French gastronomy is a feast for the senses. This country’s history and landscapes come to life through rich aromas and flavors, from the Mediterranean coast to the stunning countryside. It’s a beautiful cuisine that carries thousands of stories in every spoon. There is a balance of fresh food, strong flavours and century-old traditions all across the land. Prepare your taste buds for the top 10 French foods that define the heart and soul of French cuisine.
Coq au vin: Savor the classic French chicken stew in red wine
Coq au vin is a French countryside dish that anyone who’s ever been to France should have tried. It is a rich chicken and red wine stew, simmered to perfection for ultimate comfort. Its true star is the thick, luscious sauce, infused with slow-cooked flavors. This is usually a Burgundy wine that brings a full flavour into the sauce. It’s served with onions, garlic, lardons – small bacon bits – and fresh mushrooms.
This famous French food has deep country roots. Once a hearty country meal, this dish is now a staple of French cuisine, served worldwide. Farmers found a way to use old roosters, too tough to chew, by slow-cooking them to perfection. So what do they do to this not-so-plump bird? Let it cook in red wine for a while.
Bouillabaisse: Experience the rich flavors of Provence’s traditional fish stew
The freshest fish, some shellfish, and herbs – and a rich – decadent, savoury broth thrown in for good measure! That is Bouillabaisse in a nutshell – or bowl in this case. This Provençal seafood delight hails from Marseille and is no ordinary French dish. Though it may seem like a simple, rustic meal, its rich flavors demand finesse and skill to perfect.
The fish, the fennel, thyme, bay leaves, saffron and the other spices that you may choose for this amazing stew are important. As appealing as they all are, the real standout in this recipe is the broth. It’s so rich and comforting but it’s also a perfect balance of sweet and salty. Along with the bouillabaisse, you’ll often also get rouille sauce, a mayonnaise-like sauce made with garlic. This emulsifies the broth and tastes delicious smeared on the toasted French food baguette slices that are served with it. For anyone visiting Provence, this authentic French food is a must have dish.
Ratatouille: Delight in a medley of Provence’s finest vegetables
You have probably watched that movie of the rat that can cook Ratouille and wondered if it is a real dish. The answer is yes, it is a very real – very delicious dish – sans the rat of course! Ratatouille might be one of the most famous traditional French food options. It tastes great and is as symbolic as they come.
This dish shows just how rich the bounty of the vegetables of the south of France really is. Made with a selection of the freshest vegetables, the dish consists mostly of eggplant, zucchini, tomato, bell peppers and onions. Flavoured with herbes de Provence, typically including thyme, rosemary and basil, all the ingredients shine through. Ratatouille is one of those quintessentially Provençal dishes that encapsulates the sunny way of life in this region of France. Because the earth is rich and the weather is sunny here, the vegetables are absolutely wonderful.
There are lots of different ways of making ratatouille. Sometimes, the chef can put everything together in the same recipe, while at other times, they use layering. Still, it is one of the simplest dishes to make. There are not many things that come straight out of the garden that are more delicious than a lovely ratatouille. It can be served as an accompaniment or a main course, warm or cold, and is a lovely dish for high summer. It’s when the vegetables are really fresh and taste better.
Quiche Lorraine: Savour this tart from Lorraine
Quiche Lorraine is a French-style savoury pie. This comforting yet delicious dish features a creamy custard filling of cheese, eggs, and bacon or lardons, baked in a golden, crispy shortcrust pastry. The richness of custard works perfectly with the crumbly, buttery base.
Although quiche Lorraine started out as a simple home-style dish in the region of Lorraine, it eventually became a part of haute cuisine as an iconic French dish that is now eaten throughout the country. It can be eaten at any time of the day — breakfast, lunch, or dinner, at a picnic, brunch or as a casual meal at home. In fact, you can eat it cold from the fridge the next day. It is so simple to prepare and can be made in advance.
The contrast in textures makes quiche Lorraine so appealing. That silky, creamy, cheesy custard — with a hint of smokiness from the bacon — is balanced well by the crisp, buttery base. The cheese gives it that tangy richness that makes it so delicious. There are now so many variations of quiche Lorraine that you can add spinach, mushrooms or any other vegetable you prefer.
Cassoulet: Indulge in a hearty bean and meat casserole from the southwest
The French are all about dishes that make you feel warm and fuzzy inside – while offering delicious ingredients in said dishes that will make your tastebuds tingle and dance. And no dish better illustrates that than Cassoulet is the ultimate comfort food when it comes to French dishes: rich, warm, and delicious. Traipsing in from the southwest of France in the Languedoc region, it’s a hearty, slow-cooked casserole made of white beans cooked with meat, typically duck confit, pork sausages and pork. This dish is a rich and flavourful casserole. While the list of ingredients is immense, the cooking is lazy enough to have all the flavours mingle together in a stew that is comforting and delicious.
