French cuisine is known worldwide, so choosing which dish to taste first in the city can be difficult. Here, we propose a guide through those plates that should be on every food lover’s compulsory food tour list.
Must-Try Dishes in Paris
Would any Paris food tour be complete without these traditional recipes? Get to know the local culture through the city’s flavors, such as:
Steak and Frites
The story goes that this recipe originated in the 19th century in La Villette, where butchers ate rib steak with herbs, butter, and “Pont-Neuf potatoes” (closely related to what we currently know as chips). It is often served alongside a Bernaise sauce (which includes peppercorn).
Take into account that steak in France differs from that in other countries. You have four different cooking times (well-cooked, medium rare, rare, and very rare), which only sometimes coincide with other cultures’ parameters.
Croque Monsieur
This sandwich consists of two slices of bread stuffed with béchamel and boiled ham (“Jambon”) and then covered with melted cheese (the most common one is Gruyère, but you can also find Swiss or Emmental). You can also have it with a fried egg on top, which is called a croque-madame.
While this delicacy has a long history, it became notorious in 1918 when Marcel Proust mentioned it in his book A l’ombre des jeunes filles en fleur!
Croissant
Would your Paris food tour be complete without a croissant? While this dainty is primarily associated with France, the first recipe derived from Viennese pastries offered by the Austrian bakeries that settled in Paris in 1830. Then, the mixture was developed, and puff pastry and egg glaze were added to the iconic buttery taste of the original version.
Nowadays, there are different approaches to the delicacy, like those who taste it with a piece of jam, those who add apple flavor, chouquettes with sugar on top, and even cream and raisins (called pains au raisins). However, the most notorious is the pain au chocolat, which has a chocolatey interior.
Onion Soup
What makes the French onion soup so unique? It may be the broth, the caramelized onions, or the melted grated cheese and croutons topping, but this has become an iconic local must-try.
Escargots
In French culinary culture, even snails are tasteful. The usual serving consists of a dozen escargots stuffed with herbs, garlic, parsley, and butter and presented in their shells. While the Burgundy recipe (the Burgundy snail measures up to four centimeters) remains the most popular, many restaurants have proposed different recipe variations, such as adding Roquefort, sauces, or truffles to the plate.
Macaron
The story of the macaron’s origin is uncertain, for some versions claim that Catherine de Medicine had the original idea. In contrast, others point to a French Carmelite convent in the 18th century. 
Despite this mystery, one thing is sure: today, it has become an iconic French pastry, which consists of two shells based on ground almond flour, then filled with a sweet paste of flavors such as chocolate, red fruits, licorice, and pistachio.
French Cheese
You may think you have tried cow’s milk-based cheese (or le Fromage, as it is known in France). Still, the French cuisine may prove you wrong: from the berries (the ones that come from Meaux, Montereau, Provins or Melun) to the Coloummiers and the Camembert, the Paris region has become notorious for the softness of its cheese and its historical methods of preparation. You can also find different cheese textures, like the Maroilles, the Cantal, the Comté, Roquefort, and Bleu d’Auvergne. You can also try goat cheese, like Crottin de Chavignol or Rocamadour.
Foie Grass
This dish is usually served during Christmas and New Year celebrations, but you can try it all year. It is prepared with a duck or goose liver paté base and served with toasted bread, gingerbread, brioche, and fig jam.
The paté is known for being very tasteful, and its preparation includes soaking in Cognac, Pineau, or Armagnac.
Please get to know Paris through its food and ensure you take advantage of the history behind each bite.