Day 3362 (Saturday) 22nd August 2026 

This is Nice

and this is Monaco.

 

The weather is so much nicer after that downpour and there is very little humidity. We went up to the Corne d’Or for lunch which was really pleasant and the view was as spectacular as ever.

I found this article about French food and drinks, we’ve looked at a few of them before but there are lots of new dishes. It’s quite long so I’ll post it over two days…

15 Traditional French Foods and Drinks To Try on Your Next Trip

Move over macarons, jambon-beurre, and croissants—there's more to French cuisine than you might realise.

Photo:Tatjana Baibakova / Shutterstock

Forget grab-and-go; meals in France are a serious affair and can last for hours. From Paris' married sandwiches ( croques madame et monsieur ), to the seafood stews and ratatouille of the Côte d'Azur, to boozy breakfasts served in the early morning in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, it's clear that the French live to eat rather than the other way around. Would we expect anything less from the country with the most Michelin-star restaurants in the world? Here are 15 typical French dishes that go far beyond the usual tourist favourites.

1. Machon

Sample mâchon at a traditional "bouchon Lyonnaise."Photo: prochasson frederic / Shutterstock

A typical French food from Lyon.

If you struggle to handle booze at a bottomless brunch, how about quaffing red wine at 9am and soaking it up with pig liver and tripe? Lyon 's silk-weavers regularly began work in the wee hours, so the platters of offal and carafes of vin rouge that constitute mâchon were more of a lunchtime meal, but they still must have had iron constitutions. Now, mâchon is popular with the all-night party crowd and can be sampled on some of the city's food tours.

2. Flammekueche

This pizza-esque dish is popular in Alsace.Photo: Robson90 / Shutterstock

Alsace might be known for its white wine, but don't miss this famous French dish.

Similar to a pizza, but skinnier, crispier, and covered with creme fraiche not tomato sauce, flammekueche translates as “pie baked in the flames.” It's a misleading name since it's, first of all, made from dough rather than pastry and, second of all, cooked in a wood-fired oven. The longest flammekueche in the world used a whopping 12 kilos of dough and was 34.6 metres long, but you can try a normal sized one on a Strasbourg food tour.

3. Bouillabaisse

This French fish soup is a favourite for the people of Marseille.Photo: l.lika / Shutterstock

Marseille's famous stew is a must-try food in France.

Originally, this Provençal fish stew was made using bony fish that couldn't be sold in the markets, and included at least three different types. To eat it in the traditional Marseillais way, serve the broth separately in a bowl alongside bread and rouille —a sauce similar to a thick, spiced mayonnaise—with the fish dished up separately on a large platter.

4. Fiadone

Fiadone is typically served at celebrations, such as Easter and weddings.Photo: VladKK / Shutterstock

Visit the island of Corsica to sample this cheesecake.

This dessert hails from Corsica, and is traditionally a celebration cake served at Easter, baptisms, communions, and weddings. Fiadone is made from brocchiu , a goat or sheep cheese made from whey. The result is a grainy, slightly acidic cheesecake, similar in flavour and texture to ricotta. Fiadone doesn't have a biscuit base, but don't let this fool you into thinking it's a light dessert—brocchiu has to contain at least 40 percent fat to be classified as such.

5. Quiche Lorraine

Quiche Lorraine purists would have you ditch the cheesy filling.Photo: SGM / Shutterstock

This popular French food from Lorraine is more than 500 years old.

A true quiche Lorraine is nothing like the freezer meal kind. Originally the "pastry" was made from bread dough, and the addition of cheese is considered "inauthentic," with purists making the filling from just cream, eggs, and lardons. The dish dates back to the 16th century in the Alsace - Lorraine region, and there's even a festival dedicated to quiche Lorraine these days—stop by Dombasle-sur-Meurthe in June to see it for yourself.

6. Dauphinoise potatoes

A well-done dauphinoise dish is a thing of beauty.Photo: StockphotoVideo / Shutterstock

The city of Gap is responsible for this famous French food.

Nothing to do with marine mammals, dauphinoise potatoes are named after the Dauphiné family who ruled the region. The earliest record of dauphinoise potatoes dates back to 1788, when it was served up to municipal officers in the city of Gap, Eastern France. As with quiche Lorraine, the traditional gratin recipe doesn't use any cheese. (Can you believe we're talking about French food here?)

I’ll post the rest tomorrow.