From French cuisine to Paris under the snow, this week’s La Belle Vie newsletter offers an essential starting point for eating, talking, drinking, and living like a local.
La Belle Vie is our regular look at the real culture of France – from language to cuisine, manners to films. This newsletter is published weekly and you can receive it directly to your inbox, by going to your newsletter preferences in “My account”.
Happy New Year! The holidays, for many people, and certainly for myself have revolved around food. My parents, retired in the region of Brittany, use the excuse of me coming home for Christmas to indulge in traditional French dishes: foie gras, coquille Saint-Jacques, mousse au chocolat, blanquette de veau, confit de canard… Everything is a real treat.
My French grandfather was a butcher and, in my opinion, a real chef. He would spend hours in the morning cooking for lunch, and then start his dinner preparations mid-afternoon. His dedication to the art of cooking always inspired me. He was un vrai cordon bleu!
French Expression of the Day: être un vrai cordon bleu
I definitely inherited my love for French cuisine from my grandfather. And I couldn’t be happier that France is home to so many bistros – restaurants serving traditional dishes. These places, enshrined in French history, are so loved that French President Emmanuel Macron is determined to get them UNESCO status.
If you’ve ever been to a bistro, you know that with the old-fashioned decor, the type of food they serve, coupled with the ambience, these restaurants have become a pillar of the culture.
Emmanuel Macron calls for French bistros to get UNESCO status
Vacation is now over, and it’s back to reality. But I must say the snow in Paris at the start of the week made the post-holiday transition a little easier. The streets blanketed in snow, the canal in front of The Local’s office partly frozen, the city becoming white… everything was lovely.
Some Parisians rushed to Montmartre to ski and slide down the hill from the Sacré-Coeur basilica, others participated in snowball fights, and snowmen-building.
Some others weren’t quite as ecstatic. You see, Parisians have a tendency to walk quite fast to get anywhere, I guess it’s a rule when living in a big city. And the slippery snow on the sidewalks made it impossible to keep up that speed. Everyone was forced to slow down and really focus on not falling down.
However, I believe everyone can agree on one thing: seeing the capital under snow was definitely worth all the trouble.
Photo of the bassin de la Villette in Paris with snow. Photo: Emma Albright
IN PICTURES: Paris and northern France blanketed in snow
Speaking of slowing down, the holidays were a good excuse to do everything you wouldn’t do once the routine starts again. I decided to be a tourist in my own city for a day and visit Notre-Dame. I had not been since its restoration due to the fire in 2019.
It was worth the 45 minute wait. The organisation in front of the cathedral is well done, you never stand still too long as you serpent through the dedicated lines. And I understand that, despite the small inconvenience of waiting, the spectacular renovation makes this monument one of the most popular in the capital.
Paris landmarks see record tourist numbers in 2025
Entering the New Year gives us all a fresh perspective on life, whether it be painfully going through dry January, or sticking to resolutions for a couple of weeks… or days. In any case, there are many things to look forward to in 2026.
Coming up in Paris in February is the famous Salon de l’agriculture, this annual 10-day event is the highlight of the agricultural calendar. Unfortunately this year, it was announced that cattle classes will not take place due to outbreaks of the highly contagious cattle virus Lumpy Skin Disease (dermatose nodulaire contagieuse) in France. But fear not, the food, drinks, party mood, and other animals will definitely be there to make the event as memorable as always.
Cows banned from iconic Paris farm show over virus fears
Another positive thing coming up this year is the 2026 calendar. Many public holidays fall close to weekends, which means taking a few days off can guarantee you more paid leave. There’s nothing that the French love more than vacation time, and with that perspective, the year is off to to a good start!
Is 2026 a good year for public holidays in France?
Dining and Cooking