Fall and Winter Paris Food Festivals

Everyone celebrates Paris for its incredible bistros, boulangeries, bouillons and brasseries, serving up some of Europe’s best dishes. But a restaurant setting is not the only way to experience the capital’s famous eating culture. Paris is also home to many food festivals, showcasing France’s best produce as well as produce from all over the world. From small traditional festivals to huge exhibitions, here’s the low-down on the Paris food calendar for this fall and winter.

Le Salon du Chocolat

October 31 - November 4 2018

The world’s largest event dedicated to chocolate, Le Salon du Chocolat is a massive exhibition at Porte de Versailles showcasing all things cocoa. As well as offering a whole array of demos, workshops (and plenty of free tasters I’m sure), there are also some less conventional activities on show. For example, a chocolate fashion show in which models wear clothing almost entirely constructed from chocolate, alongside the unveiling of an enormous chocolate sculpture inspired by the world of Astérix. Le Salon du Chocolat is sure to be an incredible, albeit surreal, sensory experience.

Fête du Beaujolais Nouveau

November 15, 2018

Every third Thursday of November, French people celebrate the end of the harvest by drinking a wine from the Beaujolais region known as “Beaujolais Nouveau”. This is France’s most popular vin de primeur, a wine that is fermented very quickly and drunk within the same year, giving it a very sweet and fruity taste. A perfect opportunity to enjoy a typical French apéro (a pre-meal snack and drink), click on this map to find bistros in Paris where you can experience this unique celebration.

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Le Food Market

November 15 - December 20, 2018

Le Food Market takes place on a particular Thursday each month between 6:00 pm and 10:30 pm and its twenty stands represent a variety of different cuisines from all over the world. Set up in the same way as a traditional French food market (you won’t find any food trucks here), all meals cost €10 or less and there are plenty of communal tables set out for you to enjoy your food. The market will often take on a theme each month. For example, in October each stall served a speciality from different regions of France. The market can be found on Boulevard de Belleville between metro stations Ménilmontant and Couronnes, head to their website to check the dates for the upcoming months.

Paris Cocktail Festival

November 24, 2018

Celebrating the newest creations and innovations in mixology, Paris Cocktail Festival is the perfect way to get to know the complex and changing world of cocktails. Taking place in the iconic Elysée Montmartre (one of Paris’ most loved music venues), the event consists of mixology workshops, talks, and of course cocktail tasting. Expect plenty of blow torches, exotic ingredients, and bizarre equipment, as this festival will change the way you think about traditional cocktails.

Le Festival des Grands Vins

November 30 - December 1, 2018

If you’re looking for the right wine to pair with all of the wonderful food on offer in Paris, then Le Festival des Grands Vins is just about the best place to look. This year the festival has over 3,500 different wines, alongside Master Classes with wine tasting experts and culinary workshops to teach you about pairing with food. There is even an app which allows you to plan the perfect route between the stalls of different producers and merchants. Taking place in the Carrousel du Louvre, right in the centre of Paris, this wine tasting festival is not to be missed.

Salon Saveurs des Plaisirs Gourmands

November 30 - December 4, 2018

A massive food exhibition with over 250 producers from France and elsewhere, Salon Saveurs des Plaisirs Gourmands will have on display a huge range of cheeses, wines, spices, chocolate, cooking equipment and much more. Here the focus is placed on quality, and so it is the perfect place to look for Christmas presents or prepare for all your meals during the festive period. Alongside the stalls, the festival will have a number of food demonstrations from prominent chefs, and will be releasing a program soon.

Vegan Christmas Market

December 16 - December 17 2018

Once we get into the month of December, a number of Christmas markets start to pop up all over Paris, the most famous taking place at Notre-Dame and La Défense. However, if you’re looking for something a bit less traditional, then La Recyclerie’s Vegan Christmas Market is well worth a shot. La Recyclerie is a converted former train station that now functions as a café and event space focusing on sustainability and environmental responsibility. Their vegan Christmas market will run from noon until 8pm on the 16th and 17th of December, showcasing a variety of vegan cheeses, chocolates and treats, as well as ethical Christmas gifts.

Fête de la Coquille Saint-Jacques in Montmartre

January 26 - January 27 2019

Fête de la Coquille Saint-Jacques translates as Scallop Festival, and while many scallop dishes will be on sale, the festival also celebrates all sorts of seafood in general, particularly from the Brittany region of France. An area of coastline near Brittany known as the Côte d’amour is renowned for its seafood and scallops, and so expect to discover excellent produce from here. Featuring market stalls, demonstrations, and fish auctions, the festival will take place in January 2019 at Place des Abbesses, right in the heart of Montmartre.

 

So there you have it, everything you need to be the ultimate foodie in Paris, get a taste of French cuisine and beyond during the cold Fall and Winter months. Many of these events are annual, and while the dates may change slightly, you can be sure to return next year for more!

Traveling to Paris during the warmer months, or simply want to be a year-round foodie in Paris? Check out our Spring and Summer Paris Food Festival guide!