TABLE OF CONTENTS
Best French Foods
MAIN INGREDIENTS
Contrary to popular belief, the word Châteaubriand does not refer only to a cut of beef, but to a method used to grill or roast a thick cut of beef tenderloin. The steak was originally prepared by a chef named Montmireil in 1822 for a French author, diplomat, and statesman Francois René Vicomte de Chateaubriand.
When served in France, Châteaubriand will always be accompanied by a sauce – most often either a traditional red wine sauce or Béarnaise sauce. The steak is usually served with a side of roasted new potatoes or tiny chateau potatoes.
MOST ICONIC Châteaubriand
Saint-Félicien is a soft French cheese originating from the region of Rhône-Alpes. The cheese is made from cow’s milk and has a creamy texture, while its flavor can be described as fruity, sour, nutty, and buttery. During the aging process, it develops a bloomy rind with a strong mushroomy aroma which does not really match the flavors of the cheese.
Due to its fragile nature, this cheese often comes packaged in small terracotta pots. It is recommended to pair it with crusty baguettes, olives, or a glass of red wine.
Chavignol is a small cheese made from raw goat's milk that must weigh at least 60 grams. Its color is white or ivory and it has a dense, moist texture with a thin, moldy rind on the outside. The flavor of Chavignol is full, slightly nutty and 'goaty'.
It can mature for up to three months, and when the rind drastically changes its color and becomes very hard, and the body becomes drier and crumbly, the origin of its name - crottin, meaning horse dung in French, is explained. Chavignol is great when grilled and served hot on a salad or eaten with bread and bacon.
These flaky, golden-colored, crescent-shaped pastries are best made with pure butter and a slightly sweet yeast dough. If made properly, the yellow-white interior should be just the slightest bit elastic when pulled from the center, ready to be covered with a pad of butter or some fresh jam.
Experts agree that the croissant was heavily influenced by Austrian kipfels. This pastry originated in 1683 as a celebration of the Austrian victory over the Ottoman Empire, its shape supposedly mimicking the crescent moon found on the Turkish flag.
MOST ICONIC Croissant
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Steak au poivre is a French dish consisting of a beef steak that is coated in crushed peppercorns and fried. It is served with a sauce that is made in the same pan that the steak was cooked in. Typically, the dish is accompanied by potatoes and a salad on the side.
According to Francis Marie, a famous steak specialist, the dish originated in the 19th century in Normandy's bistros, where men took women for late dinners of steak au poivre, due to the pepper's purported aphrodisiac properties. Numerous chefs claimed the invention of the dish, the most famous of them being Émile Lerch, the owner of Restaurant Albert on the Champs-Élysées, who stated that he first made the dish in 1930.
MOST ICONIC Steak au poivre
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Chocolate soufflé is an exquisite French dessert that combines dark chocolate with a creamy egg yolk base and fluffy egg whites. Typically prepared in small ramekins, it should always be lightly baked in order to stay soft and velvety in the middle, with a delectable, crunchy top.
Just like other soufflé varieties, the chocolate version is also considered to be technically challenging, but if done properly, it results in a wonderfully delicate sweet treat. Even though it is not considered to be one of the first soufflé versions, which were originally prepared as savory dishes, today it is one of the most popular interpretations of this internationally acclaimed dessert.
MOST ICONIC Soufflé au chocolat
Reblochon is a semi-hard, pressed cheese with a weight of about 500 grams, made from unpasteurized cow's milk that must ripen for at least 15 days in the departments of Savoie and Haute-Savoie in France. According to an old tale, it exists because a farmer made the milk into cheese to hide a part of his milk production in order to lower his "milk taxes" that he paid to the pasture's owners.
Reblochon has a yellow to orange rind with an ivory body inside. Its rind is edible, and the taste of the cheese is nutty and slightly fruity. The smell is intense and reminiscent of cellars in which it has matured. It melts well and tastes great on baked potatoes.
Comté is a big, hard cheese made from unpasteurized cow's milk, with at least 45% fat and a pressed, cooked paste. Each cheese wheel is unique with numerous taste varieties that can range from milky, spicy, roasted to fruity, buttery or plant-like due to the fact the milk it is made from must be used immediately.
It is made in the Jura massif in the caves of Doubs, Jura and Haute-Saône departments in France. The maturation period lasts at least 120 days and it is turned and scrubbed regularly during the process. Comté also has a seasonal stamp, like winter, summer, mountain Comté or plains Comté.
