From casual roadside picnics to Michelin-starred restaurants, the former editor of France magazine shares her most memorable culinary experiences
Memorable moments from nearly two decades of writing about traveling and dining across France include meals at renowned restaurants and the delight of shared dinners at guesthouses. However, one experience stands out for its ability to showcase France’s culinary delights: the car boot picnic.
Standing beneath the shelter of an open car boot, I have encountered products so exquisite that they never made it to a guesthouse kitchen or dining table. Perhaps it was a piece of comté cheese so rich in flavor that it disappeared before leaving the market’s parking lot. Or the basket of gariguette strawberries purchased from a farm in Plougastel-Daoulas, Brittany, known for its unique microclimate. Each member of my family took a bite and exchanged incredulous looks—the sweetness was beyond compare.
“Have they been soaked in sugar water?” my husband wondered.
“I believe this is the true taste of strawberries,” I replied. We devoured the rest while waiting in line for the ferry at Roscoff.
Next, we encountered jars of Chantilly cream. While visiting a town renowned for its crème de la crème (along with its lace and horse racing), we participated in a workshop at the Atelier de la Chantilly. There, Bernard, a member of the Brotherhood of Chantilly Cream Whippers, taught us how to craft the perfect batch by hand. We left with two jars, safely stored in the car’s plug-in cool box. Later that afternoon, on our way to Lorraine, we made a stop at an aire (roadside picnic spot) and indulged in spoonfuls of cream over bowls of mirabelle plums and raspberries for a luxurious picnic. As motorhomes and Lycra-clad cyclists sped past us on the road, we savored every bite.
The lunchtime menu du jour available at one-star and Bib Gourmand establishments can offer surprisingly good value
Two weeks later on the same trip, our car boot transformed into a makeshift dressing room as we readied ourselves for a more elegant dining experience. Following a swim in the Alpine Lac du Bourget at Aix-les-Bains, we shook off the sand and each retrieved our one remaining clean outfit (it was our final destination before reaching a guesthouse with a washing machine). I attempted to freshen up with makeup in the sun visor mirror before strolling up the elegant driveway to the restaurant at Hotel L’Incomparable.
Stepping onto the terrace, the breathtaking panoramic view of the lake filled me with joy. Chef Antoine Cevoz Mamy soon delighted us with his inventive takes on dishes featuring lake fish, such as freshwater lavaret accompanied by a burst of yuzu and slender carrots infused with cumin. It came as no surprise to me when he earned his first Michelin star a few months later.
The Michelin Guide, synonymous with French cuisine, was introduced over a century ago with the original intention of encouraging people to explore new places in their new motorcars (and consequently, wear out the company’s tires). In recent decades, it has also become synonymous with luxury and fine dining, but there are ways to enjoy Michelin-rated establishments on a budget.
The Bib Gourmand rating system has led me to numerous outstanding meals, and the lunchtime menu du jour at one-star restaurants can offer surprisingly good value. Additionally, many chefs with multiple Michelin stars also run more casual dining spots that are quite affordable.
In Roanne, situated northwest of Lyon, I made a reservation at Le Central, located in the building opposite the railway station, which was once occupied by Maison Troisgros. Maison Troisgros has held three Michelin stars longer than any other restaurant. In 2017, the Troisgros family relocated the main restaurant to stylish new premises in the nearby village of Ouches and opened Le Central, a refined brasserie offering modern interpretations of French classics. The salmon fillet with beurre blanc sauce and chives was exceptional. However, the most memorable moment was catching sight of Pierre Troisgros— one of the two brothers who made the restaurant famous and who passed away at the age of 92 just a few months later— dining with friends in the corner.
On the opposite side of the country, on the Île de Noirmoutier off the Atlantic coast, a meal at La Table d’Elise, Alexandre Couillon’s bistro adjacent to his three-star restaurant La Marine, remains vivid in my memory. The delicate dishes, like tender asparagus and mussels adorned with thinly sliced beetroot so translucent it seemed almost transparent, highlighted the island’s exceptional ingredients. It served as a splendid introduction to this fantastic culinary destination: the Atlantic coast island benefits from a microclimate where air enriched with ozone and soil fertilized by seaweed and salt pans enhance the quality of potatoes and other produce.