As the beans cook in the flavour from the meats, the sausages and/or duck confit make the flavours develop. Over time, cassoulet has become a typical dish of French country cuisine and its history (a popular dish of peasants which became largely celebrated) is but a living illustration of a dish that tastes better when it cooks slower. This is why it is present at all sorts of popular fêtes or family dinners. There is no better way to gather and enjoy the warmth and flavours of southern French meals.
Soupe à l’oignon: Warm up with a comforting bowl of French onion soup
Autumn is a season for French entrees in the form of soups and stews and you really can’t go wrong with a classic. Transform your home into a lovely French Bistro for the perfect date night with a simple French onion soup recipe. French onion soup pairs caramelised onions with a beefy broth and a thinly sliced baguette topped with cheese that’s broiled until bubbly. It’s a hearty soup that’s perfect for cold weather and so easy to throwtogether.
One of the reasons many people love this onion soup so much is the origin story. Like most good recipes, it began as poor people’s food because onions are readily available and cheap. It is clear that the French are pretty much ready to eat onions in some form at all times, so it’s no surprise their most famous soup started with onions. With a bit of bread and the bone broth that was probably leftover in some form or another, a dish was born.
Croque Monsieur: Taste France’s quintessential ham and cheese sandwich
Ham and cheese, anyone? Except this time, French style! Or maybe you love a grilled cheese sandwich – well, how about flipping that inside out? This is not one of those main meals (unless you want it to be) – it is more of a snack or lunch – French style.
Here is what you are in for with this seemingly simple and basic yet delicious sandwich: some thinly sliced ham and a layer of cheese (traditionally gruyère or Emmental slices) fitted between two slices of bread. The sandwich is then laid to rest on a puddle of béchamel sauce before being grilled or baked until golden brown and gorgeously crisp. If you want something a bit fancier, try the croque madame, which is topped with a fried egg.
Tarte Tatin: Satisfy your sweet tooth with an upside-down caramelized apple tart
This tempting dessert features a mixture of caramelised apples and crisp, golden pastry. The dish is believed to have been created by the Tatin sisters (hence the name) who ran a quaint hotel in France’s Loire Valley. Legend has it that one day, they overcooked the apples for a tart and had to counterbalance the burnt flavour with sugar, covering the fruit with some dough to bake the tart, turning it into a happy accident.
While this might sound complicated, Tarte Tatin is incredibly simple to make. Sliced apples are cooked in butter and sugar, caramelised, covered with a golden layer of pastry and baked. When you flip the tart out of the baking dish, you’ll reveal a shiny, sticky layer of caramelised apple tart that will have you going back for seconds.
You’re likely to find Tarte Tatin served as a dessert; it’s also worth enjoying its caramelised goodness for French breakfast foods. You can eat it with your morning coffee or even as a decadent post-Pilates treat.
Moules Marinières: Relish mussels cooked in white wine and herbs
Moules marinières holds the beautiful taste of French coastal food. This warm and fragrant dish features mussels cooked in a broth made with white wine, shallots, butter, garlic and parsley. Moules marinières is incredibly easy to make. In fact, the hardest part might be de-bearding the mussels. They originated in the coastal regions of France, where fresh seafood is a given.
As easy as it is to whip up moules marinières at home, this is one of those dishes that is best enjoyed when eating out. Whether you’re in France’s Brittany region or further along the coast in Nice or Marseilles, you’ll find there are only a few dining experiences as satisfying as a big bowl of steaming-hot moules with a side of crusty bread.
Crêpes Suzette: Delight in thin pancakes flambéed with citrus sauce
This food is thought to have been created by accident when a young waiter accidentally set fire to the sauce. Instead of throwing it away, he served it to his guests. When the waiter was asked for the name, he said it was Suzette and it stuck.
It is a dream of extravagance, the light, thin crepes with the sweet and sour taste of the citrus sauce, and is a dish no one can forget. You can’t go wrong with a slightly sweet and sour sauce encased in a soft egg base pancake burned for drama. It is an absolute stunner of a dessert, just like all Madeleine French foods.
Explore France’s culinary delights
France is a land of rich and diverse culinary traditions, where every dish tells the unique story of its region. From delicate pastries to hearty stews, the flavors of France capture the essence of its culture and history.
If you’re planning a trip to France or simply want to savor its gastronomy from home, there are plenty of ways to indulge. You can embark on a group trip to Paris and Reims to explore French culture and gastronomy, immersing yourself in the country’s vibrant food scene, or join anorganized group tour along the stunning French Riviera for a taste of Mediterranean flavors.
Already craving a bite of France? You can start by recreating some classic dishes at home—our selection of ten traditional recipes is a great place to begin! Whether you explore France firsthand or bring its flavors to your kitchen, you’re bound to fall in love with its gastronomic heritage.
