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Food tours in Paris: what to eat and which tour to book
Eating well in Paris is less about famous restaurants than about the daily shops: a boulangerie for bread and croissants, a fromagerie, a street market two or three mornings a week, and a neighbourhood bistro with a short chalkboard menu. The city also has strong immigrant food cultures — falafel in the Marais, North African couscous, Vietnamese and Chinese food in Belleville and the 13th — that are often better value than classic French cooking in tourist districts.
This page lists what to eat, where Parisians buy it and what it roughly costs in 2026, and food tours we checked on GetYourGuide in October 2026, with approximate prices. Note opening days: many markets and restaurants close on Monday, some on Sunday, and a lot of independent places close for part of August.
What to eat in Paris
| Dish | What it is | Where to eat it | Typical price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Croissant and pain au chocolat croissant / pain au chocolat | Laminated butter pastries; 'croissant au beurre' is made with butter, plain 'croissant' in some shops with other fat. | Any good boulangerie, early morning. | About €1.30–2.20 each |
| Baguette baguette tradition | The 'tradition' is the regulated version made without additives, with a crisper crust and chewier inside than the standard baguette. | Boulangeries; winners of the city's annual best-baguette contest often display it. | About €1.30–1.60 |
| Ham and butter sandwich jambon-beurre | Baguette with butter and cooked ham — the city's standard lunch sandwich. | Boulangeries and cafés. | About €4.50–8 |
| Croque-monsieur | Toasted ham and cheese sandwich, often with béchamel; with a fried egg it becomes a croque-madame. | Cafés and brasseries. | About €9–15 |
| Steak and chips steak frites | Bavette, entrecôte or onglet with fries and a sauce such as béarnaise or peppercorn. | Bistros and brasseries across the city. | About €20–30 |
| Crêpes and galettes crêpe / galette de sarrasin | Sweet wheat crêpes and savoury buckwheat galettes from Brittany, with ham, egg and cheese ('complète'). | Crêperies around Montparnasse (traditionally the Breton quarter) and street stands. | Street crêpe about €4–8; sit-down galette €10–15 |
| Falafel in pita falafel | Falafel stuffed in pita with fried aubergine, cabbage, hummus and tahini. | Rue des Rosiers in the Marais, with long queues at the best-known counters. | About €8–11 |
| Cheese fromage | Paris fromageries stock hundreds of cheeses; try a soft Brie de Meaux, aged Comté and a goat's cheese, bought by weight. | Fromageries on market streets such as Rue Cler, Rue Montorgueil and Rue Mouffetard, and at the Marché d'Aligre. | Roughly €4–8 per 100 g for good cheeses |
Where to eat: markets and neighbourhoods
Marché d'Aligre (12th)
A cheap open-air produce market plus the covered Marché Beauvau, with cheese, butchers and wine bars nearby; very local.
Marché des Enfants Rouges (3rd)
Paris's oldest covered market (1615), now mostly food stalls — Moroccan, Japanese, Lebanese, Italian and French — eaten at shared tables.
Le Marais: Rue des Rosiers
The historic Jewish quarter for falafel, Eastern European pastries and bakeries; one of the most-visited food streets in the city.
Rue Cler, Rue Montorgueil and Rue Mouffetard
Pedestrian market streets with permanent shops (cheese, charcuterie, bakeries, fishmongers) — good for a picnic.
Belleville
Chinese, Vietnamese, North African and Middle Eastern restaurants and a twice-weekly market on Boulevard de Belleville, at much lower prices than the centre.
