1o Paris Foodie Experiences you Cannot Miss
The City of Lights is a gourmet playground for food-lovers everywhere. From croissants and coffee to picnics and wine bars, these are our Paris foodie experiences you simply cannot miss.
Updated July 2026
Paris might be the city of love, but if you ask us, it's also the city of food - and one we do love to eat our way through.
There really are very few places on Earth better for eating than the French capital, from Michelin-starred dining tables to boulangeries bursting with sweet treats, market stalls and corner cafés all within a few streets of each other.
In fact, so famed is its culinary reputation, you’d be forgiven for stepping off the plane and assuming every single bite will be exceptional.
But there are two things that no one warns you about before your first trip: 1. All that deliciousness can be a little overwhelming to navigate, especially on a hungry tummy and via Google Translate. 2. It is entirely possible to eat badly in Paris. Truly badly; like €20 stale croque monsieur ordered off a photo menu and served by a cranky waiter with a distaste for tourists kind of bad (we may, unfortunately, be speaking from experience).
The good news? The ‘good food’ version of Paris is rarely more than a few doors away - it’s just about knowing where to look (or rather, what to Google Translate too).
That's where this guide comes in. After many visits now, and plenty of excellent meals, we've rounded up a few of our favourite foodie experiences in Paris: the neighbourhoods we head straight for, the bakeries worth their queues, the restaurants we still think about, and the little local gems we'd go back to again and again.
Once you've ticked off everything to see and do in Paris, let this guide be your map to the good stuff. Bon appétit!
READ THESE GUIDES BEFORE YOU GO | Best things to do in Paris · The best vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Paris · A sustainable traveller's guide to Paris
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
Something we learnt after many visits to Paris: the best meals rarely happen by accident here. Instead, they’ve been tucked down a side street, or hidden behind an unassuming façade (with no English sign), or only found because a local pointed us in the right direction.
That’s why Airbnb Experiences make so much sense in a city like Paris: small group tours led by actual locals, who know the neighbourhood like the back of their hand. Whether it’s showing you which Boulangerie queue is actually worth joining, discovering where really serves the best falafels in the Marais, joining a market tour, or learning how to cook a traditional French dish, you're experiencing the food culture alongside someone who already knows the city's best-kept secrets.
We've always said the best way to understand a place is through its food culture; if you're already staying in an Airbnb, adding an Experience is great way to discover it through the eyes of someone who calls Paris home.
OUR FAVOURITE PARIS FOODIE EXPERIENCES
#1 CROISSANTS AND COFFEE AT A CORNER CAFE
On any street, on any morning, the round marble tables of Paris’ cafes are bursting with people beginning their days the right way: a steaming espresso, a flakey, buttery croissant in hand (and seemingly, no place to be).
Few cities do café culture quite like Paris, where slowly sipping a coffee and watching the street go by has long been one of the great common pleasures of the city: business meetings unfold, friends linger after breakfast has been finished, and someone nearby is almost certainly lost in the day’s paper or scribbling in a notebook.
For centuries, these cafes have also been the city’s living rooms, where the greatest artists, writers and philosophers have argued, dreamed, and scribbled some of the world's greatest fiction at these very tables.
That legacy does still live on, although one thing has definitely changed since we first published this guide: Paris has had a full specialty-coffee revolution over the last decade. If it’s exceptional coffee you're chasing, the old-school corner café isn't always where you'll find it.
Our tip is to enjoy the classic old-world cafe experience with pastry and people watching at Le Nemours - then make for specialty roasters like Noir Coffee Shop, Ten Belles , Cafe Kitsune, or Fauna Paris for an actually good caffeine hit.
#2 GO TO A BOULANGERIE FOR FRESH BAGUETTES
The best travel advice we've ever been given: if you spot a group of locals queueing, join without hesitation.
Nowhere is that rule truer than outside a Paris boulangerie at 8am; there's nothing more quintessentially French than a baguette still warm from the oven, crust crackling, and it’s more than worth standing in line with the rest of the arrondissement for.
Something to know: every year the city crowns an official Grand Prix de la Baguette winner, who then supplies the Élysée for the year. The 2026 winner is Fournil Didot in the 14th, and the queue will help you find it.
OUR FAVOURITE
Au Petit Versailles du Marais - this intricately decorated Boulangerie from the 1860s is worth visiting for the interior decoration alone. Also, their tarte aux framboises (raspberry tart) is to die for, check the image below!
#3 CRÊPES ON THE STREETS OF PARIS
All rich lashings of butter and cream; French cuisine typically doesn’t lend itself well to street food. But there is one extremely delicious exception to be found in the humble French crêpe.
