10 Must-Try Foods in France (So Good You’ll Cry Into Your Croissant)

So you’ve made it to France—the land of wine, cheese, and bread so divine it might convert you to gluten. Whether you're a backpacking student, a hopeless romantic, or just here for the pastries and pretty people, here are 15 foods you absolutely must try before you leave (or “accidentally” miss your return flight and start a new life in Provence).

1. Croissants (obviously)
Your French experience doesn’t officially begin until you’ve torn into a buttery, flaky croissant that rains crumbs all over your outfit. Extra credit if it’s still warm and bought from a tiny corner boulangerie.

2. Macarons
These colorful, delicate sandwich cookies are what edible daydreams are made of. They’re chic, sweet, and gone in three bites. Eat them slowly. Or don’t. We won’t judge.

3. Baguette (with literally anything)
There are laws in France about how baguettes must be made. Laws. That’s how serious they are about bread. Grab one, tear it with your hands, and suddenly you’re the star of a black-and-white film.

4. Fromage (cheese)
France has over 1,000 types of cheese. That’s not a fun fact—it’s a mission. Sample brie, camembert, roquefort, comté… or just walk into a cheese shop and say “surprise me.”

5. Crêpes
Whether it’s Nutella and banana or ham and cheese, crêpes are like thin, delicious excuses to eat dessert all day. Eat them on the street like a local—or at 2 a.m. like a legend.

6. Escargots (snails, but fancy)
Yes, they’re snails. Yes, they’re delicious. Especially drowned in garlic-parsley butter and bravely consumed while convincing yourself you’re now “a cultured eater.”

7. Duck Confit
A slow-cooked duck leg that basically falls off the bone and directly into your soul. Rich, flavorful, and the perfect excuse to linger over lunch for two hours.

8. Steak Frites
Simple. Classic. Satisfying. Juicy steak, golden fries, and a glass of wine is basically France’s version of a warm hug.

9. Soupe à l’oignon (French Onion Soup)
Caramelized onions, beefy broth, toasted bread, and gooey cheese—it’s the only soup that requires a fork and a moment of silence after the first bite.

10. Boeuf Bourguignon
Beef stew, but elevated to red-wine-soaked glory. It’s cozy, rich, and something you’ll think about every winter for the rest of your life.

11. Cassoulet
The ultimate comfort food from my favorite Toulouse: white beans, duck confit, sausage, and the feeling of being completely full and completely happy. Add a little red wine and you’re in heaven.

12. Tartiflette
Cheese. Potatoes. Bacon. Onions. Did we mention cheese? This dish was invented by people who looked at winter and said, “we fight back with melted Reblochon.”

13. Bouillabaisse
A seafood stew from Marseille that smells like the Mediterranean and tastes like someone put sunshine and saffron in a bowl.

14. Tarte Tatin
An upside-down caramelized apple tart that was apparently an accident. If so, it’s the most delicious mistake in pastry history.

15. French Wine (duh)
Technically a beverage, spiritually a lifestyle. Red, white, rosé, Champagne—drink it with lunch, drink it with dinner, drink it because you just walked past a vineyard and felt inspired.

Pro Tip: Walk into any boulangerie, order “un pain au chocolat s’il vous plaît,” and strut out like you own a vineyard in Bordeaux. You don’t—but for those three bites, you do.