The French make incredible food. To help you plan your trip to France, here are the best things that you have to eat in France!
If you’re headed to France, you are in for a culinary treat.
Whether you like savory or sweet dishes, France has food that everyone can enjoy. But there are only so many meals in a day.
So to help you narrow down your food choices, here are the best things that you have to eat in France!
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1. Boeuf Bourguignon
We’ll start the list of the best things that you have to eat in France with my personal favorite, boeuf bourguignon.
Boeuf bourguignon is a beef stew in a red wine sauce. It often has carrots, mushrooms, onions, and bacon.
The meat is tender. The sauce is flavorful. And the accompaniments are delicious.
It’s the perfect dish.
Make sure you get boeuf bourguignon when visiting France.
2. Croque Monsieur
Next up is croque monsieur. This delectable sandwich is basically the best cheese sandwich you’ve ever had in your life.
It’s primarily made with gruyère cheese, ham, and buttered bread.
If you want to get even fancier, you can order a croque madame. A croque madame is the same thing as a croque monsieur but with an egg added on top.
3. Pain au Chocolat
The French know how to make bread. You can’t leave France without getting one (or a dozen) pain au chocolat.
A pain au chocolat is essentially a croissant with pieces of chocolate in the center.
Nothing will prepare you for how delicious this simple delight tastes in France.
I’ve eaten pain au chocolat from gas stations in France that taste better than any other version I’ve eaten outside of France. France just knows bread. And sweets.
5. Ratatouille
Ratatouille – not just a Disney/Pixar film!
This dish features stewed vegetables such as eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash in a tomato-based sauce.
Even if you don’t like stewed vegetables, you need to try ratatouille while in France. It will completely blow your mind that vegetables can taste that good.
But be prepared for disappointment when you get home. I’ve yet to find any place outside of France that makes ratatouille that’s as good as the versions you get in France. So eat it frequently while in France!
4. Macaron
Macarons are top of one of the best things that you have to eat in France.
Macarons are a cookie sandwich primarily made of egg whites, sugar, and almond meal.
While you can find macarons throughout France, the most famous place to find macarons is Ladurée in Paris. I recommend getting the caramel flavor. It’s my absolute favorite Ladurée macaron.
6. Coq au Vin
Coq au vin is braised chicken, typically in a red wine sauce.
If you like chicken, you’ll love the French method for cooking this meat. Add mushrooms, pearl onions, and maybe some bacon? Complete perfection.
Make sure to add coq au vin to your list of foods that you have to eat while in France!
7. Crêpes
Next, I bring you crêpes as one of the best things that you have to eat in France!
Crêpes are thin pancakes. You can get both savory and sweet crêpes.
No need to find a fancy restaurant for crêpes. Simply look for a street vendor selling this delicious food.
I recommend ordering one crêpe with hazelnut (Nutella) and a second crêpe with some type of savory filling like ham and cheese.
8. Moules Frites
If you’ve never tried mussels before, then France is where you need to do it!
In the moules frites dish, the mussels are cooked in a broth with white wine, butter, garlic, and shallots. Then add the frites (shoestring fries) and you have an amazing dish on your hands.
I had a great afternoon in Paris sharing an order of moules frites and a bottle of wine with some friends. It’s a great way to warm up on a cool day and take a break from sightseeing.
That brings us to the end of the best things that you have to eat in France! I hope you enjoy every bite of your trip!
Comments or Questions?
Have a comment or a question? I’d love to hear from you! Visit me on Instagram @eastbymidwest and leave a comment or DM, or send me an email at pam@eastbymidwest.com.