Thin, delicious, and with savoury or sweet fillings to suit any taste, this traditional French pancake from Brittany is definitely a must-eat item in Paris.
Sweet-toothed travellers are spoiled for choice, from oozy Nutella to fruit and sugar or marmalade fillings, while savoury crêpes stuffed with vegetables, meat, or fromage (or all three!) will satisfy those who prefer their meals without a sugar rush.
They’re also cheap and can be eaten on the go, which means it’s the perfect snack to keep you fuelled for the rest of the day’s sightseeing or gallery-hopping.
For the best crêpe experience, always go to a proper Crêperie, avoid places that have stacks of pancakes sitting already cooked (trust us, you deserve a fresh one!), and we’ve found the general rule is if the Crêperie looks a bit rustic and pokey, you’re likely onto a winner!
OUR FAVOURITE
La Droguerie du Marais on Rue des Rosiers; we’ve never seen this place without a queue, and heck, these crêpes are delicious!
#4 EAT ALL THE DELICIOUS MACARONS
Of all of France’s pastries, the macaron is the crowning glory: that melt-in-the-mouth almond meringue sandwich with delicately crispy shell and gooey ganache filling, that takes the title as most popular.
We’ve scoffed more than our fair share around the world, and none come close to the ones in Paris.
For years, the city has seen a a fierce macaron competition waged on its streets, between the houses of Laduree and Pierre Herme. Honestly, we’ve never been able to call a winner. Laduree is the original inventor and their focus is on tradition and quality; Pierre Herme is the rebel, throwing together flavours (like Hazelnut Oil & Green Asparagus) that shouldn’t work in a single macaron and yet, somehow…do?
The only thing to do is buy a little assorted box from each, and settle the debate yourself - and if two options aren’t enough, extend your research to the likes of Sadaharu Aoki, Pierre Marcolini, and Jean-Paul Hévin
OUR FAVOURITES
Laduree - the people to thank for the existence of macarons! Focused on quality, tradition, and their stores are absolutely beautifully decorated. 9 Paris locations, as well as boutiques worldwide!
Pierre Herme - the rebel of the macaron world, with fusion flavours. 14 store locations throughout Paris
#5 ENJOY A CLASSIC FRENCH BRASSERIE MEAL
Of course, you could come to Paris, book the most expensive Michelin-starred restaurants, and eat a deliciously gourmet meal and walk away feeling satisfied (and with tighter trousers, no doubt).
But we’ll always argue for the old-school Parisian brasserie; the chalkboard menus carried by waiters in waistcoats, traditional dishes done without fuss, and the entire dessert tray wheeled right to your table when the time is right.
They were built on classic, unfussy French cooking, and yet brasseries became a symbol of sophisticated modern life in 20th-century Paris. They were where the great artists and writers of the day — Hemingway, Camus, Picasso, Sartre — spent their evenings, tucking into hearty French classics (and, we'd guess, a fair few drinks alongside).
Most have since managed to hang onto their old-world charm while not straying from their original purpose of serving up beautifully simple, classic French fare for a reasonable price.
Worth knowing in 2026: the bouillon, the cheap, hearty, century-old workers' canteen, has had a full-blown revival, and it's one of the best-value meals in the city. Chartier started it all; the new-wave rooms now pull huge queues nightly.
OUR FAVOURITES
La Belle Epoque - Three words sum up La Belle Epoque: charming, beautiful, delicious!
Bouillon Pigalle - traditional French cuisine at an affordable price all day
Les Deux Magots - touristy, of course, but this is where the intellectual elite met, ate, and argued, and that history is worth a visit. The food is great too!
Bouillon Chartier - the Brasserie that started them all! Over 100 years old, still loved dearly by Parisians today.
#6 SPEND AN EVENING IN A COSY WINE BAR
It kind of goes without saying that Paris runs on wine. After all, it’s an important part of France’s cultural heritage, and there’s no better place to indulge in a glass or two than in the beautiful city of love.
The traditional wine bar has always been a popular spot for Parisians to gather and unwind in the evenings. Cosy and generally unassuming, they beckon you in with their warmth, relaxed atmosphere, and promise of quality wine and food. What better way to finish your long days of sightseeing!
The story has evolved a little since we first wrote this guide: the cave à manger, the natural-wine bar where a short, hand-scrawled menu of small plates arrives alongside low-intervention bottles are the ever-popular choice. Cosy, unpretentious, a little chaotic, and completely the way locals imbibe now.
OUR FAVOURITES
5e Cru wine bar located in the Latin quarter, 5th arrondisment
The best of Paris's caves à manger | 5e Cru, Le Verre Volé, Septime La Cave, Bambino, Folderol, Cambuse
#7 TRY FALAFEL FROM L’AS DU FLLAFEL, IN THE MARAIS
Prepare to have your falafel-loving world rocked.Amongst all the sweet treats and butter-laden dishes, Paris is also home to some of the best falafel in the world.
