Top 10 Famous Dishes You Must Try When Visiting France

Escargot is one of the dishes that elevates French cuisine to a whole new level. This dish features snails, a delicacy that often causes hesitation for many due to their reputation. However, Escargot is far from a common dish – it’s one of the priciest foods in the world.

The preparation of Escargot relies heavily on the skill of the chef. The most basic method is to cook it with herbs and garlic butter. First, the snails must be cleaned and thoroughly cooked. The garlic herb butter, made from garlic, chives, parsley, and butter, is essential for giving the dish its unique flavor. The snails are then placed back into their shells and baked with the butter mixture for about 10 minutes at 160°C. This is the basic recipe for Escargot.

In French restaurants, you can find unique variations such as garlic butter baked snails, escargot spaghetti, escargot pizza, and even escargot stir-fries or soups. Typically served as an appetizer, Escargot has gained worldwide popularity, appearing in countries like Italy, Greece, and Spain.

When discussing French cuisine, particularly the food of Marseille, one cannot overlook the famous Bouillabaisse soup. This dish is beloved for its rich flavor and unique history. If you’re visiting Marseille, you’ll find it offered at nearly every restaurant, but do take note that it can be quite expensive.

Despite its current fame and high price, Bouillabaisse has humble origins. It was originally a simple meal for the working class in Marseille. After long fishing expeditions, fishermen would gather the leftover seafood and combine it with inexpensive ingredients like garlic, chili, olive oil, and saffron to create a hearty soup. Although the ingredients were basic, the creativity of the workers transformed it into an unexpectedly delicious dish. By the 19th century, as Marseille grew in wealth through trade, this humble soup was elevated with more expensive ingredients and began appearing in the homes of the affluent, making its way to some of France’s finest restaurants.

Today, Bouillabaisse still uses fresh seafood as the main ingredient, but it’s refined with luxurious spices such as saffron and fish stock. This dish represents the perfect fusion of flavors that characterize French culinary traditions. It has even earned the poetic name of Soupe d’or, or 'Golden Soup,' due to its vibrant color from the saffron.

Coq au vin (chicken in red wine) is a timeless dish in French culinary tradition. Although it dates back centuries, its recipe was not formally written down until the 20th century. A notable version was popularized by Julia Child in 1961 through her cookbook 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking,' which helped introduce French cuisine to American audiences in the 1960s.

To make coq au vin, chicken is braised with red wine, butter, bacon, onions, and garlic. The richness of the wine sauce varies depending on the region and personal preferences, with Burgundy wine being the most commonly used for the sauce.

The chicken is marinated in wine overnight, then seared in a hot pan. Mushrooms, onions, garlic, butter, and pancetta are added, and the dish is simmered slowly. Once the sauce thickens, it's seasoned with salt, pepper, thyme, and other herbs, creating a perfectly balanced and flavorful dish.

Crepes are thin, flat pancakes made from flour, eggs, milk, and butter. Originating from the Brittany region in northwestern France, they have since become a beloved dish across the country and beyond, with variations found in Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, and Brazil. Crepes are typically served with beverages such as coffee, tea, milk, and most commonly, apple cider. The term 'crêpe' comes from the French word, derived from the Latin 'crispa,' meaning curled.

Crepes can be made with various ingredients, such as wheat or buckwheat flour, eggs, butter, milk, fruits like strawberries, mangoes, chocolate, bananas, and even cream. They can be enjoyed as a quick snack from street vendors or creperies or as a more formal dish in a restaurant or café. In Brittany, crepes are a regional specialty, but they can be found throughout France and in many other countries.

Crepes are incredibly versatile and can be served as either a savory main course or a sweet dessert, often paired with other baked goods like French bread.

One of the iconic dishes from France that Mytour wants to introduce is Salade Nicoise. This renowned salad from France is a staple on French restaurant menus. Salade Nicoise is a Mediterranean-inspired salad, traditionally consisting of tomatoes, tuna, hard-boiled eggs, olives from the Nice region, and anchovies, all mixed with olive oil and vinegar. It is often served in a bowl or on a plate, with or without a bed of lettuce. The tuna can be either cooked or from a can.

Besides the basic ingredients, the salad can also include bell peppers, onions, and raw artichokes. Contrary to what you might find in many restaurants, traditional recipes do not include cooked vegetables like green beans or potatoes. Since there is no official recipe, chefs can vary the ingredients to their own preference. This fresh, flavorful salad is typically paired with rosé, white, or red wine. Made with a variety of fresh vegetables, Salade Nicoise offers a delicious and refreshing taste of the Mediterranean.

Steak Tartare is a dish made from raw, finely chopped beef (or other meats like pork or horse), traditionally seasoned with Tacta sauce. It is often served with onions, capers, and spices, and typically accompanied by freshly ground pepper, fresh chili, and Worcestershire sauce. A raw egg yolk is sometimes added to complete the dish, which is usually served with dark rye bread.

