Twelve Essential Parisian Dishes and Tables

Paris is not visited with the eyes alone. It is tasted, at the table of a neighbourhood bistro, at the counter of a brasserie with moleskine banquettes, in front of the window of a pastry shop. Parisian gastronomy is not only a matter of great starred establishments: it lives first in its essential dishes, simple and repeated for generations, that each address interprets in its own way.

Here is a selection of twelve specialities that say something about the city, and, for several of them, the kind of place where they are best appreciated. A gourmet journey to take at your own pace, over the course of a stay or a season.

Which classics for lunch on the go?

Before the great meal, there is lunch on the go, the one taken standing or seated for half an hour. Three dishes sum up this everyday Parisian cooking.

• The jambon-beurre (ham and butter baguette). The baguette tradition, the salted butter, the white ham: three ingredients, one balance. It is found in the good bakeries, and the secret always lies in the quality of the bread and in the gesture of the butter, generous without excess.
• The œufs mayonnaise (eggs with mayonnaise). The bistro starter par excellence, long under threat then defended by faithful enthusiasts. Served with a mayonnaise whipped in house, they are enjoyed in traditional bistros, often at the beginning of a lunchtime set menu.
• The croque-monsieur (toasted ham and cheese sandwich). Sandwich bread, ham, béchamel, gratinéed gruyère: a timeless brasserie dish, gladly topped with an egg for the madame version.

The hearty dishes to sit down for

When time is no longer counted, Parisian cooking becomes longer, more slow-cooked, more generous. These are the dishes that call for a tablecloth and a carafe.

• The steak-frites (steak and fries). The bistro institution. A seared cut of beef, homemade fries, sometimes a pepper sauce or a maître d’hôtel butter. Everything comes down to the cooking and to the freshness of the frying.
• The blanquette de veau (veal in white sauce). The slow-cooked dish par excellence, with its creamy white sauce, served with rice that soaks up the juices. A cooking of patience, that neighbourhood bistros keep on their menu on winter days.
• The confit de canard (duck confit). Come from the South-West but adopted everywhere, the confit duck leg with its crispy skin often comes with pommes sarladaises (potatoes fried in duck fat).
• The soupe à l’oignon gratinée (gratinéed onion soup). Comfort of the cool evenings, long associated with the nights of the former Halles. The broth, the melted onions, the crust of bread and the gratinéed cheese: a dish savoured in the brasseries open late.

What do you find in a great brasserie?

Some Parisian tables are settings as much as restaurants: Belle Époque ceilings, mirrors, seafood platters laid out on ice. This is the world of the great brasseries, of which a few century-old institutions still carry the memory.

• The plateau de fruits de mer (seafood platter). Oysters, whelks, prawns, sometimes a lobster: a shared ritual, often on the return of fine weather or during the holidays.
• The sole meunière (sole in browned butter). Fish cooked to perfection, coated in a lemony browned butter. A classic of bourgeois cooking that the brasseries serve with care.

The sweet moment

Paris ends gently, at the pastry shop. Here again, the classics hold firm, and each establishment defends its own version.

• The éclair. Choux pastry stretched out, filled with a chocolate or coffee cream, a clean and shiny glaze. The pastry gesture in its most recognisable form.
• The Paris-Brest. A crown of choux pastry, praline mousseline cream, almond slivers. Born in tribute to a cycling race between the two cities, it remains one of the most loved desserts of the capital.

Alongside them, the mille-feuille, the tarte au citron meringuée (lemon meringue tart) or the Saint-Honoré complete a repertoire that the good establishments make to order, for a table or a dinner.

Twelve classics, one table to find your way:

Classic	Where to taste it	The right moment
jambon-beurre	the good bakeries	midday, on the go
œufs mayonnaise	traditional bistros	the start of a lunch
croque-monsieur	brasseries	a quick lunch
steak-frites	bistros	in the evening, unhurried
blanquette de veau	neighbourhood bistros	winter days
confit de canard	bistros and brasseries	in the evening, late in the week
soupe à l’oignon gratinée	brasseries open late	after a show
plateau de fruits de mer	the great brasseries	the return of fine weather
sole meunière	the great brasseries	the lunch that stretches on
éclair	pastry shops	the afternoon
Paris-Brest	pastry shops	the afternoon, or to take away
mille-feuille, lemon tart	pastry shops	made to order, for a dinner

How do you taste Paris at your own pace?

Knowing these dishes is one thing, gaining access to the good addresses is another. The most coveted tables are fully booked weeks in advance, and one quickly walks past the just-right bistro hidden on a street corner.

This is where a dedicated concierge proves useful. At French Realty, they book a table that is hard to obtain, organise a dinner at your home around these classics, or point you towards the neighbourhood address that matches your craving of the moment. Everything is settled by time spent: you enjoy the table, we take care of the rest. The bespoke concierge service details this delegated daily life, the art of entertaining prepares your private dinners, and the Journal’s Art de vivre category gathers all our gourmet pages.