Paris Best Street Food: 13 Must-Try French Treats

Paris Best Street Food: 13 Must-Try French Treats

Bonjour!
And welcome back to Paris Top Tips! Today, I’m talking about something every food lover dreams of—French street food! But not just any street food… I’ve picked 13 of the most iconic French foods you can enjoy in the streets of Paris or during a perfect picnic in Paris parks. No sit-down restaurants, just real, delicious bites that Parisians love too. And for each one, I’ll show you where to get the very best in the city. Ready to eat your way through Paris like a local? Let’s go! As always, I’ve created a custom Google MyMaps with every spot I mention—so you can easily find them all. The link is in the description below! A croissant! The ultimate French breakfast. But this croissant from Boulangerie Doucet isn’t just any croissant. It won the Concours du Meilleur Croissant du Grand Paris, the Best Croissant in Greater Paris Competition, in 2024. The croissant costs 1.55€ here Let’s enjoy it in this April sun. Mmm… crispy, flaky, buttery perfection. This is what mornings in Paris should taste like! A Flan pâtissier might look simple, but a perfect one is hard to find. La Pompadour, in the 16th arrondissement, won the Prix du Meilleur Flan d’Île-de-France, or Best Flan in the Paris Region, in 2024. The Pompadour version of Flan Pâtissier is thick, creamy, perfectly set with a touch of vanilla. It’s not too sweet, and every bite is pure comfort. Forget everything you know about apple turnovers! The chausson aux pommes from Sain Boulangerie, in Le Marais neighborhood, is in a league of its own. What makes it special? The filling is an apple confit, made with the skins on—for extra depth of flavor—cooked in Échiré butter, one of France’s finest, with real caramelized apple pieces inside. It’s almost like a sweet French calzone, but with a perfectly flaky crust. That’s not just pastry… that’s artisan viennoiserie at its best. Alright, time for a real Parisian moment—let’s build the ultimate French picnic. I picked up a few essentials and headed here to the Jardin du Luxembourg. Let’s see what’s in the basket… or on the chair! Nothing but French excellence on this chair… right down to the knife! Give me bread, charcuterie, cheese, dessert, and sweets—and I’m in heaven! First and most important element: the baguette. But not just any baguette—this is a Tradition from Boulangerie Utopie, winner of the 2024 Grand Prix de la Meilleure Baguette de la Ville de Paris. Each year, the bakery that wins the Grand Prize for the best baguette in Paris earns the honor of supplying for one year the Élysée Palace—the official residence of the French President. Crispy crust, chewy inside, with that slightly nutty flavor from a long fermentation. Ideal for a picnic. Let’s listen to it! Now, let’s talk butter. I know—it’s probably not something you thought you’d be buying in France. But honestly, what’s a picnic without a really good salted butter, right? Reflets de France’s Beurre de Baratte à la fleur de sel de Guérande from the Le Gall dairy is what I call a hidden gem. This is the kind of butter that transforms a good sandwich into a great one. And you will find it in any Carrefour supermarket in Paris You can’t do an authentic French picnic without saucisson. Maison Vérot is one of the best charcutiers in Paris, with 5 shops scattered throughout Paris. Here, we are in the sixth arrondissement. Their porc noir de Bigorre saucisson is rich, flavorful, and made from a heritage breed of pig. The pigs grow up freely and feed themselves on the acorns and grasses growing on the farm. A few slices of this and your picnic just went gourmet. This little round cheese is called Saint-Marcellin. It’s soft, creamy, and when it’s perfectly ripe, you can eat it with a spoon. I got mine at Fromagerie Goncourt—one of the best cheese shops in Paris. In the elegant display cases facing each other, you’ll find cheeses in every shape—circles, squares, cylinders, triangles—all beautifully fragrant, artisanal, and tempting. The hardest part? Deciding which ones to leave behind. But I’m here for the Saint-Marcellin. They are perfectly ripe! Saint-Marcellin is made from cow’s milk and is named after the small town of Saint-Marcellin in the Dauphiné region, in the French Alps. This one is perfect! The combination of saucisson, baguette, salted butter and cheese… I’m in heaven! The ideal drink for a picnic would be wine, of course. A chilled rosé, a crisp dry white, or a light red. But if you’re craving a soda instead, Orangina is the perfect French choice. This fizzy orange drink with pulp has been a classic since 1936—refreshing, nostalgic, and still a favorite among Parisians. Orangina is equally delightful when sipped on a café terrace, served in its signature small round bottle Now for the sweet part! Originally from Provence, calissons are a mix of candied melon, almonds, and icing. And they’re usually diamond shaped. But at Pain de Sucre, they’ve reinvented them… the Paris way. Square-shaped, featuring orange instead of melon, and enhanced with chestnut honey for a bolder flavor. You’ve probably already tasted macarons, but if you want to try the best… go to Sadaharu Aoki. This Japanese pastry chef in Paris creates macarons that are incredibly balanced—never too sweet—with bold, original flavors like yuzu, matcha, or sesame. They’re my personal favorite in the whole city. Now here’s my guilty pleasure. Arlequin candies from Lutti—you’ll find them in any French supermarket. They’re sweet, tangy, and colorful. A lot of French people, like me, have a soft spot for these from childhood. Before we wrap up, I had to include two more ready-made French classics that you can grab and then enjoy anywhere. The Quiche Lorraine I’m inviting you to eat, from HATON-nous, is not just any quiche. It’s made by a Meilleur Ouvrier de France, one of the highest culinary honors in France. A quiche lorraine is a savory tart made with a golden, flaky crust, filled with creamy custard, smoky bacon, and just the right amount of cheese. Simple, rich, and deeply comforting—this is a classic of French home cooking. The crust is buttery, the filling perfectly seasoned. It’s a warm hug in food form. Here, it’s available to-go, and, even cold, it’s delicious. And finally… the mighty jambon-beurre. Just ham, butter, and baguette—but when it’s made like this, at Le Petit Vendôme, it becomes something legendary. In fact, I queued 40 minutes to get my sandwich! Why? Simply because it has been voted “Best Sandwich in the World” by Time Out Magazine! The baguette is made by an ex-winner of the best baguette in Paris, the butter is a beurre de baratte, the nec plus ultra, and the ham is a pure delight from the center of France. But as I had already tried this jambon-beurre, I opted for the Petit Vendôme’s boss’s favorite, called… Le Patron (the boss)! In this sandwich, the ham is a Burgundy ham cooked with garlic, parsley, and Burgundy Aligoté wine, laying on a perfect mustard sauce and pickles: an indulgent variation that’s full of character. And all of this for only 9 euros! I hope this video will be useful to you on your next stay in Paris.
If so, please give it a like, it’s important to me!

