Paris Food Tour: Essentials of French Cuisine

Taste the rich history of Paris's culinary culture
From US$208 for 1 person
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Tour Details
Duration
2.5 hours
Product Type
Tour
Venues
  • Left Bank
  • Saint-Germain specialty shops
Photos & Highlights
  • Paris food tour led by a professional chef or food industry expert
  • Includes samples of french bread and artisanal cheeses
Select a date
Tour Description
In this two-and-a-half-hour Paris food tour led by a local chef or food industry expert, we will stroll the charming streets of Saint-Germain-des-Prés and the Left Bank, exploring the culinary culture of Paris. Our guide will introduce the basics of French cuisine and take us to meet the owners of tiny food shops, taste artisanal products, and enliven our senses to the amazing culinary traditions for which France is known the world over.
  • Saint-Germain-des-Prés Area
  • Left Bank Area
  • 2.5 hours with a chef, food writer, or food industry expert
Our tour starts by grounding ourselves with two Parisian staples: bread and cheese. We may visit one of the best boulangeries to discover what defines a good baguette and its importance on the Parisian table, followed by a stop into an artisanal fromagerie to learn about some of France's nearly 400 types of cheese (and the various ways to correctly slice them). Following our introduction to the basics, we'll delve deeper into French specialties, potentially paying visits to the butcher to tempt our palates with pâté, homemade rillettes, or this season's wild game. We might then sample a succulent chocolate made of roasted Equatorial cocoa beans, peer through the windows of the traiteur once responsible for Versailles's elegant fare, or even pop into the pâtissierie of our dreams.
 
Along the way, we will examine how all of these products fit into the French diet, as well as other culinary traditions and philosophies. Our culinary journey may come to a close with a glass of Armagnac in a wine shop passed from generation to generation since 1905. As we finish, we will have an excellent foundation in the cornerstones of French gastronomy and be better prepared to further discover French food during our stay and beyond.

Wine enthusiasts would also enjoy our Paris Wine Tasting Tour, which gives an in-depth overview of French wines. We also organize a Paris by Night Tour: Left Bank, which provides a basic introduction to the Left Bank and Paris as a whole.
Can I participate food tours if I have food allergies? 
Yes. If you have any specific allergies/intolerances please indicate these in the Notes section when you're booking and your guide will do his or her best to accommodate. Vegetarian, gluten-free, and nut-free diets can certainly be accommodated, although the shops we visit do use wheat flour and nuts in the kitchen for other items. 

Is this tour wheelchair accessible?
Some of the shops we visit are small and many will have a step up to access them. The general route may include small streets with narrow sidewalks. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding accessibility. We are also happy to design a private, adapted tour for visitors with mobility concerns.

Will this tour include a sit-down lunch in a bistro?
The duration of the tour will not allow enough time for a sit-down lunch in a bistro, however, we will do tastings along the way and we might also stop in a local bakery for a sit-down tasting or end our tour with a picnic.

What if it’s raining?
Tours operate rain or shine, but in the case of inclement weather, your guide will modify the tour so more time is spent indoors. It never hurts to have an umbrella on hand.

There are 7 in my group but your website won't allow me to include more than 6 participants. Can't you make an exception?
Unfortunately not. The mom & pop shops we visit on our tour are small and prefer we keep our group sizes to 6 maximum for the best experience.
Where You'll Start
791 Reviews (4.64)

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Tour was so fun and informative. Nadia was fantastic. She knew her stuff and she was so enthusiastic and just delightful.
Nadia was awesome! Wonderful tour! Nadia is very passionate about her job! We loved it! ❤️
Wonderful food tour with a fantastic guide who is extremely knowledgeable about Paris.

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