The #1 Paris Food Trend In 2023 Is Literally Sticking It To Emily In Paris
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If you haven't heard of "Emily in Paris" yet, you might just be the only one. The show has been a hit for Netflix, with an estimated 58 million households watching it within the first month of its release (via Variety). Deadline reported that Season 3 of "Emily in Paris" was among Netflix's top 10 shows in 93 countries the week it debuted. And when New Casinos did a Google search analysis of the term "Paris holidays," it found that searches increased by 161% after Season 3's premiere in late December 2022 (via PR Newswire). But not everyone is happy with the influx of interest in Paris, or at least the version of Paris depicted on the show. "Paris is in the throes of a massive backlash from 'Emily in Paris,'" blogger Wendy Lyn shared with Forbes, and it turns out that one of the ways the backlash is being expressed is through food.
Food plays a big part in the show. The titular Emily is often seen enjoying what many Americans might think of as traditional French foods, and there's even an official "Emily in Paris" cookbook (via Amazon), which features recipes for dishes like French omelettes and pain au chocolat. But as tourists flock to the City of Lights in droves due to the show, Lyn says that "Parisians want travelers to know there's more to their town than the cliche steak-frites, croissants and macarons."
The new food of Paris
If not croissants and steak-frites, what should "Emily in Paris" fans in Paris eat? Blogger Wendy Lyn told Forbes that the locals are "craving much more than French food" these days, with an emphasis on internationally-inspired street foods, and on fusion cuisine, like that served at French-Vietnamese eatery Bistrot Tontine. Lyn isn't alone in noticing some of these new food trends that seem to be knocking up against the traditionalism of some items enjoyed on "Emily in Paris."
The official website of the Paris Conventions and Visitors Bureau highlights some of these fusion-style restaurants hailed as "bistronomy," which "makes haute cuisine accessible by combining bistro culture with gastronomy." They list Basque restaurant Le Chateaubriand as an example, and also note that Japanese-French establishments, like Le Grand 8, Abri, and Clown Bar, and Korean-French restaurant In Oberkampf, are injecting exciting new flavors into the bistro scene.
Explore France also points out that fusion food, food trucks, and reimagined French classics are all popular right now. While it might be tempting to go to Paris and eat nothing but macarons, croissants, and classic bistro fare, travelers who really want to get to know the city would do well to try some of these innovative cuisines, too.