Food tours in Paris compared
Every tour below is a real listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 2 Oct 2026. Prices move with season and group size, so treat them as a guide and confirm on the booking page.
| Tour | Length | Price* | Group | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paris: Le Marais Guided Food Tour with Tastings | 3 hours | About €69 per adult | max 10 | First-timers, people with a sweet tooth; listed as wheelchair accessible | Check dates |
| Paris: Montmartre Small Group Food Tour by Local & Full Meal | 3.5 hours | €89–98 per adult (discounted to €89 when checked) | max 12 | People who want a proper lunch or dinner on the tour, not just snacks | Check dates |
| Paris: Le Marais Authentic Food Tour with Cheeses & Wines | 2–3 hours (3-hour Marais tour or 2-hour express option) | About €77 per adult | — | Cheese and wine lovers; first-timers | Check dates |
| Paris: Cheese and Wine Class in a 17th Century Cellar | 1.5 hours | About €70 per adult | — | Rainy days, couples, anyone short on time; not for lactose intolerance; 18+ for wine | Check dates |
| Paris: Full-Day Cooking Class, Market Tour and Lunch | 6 hours | About €219 per adult | usually max 12 | Serious home cooks; not for children under 12 | Check dates |
Paris: Le Marais Guided Food Tour with Tastings
On GetYourGuide · run by NO DIET CLUB
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- About €69 per adult
- Group size
- max 10
- Included
- Around 5 stops with savoury and sweet tastings such as croque-monsieur, French toast, chouquettes, macarons and ice cream
- Suits
- First-timers, people with a sweet tooth; listed as wheelchair accessible
- Starts
- Yann Couvreur, 23 bis Rue des Rosiers (Marais)
Paris: Montmartre Small Group Food Tour by Local & Full Meal
On GetYourGuide · run by Do Eat Better Experience
- Length
- 3.5 hours
- Price
- €89–98 per adult (discounted to €89 when checked)
- Group size
- max 12
- Included
- A full meal across stops: chouquettes, boeuf bourguignon, French cheeses, crêpes, macarons, one glass of wine, water
- Suits
- People who want a proper lunch or dinner on the tour, not just snacks
- Starts
- 82 Boulevard de Clichy (Montmartre)
Paris: Le Marais Authentic Food Tour with Cheeses & Wines
On GetYourGuide · run by Secret Food Tours
- Length
- 2–3 hours (3-hour Marais tour or 2-hour express option)
- Price
- About €77 per adult
- Included
- 3-hour version: pastry, croque-monsieur, cheeses and bread, falafel, macarons, chocolates, red and white wine, a 'secret dish'
- Suits
- Cheese and wine lovers; first-timers
- Starts
- Several start options shown on booking; the Marais tour starts near Saint-Paul
Paris: Cheese and Wine Class in a 17th Century Cellar
On GetYourGuide · run by Living Cheese Museum
- Length
- 1.5 hours
- Price
- About €70 per adult
- Included
- 7 cheeses, 3 wines and bread with a cheese and wine guide
- Suits
- Rainy days, couples, anyone short on time; not for lactose intolerance; 18+ for wine
- Starts
- Musée Vivant du Fromage, 39 Rue Saint-Louis-en-l'Île (Île Saint-Louis)
Paris: Full-Day Cooking Class, Market Tour and Lunch
On GetYourGuide · run by Le Foodist
- Length
- 6 hours
- Price
- About €219 per adult
- Group size
- usually max 12
- Included
- Latin Quarter market visit, hands-on class in classic French technique, 4-course lunch with red and white wine and cheese, recipes
- Suits
- Serious home cooks; not for children under 12
- Starts
- 59 Rue du Cardinal Lemoine (5th, Latin Quarter)
Some links on this page are partner links. If you book through them TonyPlan earns a small commission — the price you pay is exactly the same.
Street food, sit-down or a cooking class?
Street food
Paris street food is mainly boulangerie food eaten on a bench: jambon-beurre, quiche, a croissant. Add a crêpe stand, falafel on Rue des Rosiers, and the hot food stalls of the bigger street markets. A picnic from a market street is the cheapest good meal in the city.
Sit-down meals
Bistros usually offer a lunch formule (two or three courses) for roughly €18–30, much cheaper than the same food at dinner. Tap water in a carafe ('une carafe d'eau') and bread are free. Book ahead for popular bistros, especially on Friday and Saturday; many close on Sunday and Monday.
Cooking classes
Classes range from 2-hour pastry or macaron sessions to full-day market-and-cooking classes with wine, which are expensive (often €150–250) but small. Book a week or more ahead in spring and autumn.
