From trying the scrumptious Croque Monsieur (the French-style ham & cheese sandwich) to devouring authentic hot chocolate and breaking your fast with croissants, French cuisine will keep you on your toes.
France is also home to some of the best, most crafty, and delicate desserts. In this guide, we will explore the best of France’s famous foods, their desserts, and street snacks for you to try!
France Cuisine: 35 France Famous Food To Try
The French cuisine uses a wide assortment of meats; pork, beef, and chicken are the most famous. Let’s check out some of the top dishes in France for meat lovers.
Non-Vegetarian France Cuisine
Let’s look at some of the best meat-based dishes in France for you to try:
Boeuf Bourguignon
Beef Bourguignon is a classic French stew where beef, typically chuck roast, is braised in red Burgundy wine with carrots, onions, mushrooms, and herbs. The slow cooking process renders the beef incredibly tender and allows the flavors to meld into a rich, deeply satisfying sauce.
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Price Range |
€18 – €25 (INR 1600 to 2000) |
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Best Served With |
Mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes, or pasta |
Steak Frites
Steak Frites is a quintessential French bistro dish. It consists of a simply grilled or pan-fried steak, often served medium-rare, accompanied by a generous portion of crispy French fries. The dish’s simplicity highlights the steak’s quality and the fries’ crispiness.
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Price Range |
€14 – €29 (INR 1200 to 2000) |
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Best Served With |
Pan sauce, peppercorn sauce, compound butter, or a creamy dipping sauce |
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Steak Tartare
Steak Tartare is a dish for adventurous eaters. It features raw ground beef, typically filet mignon, seasoned with finely chopped onions, capers, gherkins, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and egg yolk. The flavors are bold and savory with a slightly tangy bite.
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Price Range |
€10 – €50 (INR 800 to 5000) |
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Best Served With |
Fries or a baguette |
Bouillabaisse
Bouillabaisse is a flavorful fish soup from Marseille, France. It’s a rich and aromatic broth filled with various fresh seafood, such as rockfish, monkfish, and shellfish, along with vegetables like tomatoes, onions, garlic, and saffron.
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Price Range |
€20 – €80 (INR 1700 to 7000) |
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Best Served With |
Toasted baguette smeared with the rouille sauce |
Coq au Vin
Coq au Vin is a classic French chicken stew. Chicken pieces are braised in red wine with bacon, mushrooms, onions, carrots, and herbs. The wine imparts a deep richness to the sauce, while the bacon adds smokiness.
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Price Range |
€10 – €50 (INR 800 to 5000) |
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Best Served With |
Bread, potatoes, or rice |
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Croque Monsieur & Croque Madame
The Croque Monsieur is a simple yet satisfying grilled sandwich made with ham and Gruyère cheese between slices of bread. The Croque Madame adds a fried egg on top, elevating the classic sandwich.
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Price Range |
€10 – €50 (INR 800 to 5000) |
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Best Served With |
Salad, sauces and white wine |
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Coquilles Saint-Jacques
Coquilles Saint-Jacques are elegant and decadent scallops. Scallops are typically pan-seared and then topped with a mixture of breadcrumbs, butter, cream, and cheese. They are then baked until the topping is golden brown and bubbly.
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Price Range |
€10 – €50 (INR 800 to 5000) |
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Best Served With |
Greens like leeks, spinach, and pasta |
Confit de Canard
Confit de Canard is a duck confit where they marinate and cook duck legs. The legs are slowly cooked in their own fat at a low temperature, resulting in incredibly tender meat and crispy skin. It is one of the finest traditional food of France.
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Price Range |
€10 – €50 (INR 800 to 5000) |
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Best Served With |
Potatoes, salad, and wine. |
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Frog Legs
To try this dish, you have to be extremely brave and a little wild. The frog legs dish is a more regional French dish. They are typically breaded (flour, egg, breadcrumbs) and then pan-fried or deep-fried until golden brown and crispy. It is even considered a national delicacy.
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Price Range |
€10 – €50 (INR 800 to 5000) |
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Best Served With |
Sauce and bread |
Blanquette de Veau
Blanquette de Veau is a delicate and comforting veal stew. Veal is simmered in a white wine sauce with carrots, onions, mushrooms, and cream, resulting in a mild and creamy sauce.You can swap the veal for a different meat or seafood.
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Price Range |
€10 – €50 (INR 800 to 5000) |
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Best Served With |
Rice, bread, wine |
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Vegetarian France Cuisine
French Chestnut Soup
This creamy and flavorful soup is a seasonal delight. Chestnuts are roasted and pureed to create a rich base, often enriched with cream or milk. It’s typically seasoned with spices like nutmeg and cinnamon, and sometimes includes savory additions like bacon or mushrooms.
