Travel Guest Post: Top Gourmet Cities to Visit in France

From baguettes and croissants to cheese and champagne – France is famous worldwide for its food and drink. While Lyon is the food capital of France, Paris is home to some excellent restaurants in the country. This article gives other top gourmet cities of France for food lovers to visit.

French cuisine is also hugely popular the world over. Food lovers from the UK can board a Dover Calais ferry and visit this country for some gastronomic delights. There are many  delights on offer for travellers visiting by ferries and they would definitely love to taste some of the famous French dishes. A wonderful breakfast of breads and croissants, Bouillabaisse for starters and for lunch a main dish of Foie Gras, Cassoulet, Confit de Canard and salads, followed by a choice of cheeses is sure to give a unique treat to the taste buds. Mousse au chocolat for dessert and some sparkling wine would add icing to the cake. Here are some of the top cities to visit in France to get a true taste of France.

Lyon – The southern city of Lyon is the gastronomic capital of
France. The city may be two thousand years old but the food cooked up in its
cosy bouchon restaurants is as fresh as can be. Yes, as Lyon is located near
the major agricultural regions of France, the city gets a steady supply of
excellent fresh produce. Local dishes include sausage and St Marcellin cheese.

Bordeaux – This is a must-visit place for foodies who would love to
taste some superb food. The famous foods of this region include a special dish
made with local Pauillac lamb, oysters from Arcachon or steak with Bordelaise
sauce. Lamproie a la Bordelaise is the famous seafood, which is eel cooked in
red wine.

Dijon – Dijon is famous for its food and wine. Gingerbread and
crème de cassis are the specialities of this place. The famous Kir cocktail,
made by adding blackberries to white wine or Champagne also originated from
this city. Dijon also hosts the annual food fair “Foire
Gastronomique” in October, which attracts thousands of food lovers from
across the world.

Bayonne – The traditionally prepared famous Bayonne ham is popular
worldwide for its distinct flavour and gorgeous colour. Apart from cured Hams,
chocolate and red peppers from nearby Espelette are the other special offerings
of this place.

Toulouse – Toulouse offers some of the best traditional dishes of
Midi Pyrenees with great French wines from regional vineyards. There are many
restaurants here that satisfy both appetite and taste buds. Cheap and popular
is the Saucisse de Toulouse. Other specialities include garbure, haute-Garonne
Cassoulet, and foie gras served with crouton.