The Top 10 Most Iconic Foods You Must Try in Paris

France is known for many things and food is definitely one of them. So when you come to Paris there are some things you need to try and in this video we're going to tell you the 10 things you absolutely must try when you're in Paris and we'll tell you good places to get them as well. So Colleen, are you hungry? I'm hungry. Allez, on y va. Let's go. The number one thing on our list of things you have to try while you're in Paris is the French and the onion soup here is amazing. If you do it right it's cooked all day long so that the broth is thick and rich and then you bake it in a crock with a nice piece of crusty bread and a big pile of gooey cheese on top. Now this was originally something served at the end of a party to sober the guests up before their pre-dawn ride home but now it's become a main staple. And our favorite place to eat onion soup is at the Jacobin in Saint-Germain. The second thing on our must-try foods in Paris is escargot and frog legs. And people have asked is it true that they really do eat snails and frogs and the answer is yes. There's a lot of speculation about when and why they started even rumors dating back to the Romans in BC and others that monks claimed that frog legs weren't meat so they could eat them during Lent but suffice to say that was a long time ago. Don't be afraid to try them. Today we generally eat them swimming in garlic and butter. The escargots are kind of like clams and the frog legs well they taste like chicken. And our favorite place to eat them in Paris is the escargot de Montaguay. The third thing you want to try is some bread, pastries, viennoiserie or even great sandwiches in a boulangerie in Paris. One of the things French people miss the most when they are away from France is the baked goods from a boulangerie and for good reasons. There's something about baguettes and croissants in France that bakeries in the U.S. and around the world can capture. There's a crispness, a fluffiness, a flakiness. There is something that real artisanal French bakeries do that just make them oh la la. When you're in Paris do yourself a favor and stop in a boulangerie. Get a croissant, a pain au chocolat, a croque monsieur, a quiche, some of them have a formule with a sandwich, a dessert and a drink and it's awesome. You have to try that. The fourth must-try food on our list is foie gras and pâté. Once again the art of French gastronomy has turned something that could be gross into something truly amazing. Foie gras is a delicate treat with a subtle taste and you may not be able to put your finger on it but when you taste it with a nice piece of bread and a glass of wine or champagne it is truly memorable and very satisfying. Now pâté is something just a little bit different but it's really a country style with larger pieces of meats and vegetables baked almost like a meatloaf. It's a hearty appetizer or in addition to a charcuterie board. These are definitely a couple of things you need to try while you're in Paris. And if you don't get it in a restaurant you can buy it in any deli style meat store or charcuterie. You can pick some up at a marché, bring it to the Eiffel Tower for a picnic but do yourself a favor and try some foie All right just a quick stop here to tell you about our Paris travel guide which is available for download right there. It covers some of the best restaurants, bakeries including some tours and transportation in Paris to help make your stay even better. So check it out and see if it's a good fit for you. Now let's get back to the video. The next thing you have to try when you're in France and in Paris is cheese and charcuterie. French people take happy hours seriously except they call it aperos or aperitifs and there is no better time to have some cheese and cured meat or charcuterie than during the apero. While cheeses are generally served at the end of a meal and often instead of dessert, trying a selection of new cheese on a charcuterie board is awesome. Many bistros offer a variety of saucisson or cured sausage and a wide variety of hams, salamis and prosciuttos along with a cheese selection to complement them. They call it a charcuterie board or planche de charcuterie. So do yourself a favor and order one of those boards with a glass of wine and relax and watch people go and buy. This is a great way to wind down from a busy day. The number six must eat food to try when you're in Paris is crepes. You just have to try crepes when you're in Paris. Think about them like skinny delicate pancakes full of yummy and there are two kinds. The sweet ones with Nutella or caramelized butter and sugar with lemon or orange or the savory ones which are called galettes with ham and cheese and all kinds of other yummy stuff. And whether you try one for a meal or as a dessert, definitely put crepes on your list of things to try in Paris. You can get crepes anywhere you want in Paris. We like to get the quick on the go Nutella ones at Bobo. I like culture crepe and plenty of little spots especially around Montmartre. Number seven is seafood and for me more specifically moules frites or mussels and fries. Now you may not think that Paris and seafood go together but I promise you they do. We are close enough to the ocean that there are literally seagulls flying over the scent and mussels and fries are one of my favorites. I remember the first time I ever tried them here. Aside from tasting wonderful, it's a really fun activity for the whole family and you get a big pot full of shells swimming in whatever sauce you order like a white wine sauce, tomato base, mustard and cream. You have lots of options but then you get to pick the shells out one by one and eat them. Some people use little seafood forks but I like to eat them with other shells just like castanetas and then you dip the fries in the sauce and oh my god it's yummy. So if you want to know more about seafood in Paris we did a video about that and you can check it out. And my favorite place to eat moules frites in Paris is Solomancy in Saint-Germain. Now what you also have to try is profiteroles au chocolat. Profiteroles are as wonderful as they are simple. It's basically a puff pastry filled with vanilla ice cream topped with hot chocolate melted sauce and many times they serve it topped with whipped cream. It's very simple but oh so good. Probably because the French have amazing pastry puffs, amazing cream filling and oh my god delicious chocolate. Suffice to say you'll be doing yourself a favor to try profiteroles. And I'm set. Now the best one I've tried so far was in the Luge Bem right by Les Halles but the one in Bistro de Paris was pretty good too. Number nine is duck. Now I remember when I was a kid hearing about duck a l'orange and thinking it was so fancy and exotic but now that I live here I see duck in the discount case at the grocery store. The truth is duck is a main staple in French diets and you'll find it on menus all around Paris. They even have a fast food burger joint like Cunard Street where you can get a duck hamburger but it's definitely worth trying while you're here. My favorite is the duck confit which is a slow roasted super tender piece of duck usually a leg or thigh and it's served with vegetables and the sauce it was cooked in and just make sure you have plenty of bread to sop up the sauce. And my favorite place to eat duck confit is Chez Germain in Saint-Germain. Next thing you have to try is a fondue or raclette. I think it's fair to say that everyone knows France and cheese go together. What you may not know is how they make full hearty meals out of cheese. Now raclette comes from the Alps region of France. It's typically a meal that you eat during the winter but if you come here during May then you know why not give it a shot anyway. And you can get it year-round in restaurants like La Marmotte near the Forum des Arts where they serve fondue and raclette exclusively. And one of the best in Paris. Raclette is cheese that is melted table side and then you pour it over cured meats and boiled potatoes with cornichons or french pickles that are little and tiny. Serve that with some amazing white wine and you've got yourself a feast. And you can dip your french in a pot of gooey cheese fondue which is oh my god delicious. As a bonus I'm gonna say that you have to try chocolate when you're in Paris because we're not talking Hershey bars not even Tablerone. The chocolate in France is next level. Do yourself a favor and stop in a chocolatier and get chocolate in Paris. And our very most favorite one is Jacques Jeannin. There is great chocolate and then there is just chocolate that's way above all that. That's what Jacques Jeannin is. It's our absolute favorite. All right so that does it for today. Thank you so much for watching this video. Next I would recommend that you watch this video which is about some of the best local restaurants in Paris. And until next time, au revoir!