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Price Range |
€10 – €50 (INR 800 to 5000) |
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Best Served With |
Varieties of bread |
Onion Soup
A classic French comfort food, onion soup features a deeply caramelized base of onions simmered until sweet and tender. The onions are then topped with croutons and melted Gruyère cheese, creating a satisfying and savory dish.
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Price Range |
€10 – €50 (INR 800 to 5000) |
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Best Served With |
Varieties of bread |
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Ratatouille
This colorful Provençal dish is a medley of summer vegetables like eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, and onions, slowly cooked together until tender and flavorful. It’s often served as a side dish or a vegetarian main course.
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Price Range |
€10 – €50 (INR 800 to 5000) |
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Best Served With |
Crusted bread or salad |
Warm Goat Cheese Salad
This elegant salad typically features fresh greens, roasted or grilled vegetables, and creamy goat cheese. The warm cheese adds a touch of richness and melts slightly over the other ingredients. It’s often drizzled with a light vinaigrette and garnished with nuts or dried fruits.
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Price Range |
€10 – €50 (INR 800 to 5000) |
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Best Served With |
Berries, citrus fruits and wine |
Cheese Soufflé
A classic French soufflé is a light and airy baked dish made with egg yolks, egg whites, and cheese. The egg whites are whipped to create a light and airy texture, while the cheese provides a rich and savory flavor.
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Price Range |
€10 – €50 (INR 800 to 5000) |
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Best Served With |
Arugula or vinaigrette-dressed salad and baguette |
Aligot
This hearty dish from the Auvergne region of France features mashed potatoes blended with melted cheese, typically Tomme fraîche. The result is a creamy and stringy dish that is both comforting and indulgent.
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Price Range |
€10 – €50 (INR 800 to 5000) |
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Best Served With |
Sausages and cured meats |
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Quiche
Quiche is a savory tart typically consisting of a pastry crust filled with a custard mixture of eggs, cream, and cheese. It can be filled with a variety of ingredients, such as bacon, spinach, mushrooms, or vegetables.
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Price Range |
€10 – €50 (INR 800 to 5000) |
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Best Served With |
Salads, roasted vegetables, and breads. |
Socca
This simple yet flavorful dish from Nice is a thin pancake made from chickpea flour. It’s cooked in a hot pan until crispy and golden brown, and often served as a savory snack or appetizer. You can pair it with pasta or salad to make it into a proper meal.
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Price Range |
€10 – €50 (INR 800 to 5000) |
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Best Served With |
Pasta, polenta, bread and salad |
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Street Food in France
Crêpes
These are thin, delicate pancakes that can be both sweet and savory. Sweet crêpes are often enjoyed with sugar, jam, lemon, or Nutella, while savory crêpes can be filled with ham, cheese, or vegetables.
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Price Range |
€10 – €20 (INR 800 to 1700) |
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Best Served With |
Coffee or hot chocolate or apple cider |
Baguette Sandwiches
The iconic French baguette is perfect for making sandwiches. Cut in half, it can be filled with a variety of ingredients, from classic ham and butter to roasted chicken, salad, and tomato, or more exotic options.
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Price Range |
€10 – €20 (INR 800 to 1700) |
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Best Served With |
Salad or coffee |
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Croque-Monsieur
This is a warm and comforting sandwich made with ham and cheese between slices of bread. It’s grilled until the cheese melts and the bread is golden brown. The Croque Madame is a variation that adds a fried egg on top.
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Price Range |
€10 – €20 (INR 800 to 1700) |
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Best Served With |
Salad or coffee |
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Galette Saucisse
Originating from Brittany, the Galette Saucisse is a simple yet delicious specialty. It’s a buckwheat pancake, a thick and often savory crêpe, wrapped around a grilled sausage.
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Price Range |
€10 – €20 (INR 800 to 1700) |
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Best Served With |
Salad |
Gaufres
Gaufres are French waffles that hail from the North of France and have roots in Belgium, too. This is a great sweet street dish found in France that you can try. It comes in various flavors, from classics like vanilla and strawberry to more original options.
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Price Range |
€10 – €20 (INR 800 to 1700) |
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Best Served With |
Fruits, toppings, or sweet sauces |
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Croissants
The croissant, a crescent-shaped Viennoiserie pastry, is a staple of the French breakfast. Its buttery, flaky, and golden-brown dough gives it a crispy and light texture.
