Ranked by TableJourney editorial score.
Escargots de Bourgogne in Paris is the snail starter served in its shell with garlic-and-parsley butter, eaten with tongs and a slim two-tined fork, sopped up with baguette.
Snails entered Parisian dining in the 19th century after a 1814 banquet at the Palais-Royal where Antonin Carême served them to Tsar Alexander I. By 1900, the dish was standard at Paris brasseries: a half-dozen escargots de Bourgogne, the Helix pomatia raised in vineyards across Burgundy, baked in their shells with garlic, parsley and Champagne butter. L'Escargot Montorgueil, founded 1832 in the 1er, has cooked the dish without interruption longer than any other restaurant in the city. Modern Paris has stayed loyal to the form: bistros serve a half or a full dozen at €12 to €24, with a slim escargot fork in lieu of an oyster pick.
4 editor picks for Escargots de Bourgogne in Paris, ranked by editorial score. All Paris signature dishes · Escargots de Bourgogne across every city.
Also in: Dijon.
Two centuries of dining-room history at Le Grand Véfour, the Palais-Royal mirror-and-velvet salon where Paris cooked dinner for Napoleon, Colette and Cocteau.
OrderThe ravioles de foie gras at the chef's prix-fixe lunch.
TipTuesday-Friday lunch is a third the price of dinner and books two weeks out, not four months.
Aux Lyonnais in Paris is Alain Ducasse's Lyonnais bouchon-style annex: quenelle de brochet, saucisson chaud and a Beaujolais list that respects the cru wines.
OrderQuenelle de brochet with sauce Nantua; Saint-Marcellin from Mère Richard.
TipClosed Sunday and Monday. Lunch midweek runs a €40 set with the same kitchen.
Bouillon Chartier has run a workers' canteen of a brasserie in Paris's 9e since 1896. The menu still puts œuf mayonnaise on for less than €3.
OrderŒuf mayonnaise, hachis Parmentier, baba au rhum.
TipThe queue moves; arrive at 11:30 for lunch or 18:30 for dinner and you sit fast.
Polidor in Paris has run a Latin-Quarter bistro at the same address since 1845. The carte still holds bœuf bourguignon, blanquette de veau, tarte tatin.
OrderBœuf bourguignon in winter, tarte tatin with crème fraîche, a pichet of red.
TipCash preferred. The shared tables are part of the experience; come at 19:30 to share with strangers.
Escargots de Bourgogne makes more sense with someone from Paris explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
Guided tour · 3 hours
Experience luxury gastronomy in Paris's most elegant neighborhood. Taste world-class pâtisserie, artisan cheese, wine & cult-favorite charcuterie with an expert guide....
6 hours
Learn classic French cooking techniques at a 6-hour cooking class in the Latin Quarter of Paris, visiting a local open air market to forage for fresh produce to turn i...
5 hours
Learn classic French cooking techniques at a 5-hour cooking class in the Latin Quarter of Paris, using fresh produce from the local market to turn into a memorable 3-c...
