Whether you’re splurging on a much-needed vacation or hopping the train for a day trip on a budget, here’s an overview of fantastic and fun things to do for Christmas in NYC. It’s no secret that New York is one of the world’s most magical places during the holidays. And with that magic comes bright […]
Christmas
Florence in Winter: Planning the Perfect Visit in December & January
Posted on May 13, 2022
If you’re planning to visit Florence in winter, you’re probably thinking: It’s still Italy, the land of sun and sea. It won’t be that cold, right? Don’t be fooled by this idea – the winter cold still bites hard in Florence, and the sun can disappear for quite some time in the somber days of […]
Los Reyes Magos: The Spanish Christmas Tradition
Posted on November 4, 2020
This blog post was originally posted on December 28, 2012 and was updated on November 20, 2020. In Spain, Santa Claus isn’t the star of the show when the holiday season rolls around. Instead, it’s the Three Wise Men—or los reyes magos—who take center stage during the winter holidays. They’re the ones who bring Spanish children […]
How Italians Do Christmas: The Italian Christmas Foods You’ll Find on Every Table
Posted on December 16, 2019
Like any other country, Italy has its own Christmas traditions that go back centuries. More than just pasta and pizza, Italian Christmas foods are uniquely distinguished by their variety, richness, and seasonality. Christmas in Italy is a time for abbondanza, literally, “abundance.” Italians sit down for long – we’re talking six or seven hours – […]
5 Restaurants on Christmas Eve & Christmas Day to Eat at in Paris
Posted on December 16, 2019
Paris is full of restaurants that offer Christmas meals. From luxurious meals offering French Christmas classics like capon (roast chicken), red wine, and buche de noel (Yule Log cake) for dessert, or even a super casual grab-and-go falafel while walking the crowded streets of Le Marais, there are a number of ways to enjoy a meal in Paris on Christmas and Christmas Eve.
The following five options have our seal of approval.
Bouillon Julien
Part of the recent revival of the bouillon—a hearty French meal and bottle of wine at affordable prices—Bouillon Julien has been turning out classic French food since the turn of the 20th century.
Located not far from the Strasbourg-Saint Denis metro stop in the hip 10th arrondissement, the restaurant’s carte des fetes (holiday menu) has everything from parmentier of duck leg with truffle oil to a fricassée of capon leg for the main course, with options of a starter of pumpkin soup and a dessert of creamy caramelized chocolate pie.
And all of this for a reasonable price that won’t break the bank. If you’re looking for an affordable option, Bouillon Julien is one of the best restaurants to pick for your Christmas meal in Paris.
La Bonne Franquette
For a classic French meal at a steeper price, head to Montmartre’s La Bonne Franquette for Christmas Eve dinner. This reveillon meal could definitely be shared, as it comes with salmon, blood sausage and duck, as well as, half a bottle of Bordeaux and half a bottle of Champagne.
Be prepared, however, as the local crowd will most likely break out into Christmas songs.
L’Alsace
Nothing screams Christmas in France like Alsace. The eastern French region is home to the first-ever Christmas market, as well as a number of German-sounding holiday specialties like flammekueche and kougelhopf.
Luckily you won’t have to go all the way to Strasbourg or Colmar to get a taste of these holiday treats. L’Alsace, on the famous Avenue des Champs-Élysées, is open for business on Christmas Eve/Day. To really get in the Alsacien holiday spirit, you might also want to ask for some vin chaud (mulled wine).
Insider’s Tip: Make note of the best christmas markets in Paris and take time to visit them (before or after you feast).
L’As du Fallafel
One neighborhood where you’ll likely find a lot of restaurants open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Paris? Le Marais.
Paris’s traditional Jewish quarter has a number of options for Middle Eastern food (and more), but L’As du Falafel (Rue des Rosiers, 34 ) may be the classic.
If you don’t mind waiting in line, grab a falafel and sit in the Place des Vosges (weather permitting), or grab a spot inside to enjoy any number of Israeli sandwiches, dishes, and sides. And try some Israeli wine, while you’re at it.
Le Train Bleu – Gare de Lyon
Perhaps one of the most stunning restaurants in the entire city of Paris, with gilded walls, magnificent chandeliers and renaissance artwork in every corner, Le Train Bleu is located on the second floor of the Gare de Lyon train station.
Like the luxurious environment, the Christmas Eve menu is fit for a king, consisting of a mise en bouche, starter, fish main dish, trou normand (a sort of calvados-based appetizer that comes in between main dishes), meat main dish, and dessert. It’s pricey, but it will no doubt be an unforgettable meal.
Staying in Paris for a bit longer? Ring in the New Year with a decadent Parisian meal, too.
Update Notice: This post was updated on January 27, 2024.