How much to budget for food
| Style | Per person, per day* |
|---|---|
| Budget (street food, markets) | €35–50 |
| Mid-range (one sit-down meal a day) | €80–120 |
| Splurge (tasting menus, wine) | €200+ |
Vegetarian, halal and gluten-free
Vegetarian & vegan: Much easier than a decade ago: most bistros have at least one vegetarian main, and there are many vegetarian and vegan restaurants, especially in the 10th, 11th and Marais. Classic French dishes often use meat stock, lardons or gelatine, so ask ('sans viande', 'végétarien').
Halal: Widely available in Belleville, Barbès, the 18th and 19th, and many kebab, North African and Middle Eastern restaurants. In classic French restaurants meat is not halal and wine is used in sauces.
Gluten-free: Hard with bread and pastry, but awareness is growing and Paris has dedicated gluten-free bakeries. Say 'sans gluten' and 'je suis cœliaque'. Buckwheat galettes are often gluten-free but check — some crêperies mix in wheat flour.
Food scams and tourist traps to avoid
- Tourist-menu restaurants by major sights (Notre-Dame, Montmartre's Place du Tertre, the Latin Quarter around Rue de la Huchette, Champs-Élysées) serving frozen food with photo menus. Walk a few streets away, look for a short handwritten menu that changes, and check that locals are eating there.
- Being sold bottled water when you only wanted water. Ask for 'une carafe d'eau' — free tap water is normal in restaurants.
- Paying more than you thought for coffee or drinks because terrace prices are higher than bar prices. This is normal: the same espresso costs less standing at the counter ('au comptoir'). Prices must be displayed.
- Double tipping: service is already included in French prices ('service compris'). Leave a few euros or round up if you were happy; you do not need to add 15–20%. Ignore card terminals that suggest high tip percentages.
- Petition or 'deaf charity' clipboard groups and the 'found gold ring' trick around Sacré-Cœur, Notre-Dame and Seine bridges, often aimed at people eating outside. Do not sign or take anything; keep walking. Watch bags at terraces near busy sights.
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Staying near the markets saves time and taxi money — most food tours start in the old centre.
Common questions
Do I need to tip in Paris restaurants?
No, not in the American sense. By law, prices include service ('service compris'). Parisians round up or leave a few euros for good service at a sit-down meal, and small change at a café. Card terminals sometimes suggest a tip percentage; you can decline. Food tour guides are often tipped €5–10 per person.
Which food tour is best for a first visit?
A Marais food walk is a good start: it combines classic French snacks (croque-monsieur, cheese, pastry, macarons) with falafel from Rue des Rosiers and is near central sights. If you want a full meal on the tour, a Montmartre tour with boeuf bourguignon suits better. For a short, rainy-day option, a cheese and wine tasting takes about 90 minutes.
How much should I budget per day for food?
With boulangerie breakfasts and lunches, a picnic and one simple meal, about €35–50 per person a day. A bistro lunch formule plus a dinner with wine brings it to €80–120. Well-known restaurants and tasting menus can easily cost €200+ per person. Coffee is cheaper at the counter, often €1.50–2.50 instead of €3–5 on a terrace.
Which days are markets and restaurants closed?
Many independent restaurants close on Sunday and Monday, or Sunday evening and Monday. Covered markets such as the Marché d'Aligre and Enfants Rouges are closed on Mondays. Open-air street markets run on fixed mornings, two or three days a week, usually ending around 13:30. In August, many family-run places close for two to four weeks.
When should I book food tours and restaurants?
In spring, autumn and around holidays, book food tours and cooking classes several days to a week ahead; small groups (10–12) fill first. Popular bistros need a reservation for dinner, especially Thursday to Saturday, often through their website. Lunch is easier to get without booking.
Are the famous pastry shops worth the queue?
For one or two specific items, often yes, but you do not need them to eat well. Many ordinary neighbourhood boulangeries make excellent croissants and baguettes, and the best-baguette contest winners display their award. Go early in the morning for croissants, when they are fresh, and avoid buying pastry at chain cafés near major sights.
* Prices are approximate, gathered on 2 Oct 2026 from menus, markets and the booking pages linked above. They change with season and exchange rates.