A First-Hand Review of the Best Le Marais Food Tour in Paris
One of my favorite ways to get to know a destination is by eating my way through it. You too? Then you have to hear about this particular food tour I recently took in Paris. I’ve taken my fair share of food tours around the world, and this one is my top recommendation for a Le Marais food tour in Paris.
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Le Marais is a popular and diverse neighborhood in Paris. It’s certainly an area worth exploring on your trip, but taking a food tour through this neighborhood will take your experience to a whole other level.
I thoroughly vet any tours I take on trips because I want to have the best possible experience, and I’m sharing this one with you so you can do the same.
5 Reasons to Book With Devour: Best Le Marais Food Tour
This was not my first time booking an experience with Devour Tours. I previously took a food tour with Devour in Madrid all the way back in 2017. Years later, in a different country altogether, I was happy to find that the quality of Devour-led tours remains consistently high.
1. Super Informative: A Foodie Walking Tour
When you sign up for this tour, you’re in for more than food tastings. You’re essentially getting a full on walking tour of one of Paris’ trendiest districts.
Our guide, a born-and-raised Parisian, led us through many meandering paths throughout Le Marais.
Along the way, he taught us the history behind the neighborhood and pointed out significant architectural details we would’ve completely missed out on without him.
There is a fair amount of walking involved with this tour, which I wasn’t expecting at first but quickly came to appreciate. After our sizable first tasting, I was already beginning to wonder how I’d manage to take in all the food ahead of us!
The well-paced walking aspect of this experience helped us to not only learn about Le Marais, but also to digest our snacks along the way.
2. Taste Cliches and Hidden Gems
What types of foods come to mind when you think, ‘Paris food tour’? It’s likely your mind jumps to cliche French food like croissants, macarons, crepes and so on. And on this tour you will absolutely get the chance to sample these iconic classics.
But I was pleasantly surprised by the addition of unexpected eats as well. We tried both the ‘tried-and-true’ as well as croissants and pain au chocolat
The tour offers a variety of both sweet and savory options. For more details on the types of stops you’ll make on this tour, see here.
3. Learn Useful Tips for Eating Around Paris
In addition to insights about the neighborhood itself, I walked away from this Le Marais food tour with useful tips.
I learned what types of shops to purchase the best macarons from and what an authentic crepe should really be like.
I also learned what types of restaurants to seek out for the most typical French experiences, and traditional dishes to try from a variety of regions in the country.
Having visited France many times, I loved that I was still learning some great new tips from our guide.
4. Meet Cool People
Of course, one of the best parts of joining any sort of group tour is the people you get to meet. Especially as a solo traveler, this is something I really value. On my tour, I met a family of 5 from Australia who were doing an around-the-world trip together.
I also met another Australian gentleman who was in Europe for the first time after dreaming of taking the trip for 30 years. And, two friends from Shanghai who shared about how much smaller Paris seems to them compared with their home city!
Our guide, Simon, was also a cool person I’m glad to have met. He was born and grew up in and around Paris, so it was great to hear his local perspective on life there. Plus, he was just a genuinely nice person who was easy to get to know and who was passionate about his work.
The group size of this tour is capped at 10, making it easy to get to know new people without becoming lost in an overwhelming crowd.
5. Have Your Dietary Needs Fulfilled
Finally, Devour’s Le Marais food tour in Paris is also great about fulfilling dietary needs.
For instance, I don’t eat any sort of pork. At one stop, I was served boeuf bourguignon and we realized there was pork in it. Simon worked with the restaurant to quickly swap it out for a delicious sweet potato soup instead.
At the wine tasting, one of the participants was too young to partake. Instead of simply providing her with water or juice from the grocery store, she was offered freshly made apple juice that came from the Loire Valley region!
It was a thoughtful touch that allowed her and others to taste yet another France food product.
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Insider Tips for the Best Le Marais Food Tour Experience
While it’s fresh on my mind, here are some firsthand tips to help you make the most of this food tour:
Stay Connected
On a tour like this one, where you’re moving from stop to stop all around a neighborhood without knowing where you’re going next, it can be helpful to have your guide’s phone number in case you get lost.
At one point, one of the other participants and I were chatting and were trailing along at the end of the group. All of a sudden, the group made a turn up ahead of us. The next thing we knew, we’d lost sight of them completely and had no clue which way to go!
We ran around for a bit and luckily found the rest of the group, but it would have been good to have had Simon’s contact information on hand just in case.
Book the Tour for Early in Your Visit
I recommend booking this tour as one of your first experiences in Paris. That way, you’ll have food tips and recommendations to carry forward with you into the rest of your trip.
You’ll also be able to make note of what restaurants, shops and historical sites in the area you’d like to add to your itinerary and return to later.
Wear Comfortable Shoes
As mentioned, this is more than a food tour. It’s also a walking tour and you’ll want to wear your walking shoes for a comfortable experience.
Keep a Flexible Schedule
Our tour was meant to last 3.5 hours, and it ended up going a little longer than that. Plus, you end up in a different part of town from where you started and it may take you a bit to navigate back.
I recommend not scheduling anything with a concrete start time for immediately following this tour. Give yourself at least an hour or two of buffer time from the end time of this tour.
If you have open space in your day after the tour, you could easily spend time exploring more of Le Marais. It’s one of Paris’ best shopping districts, as well!
Arrive Hungry, But Caffeinated
You’ll be eating plenty on this food tour, so you can confidently skip breakfast. However, if you’re someone who needs a morning coffee right away then be sure to grab a cup before you arrive at the meeting point.
Our first opportunity to grab a coffee didn’t come until our third stop, about 30-45 minutes into the tour.
FAQ: Visiting Le Marais in Paris
If you’re new to Paris’ Le Marais district, you might also be wondering:
What is the best street to walk in Le Marais Paris?
Le Marais is a historically Jewish neighborhood, and you’ll find many Jewish-owned shops along Rue des Rosiers.
The popular shop, L’As du Falafel, can also be found along this street (although note, our food tour guide said he prefers the shop across the street!).
There are many pretty paths to walk along in Le Marais, so take your time getting lost on the side streets. But one other area I specifically want to recommend nearby is Place de Vosges. Head to the Carette there for a taste of Parisian hot chocolate!
Why is Le Marais famous?
Apart from its historic significance and beautiful architecture, Le Marais has emerged as one of Paris’ trendiest shopping districts.
Here, you’ll find plenty of thrifting and vintage shopping options as well as mid to high-end shopping opportunities. Le Marais is also known as Paris’ LGBTQ+ neighborhood.
Is it worth it to go to the Marais?
Yes, especially if you are looking for good shopping. But as someone who is not much of a shopper myself I still enjoy Le Marais and recommend strolling around this neighborhood when you’re in Paris.
Final Thoughts: Best Le Marais Food Tour in Paris
Taking a food tour in Paris is a great way to experience the city through its culinary culture, get to know new people and support local businesses.
On this Le Marais food tour you’ll also get to know one of Paris’ most popular districts in more detail. Plus, you’ll walk away with a great grasp of both traditional and unique Paris foods. I highly recommend taking this tour while you’re visiting Paris!
Disclaimer: Thank you to Devour Food Tours for hosting me on this tour. All opinions, tips and recommendations are 100% my own, based on my first hand experience.