What Are the Typical Basque Christmas Foods? An Authentic Basque Country Menu
Posted on December 12, 2019
Typical Basque Christmas foods are just as delicious (and extensive!) as you can imagine. For Basques, food always comes first, and the winter holidays are no exception. Spanish cuisine, famous for its amazing flavors, takes on even higher levels of deliciousness at Christmastime, if that’s even possible. But not all regions in Spain celebrate the […]
Florence Blog , Food and Drink in Naples , Food and Drink in Rome , Food and Drink in Venice , Italian Food , Naples Blog , Venice Blog
A Thing of the Heart: Holidays in Italy, and the Sweets that Define Us
Posted on December 12, 2019
Food has always been a celebration of happiness for me. The moments of joy in my life have always seen me with happy additional inches around my waist. Sadness or loss take away my appetite, and when I was younger, if I came home lean from a trip, my dad would always say, “tell me […]
Typical French Christmas Foods to Enjoy This Holiday Season
Posted on December 11, 2019
Devoid of a feast-focused holiday like Thanksgiving, France pulls out all the stops at Christmastime, with a multi-course meal and more than enough traditional French Christmas foods to enjoy during the festivities.
Here is just a touch of what you can expect on the table at Christmas time in Paris and beyond. These French Christmas foods are what make the season truly memorable.
If you’re planning to travel to Paris, or anywhere else in France, make sure to enjoy all the magic of the holiday season with these exquisite plates that transport everyone to a place of joy and celebration, the French way.
French Christmas market foods
Christmas markets play host to a ton of holiday specialties in France, and in the days leading up to Christmas, they may be the best places to sample some of these goodies.
Roasted chestnuts are a great snack to carry around the market to warm up cold fingers, as is mulled wine: a concoction of red wine simmered with spices and sometimes spiked with brandy or kirsch.
Heartier delicacies include après-ski fare (après-ski literally means ‘after skiing’, so evocative!): tartiflette and raclette both pair gooey melted cheese with potatoes and charcuterie, and can be found served out of huge pans at many Christmas markets.
The markets may also sell a few remaining calendriers de l’Avent. These calendars traditionally contain one chocolate candy for each day of December, though versions boasting everything from cosmetics to beer have been released by different companies.
Speaking of beer, Christmas markets are also a phenomenal place to enjoy a Christmas brew to pair with your French Christmas foods.
Often richly flavored and occasionally spiced, these special edition beers are released by brewers every year leading up to the holidays.
The Christmas meal
The Christmas meal in France generally takes place on December 24 and it’s a multi-course extravaganza showing off the best of French terroir.
Appetizers may include oysters, foie gras, smoked salmon or escargots, accompanied by Champagne or good white wine.
The main event is generally roast poultry—turkey or capon—served with chestnuts or even truffles.
A cheese course follows, which may feature seasonal cheeses like rich Brillat-Savarin with a layer of truffles, or nutty Comté aged 36 or 42 months.
Time for dessert!
The meal culminates in the typical French Christmas dessert: a bûche de Noël, or yule log cake.
The bûche can either be made with a rolled genoise cake decorated with buttercream and marzipan mushrooms, or a glazed ice cream concoction.
Some families make their own bûches, while others enlist the help of local pâtissiers, hard at work for months to perfect their recipe.
If guests have any space left, they might enjoy a mandarin or tangerine at the very end of the meal.
Beyond Paris: regional specialties
While you’ll find variations on the above throughout the country, some regions have their own culinary specialties that they enjoy around the holidays.
In parts of eastern France, pain d’épices, or gingerbread spiked with honey, is common. In Alsace, you’ll even find this sweet, rich bread served with foie gras.
In Ardèche, meanwhile, chestnuts take center stage. Candied and glazed chestnuts are a popular sweet to savor in the days leading up to and following Christmas festivities.
In Provence, Christmas is synonymous with the 13 desserts: a combination of different nuts, dried fruits, and other confections that represents Jesus and the 12 apostles.
The exact combination will vary according to the region and even to the family, but often includes almond calissons from Aix, dried plums from Brignoles, nougat from Montélimar, and more.
Delicious French holiday flavors
Whether you’re enjoying the busy city life of Paris during the holidays, or exploring other regions of France, you’ll enjoy the festive flavors of French Christmas Foods.
Enjoy the city, walk around the Christmas markets with a mullet wine, find a cheese you’ll remember forever, try out the escargot. You may also want to add some time to see as much of Paris in a Day as possible with our tour, or the sweet Paris Pastry and Chocolate Tour.
If you’re planning to visit Bordeaux, you must add the Ultimate Food Tour to your list and let us take care of your itinerary.
We are confident that these delicious French Christmas foods will make you feel festive and cozy, let us know what are your favorites.
Update Notice: This post was updated on December 07, 2023.
Barcelona Blog , Devour Tours , Lisbon Blog , Paris Blog , Rome Blog , San Sebastian Blog , Seville Blog , Spain Blog
The Ultimate Guide to the Tastiest European Gourmet Gifts
Posted on December 11, 2019
Looking for the perfect present or gourmet gifts to bring back from your European travels? Here at Devour, we believe the best souvenirs are the kind you can eat—and the same goes for gifts! If you’re traveling in Europe, it’s pretty much mandatory to stock up on souvenirs. But instead of filling your suitcase with […]
Florence Blog , Food and Drink in Naples , Food and Drink in Venice , Italian Food , Naples Blog , Rome Travel , Venice Blog
A Love Letter to Christmas in Italy (and the Family Meal that Starts the Season)
Posted on December 5, 2019
The Christmas season in Rome is the stuff of legends. I’ve always loved the holidays back at home, but the Italians manage to take it to a whole new level, with seven giorni di festa throughout the months of December and January. Every single Catholic holiday is celebrated with enormous quantities of pasta, roasted meats, […]
