What are the current prices for food in France, how much are food in shops and markets? What to try from the national cuisine and where to eat in the evening in a cozy atmosphere at an inexpensive price? Consider the best restaurants and cafes where you can taste traditional dishes, find out how much money to take with you on an independent gastronomic journey, we will find fascinating excursions in Russian for lovers of walks.
An amazing country with a huge historical, natural and cultural heritage will amaze you not only with its sights, but also with its cuisine, which is distinguished both by its simplicity and refined aristocracy. And although French salads and sauces, soups and stews, cheeses and desserts, baguettes and croissants have long been firmly entrenched in our diet, real French food is still very diverse in taste, combinations and cooking technologies.
What to try in France?
The French are delicate connoisseurs of food. Careful selection of ingredients, elegance of serving, variety of cheeses and wines have made French cuisine one of the best.
What to eat first?
Traditional French dishes, which we recommend to try on vacation without fail:
- onion soup - meat broth with a lot of onions and cheese, baked in the oven,
- bouillabaisse - fish soup with different types of fish and seafood, served with mayonnaise and garlic croutons,
- cock in wine - whole baked poultry in a sauce based on burgundy wine,
- duck confit - stewed duck legs, pickled in spices and kept in the refrigerator for more than a day,
- foie gras - specially prepared fatty goose liver with the most delicate taste,
- frog legs - an unusual exquisite delicacy, which, moreover, has many useful properties,
- voluptuous - unsweetened puff pastry snack with meat, fish or mushroom filling,
- quiche lauren - open shortcrust cake with bacon filling and filling with a mixture of eggs and cream,
- croissants - world famous puff pastry bagels with various fillings,
- pasta cakes - multicolored round meringues made of nut flour, glued together with filling.
Having learned about traditional dishes, any tourist has a question where to go to eat national cuisine? It is present in the menu of almost all restaurants and small food establishments. In all tourist places, there are enough cheap and expensive restaurants, as well as four types of public dining places - bistros, cafes, brasseries, tea parlors. They successfully serve both first and second courses, different types of cheeses and desserts.
What to try in France from food on the street?
Street food in France is very interesting and delicious! A variety of stalls can be found on many streets. Most common French street food:
- sandwiches with hot smoked beef brisket, crispy red cabbage leaves and cheese,
- crepes - yeast-free pancakes with different fillings,
- baguette - a classic bun with butter and various spices,
- roasted chestnuts - a popular and inexpensive delicacy,
- falafel - deep-fried chickpea balls.
Food prices in France
If the cost of food in France is quite acceptable by European standards, then it is not cheap for a Russian tourist. To minimize food costs, you can buy groceries in supermarkets, of which there are a lot in cities. In small shops and private shops, the same products will cost twice as much.
The prices of food in France in cafes and restaurants are not as incredibly high as they seem. For example, the cost of a set menu in Paris is 10-15 €, business lunch - 15-20... Per 12 € you may well get enough of salad, mussels, dessert and some kind of drink. Dinner with wine at the restaurant will cost 35 euros for two, a cup of coffee 3-6, a piece of cake - from 4 to 6 €.
Where to buy groceries first? Food prices in France are cheaper in supermarkets and in the market. In winter, there is a slight decrease, in summer, due to the influx of tourists, the cost of food rises.
If you decide to cook at home, you need to know the food prices in France in 2021:
- milk - 1 €,
- cheese 1 kg - 30 €,
- bread - 3 €,
- croissants - 0.8 €,
- beef 1 kg - 20-25 €,
- pork 1 kg - 10-13 €,
- sausages - 7-9 €,
- vegetables - from 1 to 5 € per 1 kg,
- fruits - from 2 to 4 € per 1 kg,
- tea, coffee - from 2 € per pack,
- olive oil - 3-4 € for 0.5 l,
- pasta - 0.8 € for 0.5 kg,
- drinking water - 0.9 € for 5 l,
- rice (white), (1 kg) - 2.06 €,
- eggs (regular) - 3.31 €,
- chicken breasts (1 kg) - 11.80 €,
- apples (1 kg) - 2.87 €,
- banana (1 kg) - 2.05 €,
- oranges (1 kg) - 2.53 €,
- tomato (1 kg) - 2.68 €,
- potatoes (1 kg) - 1.71 €,
- onions (1 kg) - 2.23 €,
- salad (1 head) - 1.39 €,
- cigarette block (Marlboro) - 8,00 €.
