RacletteMust-try
Meat · Dinner
Melted cheese scraped fresh from a wheel or a small individual pan, served with boiled potatoes, pickled gherkins, and onions, offering a warm and savory experience.
Ka23 13 (CC BY-SA 4.0
France Food: 20 Dishes to Try
Every dish ranked by how essential it is — must-try picks first, with photos and what’s actually in them.
Steak FritesMust-try
Meat · Dinner
A quintessential French bistro dish featuring a perfectly seared cut of beef (often bavette or entrecote) served simply with a mountain of crispy, thin-cut fries and a simple sauce.
LuvsMG481 (CC BY-SA 4.0
Quiche LorraineMust-try
Meat · Lunch
A rustic, savory tart from the Lorraine region, made with a rich custard of eggs, cream, and smoky bacon lardons in a flaky pastry shell.
Donna Alvita (CC BY-SA 4.0
CroissantMust-try
Vegetarian · Breakfast
The quintessential French laminated pastry, renowned for its flaky layers and buttery richness, best enjoyed fresh from a local boulangerie.
Petr Kratochvil (CC0
CrêpeMust-try
Vegetarian · Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner · Snack
Thin, versatile pancake served sweet with sugar or Nutella, or savory (galette style with buckwheat flour) with ham, cheese, and egg, making a satisfying quick meal.
David Monniaux (CC BY-SA 3.0
Crème brûléeMust-try
Snack
A quintessential French dessert with a rich vanilla custard base topped with a contrasting layer of hardened caramelized sugar that cracks when tapped.
Takeaway (CC BY-SA 3.0
Coq au VinMust-try
Lunch · Dinner
A classic French stew of chicken braised in red wine, traditionally served with mushrooms, lardons, and pearl onions; in Tours, it often uses local Chinon or Bourgueil wine.
Beck from East Midlands, United Kingdon (CC BY 2.0
Croque MonsieurMust-try
Meat · Lunch
A classic French toasted sandwich, featuring layers of ham and Gruyere cheese, grilled until bubbly and golden, often coated with a touch of Bechamel sauce.
Michael Brewer (CC BY-SA 2.5
Pain au ChocolatMust-try
Vegetarian · Breakfast
A classic French pastry of flaky, buttery dough wrapped around a bar of dark chocolate, perfect with morning coffee or as an afternoon treat.
Luc Viatour (CC BY-SA 3.0
FougasseMust-try
Vegetarian · Snack
A soft, airy flatbread with a distinctive leaf-like shape, often flavored with olives, anchovies, or herbs, making it a perfect snack or accompaniment.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/70253321@N00/ (CC BY 2.0
TartifletteMust-try
Meat · Dinner
This iconic Savoyard dish combines potatoes, smoky lardons, onions, and rich Reblochon cheese, baked until golden and bubbling.
Benoît Prieur (CC0
BarbagiuanMust-try
Vegetarian · Snack · Lunch · Dinner
This fried or baked savory pastry is Monaco's national dish, traditionally filled with Swiss chard, ricotta cheese, and often rice or pumpkin, making it a unique local starter or snack.
Lemone (CC BY-SA 4.0
Baguette Jambon BeurreMust-try
Meat · Breakfast · Lunch · Snack
The simplest, most iconic French sandwich, highlighting the quality of a fresh baguette, good ham, and rich butter.
Boulanger: Nat / Photographer: Nat (CC BY-SA 4.0
Gâteau de SavoieMust-try
Vegetarian · Snack
This light, airy sponge cake, often flavored with lemon or orange zest, is a simple yet elegant regional classic perfect with coffee or tea.
Kinni1955 (CC BY-SA 4.0
SoccaMust-try
Vegan · Snack
A savory chickpea flour pancake, thin and crispy, cooked in a wood-fired oven and often served hot with a sprinkle of pepper, originating from the Ligurian coast and popular in the French Riviera.
Paul Downey from Berkhamsted, UK (CC BY 2.0
Plateau de FromagesMust-try
Snack · Lunch · Dinner
An expertly curated selection of regional French cheeses, showcasing the country's diverse dairy heritage, often served after a main course.
CC BY-SA 3.0
Choucroute GarnieMust-try
Meat · Dinner
A hearty Alsatian signature dish, this features sauerkraut slowly simmered with various cuts of salted pork, sausages, and often potatoes.
Miguel Discart (CC BY-SA 2.0
Crozets de SavoieMust-try
Vegetarian · Lunch
Small, flat square pasta, typically made from buckwheat or wheat flour, often served au gratin with local cheese, cream, and sometimes bacon.
Farcis NiçoisMust-try
Meat · Dinner
Hollowed-out vegetables like zucchini, tomatoes, or bell peppers are stuffed with a mixture of ground meat, breadcrumbs, garlic, and herbs, then baked until tender.
Tangopaso (Public domain
Galette CompleteMust-try
Lunch · Dinner
A thin, buckwheat flour crepe often filled with classic combinations like ham, cheese, and a fried egg, offering a satisfying and versatile meal.
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, used under Creative Commons licenses. Individual credits shown on each photo where available.