Ah, Paris… They may call it the City of Love or the City of Light, but we’d wager it’s really the City of Cheese. There’s nothing more romantic than a perfectly put-together cheese board accompanied by a baguette tradition and a bottle of wine. Whether you’re sharing with a partner or treating yourself to some […]
Famous Fromage: 7 Types of French Cheese in Paris & Beyond
Former French President Charles de Gaulle is famous for having declared that it was impossible to govern a country with 246 kinds of cheese… and these days, France is home to far more than that! It can seem a bit overwhelming to know where to begin, so to help you get started, here are the […]
Where to Find the Best Hot Chocolate in Paris
France may not be as well-known as Belgium or Switzerland for its chocolate, but this country actually has a rich tradition in all things cacao… especially chocolat chaud. Here are our four favorite spots to indulge in the best hot chocolate in Paris. Photo Credit: La Chocolaterie Cyril Lignac, Text Overlay: Devour Paris Food Tours […]
Easy Luggage Storage in le Marais: Where to Leave Your Bags in Paris
It might be your first day in Paris, or maybe it’s your last (for now), but one thing’s for sure—you’re not going to want to drag your suitcase around all day. Even for the hardiest traveler, the narrow streets and sidewalks of le Marais were not designed for roller suitcases or massive backpacker-style backpacks. As […]
5 Fabulous Spots for Sampling the Best Snails in Paris
Adventurous eaters journeying to Paris often have a few famous dishes on their must-try lists: frogs’ legs, calf’s brains…and snails. The traditional preparation of escargots à la bourguignonne sees the snails dressed in their shells and baked with an herbed garlic butter which forms the perfect sauce for a crusty baguette. And while the […]
How to Celebrate Candelmas the French Way (Hint: It Involves Crêpes)
If you believe most American shops and greeting card companies, the next major holiday to follow Christmas and New Year’s is Valentine’s Day. But here in France, another holiday sneaks its way into the fray in early February. The holiday in question is Candlemas, or La Chandeleur, and the appropriate way to celebrate it is […]
A Paris Chef Shares How to Find the Best Pastries in Town (& Avoid Tourist Traps)
After an afternoon of sightseeing around the butte Montmartre, a nibble or two of French pastry is well-deserved. Rather than settling into an anonymous café on the rue des Abbesses, head west until the street narrows and forks. Tucked away just off the main drag, La Bossue awaits. Known for its generous brunch, cozy vintage atmosphere, […]
7 Perfect Ways to Spend a Rainy Day in Paris
Perhaps Paris’ best-kept secret is that it shares London’s infamous drizzly weather. Cole Porter wasn’t kidding when he referenced “Paris when it drizzles.” But what he missed was the fact that it rains in Paris—not just in winter, but all year round. Most rain in Paris falls in May and June, but rainfall in the […]
How to Spend Your Sundays in Paris and Make Every Moment Count
The French are known for their long Sunday lunches en famille that stretch into the afternoons. After washing down a multiple course meal of tempting appetizers, hearty mains, cheese platters, and dessert with a bouteille de vin or two, the French toddle home sated—bellies and ears decidedly full. But where does that leave the rest […]
A Guide to Eating Alone in Paris for Solo Travelers
For solo travelers, the most daunting aspect of their trip is often eating alone. For the uninitiated, the simple act of grabbing a bite between blocks of sightseeing can unleash a spiral of anxiety: You need to eat, but what do you do during the eternity between ordering and the arrival of your plate? Are […]
Making New Traditions With Mulled Wine in Paris
It was nearly Christmas, a few months after I had first moved to Paris, and I was dating my first French boyfriend. On a weekend trip to his hometown, we’d somehow found ourselves entangled in a group of locals—friends and friends of friends from the area—spending the afternoon hanging around the flower farm where they […]
5 Restaurants on Christmas Eve & Christmas Day to Eat at in Paris
Paris is full of restaurants that offer Christmas meals. From luxurious meals offering French Christmas classics like capon (roast chicken), red wine, and buche de noel (Yule Log cake) for dessert, or even a super casual grab-and-go falafel while walking the crowded streets of Le Marais, there are a number of ways to enjoy a meal in Paris on Christmas and Christmas Eve.
The following five options have our seal of approval.
Bouillon Julien
Part of the recent revival of the bouillon—a hearty French meal and bottle of wine at affordable prices—Bouillon Julien has been turning out classic French food since the turn of the 20th century.