Originating in Central Asia, particularly from the Tatars, Steak Tartare has become a popular dish in European cuisine. While it’s most commonly associated with raw beef, the name “tartare” has also been used for other raw meat dishes, including fish like salmon. A variation of the dish, known as Tartare aller-retour, is also found in France.

Steak Tartare is a beloved dish that often appears on lists of must-try foods, especially when traveling in Europe. However, due to the use of raw meat, it’s important to be mindful of food safety precautions before trying this unique dish.

French cuisine is often regarded as the heart of European gastronomy, celebrated for its sophistication in preparation, presentation, and the overall dining experience. With just a few basic ingredients, the French manage to craft simple yet incredibly flavorful dishes that captivate the senses. In recent years, the Burger has become one of the most popular items on menus across French restaurants. Originally inspired by the Chinese bao bun, the French have skillfully adapted this traditional dish into a Western-style burger that has quickly gained popularity.

The Bao Burger shares the same structure as a classic hamburger but with a twist—the bun is replaced by a soft bao. The filling includes a combination of cheese, tomatoes, pickled cabbage, fried meat, and spinach. This fusion dish is now commonly found in restaurants throughout Paris.

Baguette (/bæɡɛt/; French: [baɡɛt]) translates to "stick" or "long rod" in French. Baguette Bread, also known as French bread, is distinguished by its elongated shape and crunchy crust. Typically, a baguette is about 5-6 cm wide and 3-4 cm high, but can extend up to a meter in length, weighing only around 250 grams. Shorter versions of this bread are often used for making sandwiches. Traditionally, in a French breakfast, baguette slices are spread with jam and dipped into hot coffee or chocolate.

In order to celebrate and preserve the legacy of the Baguette, Paris has hosted the “Best Baguette in Paris” competition every year since 1994, organized under the guidance of the “Bakers' Guild.” Although baking competitions have been a tradition in France since 1830, the formal recognition of the baguette as a national treasure in Paris only came after a successful campaign to protect its authenticity. The winner is awarded a medal, €4,000 in prize money, and the prestigious title of official supplier of baguettes for one year to the Élysée Palace, where the French president works and hosts dignitaries. The winner’s shop displays a plaque, and their business sees a significant 30-40% sales boost. Notable winners include Djibril Bodian (2010, 2014, 2016) and Raoul Maeder (2000, 2003), with their fame echoing globally.

While in France, you can also try other varieties of French bread, such as Batard, Ficelle, Brioche, and Flute.

Among the world's most renowned delicacies, Foie Gras is a dish that food lovers cannot stop talking about. A must-try when studying abroad in France, it is a luxurious French specialty made from the livers of premium geese or ducks. Preparing this dish requires a skilled chef who must master the delicate art of cooking at just the right temperature. Foie Gras is typically served with a sweet sauce to enhance its rich and velvety texture. Many international students in France eagerly anticipate savoring this dish with a glass of white wine, particularly Sauternes.

In French, Foie Gras translates to “fat liver,” which refers to the process of fattening the geese with a special grain diet over 12 to 18 days before slaughter. The result is a liver that produces soft, flavorful fat, offering a refined taste that isn’t overwhelming like regular livers. Foie Gras pairs well with roasted meats, bread, or even seared and served with fruit sauces.

Foie Gras comes in several variations. Depending on your taste and intended use, you can choose the type that suits you best: whole block (Bloc de Foie Gras), smooth, finely blended liver and fat mixture (mousse de Foie Gras), goose liver pâté (pâté de Foie Gras) with 50% liver, or parfait, which contains 75% foie gras.

Macaron, also known as the French Macaroon, is a delicate sweet treat made from egg whites, powdered sugar, granulated sugar, almond flour, and food coloring.

Traditionally, the Macaron was introduced to France by an Italian chef who worked for Queen Catherine De Medici during the Renaissance period. By the 19th century, the classic Parisian macaron came into existence, featuring a ganache, butter, or jam filling between two cookies, resembling a sandwich cookie. These macarons are characterized by two smooth, round cookie shells with a rough texture and a flat bottom, offering a moist, melt-in-your-mouth experience. Macarons come in a wide range of flavors, from traditional (raspberry, chocolate) to unique variations like foie gras or matcha.

Known as the “darling” of French pastry, the macaron has captivated the hearts of food lovers, even the most discerning ones. With its charming appearance and sweet taste, it has become an iconic treat in French cuisine. Available in a variety of flavors, from vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, orange, and lemon to green tea, the macaron is an irresistible delight. A particularly unique variation is the Ispahan macaron, featuring a rich filling of fresh raspberries – truly one of a kind.