What French people think of traditional French food - and how they choose a restaurant
From cassoulet to snails, home cooking, and favourite French chefs; we look at French attitudes to food
Beef bourguignon, great service, Chef Anne-Sophie Pic, and escargots were among French foodie favourites
THMorningMonday / barmalini / Andrii Medvednikov / Anton_Ivanov / Shutterstock
French people love traditional French food and regularly eat it at home, with beef bourguignon, cassoulet, and – yes – snails, ranking among the best-loved foodie favourites.
Nearly all (97%) of people in France have a good opinion of French food, a new poll by agency Ipsos for FranceInter* has revealed. It was released just as the new Michelin Guide France 2026 was unveiled in Monaco on March 17. This is up from 92% who said the same in a similar poll undertaken a year ago.
Which dishes best represent France?
When it comes to which traditional French dishes best represent France in the world, participants had a clear favourite: Beef bourguignon was voted top by 46%.
Next up were:
Home cooked favourites
Traditional French food is not confined to eating out; in fact, nearly seven out of 10 French people said they eat traditional French dishes at least once a week, with almost 80% of these saying that they cook them at home.
The majority (62%) find recipes online, while 48% said that they regularly cook recipes passed down or through family and friends.
Which is the perceived most gastronomic region of France?
Not all of France is considered equal when it comes to food, the poll found. Half (50%) of participants said that they consider the south-west to be the “most gastronomic” nationwide.
This was followed by:
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (including Lyon): 36% said this was the “most gastronomic" (typically known for ‘mountain food’ with potatoes, cheese, and cured meats)
Alsace: 33% (traditionally a blend of French and German, with pork, potatoes, and cabbage)
Brittany: 30% (mainly known for savoury buckwheat galettes, fish, and seafood)
Burgundy: 28% (wine-based beef stews with wine and garlic)
Provence: 25% (Mediterranean-style, with tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, basil, and fish)
Savoie: 21% (more ‘mountain food’, including local cheeses)
Corsica: 14% (Mediterranean-Italian, with added chestnuts, charcuterie, wild boar and cheese)
Nord: 11% (Belgian-influenced, with potatoes, butter, and beer)
Lorraine: 8% (a focus on pork, cream, fruit, bacon, and cheese)
Aquitaine: 8% (rustic food with duck, goose, walnuts, seafood, and wine)
Jura: 6% (‘mountain’ flavours, with local dairy, mushrooms, sausage, and vin jaune)
How do French people choose a restaurant?
When it comes to eating out, reviews and recommendations are the main factors at play, the poll found.
55% said that they “often” or “always” consider reviews or recommendations before choosing somewhere to eat
51% said that word of mouth and recommendations from friends and family are the main factor
38% use apps such as Google Maps or Apple Maps as their main source
24% said that they turn to TripAdvisor first
In terms of the restaurant itself:
74% most look for value for money
67% are most concerned with food quality
41% care most about hospitality and service
36% look for a good atmosphere and setting
Which are France’s favourite chefs?
The poll found that Philippe Etchebest was cited most often as participants’ favourite chef (with 47% naming him). He is best known for his two-Michelin-starred restaurant at the Hostellerie de Plaisance in Saint-Émilion, and for presenting the cooking shows Top Chef, and Cauchemar en cuisine.
This was followed by:
46%: Cyril Lignac (chef-owner at Michelin-starred restaurant Le Quinzième, and at Le Chardenoux in Paris 11e arrondissement; pastry chef; TV chef-presenter)
27%: Alain Ducasse (one of the most-Michelin-starred chefs worldwide; notably at the three-starred Le Louis XV in Monaco, and Alain Ducasse restaurant at The Dorchester in London)
19%: Thierry Marx (pastry chef and chef at the two-starred Sur Mesure at the Mandarin Oriental in Paris; sometime TV chef-judge)
16%: Anne-Sophie Pic (three-Michelin-starred chef at Maison Pic in Valence; only the fourth-ever female chef to win three stars)
*The study was conducted among a sample of 1,000 people, representative of the French population aged 18 to 75, selected using the quota method based on criteria of gender, age, socio-professional category and region of residence.
