Discover Paris

Gastronomy

Over the past few years, the Parisian dining scene has become healthier by opening to global cuisine. Since a typical French meal is often rich in cholesterol, the French cuisine is known for being indulging for the mouth but not for the heart. Today over 5,000 restaurants exist in Paris alone, with varying levels of prices and menus. A distinctive Parisian breakfast includes a croissant bought from a nearby boulangerie. A Parisian bistrot is smaller than a restaurant and where the day's menu is written in chalk; it features simple meat centered regional dishes like coq au vin, pot-au-feu, confit de canard, calves' liver, entrecote, and turbot au beurre. The bistrot is perfect for a romantic meal for two. The Bistrot à Vin, a wine bar and bistro, offer inexpensive alcoholic drinks with simple food including sausages, ham and cheese. The Brasserie, French for brewery, is open all day and serves beer and wine with popular dishes like Sauerkraut (sour cabbage) and seafood. A Café serves coffee and alcoholic drinks, and plates like croque-monsieur, salads, moules-frites (mussels and pommes frites). Cafés don't open all day. In a Salon de Thé, known as cafe in other parts of the world you are not likely to find alcoholic drinks; instead they offer cakes, snaks, salads, sandwiches. Drinks include teas, hot chocolate, and chocolat à l'ancienne (a Parisian chocolate drink). These locations often open just prior to noon for lunch and then close the rest of the afternoon. If you are looking for alcoholic drinks such as whiskey head to one of the town Bars. Going to a restaurant isn't only meant to satisfy your hunger but to give you a chance to mingle with the city, to get to know its people, to feel the authentic Parisian experience by being part of the vast microcosm that is Paris.