In the crooked, medieval streets of the super trendy le Marais area, the Jewish quarter of Paris has existed in some form since the 13th century. Today, Rue des Rosiers is its thriving heart, packed with traditional bakeries, delis, and middle eastern delights.
Several falafel shops compete along this stretch of road, but our favourite pick is L’As du Fallafel. We visit every time we’re in Paris and are always blown away by their perfectly crisp falafel balls, creamy hummus, and fresh tangy vegetables all bundled up in a pillowy pita. Nom.
You’ll spot L’As du Fallafel by the large queue that seems to permanently be planted out the front but don’t be put off by it, we’ve never waited more than 5 minutes.
THE DETAILS
Where |L’As du Fallafel, le Marais
Hours | Monday - Sunday - 11am - 11:30pm (closed Saturdays)
#8 PICNIC AT PLACE DES VOSGES
Paris isn’t all Belle Epoque architecture and glittering steel towers; the city is also home to a great number of lush green spaces. On sunny days, armed with picnic baskets full of gourmet treats, locals flock to these spaces - and Place des Vosges is no exception.
Enclosed by grand 17th century red-brick buildings ((Victor Hugo’s house among them), this small but beautifully manicured garden is one of the city’s oldest squares, and a wonderful spot for a picnic.
Build the ultimate spread from the Marais: falafel from L'As du Fallafel, a charcuterie board from Au Sanglier, baguettes from Au Petit Versailles, macarons from Pierre Hermé, and a bottle to wash it down from Julien de Savignac. Bon appétit.
THE DETAILS
Where | Place des Vosges, le Marais
#9 COCKTAILS WITH A VIEW AT GALERIES LAFAYETTE
Everyone knows Galeries Lafayette for the shopping and that stained-glass dome; the treat for foodies is on the 6th floor. The rooftop terrace is open to anyone, free, and is hands down hands one of the best panoramas in the city: the zinc rooftops, the Opéra, and the Eiffel Tower ahead. Go for the view alone, or make an afternoon of it with a drink in hand.
The bar up there has changed since we first wrote this (the old Cube Bar is long gone): these days it's Balcon, Julien Sebbag's permanent rooftop bistro, with a rotating summer pop-up alongside it. Either way, it's best as a daytime tipple on a sunny afternoon.
THE DETAILS
Where | Rooftop terrace, Galeries Lafayette Haussmann, 9th arr.
Note | the rooftop bar rotates seasonally
#10 ENJOY CHEESE AT A PROPER FROMAGERIE
You simply cannot wrap a French food guide without cheese, and Paris does it better than anywhere. The key is in the fromageries, where it's aged in-house and the person behind the counter treats matching a wedge to your evening as a personal mission. Tell them roughly what you like (something soft, something sharp, something to go with the red you just bought), when you're planning to eat it, and let them find your perfect flavour.
Our pick is Laurent Dubois in the Marais — a Meilleur Ouvrier de France (the highest artisan title in the country); their counter runs from deliciously oozy Camembert stuffed with mascarpone and apple to Comté aged well past where other affineurs stop. For cheese with a dash of history, Barthélemy on the Left Bank has been run by the same family for over fifty years and is a Parisian institution in its own right.
OUR FAVOURITES
Laurent Dubois (the Marais)
Barthélemy (7th)
ESSENTIAL INFORMATION FOR YOUR TRIP TO PARIS
HOW TO GET AROUND PARIS
Paris is very walkable, but the metro is quick, cheap and goes everywhere. Since 2025 it's been a flat fare: €2.55 takes you anywhere on the metro/RER inside the city. Grab a reloadable Navigo Easy card (€2) and top it up with single rides, or load a Navigo Jour day pass (€12.30, unlimited all day) if you're crisscrossing town.
Coming from Charles de Gaulle, the RER B train is the fastest way in (~35 min to the centre) — just note the airport isn't covered by the day pass, so you'll need a separate ticket.
WHERE TO STAY IN PARIS
Set in a historic 18th century mansion classified as a monument historique, the Hoxton Paris is undoubtedly the most beautiful place we’ve ever stayed (read our review of the hotel here).
From the cobblestone and glass entrance way to the plush statement furniture and wooden chevron-patterned floors; it’s contemporary but quaintly charming, nostalgic but uber trendy, and basically, every interior design goal we have for our future home.
The Hoxton is located in the happening 2nd arrondissement, and basically within walking distance of all the major attractions, metro stations, and fab restaurants.
BOOK | THE HOXTON PARIS
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