How can I avoid tourist-trap restaurants and eat like a local when holidaying in France?

February 27, 2024

The first thing to do before you arrive in France on holiday, is look up what the local specialities are. This will narrow your learning focus, to make acing your menu French more achievable.

Naturally, this won’t apply in Paris, which, if you’re not a foodie, will mean you’ll probably find it easier to decode the menus as you’ll come across more of the classics i.e. un filet de boeuf, un confit de canard etc.

So, for your standard Parisian food vocabulary, I’d recommend one of my favourite French language blogs, Lawless French, where you can find a list of usual food words.

Get your geography in order

If you’re looking to up your game a bit however (linguistically and culinarily), and you’re heading outside of Paris, you’ll first need to know the following: France is divided into 13 regions. These are then divided into 96 administrative sections called departments. Test your knowledge of the French regions here.

Get googling

Make sure to have identified what region and department you’re visiting (this might seem weird as people usually know where they’re going on holiday… But if you’re visiting cities, it may not have occurred to you to check). Now you’ll need to google “spécialités culinaires + [region]” and/or “spécialités culinaires + [department]”, and get viewing any articles or sites you can find with amazing pictures. What better way to get excited for your holiday?

Make two lists

1) What you really want to try (French and English/your native language names)

2) What you want to avoid (French and English/your native language names)

Be prepared to be challenged!

In Bergerac, I noticed that salade périgordine appeared on most menus, describing in its contents a number of things, including des gésiers, which are “gizzards”, that is, a muscular, thick-walled part of a bird’s stomach.

Other popular dishes atypical to British sensibilities are the rosette from Lyon, a type of charcuterie made from the part of a pig’s intestine leading up to its anus, and le cervelas, nowadays made up of a mix of meats and body parts, but which gets its name from its original ingredient, pig brain.

One thing you’ll be sure to see wherever you go is andouillettes, which is a coarse-grained sausage made from the intestine of pork, pepper, wine, onions, and seasonings. It has a strong, distinctive odour coming from the colon.

Whilst I find consuming as many parts of an animal as possible a very sensible thing to do, I do like to know what I’m eating or choosing not to eat on any given day. Pretty much the only thing two things I really can’t abide are des tripes (not hard to guess) and des abats (offal). Offal is everywhere in the Dordogne.

Check your pronunciation

If there’s anything you want to try and you’re unsure how to pronounce it, simply type it into https://forvo.com/ and then write it on your list phonetically.

Use the menu as a measuring stick

This is also a really good way to choose a restaurant if you want to try something different; see it this way: if you can understand most of the menu because it’s got your classics on it, then you’ll end up eating more of the same. However, if it’s got lots of more unusual stuff on it (which has hopefully made it onto your list), then you’re likely in for a more regional and unique experience.

As a result, it’s pretty much a dead cert that you’ll eat well. Bring your list of things to try and things to avoid to each restaurant and show off your knowledge to your travel companion(s) – or to the server if you’re travelling alone! That way you’ll no longer be victim to the patronising question of the French of “Savez-vous ce que c’est?” (do you know what that is?), where you lie and say yes, then can’t stomach what’s served to you!

Final thoughts

What do you think of this process? It can seem lengthy but it’s an incredibly enriching way to engage with the place you’re going to. One of the many keys to a language is through its food, and this can seem daunting when you’re not in the know, but follow these steps to the letter and you’ll reap the culinary benefits every day of your trip!