Guest Writer By TableJourney, Guest Writer
Paris eats well every day of the year, but a handful of dates bring the whole city to the table at once. Some are trade fairs that open their doors to the public, some are street markets, and one is a celebration of bread on the square in front of Notre-Dame. This guide walks through the food festivals worth planning a trip around between this autumn and next spring, in the order they come, with what each one is about and where to eat nearby once you have had your fill of samples.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Salon du Chocolat (28 October to 1 November 2026)
- The Christmas market on the Champs-Elysees (22 November 2026 to 4 January 2027)
- Salon International de l’Agriculture (27 February to 7 March 2027)
- Fete du Pain (around 16 May each year)
- Taste of Paris (May, at the Grand Palais)
Salon du Chocolat
The chocolate show returns to Paris Expo Porte de Versailles from 28 October to 1 November 2026, five days given over, in the organizer’s words, to “tastings, demonstrations, and gatherings centered around chocolate and pastries.” It is a big room: the organisers count 240 exhibitors.
Three parts of the show are worth building your visit around. The Pastry Show puts what the organizers call the world’s greatest pastry chefs and master chocolatiers on stage. The Signatures Pavilion is where you can sample creations by leading chefs. And this year the show marks its thirtieth edition by turning its famous chocolate fashion show into a musical performance, with chocolate creations brought to life with music and dance.
Tickets are dated and sold on the organizer’s site, so book your day before you travel.
Where to eat nearby: Porte de Versailles sits in the 15th arrondissement. For something to take home that is not chocolate, Boulangerie Patisserie l’Equilibre is at 108 Rue Blomet in the same arrondissement.
The Christmas Market on the Champs-Elysees
From 22 November 2026 to 4 January 2027, the City of Paris installs a Christmas market at the bottom of the Champs-Elysees, in the 8th arrondissement. The city describes it as chalets selling quality products on the theme of the end-of-year holidays and asks every stallholder to show a list of their products with prices and origins before taking a place.
Go after dark, when the avenue’s lights are on, and walk the market from the Rond-Point toward Concorde.
Where to eat nearby: Le Mermoz, a French bistro at 16 Rue Jean Mermoz, is a few streets from the Rond-Point. For a dinner to remember, Le Clarence is at 31 Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt.
A full list of the year’s dates, with the festivals we have checked against each organizer, is on our Paris Food Festivals page.
Salon International de l’Agriculture
Every winter the farms of France come to Paris. The Salon International de l’Agriculture runs from 27 February to 7 March 2027 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, and brings breeders, local farmers, regions and professional organisations under one roof.
For a food lover, the reason to come is the section the organizers call Products and Flavors from France, overseas and around the world: a trip, as they put it, across France and its regions, with products from its overseas territories and the rest of the world. It is one of the few places where you can taste your way from one region of France to another in an afternoon.
Weekday mornings are calmer than weekends. Plan to stay for lunch at the stands rather than leaving to eat.
Where to eat nearby: the same 15th arrondissement suggestion as the chocolate show applies. Boulangerie Patisserie l’Equilibre, 108 Rue Blomet.
Fete du Pain
French bakers have their own festival. The Fete du Pain is held every year around 16 May, the feast of Saint Honore, patron saint of bakers, and its Paris home is the Parvis de Notre-Dame. The bakers’ federation lists baking workshops, tastings, competitions and open days at bakeries across France, and names the national competition for the best traditional French baguette.
The 2027 dates are not announced yet. Expect the week around 16 May, and check the federation’s page before you book.
Where to eat nearby: across the Seine from Notre-Dame, Shakespeare and Company Cafe is at 37 Rue de la Bucherie. For a proper lunch, La Rotisserie d’Argent is a French bistro at 19 Quai de la Tournelle.
Taste of Paris
Taste of Paris turns the Grand Palais into a festival of restaurants. The organizers bring together, in their words, the great Parisian tables, young chefs and new addresses, and every dish is served in a tasting format so you can move from one chef’s signature to the next. The format runs as pop-up restaurants from lunch to dinner in two services.
The 2026 edition ran from 21 to 24 May. The 2027 dates have not been announced yet, so watch for them in spring. Dated tickets started at 25 euros last year, with VIP tickets from 65 euros.
Where to eat nearby: the Grand Palais is in the 8th, a short walk from Le Mermoz on Rue Jean Mermoz.
Conclusion
If you can only make one trip, autumn gives you the most: the chocolate show at the end of October and the Christmas market from late November. If you prefer spring, May brings bread to the square in front of Notre-Dame and the city’s chefs to the Grand Palais. Whichever you choose book festival tickets and restaurant tables before you leave home and check each organizer’s site for the final dates.
About the Author:
TableJourney is a food travel guide to more than 200 cities, with a calendar of food festivals around the world. Every place and festival date on the site is checked against the venue’s or organizer’s own page.