Alcohol prices
The French drink no less than the Russians, but alcohol in the country is very expensive. The cheapest thing to drink is wine, which is represented in a gigantic assortment. A 0.7 liter bottle costs an average of 3 to 5 €. Champagne and sparkling wines are sold at the same price. The beer is very expensive, at 2 € for a standard can. If you really want to - you can buy in packages, then the price will be half as much. Vodka, whiskey and cognac - from 15 € per 1 liter.
Where to eat in France?
Reviews of tourists about food in France are full of the most positive reviews. Everyone succeeds in having a full and tasty lunch, because delicious food and delicacies can be tasted not only in expensive restaurants.
Where to eat in France inexpensively? We offer Traiteur - a grocery store that sells ready-to-go meals. You will always find a sandwich to your taste in bakeries, decent fast food - in a fast food chain Flunch.
But you can only make out the intricacies of French cuisine in a good restaurant. The French have a weakness for food, for them it is not just the absorption of food, but a whole ritual that includes business and personal meetings, communication, discussions, pleasure and enjoyment of life. We will show you which establishment to choose in order to get the most pleasant experience.
Where to eat delicious in Paris?
Traveling around the capital of France, the question involuntarily arises where to dine in Paris?
- A restaurant La Coupole (Kupol) offers a signature dish - curried lamb and a large selection of oysters. Located on Boulevard Montparnasse, 102. Average bill - 20-50 € per person.
- Legendary restaurant Le Procope offers traditional French food at a price of 10-40 €. Located near the Jardin du Luxembourg and Boulevard Saint Germain, on de l'Ancienne Comedie, 13.
Where to sit in Nice?
- There are many places on the French Riviera to satisfy the palate of gourmets. A few steps from the opera, at 10 Rue Saint-François de Paule, there is a restaurant Le grand balcon, whose dishes include truffles. The average price is 45 € per person.
- Small masterpieces of Mediterranean cuisine priced from 20 to 50 € can be tasted in Sapore (19 Rue Bonaparte).
Delicious establishments in Strasbourg
- Among the restaurants in Strasbourg, tourists in the reviews highlight La cuilliere a pot... There is a pleasant serving, a huge selection of dishes and attractive prices. Full dinner for two with wine - 125 €. Located at 18 B rue Finkwiller.
- A warm atmosphere reigns in the restaurant S'kaechele (8 Rue Argile). Delicious traditional cuisine will cost from 20 to 60 €.
Where to go for dinner in Marseille?
- Excellent restaurants in the heart of Marseille, close to the harbor L'avant cour (122 rue du Vallon des Auffes) and Brasserie chez roger (28 quai du Port) offering fresh seafood and excellent wine. A dinner for two with wine costs less than 100 € in these restaurants.
Where to eat in Bordeaux?
- Delightful foie gras and pigeons with signature sauce and truffles can be tasted only in Bordeaux, in a restaurant Les sens ciel (59 rue du Palais Gallien). Stuffed fish, porcini mushrooms and deli meats are served in La Fontaine Aux Fées (20 Route de Volon). The average price for two in these establishments is 135 €.
The best Michelin establishments
We cannot fail to mention the Michelin-starred restaurants in France where you can eat deliciously.Here are 5 of the best gourmet dining establishments, where lunch will cost from 50 to 250 €:
- Le Cinq ("Le Senq")
- La Tour d'Argent
- Le Jules Verne ("Jules Verne")
- Les Fables de la Fontaine
- Pavillion Ledoyen
Summing up, we would like to remind you that a trip to France is a sea of good mood multiplied by Extra Class Romance.
We definitely recommend that you look at our section about holidays in France, here you can find answers to all questions about planning an inexpensive trip.
