I’ve said it before, but my main reason for choosing a destination for travel is often the foods on offer there – and Paris was no exception! Trying the amazing French food was high on my list of things to do in Paris, and getting to introduce my kids to some of those foods was something I was really looking forward to. If you have a trip planned and are looking for some great French foods to try in Paris with kids, this is a great place to start!
Baguettes
If you’re a fan of carbs, then France is the right country to come for food. Bread in all forms is widely celebrated here, and none more so than the baguette; there’s even a competition in Paris each year to find the best one! If you’re looking for a popular French food to try with kids, then this is a great place to start; it’s a familiar food, but one that Paris does especially well.
Baguettes are sold in boulangeries around Paris; boulangeries are French bakeries and in order to hold the title “boulangerie” they must bake their bread on the premises. You want to ask for ” la tradition” which will be the baker’s own recipe for baguettes; different locations might be slightly different, but they should all be long and thin and fluffy and delicious!
Cheese
Cheese is my favorite food in the world, and given the choice I will almost always choose cheese to end a meal over a dessert. You’ll often find cheese boards on French menus with the dessert choices, and it’s a great way to try a number of different cheeses in one go.
Some French cheeses can be quite strong so for kids used to something a little milder, there are certain cheeses to start with. Camembert and Brie are soft cheeses that don’t have too strong of a flavor, and are nice when spread on a slice of baguette. For children with a stronger palette, Roquefort is my favorite blue cheese with an amazing flavor.
Macarons
Macarons (not to be confused with macaroons, which are the more cakey, chewy cookie made with coconut) are said to have originally come to France from Italy, but these days they’re more commonly associated with Paris. They’ve become super popular in the US so chances are that you’ve tried a macaron at some point – but they’re especially delicious in Paris!
Patisseries are French pastry shops that employ master pastry chefs, and you’ll find them all over Paris. These are the best places to find macarons, and you’ll find them in a variety of pretty colors and flavors. They make a great gift to take back to friends back home, but they’re very delicate so make sure they’re packed carefully!
My youngest son loves macarons and had already tried them in the US, so I knew he’d love them in Paris as well! Try the different flavors and see which you like the best!
Crepes
Crepes are very thin pancakes that can be either sweet or savory. They make a great light lunch or a snack to eat on the go, and because the mild flavor is so similar to pancakes, most kids should be willing to give them a try when visiting France.
We found that most restaurants in Paris didn’t have kids menus so we were always looking for lighter portions for kids so they could eat a manageable sized meal; crepes were perfect for this. I love the savory crepes filled with ham and cheese, but crepes filled with chocolate sauce or strawberry jam will probably be as popular with your kids as mine!
Frogs legs
You might want to save this one for older kids, or those with more adventurous tastes! I think frogs legs actually taste a lot like chicken, but it’s more the idea of them that people seem to struggle with. Plenty of Parisian restaurants will serve frogs legs, so you just need to be brave enough to order them!
If your kids are up for trying frogs legs, then another French food to try might be escargots. I’ve never been a huge fan unless they’re doused in huge amounts of garlic butter, but they’re a very traditional French food to try and some people love them!
Croque Monsieur
This is a great French food to try in Paris with kids because it’s so familiar. A Croque Monsieur is essentially a ham and cheese toasted sandwich made with a béchamel sauce, and most kids are used to the flavors. When I was wondering what my very picky eater would eat in Paris, this was the one thing I knew he’d enjoy!
You’ll find these on the menu in most restaurants, and they make another great light option for kids. The flavors of the cheese can sometimes be a bit stronger than kids are used to, but other than that they’re a great option for kids who want to try French food without straying too far from their comfort zone.
Read more about tips for traveling with a picky eater here.
Éclairs
I don’t think you can go wrong when it comes to French pastries, everything is beautiful and delicious and I would encourage you to try as many of them as possible! But my favorite has to be the éclair.
Éclairs are made with choux pastry and filled with patisserie cream or custard and then topped with a icing. My favorite are chocolate éclairs, which are usually filled with custard or chocolate cream and topped with chocolate icing. I had an amazing chocolate éclair at a café on the first level of the Eiffel Tower and whilst eating a chocolate éclair on the Eiffel Tower might be the most touristy thing ever, it was an unforgettable experience!
Steak Frites
This is another great French food to try in Paris with kids since it’s literally just steak and fries and is something they’re probably familiar with anyway. You can find these in Parisian brasseries, which are typically more casual places serving traditional French foods.
I’m not usually a fan of steak, but the steak I had in Paris was amazing! The fries will usually be thin cut fries that most kids will probably like, so this is a great choice for a picky eaters. If your kids are a bit more adventurous then look for steak frites with different sauces; the best I had was with a Roquefort sauce that was to die for!
Chocolate
There are some amazing chocolatiers in Paris, so finding somewhere to try incredible chocolate won’t be too hard at all! Not many kids don’t like chocolate (one of my children doesn’t like it, but my other child more than makes up for it!) so sampling chocolates and chocolate dishes in Paris should be a popular activity!
We visited Paris during a heatwave with record high temperatures so instead of buying chocolates, we opted for chocolate dishes on the menu. Chocolate mousse is a popular option, as well as chocolate soufflé. I don’t think you can go wrong with any French dessert, but the chocolate ones are always my favorite!
Waffles
Waffles aren’t something I would necessarily think of when talking about French food but we saw them on the menu so often in Parisian cafés that I had to include them on this list; not only are they a great French food for kids to try, but they were so good everywhere we tried them!
While you can just get waffles with powdered sugar, they’re even better with chocolate! They make a great on the go snack or dessert after lunch, and are often big enough to be shared. Sitting in a café in Paris drinking coffee or hot chocolate with a warm chocolate waffle is an amazing experience!
Looking for more food and travel posts? Read through British comfort foods for England in winter and amazing New York City desserts to try.