many restaurants we dined in in both France and Monaco, La Note Bleue was our most favorite. This fancy beach-side bistro located on the promenade along Larvotto Beach is a local favorite for obvious reasons. Perfectly prepared food served at the water’s edge lit by a spectacular sunset; what’s not to love, right? Although relatively expensive overall, service at La Note Bleue was prompt and attentive and the food was both fresh and masterfully seasoned. La Note Bleue is an absolute must-try in Monaco, and we highly recommend the shrimp fritters, seafood red curry, the grilled prawns, and the lamb shoulder confit. We honestly wish that we had more nights to spend in Monaco just so we could eat our way through their entire menu and there’s not a doubt in our minds that once you try the food, La Note Bleue will keep you coming back for more too!
Cannes
Le Welcome Restaurant
Tucked away just across the street from the marina in Cannes, Le Welcome is a quaint little restaurant serving up some of the best crepes that we tried in France! With everything from the staples like strawberry and Nutella crepes to more adventurous flavors like apricot and Grand Marnier, Le Welcome restaurant is definitely a must-try when in Cannes. If you’re in the mood for something a little savorier, we suggest ordering a Galette and preparing yourself for a unique crepe experience!
Lyon
Bistrot Bondy
As we’ve mentioned before in our France “expose,” Lyon is considered the foodie capital of the nation and, although we sadly didn’t know this and therefore didn’t allow enough time in our itinerary to properly eat our way through the city, we still managed to have a uniquely Lyonnaise feast at Bistrot Bondy while there. Nestled on a bank of the Saone River amongst a sort of informal restaurant row, Bistrot Bondy is open every day of the week, serving up wildly inventive dishes. Reservations are not required at this little gem of a restaurant and guests are welcomed to dine leisurely late into the night. The menu at Bistrot Bondy is seasonal and changes fairly frequently however rest assured that you’ll be delighted with whatever is on offer when you visit as this restaurant not only prides itself on creativity but also goes the extra mile to make sure their inventions are out-of-this-world delicious!
Our favorite dishes at Bistrot Bondy were the refreshingly tart Vitello Tonnato (veal with tuna-anchovy mayonnaise), the locally made Lyonnaise sausage and the outrageously creative and absolutely mouthwatering sardine churros. Yes, you heard that right! Churros made with sardines! To say that we left Bistrot Bondy’s sated and truly content would be an understatement! We sincerely hope that another visit to Lyon is in our near future as we simply can’t wait to make our way back to Bistrot Bondy someday day soon!