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Price Range |
€10 – €20 (INR 800 to 1700) |
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Best Served With |
Coffee, jam, fruits, toppings, or sweet sauces |
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Desserts in France
French Toast
French toast is the quintessential dessert. It is also known as “pain perdu,” French Toast is a sweet dish made by soaking slices of bread in a mixture of beaten eggs, milk, and sugar. It’s then cooked in a pan until golden brown and fluffy.
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Price Range |
€10 – €20 (INR 800 to 1700) |
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Best Served With |
Coffee |
Macarons
These colorful little cookies contain two round, slightly crisp shells filled with ganache or buttercream. Macarons are renowned for their delicate texture and subtle flavor. These tiny bites of heaven are tough to make and super hearty.
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Price Range |
€10 – €20 (INR 800 to 1700) |
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Best Served With |
Coffee |
Tarte Tatin
This upside-down tart is a classic French pastry. It’s made with caramelized apples in butter and sugar, then covered with puff pastry. It’s baked and served warm.
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Price Range |
€10 – €20 (INR 800 to 1700) |
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Best Served With |
Coffee |
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Galette des Rois
Traditionally enjoyed on Epiphany (the feast of the Epiphany), the Galette des Rois is a round cake that hides a small figurine (often a ceramic bean). The person who finds the figurine is crowned the “King” or “Queen” of the day.
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Price Range |
€10 – €20 (INR 800 to 1700) |
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Best Served With |
Coffee |
Soufflé
A soufflé is a light and airy dessert baked in the oven. It’s made with egg yolks, whipped egg whites, and flour. There are many varieties of soufflés, such as fruit soufflés, chocolate soufflés, or cheese soufflés.
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Price Range |
€10 – €20 (INR 800 to 1700) |
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Best Served With |
Coffee |
Crème Brûlée
Crème Brûlée is a smooth custard topped with a thin layer of hardened caramel created by torching sugar. It’s very famous and can be found in various bakeries. The dish is a unique French dessert that you must try.
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Price Range |
€10 – €20 (INR 800 to 1700) |
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Best Served With |
Coffee |
Mille-feuille
Mille-feuille is a dessert is made up of several layers of flaky puff pastry alternating with layers of creamy pastry cream. It’s often decorated with fresh berries.
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Price Range |
€10 – €20 (INR 800 to 1700) |
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Best Served With |
Berries and coffee |
Madeleines
Madeleines are soft, small, shell-shaped cakes that are moist and flavorful. They are usually made with lime and lemon curd—the best way to enjoy it is to eat with coffee.
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Price Range |
€10 – €20 (INR 800 to 1700) |
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Best Served With |
Coffee |
Profiteroles
Profiteroles are small puffs of choux pastry filled with cream and then topped with hot chocolate sauce. These soft balls will melt in your mouth and are a perfect snack to grab on the go and explore the streets of France.
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Price Range |
€10 – €20 (INR 800 to 1700) |
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Best Served With |
Chocolate sauce and coffee |
French Apple Tart
French apple tart is a simple and comforting dessert features a flaky crust filled with caramelized apples and sometimes almond paste. You can grab a slice of this dessert from several bakeries in France!
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Price Range |
€10 – €20 (INR 800 to 1700) |
|
Best Served With |
Custard or cream |
Fruit Tart
The fruit tart is a versatile dessert that can be made with a variety of fresh or stewed fruits. It’s typically baked in a shortcrust or puff pastry crust. The tart has a crisp, chocolate-coated shortbread crust filled with pastry cream and topped with fresh fruit.
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Price Range |
€10 – €20 (INR 800 to 1700) |
|
Best Served With |
Coffee |
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FAQs
What is France’s national food?
While there’s no single official dish, Pot-au-feu is often considered the national dish. It’s a hearty beef stew with vegetables.
What type of food is eaten in France?
French cuisine is renowned for its richness and diversity. It emphasizes fresh, seasonal ingredients, classic techniques, and regional specialties.
What is a typical breakfast in France?
A classic French breakfast is simple: coffee or tea with bread and butter or jam. Some may enjoy croissants or pastries.
Which are the famous restaurants in France?
Some of the best restaurants in France and mostly in Paris are Le Relais de l’Entrecôte, Paris, Breizh Café, Paris, Stohrer, Paris and Bouillon Chartier Grands Boulevards.
Which is a traditional food of France?
Here are some traditional foods of France that you can enjoy:
- Coq au Vin: Chicken braised in red wine.
- Crêpes: Thin pancakes enjoyed sweet or savory.
- Croissants: Flaky pastries.
- Macarons: Delicate meringue cookies.
What currency is used in France?
You can use euros in France to get across and eat at restaurants. Some restaurants do not accept credit cards so do carry money.