Named after its town of origin and produced in the French Rhône-Alpes region since the Middle Ages, Beaufort is a hard cheese made from raw milk of the Tarentaise cattle breed. It is typically matured much longer than its softer Alpine counterparts, about four to five months.
During the first two months, Beaufort is salt-rubbed on a daily basis, and once the rind has matured enough, the cheese wheels are smeared with morge - a mixture of brine, whey and old cheese scrapings. This distinctive convex-sided cheese comes in three varieties: Le Beaufort, produced from November to May; Le Beaufort d’Été, produced in the summer and Le Beaufort Chalet d’Alpage, the most prized variety made in Alpine chalets using only milk from a single herd of cows pastured at altitudes of 1500m and above.
Crêpes sucrées are sweet crepes, a type of very thin pancake originating from France. The term "sucrées" means "sugared" in French, indicating that these crepes are meant to be served with sweet fillings or toppings. They are made from a simple batter consisting of flour, milk, eggs, a pinch of salt, and sometimes a bit of sugar and butter.
Unlike their savory counterpart, known as "crêpes salées" (or "galettes" in some regions of France), sweet crêpes are usually made with white wheat flour and often have a bit of sugar added to the batter. Sweet crepes can be filled or topped with a variety of ingredients such as powdered sugar, whipped cream, fruit preserves, fresh fruits, nutella, honey, and maple syrup.
OTHER VARIATIONS OF Crêpes
MOST ICONIC Crêpes sucrées
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Best French Food Producers
Krug is one of the most prestigious and revered Champagne houses, renowned for its unwavering commitment to excellence and the artistry of champagne-making. Founded in 1843 by Johann Joseph Krug, this family-run house has always adhered to a philosophy of uncompromising quality, emphasizing the individuality of each vintage and terroir.
Krug stands apart with its unique approach—each bottle of champagne is crafted from meticulously selected wines from different years and vineyards, creating unparalleled depth, complexity, and richness. Their most iconic champagne, Krug Grande Cuvée, embodies this philosophy, blending up to 200 wines from over 10 different vintages to achieve perfect harmony and sophistication in every edition.
AWARDS
Wine Spectator - 99
2021
Falstaff - 100
Falstaff - 99
BEST Krug Wines
Louis Roederer is one of the most prestigious and oldest independent Champagne houses, synonymous with luxury, tradition, and innovation. Founded in 1776 in the heart of Champagne, in the city of Reims, this family-run house has been nurturing the art of producing exceptional Champagnes for centuries, captivating connoisseurs worldwide.
The true rise of the house began in 1833, when Louis Roederer took over the family business and introduced a revolutionary approach—unlike other producers who purchased grapes, he decided to own and cultivate his own vineyards. This decision allowed him complete control over quality, terroir, and the unique style of his Champagnes, establishing the Louis Roederer brand’s distinctive signature.
AWARDS
Wine Spectator - 98
2022
Falstaff - 100
Falstaff - 99
BEST Louis Roederer Wines
Maison Bordier is a French company specializing in artisanal butter production and cheese aging, founded in 1985 by Jean-Yves Bordier. Based in Saint-Malo, the company is known for its traditional butter-making methods, including hand-kneading on wooden boards, resulting in a smooth texture and rich flavor.
In addition to classic butter, Maison Bordier offers various flavored varieties, such as butter with seaweed, lemon and olive oil, and Roscoff onion. Their products are highly valued by top chefs and gourmet enthusiasts worldwide. Beyond butter, the company is also involved in the aging of select cheeses, emphasizing high-quality raw ingredients and respect for traditional techniques.
BEST Maison Bordier Butters
Maison Conquet is a family-run butcher shop and producer of cured meats, located in Laguiole, in the Aveyron region of France. Founded in 1950 by Paul Conquet, the company has grown over three generations into a symbol of quality and authenticity in the meat industry.
Specializing in Aubrac beef, renowned for its exceptional flavor and tenderness, Maison Conquet offers a wide range of products, including fresh meats, traditional sausages, cured meats, pâtés, and ready-to-eat dishes made using time-honored recipes.
