Every year in May, the Grand Palais hosts Taste of Paris, a food festival that brings together, for several days, Michelin-starred chefs and celebrated restaurants from across the capital, at stalls offering miniature versions of their signature dishes. The concept, similar to other editions of the same festival held in several major cities around the world, lets visitors sample, in a single visit, creations from restaurants that are normally hard to book. Beyond the tasting stalls, the event also offers cooking demonstrations and workshops led by some of the chefs on hand, in a more intimate setting than the large general food fairs.
The Grand Palais, the festival's setting
Reopened in 2024 after several years of renovation work, the Grand Palais once again hosts major Paris events under its historic early-20th-century glass roof, including this spring food festival.
The nave and its Belle Époque glass roof
The chefs' tasting stalls are set up beneath the Grand Palais's immense steel-and-glass roof, where prepaid tickets bought at the entrance are exchanged for tasting portions.
Tips
The prepaid ticket system, sold in booklets at the entrance, is standard for this type of food festival; it's best to budget generously upfront rather than making repeated trips back to the ticket counters. Stalls run by the most fashionable chefs can draw long lines at lunch and dinner peak times; visiting in the mid-afternoon usually means quicker access to the most in-demand tables.
