France is known the world over as a gourmet destination, and with the exception of China, it has a more varied and developed cuisine than any other country. And although the 'steak frites' is a perenially popular choice on menus pretty much everywhere, it's the richness of regional specialties that make French cuisine so fascinating.
Things to know: Almost all restaurants offer two types of meal: à la carte (extensive choice for each course and more expensive) and le menu (a set meal at a fixed price with dishes selected from the full à la carte menu).
National specialties:
• Ratatouille (courgettes, tomatoes
and aubergines stew),
bouillabaisse (fish stew),
tapenade (olive paste),
aioli (cod and vegetables served cold with a garlic mayonnaise) and
salade niç
oise (tuna, anchovies, capers, boiled eggs, green beans, black olives, tomatoes and potatoes) are among the best known specialties from Provence.
• Alsace and Lorraine are the lands of
choucroute (
sauerkraut) and
kugelhof (a special cake),
quiche lorraine and
tarte flambée (onion tart).
• Lyon is the heartland of French cuisine, though the food is often more rich than elaborate. A specialty of this area is
quenelles de brochet (pounded pike formed into sausage shapes and usually served with a rich crayfish sauce).
• Desserts include
soufflé grand-marnie ile flottante (meringue floating on custard),
mille feuilles (layers of flaky pastry and custard cream) and
ganache (chocolate cream biscuit).
National drinks: • Wine is the most popular alcoholic drink in France, and the choice varies according to region.
• Pastis is a popular apéritif (brand name
Ricard or
Pernod).
• Beer is brewed in Nord Pas de Calais , Picardy and Alsace. The latter is said to brew the best beer in France. Cider is brewed in Upper and Lower Normandie.
• Coffee is always served after meals, and will always be black, in small cups, unless a
café au lait (or
café crème) is requested.
• A wide variety of brandies (such as
Armagnac and
Cognac) and liqueurs (such as
Chartreuse and
Genepi) are available.
Legal drinking age: 18. Minors are allowed to go into bars if accompanied by an adult but they will not be served alcohol.
Tipping: A 12 to 15% service charge is normally added to the bill in hotels, restaurants and bars, but it is customary to leave small change with the payment.
NightlifeIn major cities such as Paris, Lyon or Marseille, there are lively
nightclubs that are sometimes free of charge, although drinks are likely to be more expensive. Alternatively, the entrance price sometimes includes a
consommation of one drink. Nightclubs are everywhere and in even the remotest corners of France. Their style and music vary widely from one place to another. Nightclubs have a fixed closing time of 0500.
As an alternative to a nightclub, there are many late-night
bars and
cafes. In Paris and the regions,
theaters offer a wide variety of shows from great classics to light comedy, from one-man shows to cabaret.
Tourist offices publish an annual and monthly diary of events available free of charge. Several guides are also available with information about entertainment and sightseeing in the capital. Guides for events in Paris (
Pariscope,
L'official des Spectacles and
Zurban) are sold at newspaper kiosks. They list all cinema programs, museums, exhibitions and all other types of shows.
Kiosks on the forecourt of the Montparnasse railway station and at Place de la Madeleine offer same day theater tickets at reduced rates. Travelers can also buy tickets for
concerts from
FNAC and
Virgin sales outlets or from the venue themselves.
In the provinces, the French generally spend the night eating and drinking, although in the more popular tourist areas, there will be
discos and
dances. Weekend festivals in summer in the rural areas are a good form of evening entertainment. There are over 100 public
casinos in the country.
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