In Paris, good food is a way of life - and is an inseparable part of the city's history. Where the restaurant was once invented, a culinary culture that effortlessly combines tradition and avant-garde still pulsates today.
It must have been shortly before the French Revolution when those places first appeared in Paris where you could not only dine, but also linger - at your own table, with a choice of dishes that you chose yourself. It was the birth of the restaurant as we know it today.
With around 122 Michelin stars (i.e. approximately one star per 17,235 inhabitants), France's capital is still one of the strongholds of fine dining. If you really want to taste the city, there are three culinary icons: "Guy Savoy", where classic French cuisine is served to perfection, "Arpège", where Alain Passard has revolutionized vegetable cuisine, and the "Plénitude" in the luxurious "Cheval Blanc" hotel, where Maxime Frédéric redefines the idea of modern luxury.
Here, food fulfills far more than just the purpose of nourishment. It is cultural practice, social code, urban identity - in short: deeply anchored in the city's DNA. And you can sense this on every street corner; in the countless restaurants of all categories, small bistros and brasseries, in fragrant boulangeries, artistic patisseries and in the Markets where the selection of cheese, fish, vegetables and meat is second to none. There is hardly an international food trend that does not originate somewhere in Paris, or at least one of its decisive impulses.
" Bouillons are particularly popular at the moment," says Parisian food critic Alexandra Michot. These are restaurants with impeccable French home cooking at extremely reasonable prices (starters under five, main courses under twelve euros). These bouillons are often housed in historic rooms with opulent Art Nouveau or Art Deco interiors. Some have 500 seats or more, such as the "Pigalle" or "République" bouillons. "In any case, they are wonderful places with a fantastic atmosphere and proper, down-to-earth cuisine," says Michot, "where you can experience Paris and the Parisians' love of eating out better than almost anywhere else."
Alongside the time-honored Parisian addresses, a young gastronomic scene has long since established itself, redefining the city's image as a metropolis of pleasure. This includes the "Faubourg Daimant", a place that combines fine dining and plant-based cuisine. On the plates: chou farci (stuffed cabbage), a gravy boat full of jus, croquettes, puy lentil pâté, glazed king oyster mushrooms ... refined classics, radically rethought.
- Croissant etiquette:
If you enjoy it like the locals, dip the croissant in café au lait and do without butter or jam.
- Oyster paring:
Sancerre, Muscadet and Champagne are among the classics to accompany oysters.
-Cheese:
In France, the love of cheese goes so far that a separate profession has been established: the affineur; cheese refiner - in Paris, for example, "Androuët".
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