Are you a foodie planning a trip to Paris in September?
If so, perfect!
Just make sure you’re there for the 22nd through 24th to coincide with the Fête de la gastonomie (Gastronomy Festival).
In fact, you don’t have to specifically be in Paris (or on those specific dates) to take advantage of the special culinary delights of France this month of September.
Read on to find out why …
La Fête de la gastronomie is a nationwide food festival.
Last year alone, the event generated over 10,500 gastronomic events across the country. And this year is shaping up to be even bigger.
The national food festival celebrating the art of cooking and eating fine food
No matter where you are in France, join the locals and share in celebrating the finest foods in France and from around the world.
Indulge in culinary workshops, special dinners, food markets and gastronomic encounters with food professionals and producers.
La Fête de la gastronomie is a delicious way to discover what’s very special about France and its unique way of living.
After all, food for the French is a matter of cultural pride
Gastronomy is serious business in France. It’s one of the major reasons millions of travellers flock France each year.
In 2010, UNESCO classified French gastronomy “an intangible cultural heritage of humanity”. But the French didn’t need UNESCO to tell them that. They knew it already!
The French Ministry of the Economy proudly points out that, “when we celebrate French gastronomy, we honour France’s culture and savoir-faire, its heritage and its identity.”
La Fête de la gastronomie is a celebration of what the French do best – cooking and eating.
And if you’re in France in September, you’ll definitely want to put it on your “must do” list.
Savour the richness and diversity of the French culinary tradition. At the same time, you’ll get to know what really makes the French tick!
Get ready for a veritable gourmet weekend full of flavours
La Fête de la gastronomie brings the community together to cook and eat. It is, of course, about tasting. But it’s also about sharing, exchanging, and discovering the value of food, cooking and eating.
The dishes & their creators
Chefs, bakers, vintners, confectionary makers, chocolatiers, culinary perfumers and many other artisans in the culinary field take their delicacies, recipes, and cooking skills to the streets.
More than 700 restauranteurs will take part this year.
From traditional French cuisine to the latest in innovative French cooking, to Columbian, Thai and other world cooking styles to and fusion cuisines and more, there’ll be something for everyone’s taste preferences.
The formalities of a dining room are put aside for the open air. Top restaurants (often out of reach for most) open their doors for all to experience. And people from all walks of life get to sample the best gastronomy that France has to offer.
Click here to search the Fête de la gastronomie’s calendar of events (in French):
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And it’s not just about the people who prepare good things to eat and drink.
The produce & suppliers
La Fête de la gastronomie also brings together some of France’s finest producers of the primary products that go into making those dishes.
In fact, the theme of this year’s festival is “Au coeur du produit” (At the heart of the produce). Stéphane Layani, President of Rungis Market in Paris (the world’s largest wholesale food market) is the festival’s patron.
It’s also about the farmers, fisherman, millers, and more who sow, reap, harvest, and husband the “ingredients” that end up in our glasses and on our plates.
At many of the events, you’ll get a chance to try the produce and meet the suppliers who work with great chefs in France.
It’s a wonderful time to catch a glimpse of the incredible diversity of produce in France. Plus you can discover what’s unique about its production and distribution.
In Paris alone, there’ll be open-air markets and culinary workshops where you can taste produce from a wide variety of French regions.
Click here to search the calendar of events (in French):
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Tous au restaurant (Everyone to the restaurant!)
This year, the official food festival lasts for 3 days, from 22 to 24 September, 2017.
Now, if you’re not in France for those dates, don’t despair. There are other opportunities for you to join the festivities.
Tous au restaurant is a parallel celebration held from 18 September through to 1 October 2017.
For two weeks, 1400+ restaurants throughout France will offer guests a very special deal. For one meal purchased you get a second for free.
Dine as a couple at great restaurants, bistros and brasseries for the price of one!
The list of participating venues is not yet public. You’ll have to wait until 10am on 12 September for that.
But on that list will be a great range of dining opportunities, including Michelin-starred restaurants and top-ranked bistros.
Click here for more information about “Tous au restaurant” (in French).
The list of participating venues and chance to make bookings will be available from 10am on 12 September 2017.
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Dive deeper with private food and wine experiences in Paris
La Fête de la gastronomie is a wonderful opportunity to share culinary experiences with large groups of people.
And if you’d like to dive deeper into the French culinary experience, take a look at Wonderful Time’s range of unique food and wine exclusives.
Meet with local talents for one-to-one private encounters.
Wonderful Time’s food and wine experiences are not tours. They’re unique and inspiring moments.
You get to spend private time with a talented local who’s a confirmed specialist in some aspect of French cuisine, fine wines and Champagnes, and the art of living, Parisian style.
Here’s a small sample of who you can meet and what you can experience next time you’re in Paris.
Meet for a private encounter with a Michelin Star chef over wine and fine French cuisine
Spend private time with Thomas Boullault, Michelin-starred chef of critically acclaimed L’Arôme Restaurant in Paris.
Go behind-the-scenes in his kitchen and discover what it really takes to earn the coveted approval of the Michelin Guide.
Watch over his shoulder as he prepares a special dish for the day. Then picnic together by the Seine, sipping fine French wine & Champagne, tasting exquisite French foods, and conversing about the art of living and eating well in France. Also join Thomas at his favorite wine cellar for tastings and, go market food shopping.
Click here to learn more about Thomas’ unique Paris experience for gastronomes
Dine with a renowned food critic at a top Parisian bistro
Dining at one of Paris’ top bistros is a fabulous thing to do on its own. And when you become the guest of one of France’s renowned food critics, it becomes a very special occasion, indeed.
Find out what its like to review the finest restaurants, bistros and brasseries in Paris. Discover the “insider” secrets of critiquing dishes and the dining experience.
Enjoy a special moment enveloped with fine French wines, excellent cuisine, and stimulating conversation at an authentic Parisian bistro.
Kickstart your wine tour of France in Paris with a leading French wine specialist
When it comes to choosing French wines to taste, wouldn’t it fabulous to have access to the same wine expert Michelin-starred chefs go to for advice?
Well, you can. In Paris, spend one-on-one time with Lionel in his own 400 year-old wine cellar in the heart of Paris’ Latin Quarter.
Taste an incredible selection of vintage French wines with artisan food pairings. And dive deep into the complexities and richness of French wine and it’s many regions.
Lionel is the perfect authority connection you’ll want to have as a guide for touring France’s wine regions. And if you like, he can even join you and introduce you to some of the wine-makers in his private circle.
Here’s how you can taste French wines with Lionel in Paris
Learn to cook a traditional French family meal in a private home in Paris
It’s easy enough to enjoy fine French cuisine in Paris by making a reservation at one of the city’s best restaurants.
But how about a deeper, local culinary experience, like experiencing first-hand how traditional French families really cook and eat?
Well, with Marie-François you can do just that!
Spend the day with her, starting with a visit to a local French food market where you’ll shop for seasonal ingredients to cook with. Then, in her home, join her in cooking a delicious traditional family meal. Once you’re done, sit down together to dine with fine French wines and stimulating conversation on all things French and the fine art of living, the Parisian way.
Click here to learn more about spending the day with Marie-François
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