During a visit to a market on Noirmoutier, we eagerly purchased boxes of bonnotte potatoes and large custard tarts known as flans maraîchins. Later that week, we rode bicycles through the salt pans, with the evening sun reflecting in the numerous rectangular pools, and enjoyed oysters just a few meters from where they were cultivated—it was my dad’s first platter, savored at the age of 74.
At times, exploring a city’s culinary scene requires a guiding hand to uncover local favorites instead of falling into tourist traps. In Toulouse, Jessica Hammer’s exceptional Taste of Toulouse tour introduced us to the outstanding offerings at the Marché Victor Hugo, including high-quality charcuterie and a “Paris-Toulouse,” a violet-flavored variation of the Paris-Brest choux pastry dessert. The tour also led us to enticing patisseries and a nearby fromagerie.
During low tide, the oyster-growing racks extend half a mile towards the horizon
In Bordeaux, we were guided by Chloe, a student from the tour company Do Eat Better, on an exceptional day that included wine tasting, indulging in rich, rum-infused canelé pastries, and enjoying a fantastic lunch at Berthus.
In Paris, Jennifer Greco from Paris By Mouth took us on a cheese tour and tasting that transported us to every corner of France through the exquisite flavors of her carefully selected cheeses, expertly paired with superb wines.
However, the most remarkable tour I’ve experienced wasn’t the typical city stroll. On Brittany’s Emerald Coast, under the bright sunlight, I explored the oyster beds in Cancale with Ostreika Tours, wading through muddy sand. At low tide, the oyster-growing racks extend half a mile towards the horizon (at high tide, they vanish beneath the sea), and former oyster farmer Inga Smyczynski unveiled the intriguing world of oysters: their cultivation and their history in this region. We concluded the tour with a platter from the beachside oyster market, savoring them and discarding the shells onto the beach, where they help stabilize the shifting sands.
In addition to their excellent markets and food shops, the French excel at celebrating their local specialties, hosting a variety of quirky and fascinating festivals throughout the year in every corner of the country. In Roscoff, Brittany, a festival is held each August in honor of the region’s delicately flavored pink onions, known as La Fête de l’Oignon (August 24-25 this year). This event pays tribute to the Onion Johnnies, the groups of door-to-door onion sellers who traveled throughout Britain in the 19th and 20th centuries and contributed to the stereotypical image of the Frenchman in the eyes of the British: wearing a beret and a Breton striped shirt, with onions hanging from the handlebars. The festival provides a delightful insight into local traditions, featuring contests for onion string plaiting, fest-noz dancing (a type of Breton ceilidh), and the delicious specialty galette-saucisse (a sausage wrapped in a buckwheat pancake with caramelized onions on top).
French food festivals can also be remarkably ambitious. Consider the Fête de l’Omelette Géante in Bessières, near Toulouse. Every Easter Monday, the Knights of the Global Brotherhood of the Giant Omelette (there are six other such festivals worldwide, akin to a twinning association of giant omelettes) crack 15,000 eggs and prepare an omelette in a four-meter frying pan to serve 2,000 people. Surprisingly, it was also delicious.
However, the most exceptional celebration I’ve encountered is the Fête de la Figue in Solliès-Pont, east of Marseille. The Gapeau valley is renowned for its fig cultivation—locals claim the sprawling trees thrive with their roots in water and their crowns in sunlight, benefiting from the River Gapeau and the Provençal sun. The festival features a market, parade, tastings, and guided walks through the fig orchards. The opening night is a lively affair, with a four-course meal served at tables lining the enchanting village square, illuminated by fairy lights and candles in the church windows and door. Each dish is crafted with figs (including a fig salad, beef daube with figs, cheese with figs, and fig tart), accompanied by live music and local dancing lasting until the early hours.