Located not far from the Strasbourg-Saint Denis metro stop in the hip 10th arrondissement, the restaurant’s carte des fetes (holiday menu) has everything from parmentier of duck leg with truffle oil to a fricassée of capon leg for the main course, with options of a starter of pumpkin soup and a dessert of creamy caramelized chocolate pie.
And all of this for a reasonable price that won’t break the bank. If you’re looking for an affordable option, Bouillon Julien is one of the best restaurants to pick for your Christmas meal in Paris.
La Bonne Franquette
For a classic French meal at a steeper price, head to Montmartre’s La Bonne Franquette for Christmas Eve dinner. This reveillon meal could definitely be shared, as it comes with salmon, blood sausage and duck, as well as, half a bottle of Bordeaux and half a bottle of Champagne.
Be prepared, however, as the local crowd will most likely break out into Christmas songs.
L’Alsace
Nothing screams Christmas in France like Alsace. The eastern French region is home to the first-ever Christmas market, as well as a number of German-sounding holiday specialties like flammekueche and kougelhopf.
Luckily you won’t have to go all the way to Strasbourg or Colmar to get a taste of these holiday treats. L’Alsace, on the famous Avenue des Champs-Élysées, is open for business on Christmas Eve/Day. To really get in the Alsacien holiday spirit, you might also want to ask for some vin chaud (mulled wine).
Insider’s Tip: Make note of the best christmas markets in Paris and take time to visit them (before or after you feast).
L’As du Fallafel
One neighborhood where you’ll likely find a lot of restaurants open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Paris? Le Marais.
Paris’s traditional Jewish quarter has a number of options for Middle Eastern food (and more), but L’As du Falafel (Rue des Rosiers, 34 ) may be the classic.
If you don’t mind waiting in line, grab a falafel and sit in the Place des Vosges (weather permitting), or grab a spot inside to enjoy any number of Israeli sandwiches, dishes, and sides. And try some Israeli wine, while you’re at it.
Le Train Bleu – Gare de Lyon
Perhaps one of the most stunning restaurants in the entire city of Paris, with gilded walls, magnificent chandeliers and renaissance artwork in every corner, Le Train Bleu is located on the second floor of the Gare de Lyon train station.
Like the luxurious environment, the Christmas Eve menu is fit for a king, consisting of a mise en bouche, starter, fish main dish, trou normand (a sort of calvados-based appetizer that comes in between main dishes), meat main dish, and dessert. It’s pricey, but it will no doubt be an unforgettable meal.
Staying in Paris for a bit longer? Ring in the New Year with a decadent Parisian meal, too.
Update Notice: This post was updated on January 27, 2024.
Typical French Christmas Foods to Enjoy This Holiday Season
Devoid of a feast-focused holiday like Thanksgiving, France pulls out all the stops at Christmastime, with a multi-course meal and more than enough traditional French Christmas foods to enjoy during the festivities.
Here is just a touch of what you can expect on the table at Christmas time in Paris and beyond. These French Christmas foods are what make the season truly memorable.
If you’re planning to travel to Paris, or anywhere else in France, make sure to enjoy all the magic of the holiday season with these exquisite plates that transport everyone to a place of joy and celebration, the French way.
French Christmas market foods
Christmas markets play host to a ton of holiday specialties in France, and in the days leading up to Christmas, they may be the best places to sample some of these goodies.
Roasted chestnuts are a great snack to carry around the market to warm up cold fingers, as is mulled wine: a concoction of red wine simmered with spices and sometimes spiked with brandy or kirsch.
Heartier delicacies include après-ski fare (après-ski literally means ‘after skiing’, so evocative!): tartiflette and raclette both pair gooey melted cheese with potatoes and charcuterie, and can be found served out of huge pans at many Christmas markets.
The markets may also sell a few remaining calendriers de l’Avent. These calendars traditionally contain one chocolate candy for each day of December, though versions boasting everything from cosmetics to beer have been released by different companies.
Speaking of beer, Christmas markets are also a phenomenal place to enjoy a Christmas brew to pair with your French Christmas foods.
Often richly flavored and occasionally spiced, these special edition beers are released by brewers every year leading up to the holidays.
The Christmas meal
The Christmas meal in France generally takes place on December 24 and it’s a multi-course extravaganza showing off the best of French terroir.
Appetizers may include oysters, foie gras, smoked salmon or escargots, accompanied by Champagne or good white wine.
The main event is generally roast poultry—turkey or capon—served with chestnuts or even truffles.
