French President Emmanuel Macron has backed a call for the traditional French ‘bistro’ restaurant to be included in UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage.
Speaking at the annual Galette des Rois celebration at the Elysée Palace on Monday, Macron said that the campaign for French bistros is “one that he wants to back”, describing bistros as “at the forefront of this French expertise.”
The Association of French Bistros and Cafés launched the campaign to have these establishments listed as UNESCO heritage sites back in 2024, arguing that “French bistros and cafés are guardians of time. They span over centuries and generations.”
A traditional French bistro – or bistrot – is a place where you can enjoy homemade dishes for reasonable prices along with alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages.
Unlike some French food and drink traditions, there is no formal requirements to be able to label a place a ‘bistro’, but it’s generally understood to be a restaurant serving traditional French food – dishes often referred to a ‘bistro classics’ include boeuf bourguignon, steak-frites or blanquette de veau.
Many bistros also have a traditional or old-fashioned interior decor, intended to highlight the many years of history of the French bistro.
These restaurants are, however, coming under pressure as the rising cost of living and the increasing popularity of fast food and food delivery apps mean that the French are dining out less.
UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list encompasses storytelling traditions, performing arts, knowledge and skills related to nature or crafts, as well as social practices – the French baguette was inscribed in 2022, while the ‘French gastronomic tradition’ is also on the list.
During the Epiphany celebration, Macron also advocated for the adoption of legislation allowing “food businesses and particularly bakeries” to open on May 1st if they wish, on the condition that employees would be better paid.
This issue sparked a heated debate last year.
Dining and Cooking