Next weekend, Marc and I will be in Paris! We’re staying only two days in the big city before heading home to Brittany for a week and then to London, England, for another week. And even though two days sounds very short for a stay in the French Capital, we’re determined to have ourselves a great Parisian food adventure.

For any foodie, getting ready for a trip to Paris can be both exciting and overwhelming. The city’s food scene is one of the most iconic in the world (if not the most), and yet it’s still always full of surprises…

Being French and a Paris regular, Paris feels comfortable to me. I know what I want from the city and I do have my favourite food spots already. But living in Canada has also put a strain on my knowledge of the city’s food scene and I’ve felt lately that I had some “catching-up” to do before reuniting with the city.

So today, I’d like to share my thoughts with you on the three books I am reading right now to prepare for our food trip to Paris. They’re not novels, but rather books you can leave near-by your couch and read bit by bit whenever you feel like it (which is why I am “reading” these three books simultaneously).

Written by three locals, they each approach the Parisian food culture in a fresh and contemporary way (finally!). Each writer unveiling their own side of the city, that is often unknown to foreigners…

Whether you’re also planning a trip to Paris or simply curious to learn about the traditions and new trends of the Parisian food scene, I guarantee you these books will give you something delicious to dream about.

The New Paris, by Lindsey Tramuta

A Philadelphia native, Lindsey Tramuta has called Paris home since 2006. She is a journalist, travel and culinary writer, avid francophile and the author of the brilliant blog Lost In Cheeseland (that I have been following for a while now, it’s really good!). Her book “The New Paris” (launched in 2017) focuses on debunking the cliché of a postcard-like Paris stuck in the past, and instead explores the “people, places and ideas that are fueling a movement”.

I just love how Lindsey, an American, managed to grasp so precisely the “renouveau” of the Parisian food scene. Unlike most Americans, she did not move in with pervasive perceptions of a cliché-filled Paris where locals all ride their bikes wearing berets with a baguette underneath their arm, feeding on croissants for breakfast, steak-frites for lunch and onion soup for dinner. Instead, Lindsey chose to approach her new city with a fully open-mind and captured, in words, the mini-revolution happening right now in Paris.  

She offers us a glimpse into the New Paris – the one where ethical practices, cultural fusions and sustainability do finally matter – which was not a natural thing to do for Paris. Parisians have been known to hold on to their traditions, and thus welcoming social media, foreign influences and even new chefs into the kitchens took longer in Paris than in other cities. But thankfully, the time has arrived.

Forget old-timey bistros and wines. The New Paris is vegan pastries, slow drip coffee, cocktails and craft brews.

A book that is so refreshing and that re-ignited my desire to explore this New Paris (while reconciling me with American writers on Paris, who too often share a romanticized image of the city).

A Taste of Paris, by David Downie

Being a French food and French History buff, David Downie’s book “A Taste of Paris“(2017) hit all the right notes for me.

With wit and an insane page-turning flair, Downie takes us on a voyage through the city’s culinary history, block by block and era by era. Unlike the previous book I mentioned, this one clearly showcases a Romanesque side of Paris – although for a very good cause.

It’s full of delectable anecdotes, any of which would make dazzling conversation starters during a dinner party with fellow foodies. From Marie Antoinette’s vegetable gardens in Versailles, still supplying organic produces today to Chef Alain Ducasse’s restaurant. To Father of French Gastronomy Grimod de La Reyniere’s gargantuesque menus, raising the pleasure of eating into the realm of the Beaux-Arts. To Brillat-Savarin’s book The Physiology of Taste discussing the pleasures of the table and building Paris’ fame as the ultimate Epicurean city.

I’d say the book’s subtitle “A History of the Parisian Love Affair with Food” is a bit misleading though. It really is a book about the history of food in Paris, and the people who played a role in it.     

I immediately connected with this book’s purpose of showing us how every street, every restaurant, every corner café, every dish in Paris hides a wonderful story behind it. I feel it makes your visit to any Parisian’s eatery so much more special and lively, with the ancient always part of the present.  

An approach to dining that couldn’t be more relevant, with today’s explosion of the “Fooding” (contraction of “food” and “feeling”), a Parisian-born trend meant to liberate French cuisine by offering a more spiritual eating experience in communion with your surroundings (rather than solely focusing on what’s on your plate to eat). 

In his own way, I feel Downie managed to share this approach too. Giving his readers a chance to embrace a more grounded, memory-laden eating experience, in our modern days Parisian restaurants.

A book that also helps you understand how Paris’s culinary heritage is possibly its greatest strength to maintain its relevance, at the forefront of culture and simply a model for the rest of the world.

Tasting Paris, by Clotilde Dusoulier

Last but not least, I urge you to get your hands on “Tasting Paris”, the new book from Clotilde Dusoulier (Parisian food writer and founder of the award-winning blog Chocolate & Zucchini)

This book is a cookbook with recipes, but not only that… Far from it, actually!

It’s a savvy mix of striking lifestyle and food photographs, with classic and modern French recipes, sprinkled with a generous dose of Parisian-lifestyle anecdotes and tips on how to eat your way through Paris – like a real local.

The book is divided between each meal of the day, and Clotilde walks us through the way Parisians have a signature way to enjoy each meal (breakfast is usually a private meal, lunch time tends to dawdle –a lot- and dinner must be preceded by “l’apero”). 

Each recipe comes with a small background blurb and tips on where to go for it if you’re visiting Paris ( ie. grab a chocolate ice-cream on the Ile St-Louis, or enjoy scrumptious Jewish street food in rue des Rosiers).

Between recipes, Clotilde shares some delectable recounts of the city’s unique food scene (like the yearly election of the best baguette) and some insights on Parisians’ landmarks (La Maison Poilane – three generations of Bread Makers; La Maison Berthillon – three generations of Ice-Cream Artisans; La Maison Cluizel – three generations of Chocolatiers, etc.)           

This book is amazing. By the end of it, you’ll truly feel like a local grasping a real sense of the city’s energy and love for all foods (be it classic-Parisian or multicultural). 

If you’re looking for more recommended reads on Parisian food and French cuisine in general, make sure to visit my selection here. And if you have other recommendations,  I’d love to hear them so please leave a comment!