BEST Maison Conquet Meat Products
BEST Le Ponclet Butters
Rodolphe Le Meunier is a cheese producer and affineur based in Tours, France. He comes from a family with a long tradition in the dairy industry, which has influenced his deep knowledge and expertise in cheese production. Le Meunier has won multiple awards for his work, including the prestigious title of Meilleur Ouvrier de France (MOF) in the cheese category, an honor given to craftsmen who achieve the highest level of skill in their field.
His business includes aging and refining cheeses, as well as sourcing from various regions in France to offer a diverse selection.
AWARDS
World Cheese Awards - Super Gold
2023, 2021
World Cheese Awards - Gold
2022
BEST Rodolphe Le Meunier Cheeses
The Champagne house Bollinger, founded in 1829 in Aÿ, France, stands as a symbol of excellence and tradition in the world of champagne. Bollinger is distinguished by its unique style that blends power, refinement, and complexity, allowing fruity aromas to fully express themselves.
Their wines, such as the iconic Special Cuvée, reflect richness and depth of flavor, thanks to a careful selection of grapes and traditional winemaking methods. For nearly two centuries, Bollinger has remained true to its family values and independence, which has enabled the house to preserve authenticity and consistent quality in its champagnes.
AWARDS
Falstaff - 100
Falstaff - 99
Vivino - 4.6
BEST Bollinger Wines
AWARDS
James Suckling - 99 points
2024
Falstaff - 99
Vivino - 4.6
BEST Champagne Billecart-Salmon Wines
Fromagerie Beillevaire is a French company specializing in the production and distribution of dairy products, particularly cheeses. Founded in 1980 by Pascal Beillevaire in the Marais Vendéen region, between the Loire River and the island of Noirmoutier, the company has grown from a family-run dairy into a renowned producer, affineur, and distributor of fine cheeses.
Today, Beillevaire operates six dairies and five aging cellars across France, where they produce and refine a wide range of cheeses, including those with Protected Designation of Origin (AOP) status, such as Camembert de Normandie, Chabichou du Poitou, and Brie de Meaux.
BEST Fromagerie Beillevaire Butters
Emmanuel Chavassieux is a renowned French artisan, celebrated for his expert craftsmanship in producing traditional cured meats, particularly his saucisson au couteau (knife-cut sausage). Based in Sorbiers, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, he adheres to time-honored techniques and sources only premium-quality ingredients to create exceptional flavors and textures.
Chavassieux has gained wide recognition among gourmet enthusiasts for his commitment to authenticity and artisanal approach to charcuterie. His sausages are praised for their rich flavors and outstanding quality, making them a highly sought-after delicacy.
BEST Emmanuel Chavassieux Meat Products
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Best French Food Products
Krug is a champagne of remarkable elegance and depth, perfectly embodying the unique character of one of the freshest and most classically styled vintages in Champagne in recent decades. Created in a year with the fewest hours of sunshine in nearly half a century, this vintage was nicknamed “Classic Beauty” by the House of Krug for its superb balance of tension, finesse, and structure.
The blend is composed of 53% Pinot Noir, 25% Meunier, and 22% Chardonnay, resulting in a complex and harmonious wine with a deep golden hue, exceptional aromatic range, and luxurious texture. On the nose, it reveals rich notes of honey, licorice, menthol, orange zest, and grapefruit, while the palate offers vibrancy and elegance with flavors of quince, candied citrus, yellow kiwi, baked apple, herbal nuances, and floral undertones.
AWARDS
Falstaff - 100
Falstaff - 99
Vivino - 4.7
Louis Roederer Cristal is a supreme champagne that perfectly embodies the prestige and tradition of this legendary house. Created exclusively in exceptional vintages, Cristal captivates with its brilliant golden hue and fine, persistent bubbles that hint at its complexity and elegance.
The vintage was marked by extreme weather conditions, yet through meticulous grape selection and a perfect balance between ripeness and acidity, a champagne was crafted that exudes freshness, precision, and depth of flavor. Its aroma reveals delicate notes of ripe yellow fruits, white flowers, blanched almonds, and subtle brioche, while the palate is elegant and multi-layered, with a silky texture and a long, mineral-driven finish.
AWARDS
Wine Spectator - 98
2022
Falstaff - 99
Krug Grande Cuvée 172ème Édition is a magnificent expression of the art of champagne blending, born from the House of Krug’s unwavering desire to create the most exceptional champagne each year, regardless of vintage conditions. This edition is composed of an impressive 146 wines from 11 different years, with the oldest dating back to 1998 and the youngest from 2016, forming a harmonious balance of depth, elegance, and complexity.
