Belleville Bound: Paris, Beyond the Baguette

East of the postcard-perfect boulevards, Paris hums with everyday flavor. In these neighborhoods, centuries of migration have shaped how the city eats and how its culinary culture evolves. Here, glorious French cheese sits beside croissants, banh mi meets baguette, and each meal tells a story of adaptation and exchange. As we move from Bastille to Belleville, we’ll encounter the cooks, bakers, and artisans redefining what “French cuisine” means today, a living expression of the city’s diversity and appetite for change. On this full-day walk through the 11th, 10th, 19th, and 20th arrondissements, including Belleville and other eastern neighborhoods, we’ll trace how global influences became the backbone of modern French cooking, and how the next chapter of French cuisine is being written, one meal at a time. Forget the clichés. This is the Paris where cultures collide, where the city’s many voices expand what “French food” can be. We’ll stop where tradition thrives: at family-run bakeries, bustling markets or locavore épiceries, and cafés that anchor the neighborhood’s daily rhythm. Along the way, we'll find Algerian pastries, Vietnamese coffee, an array of French cheeses, and artisanal ham from the last producer of true jambon parisien. We’ll meet the people shaping a modern culinary identity: third-generation bakers, community leaders, and chefs drawing inspiration from every corner of the globe. The stories here are tucked into crusty loaves and folded into layers of pastry every bit as surprising as they are delicious. This isn’t the Paris of postcards. It’s the Paris that feeds its people. A Paris where cultures collide into creativity, and food becomes a language of belonging. From sprawling markets to boundary-pushing kitchens, this tour offers an eclectic taste of the city most travelers never get to see. This tour includes seafood, meat, dairy, and gluten. Substitutions may be possible for pescatarians and vegetarians at some stops, but cannot accommodate vegan or gluten-free diets. Alcohol is served. Note: Parisian cuisine is loaded with bread and pastries, please be prepared. Mostly flat terrain with good sidewalks. The route includes a long walk of about four miles in total, with few seated stops. In addition to your Culinary Backstreets guide, all food consumed on the walk – more than a dozen different edible specialties – are included in the price. A limited selection of alcohol is served on the walks and is included in the price. Why is the Culinary Backstreets tour more expensive than some other walking tours? Our approach is different than most tour companies. Each of our culinary walks is the outcome of considerable research. We work with academics in the field and our own team of experienced professionals – both guides and local journalists. Our ongoing publishing of articles, from restaurant reviews to features about the intersection of food and culture, constantly feeds new material into the culinary walks, so they evolve and constantly improve. Though costly, we believe that this is how to create the quality experiences we strive for. We practice honest tourism and would never accept a free lunch or any sort of commission. On the contrary, we are proud to know that the money spent during the culinary walk goes to support businesses that we believe in, helping to preserve the social and cultural fabric of the cities we love so dearly. How does the payment process work? Once you have made a reservation, we require the full fee to be paid in order to complete the online booking. Our online booking system uses Stripe to process secure payments. What is your cancellation policy? 90% will be refunded if given 1 week notice prior to walk and 50% will be refunded if given 72 hours notice or more. Less than 72 hours is non-refundable. Are your walks public or private? How many people are on them? Our walks are 2-7 people and are open to the public. If you would like to do a private walk, you can book it for a supplement by selecting book entire excursion. If it is not available on booking, we may be able to arrange one for an additional fee. Please contact us at walks@culinarybackstreets.com for more information. Can I get a discount if I join more than one walk? Yes, we offer a 10% discount to those who join more than one walk. Please email us at walks@culinarybackstreets.com if you’d like to join multiple walks. Are your walks suitable for people with food allergies? This can vary based on a number of factors, including the food item in question. Please email us at walks@culinarybackstreets.com to discuss your situation before booking. Are your walks suitable for vegetarians and pescatarians? We can accommodate pescatarians and vegetarians on this walk. Please note all dietary restrictions during booking so that your guide can prepare accordingly. Are your walks suitable for a gluten-free diet? This walk is difficult to alter for gluten-free diets. Please note all dietary restrictions during booking so that your guide can prepare accordingly. How physically demanding are the walks? The walk covers a few kilometers of fairly flat terrain, broken up into almost a dozen stops over almost 5 hours. Of course! We offer a 50% discount to children ages 12 and under, and we charge $25 for children 6 and younger. Can you pick me up from my hotel? How will I return, once the tour is over? Our tour prices don’t include transportation. If you book a tour, you’re responsible for arriving to the pre-arranged meeting spot on your own. The end point is a 10-minute car ride from the meeting point. Once the tour is over, we will help you get an authorized, safe taxi to your hotel, or provide directions on public transportation, if you’re interested in that. How much food will I get to try? This is really up to you. We generally make between 7 and 10 eating stops on our walk and try to include some breaks from eating along the way. The price includes as much food as you’re open to trying. We offer a suggested portion size at each stop and you can take our recommendation if you’d like. Our walks often involve street food and sharing food. How are you dealing with health and safety on your walks? We have reinforced our commitment to safety with new guidelines and have altered our routes to assure the maximum safety of our guests, guides and community while maintaining the quality of the experience. For more details on our precautions, read here.