This article comes from a customer’s question, when he asked me after the treasure hunt along the Seine, where to eat snails. To be honest, I had not seen this coming ! Of course, it is part of our French culture but we don’t eat snails everyday, and I know for a fact that a lot of people in the world (a lot = the entire world except French people…) think it is weird.
I was ready to give him adresses or bars and restaurants around the Eiffel Tower or in Paris for the night, or answer questions about steak frites, quiche Lorraine or croque-monsieur, but weird food… I did not think he could be interested in tasting it ! And the same month, an other customer asked me about frogs and soupe à l’oignon ! I have to say, eating frogs and snails are not something we eat on a regular basis, even if we are french.
Anyway, I was so astonished I decided to look where, in Paris, we can eat these dishes and I discovered that that I have already been in a lot of restaurants that actually offered this food! In fact, all classic French restaurants and brasseries offer them in their menu. It is just that I’ve never paid attention…
Here are 3 dishes among our French weird food people asked me about and the restaurants in Paris offering them in their menu :
1. Weird french dishes in Paris n°1 Snails
What do they taste like ? Honestly, I really don’t know. Not because I’ve never tried them but because they are served with a parsley and garlic butter sauce that covers all the other flavours. So if you like garlic butter and chewy texture, next time you enter a french restaurant, go on, try them !
Where to eat snails ?
You can try these 3 restaurants with closed eyes :
Also famous for being a bouillon, you will find snails at a very reasonnable price. And the atmosphere is quite something !
16 rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis
75 010 Paris 10
Snails have been served here for two centuries. The restaurant is named after the dish and is famous for the snails.
38 Rue Montorgueil,
75001 Paris
A classic when it comes to french food. And a spot to plot for your night cravings. This restaurant is opened 7/7, 24hours a day !
2. Weird french dishes in Paris n°2 : Cuisses de grenouilles (frog legs)
We have been eating frogs since the 12th century. They are considered a french gourmet meal and we have a festival dedicated to frogs in Vittel (also known for producing a natural mineral watter) ! But France is not the only country where you can eat them. Several countries in Asia like Thailand and South Korea, esstern and Spain and even southern US eat frogs too !
That being said, frog legs are a mix between chicken leg and fish. You can try them grilled, stir-fried, sautéed or battered. But the official classic recipe is the cuisses de grenouilles en persillade (with flour, oil, garlic, and parsley).
Where to eat des cuisses de grenouilles ?
L’escargot Montorgueil and Au pied de cochon are safe bets to try frog legs.
3. Weird dish in Paris n°3: Soupe à l’oignon
This one is not weird at all. Well, it is the time we eat soupe à l’oignon in France that can be. Contrary to you guys, who order this dish as an apetizer at noon or for diner, we eat the soupe à l’oignon very late at night after, a party (or early in the morning, you choose 😉 ). It may be the reason why you will barely see a parisian eat this soup during the day ! And if we do, well, you know why !
Where to eat Soupe à l’oignon ?
Pretty much everywhere when you are in a touristic area. But for a tasty soupe à l’oignon, with the most appropriate time to eat them 😉, Au pied de cochon is highly recommended !
I could’ have talked about andouillette, os à moelle (bone marrow) or foie gras here but until today, no one has asked me about restaurants offering them in their menu… To be continued 😉.