A cheese course follows, which may feature seasonal cheeses like rich Brillat-Savarin with a layer of truffles, or nutty Comté aged 36 or 42 months.
Time for dessert!
The meal culminates in the typical French Christmas dessert: a bûche de Noël, or yule log cake.
The bûche can either be made with a rolled genoise cake decorated with buttercream and marzipan mushrooms, or a glazed ice cream concoction.
Some families make their own bûches, while others enlist the help of local pâtissiers, hard at work for months to perfect their recipe.
If guests have any space left, they might enjoy a mandarin or tangerine at the very end of the meal.
Beyond Paris: regional specialties
While you’ll find variations on the above throughout the country, some regions have their own culinary specialties that they enjoy around the holidays.
In parts of eastern France, pain d’épices, or gingerbread spiked with honey, is common. In Alsace, you’ll even find this sweet, rich bread served with foie gras.
In Ardèche, meanwhile, chestnuts take center stage. Candied and glazed chestnuts are a popular sweet to savor in the days leading up to and following Christmas festivities.
In Provence, Christmas is synonymous with the 13 desserts: a combination of different nuts, dried fruits, and other confections that represents Jesus and the 12 apostles.
The exact combination will vary according to the region and even to the family, but often includes almond calissons from Aix, dried plums from Brignoles, nougat from Montélimar, and more.
Delicious French holiday flavors
Whether you’re enjoying the busy city life of Paris during the holidays, or exploring other regions of France, you’ll enjoy the festive flavors of French Christmas Foods.
Enjoy the city, walk around the Christmas markets with a mullet wine, find a cheese you’ll remember forever, try out the escargot. You may also want to add some time to see as much of Paris in a Day as possible with our tour, or the sweet Paris Pastry and Chocolate Tour.
If you’re planning to visit Bordeaux, you must add the Ultimate Food Tour to your list and let us take care of your itinerary.
We are confident that these delicious French Christmas foods will make you feel festive and cozy, let us know what are your favorites.
Update Notice: This post was updated on December 07, 2023.
The Ultimate Guide to the Tastiest European Gourmet Gifts
Looking for the perfect present or gourmet gifts to bring back from your European travels? Here at Devour, we believe the best souvenirs are the kind you can eat—and the same goes for gifts! If you’re traveling in Europe, it’s pretty much mandatory to stock up on souvenirs. But instead of filling your suitcase with […]
Hidden Paris: Speakeasies, Hidden Bars & Where to Find Them in Paris
Enter through a laundromat, a pizza place or an Indian restaurant; the basement of a creperie, the back of a mezcaleria or through a dimly-lit red door on a street in Le Marais. Behind the graffitied facade of what seems to be a crumbling edifice in Strasbourg-Saint Denis, you’ll find one. Or in the back […]
6 Paris Restaurants Open on New Year’s Eve & New Year’s Day
People say that the way you spend New Year’s Eve sets the tone for the year to come. While that’s a matter of perspective, if you consider this from an epicurean point of view, you’ll want to choose Paris restaurants on New Year’s wisely. Will the new year be full of candlelit meals, raucous group […]
How to Navigate a Meal in France (Menus, Tipping & More)
With a café on every corner, Paris is a prime location for gastronomic delights, whether you’re grabbing a quick bite, settling in for a three-course meal, or sampling Michelin-star tasting menus.
The 6 Best Christmas Markets in Paris You Should Visit This Winter
A tradition that originated in France’s Alsace region to the east of Paris in the 16th century, Christmas markets have grown in popularity in recent years. Each year, France’s dozens of markets—with their quaint wooden stalls, flowing mulled wine and overpriced nativity scene figurines—bring in an estimated 27 million visitors, including two million at the […]
How to Be a Good Tourist: Paris Edition
Don’t miss the rest of our responsible tourism guides: MADRID | BARCELONA | SEVILLE | SAN SEBASTIAN | LISBON | ROME Thinking of visiting Paris? You’re not alone. The city’s visitor bureau announced an uptick in tourism, citing more than 40 million tourists in 2017 with 23 million hotel arrivals. Despite suffering a lull in tourism, Paris has exceeded its prior visitor numbers. […]
Our Favorite Paris Restaurants by Neighborhood: Pigalle
Despite its seedy past as Paris’ red light district, today’s Pigalle—located in the capital’s 9th arrondissement—hardly resembles its 20th, or 19th century self. Swept up in the winds of gentrification that have engulfed much of northern Paris, the streets of the neighborhood, including the infamous Boulevard de Clichy, are increasingly lined with hip cafes, bars […]