Croque Monsieur appears as a signature dish in 1 France cities. See each city's local variant and where to eat it.
Croque-monsieur · Paris
Croque-monsieur is the Parisian counter sandwich: brioche or pain de mie, jambon de Paris, Gruyère and béchamel, grilled until the cheese on top is bubbling and gold.
The dish first appears on a Paris cafe menu in 1910, at a Boulevard des Capucines establishment whose proprietor put grilled ham-and-cheese sandwiches on the carte to feed the lunchtime crowd. The béchamel-topped form, distinct from a simple grilled sandwich, was codified by 1925. Le Café de Flore and Les Deux Magots in Saint-Germain serve €18 versions that have not changed shape in fifty years. The home version is forgiving: any decent jambon, any decent Gruyère, a 5-minute béchamel, three minutes under a hot grill. Add a fried egg on top and it becomes a croque-madame.
Where to eat in Paris:
- Café de Flore
- Le Petit Cler
- Le Petit Vendôme
- Telescope