The blend features 44% Pinot Noir, 36% Chardonnay, and 20% Meunier, with reserve wines making up 42% of the final composition, adding richness and roundness to every sip. Aged for approximately seven years in the cellars of Krug, this champagne achieves remarkable maturity and aromatic opulence.
AWARDS
Wine Spectator - 99
2021
Vivino - 4.6
Krug Clos du Mesnil is an exceptionally elegant and rare champagne that perfectly captures the purity of a single vineyard, a single vintage, and a single grape variety – Chardonnay. Sourced from a 1.84-hectare walled vineyard located in the heart of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, a village renowned for its exceptional Chardonnay, this champagne reflects the unique character of its terroir with the precision and artistry for which the House of Krug is celebrated.
The vintage was among the coldest of the decade, allowing for slow ripening and the development of remarkable freshness and structure. In the glass, it reveals a radiant golden hue with fine, delicate bubbles, while the nose is layered with notes of citrus, light toast, orange madeleine, and a hint of mint.
AWARDS
Falstaff - 100
Vivino - 4.8
Louis Roederer Cristal Rosé is a prestigious champagne that embodies the perfect blend of tradition, innovation, and exceptional craftsmanship of the Louis Roederer house. Made from carefully selected grape varieties – 56% Pinot Noir and 44% Chardonnay, this champagne represents a perfect harmony of power and delicacy, freshness, and richness of flavor.
What makes Cristal Rosé truly special is its unique vinification process, known as "infusion", which achieves an ideal balance between the fruitiness of Pinot Noir and the minerality of Chardonnay. The maceration is carefully controlled to preserve freshness and structure, and the wine is then aged for 8 years in bottles, allowing it to reach full maturity and elegance.
AWARDS
Falstaff - 100
Vivino - 4.7
Krug Clos d’Ambonnay is an exceptionally rare and magnificent champagne that fully embodies the power, precision, and elegance of a remarkable terroir—an intimate 0.68-hectare walled vineyard located in the village of Ambonnay, the heartland of Pinot Noir.
The vintage offered a perfect balance of richness and freshness, reflected in the expressive character of this extraordinary wine. In the glass, it dazzles with a brilliant golden hue, while the nose reveals seductive aromas of caramelized apple, hazelnut liqueur, bitter orange, and dates, all wrapped in refined harmony and depth.
AWARDS
Falstaff - 100
Falstaff - 99
Le Clos Saint-Hilaire is an exceptional champagne from Billecart-Salmon, crafted exclusively from 100% Pinot Noir grapes harvested from a single hectare vineyard in Mareuil-sur-Aÿ. This vineyard, known as Le Clos Saint-Hilaire, is renowned for producing champagnes of remarkable complexity and freshness.
The vintage is particularly notable, having spent 15 years aging on the lees before its disgorgement in May 2018. This extended maturation period contributes to its depth and character. The champagne exhibits a sustained yellow-gold hue with ultra-fine bubbles.
AWARDS
Falstaff - 99
Vivino - 4.7
AWARDS
World Cheese Awards - Super Gold
2023
Adarré is a cheese crafted by Rodolphe Le Meunier, a noted French affineur renowned for his expertise in aging cheeses to perfection. The cheese is typically characterized by its creamy texture and rich, complex flavors, often with hints of nuttiness and earthiness.
Produced from high-quality milk, Adarré showcases Le Meunier's dedication to traditional cheese-making techniques and his ability to enhance natural flavors through meticulous aging processes.
AWARDS
World Cheese Awards - Super Gold
2021
Michel Cluizel – Mokaya Noir 75% is a premium dark chocolate bar crafted from Trinitario cacao beans. This chocolate offers a rich and nuanced flavor profile, featuring natural notes of exotic fruits, honey, and roasted nuts, which emerge organically from the meticulously processed cacao.
Made with only noble ingredients—cocoa mass, cocoa butter, cane sugar, and Bourbon vanilla—this bar contains no soy lecithin, artificial flavors, or preservatives. It is also gluten-free and vegan-friendly, making it suitable for a wide range of dietary preferences.
AWARDS
Academy of Chocolate - Gold
2021
TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. For the “Top 100 French Foods” list until April 28, 2025, 33,910 ratings were recorded, of which 29,287 were recognized by the system as legitimate. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.