No need for reservations—just grab your map and your appetite!

In this video, I’m taking you through 13 iconic French foods you can enjoy on the go or during a picnic in Paris, from award-winning croissants and creamy flan to the best ham-butter sandwich in the world!
Whether you’re planning a picnic in the Jardin du Luxembourg or just exploring the streets of Saint-Germain or Le Marais, this guide is made for food lovers who want to eat like locals.

👉 Google Map with all the addresses featured in the video:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1w3HKVah2DFnzTrdAKZSjUJr_aU5dGW0&usp=sharing

🧺 What’s on the menu?
– Morning pastries that have won regional competitions
– The baguette that supplies the French President
– Artisan cheese, charcuterie, and hand-churned butter
– A soda that Parisians love as much as a good rosé
– The world’s best sandwich too…!

💬 Let me know in the comments: Which one are you dying to try first?
And don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the 🔔 to discover more food and travel tips from Paris!

#ParisFoodGuide #FrenchStreetFood #PicnicInParis #EatLikeALocal #ParisTopTips

Timeline:
00:00 – Intro
00:50 – Croissant from Maison Doucet
02:17 – Flan from La Pompadour
03:22 – Chausson aux Pommes from SAIN Boulangerie
04:58 – Baguette Tradition from Utopie
05:48 – Beurre de Baratte
06:18 – Saucisson de Maison Vérot
07:36 – Saint-Marcellin de Fromagerie Goncourt
09:16 – Orangina
10:05 – Calissons de Pain de Sucre
10:46 – Macarons de Sadaharu Aoki
11:20 – Arlequins de Lutti
11:53 – Quiche Lorraine de Haton-nous
12-48 – Jambon Beurre de Le Petit Vendôme