The Award-Winning Experience That Uncovers The Secrets Of Paris' Most Delicious Food

Let's face it, in Paris, any food tour could last a single city block, much less an entire neighborhood. Bistros, brasseries, patisseries, wine bars, cafés, gourmet restaurants, and fresh fruit markets populate some streets as much as people. This reinforces the central — almost sacred — role food plays in French life and culture. In fact, the French spend more time eating and drinking than any other country in the world, at two hours and 30 minutes per day. That's a full one hour and 11 minutes more than Americans. The French gastronomic meal is also done to a fixed structure: apéritif, starter, fish and/or meat with vegetables, cheese, dessert, and liqueur. This custom is even enshrined on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

French food tours for tourists, of course, generally follow a different route, grazing from place to place in a defined time period. However, they do incorporate two key elements of the French dining experience — communion and conviviality. In other words, for the French, dining should never be a solitary action to fill the belly but a group activity to connect with friends and family. Because most food tours in Paris are done with others, including the small-group food tasting tours run by Viator, they put into action the well-known quote by poet William Butler Yeats, "There are no strangers here; only friends you haven't met." Plus, as the famously Francophile Julia Child enthused, "People who love to eat are always the best people."

Montmartre is one of the most recognizable "Emily In Paris" filming locations. And it's easy to see why, with sights like Sacré-Coeur, Rue des Abbesses, and Moulin Rouge close at hand. That romance is also sprinkled in the best-rated food tours in Paris, including the Paris Montmartre Food Tour by Viator, which roughly follows the French order of courses from starter to dessert and offers "enough food, wine, and dessert to replace lunch." All are also infused with education, too, as guides relate the histories and preparations behind each. The small group size — just 10 travelers and the guide — keeps it intimate.

After meeting under the red windmill of Moulin Rouge, the Montmartre tour starts with charcuterie from one of the last butchers in the area. From there, the menu moves onto the second course of Comté, Camembert, Roquefort and other French cheeses. With appetites whet, if not cascading, boeuf Bourguignon follows with a slow-cooked stew of beef braised in Burgundy wine, vegetables, and herbs. Next, it's time for French macarons, the little round cakes of almond powder, sugar and eggs, followed by chocolate- or jam-filled crêpes in view of Sacré-Coeur. If Montmartre has already been ticked off your to-do list, there are also Viator food tours in Le Marais, which is Paris' oldest district, with everything you could want from the city and more.