Paris Food Tour: French Gastronomy and History

We met our tour guide, Josie, in a shopping center in front of a cheese shop. She is American who has lived in France for years, so she was able to give us some interesting insights comparing life in Paris with life in the US. As we walked to different shops, she purchased items for us to eat at the end of the tour, and she pointed out interesting locations along the way. We began our tour with a bakery, where we all got to choose a breakfast pastry. She described each one and the process of baking them. After that, we walked to a street market, where she described the French culture of shopping for food. We went into a meat shop and a cheese shop, and she pointed out how to look for the best restaurants based on their signs everything prepared in-house, organic only, prestigious awards, etc. We finished the tour at a wine shop. She prepared the fruit, bread, cheese, and foie gras for us as he let us sample some wines. We ate while she told us more about French food culture. She made recommendations for several shops and restaurants, and she made sure everyone knew how to get transportation to their next locations. This tour wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but it was such a fun experience, and I loved learning so much about food in France. The food Josie chose and prepared was delicious, and she was very knowledgeable and friendly.

My friend took this tour last year and raved about the experience; lots of food tastings and wine samplings. Unfortunately, we did not have the same experience. We were nervous because our tour guide was a bit late to arrive but once she showed up, the tour of 7 people began right away. She was extremely knowledgeable about the area, it’s history and the people. Our first stop was at a chocolatier. The tour guide appeared to be a bit lost looking for it but found it pretty quickly. We each got to select our preferred truffle; 1 piece each. Then we continued with the tour learning about the area and it’s history. We stopped at a patisserie and were each able to select a macaron. Not much information was shared about this specialty. The tour continued uphill walking around Montmartre and learning more about the architecture and history. We finally stopped for cheese and wine. After all the walking and minimal food tastings, we were served 2 cheese platters and 1 bottle of Rose wine to share amongst the 7 of us. Very disappointing. Our final stop was at a local ice cream shop where we were able to select an ice cream of our choice. And that was it. One chocolate ($2), one macaroon ($2), one bottle of wine and two cheese platters split between 7 people ($10/pp), and an ice cream ($4). This food/wine walking tour cost $100/pp. No where near worth the price we paid. I would have been happy to pay $40 if it was a simple walking tour but this was advertised as a food/wine walking tour that provided minimal amounts of food/wine. Very disappointing!!

Our guide David was amazing.He introduced us to so much great food in Paris and how to tell the difference between true Parisian bakers and butchers vs transports. I would do this tour again in a heartbeat. If you can request David please do so. You won't be disappointed.

The information about the history of the food was simply amazing. Guide was nothing short of a walking food encyclopedia that loves both interacting with people and her job Best money we ever spent on any trip

It was a nice experience but I do not think the activity description accurately describes it. We spent most of the time in one square which had a market in it, but we really did not see the neighborhood.

Great tour!