What to Do in Fontainebleau: Food Guide

What to Do in Fontainebleau Around Food

To me, Fontainebleau is not given enough kudos. The Château alone is an incredible visit but re-discovering it lately to visit our daughter while studying here has been a delicious collection of trips.

Before I just had the Cassel pâtisserie on the map for his pastries and macarons - but there are even more gems (or pépites like they say in French, like chocolate drops) on the food scene. If you love Japanese food, we've become regulars at not just the restaurants but Japanese patisseries. Would would imagine?

Is Fontainebleau Worth Visiting?

Fontainebleau is one of the easiest day trips from Paris and, in our opinion, one of the most underrated.

For us, its food specialities makes it worth a trip alone: from le Fontainebleau, a light mix of whipped cream and fromage blanc (great dessert with strawberries!), to its nearby famous Brie de Melun, incredible pastries, chocolate, huge choice of restaurants, the market, to the quality of produce that locals enjoy from the butchers, tea shops and more. So add it to your bucket list!

It's also a town that's lived in. It doesn't feel overrun with tourists like Paris these days - it's full of locals buying their baguettes, and has a vibrant student vibe with one of France's top business schools; INSEAD students refer to it affectionately as 'Fonty'.

Château de Fontainebleau: Why We Prefer It to Versailles

The most lived-in royal residence in French history isn't Versailles. It's Fontainebleau, which is more than twice as old as Versailles.
It's where Napoleon Bonaparte signed his abdication, with the 'Cour des Adieux' a sombre reminder ... it's also where Louis XIII was born.
The château has seen 34 sovereigns, 8 centuries and 1500 rooms.

And the even more surprising part? We visited in February and almost had the château to ourselves. Out of season, it's surprisingly quiet and deserves far more visitors.

Instead, most of my photos look as if I'm a privileged photographer, being allowed in before the crowds. We were like surprised kids let loose in a sweet shop, discovering around one even more sumptuous room to the next. Normally you'd need to sign up for special guided tours but our luck on the day meant we could join the visit to the Private Apartments without a booking.

So if you'd like this kind of experience, come in winter outside of holiday season. The difference to the Versailles crowds is worth the trip alone and, unlike Versailles, the gardens are free.

Fun Facts about Fontainebleau

• The Fontainebleau Château gardens are free.
• Origin of the name: Near the entrance, the dog fountain represents the legend of a dog called Bléau who discovered a source during a fox hunt. The source, with its pure, transparent water, became the Belle-Eau Fountain, which gave its name to Fontainebleau.
• The castle was originally a hunting lodge in the 12th century for Kings of France - with the forest a whopping 22,000 hectares.
• Marcel Proust wrote part of his In Search of Time Lost at the Hôtel de Londres.
• Luke Thomson, Bridgerton actor who played Benedict, grew up here and went to the local international school (just like my daughters in the other royal town near Paris, Saint-Germain-en-Laye).

What Speciality Foods Not to Miss

Wondering what food Fontainebleau is famous for? Beyond its famous pastries and chocolates, don't leave without trying a traditional Fontainebleau made with whipped cream and fromage blanc (great with strawberries), plus local cheese from nearby Melun (Brie), and more.

First, the town is absolutely brimming with talented pastry chefs. So much so, it's difficult to pick just one! So add these to your tasting list:

Boulangeries & Patisseries

For bakeries (boulangeries) don't miss Dardonville for their excellent croissants, cakes and bread - try their petit limousin graines. Others to highlight: Suzy & Arlette, best for their pain au chocolat and galette des rois (both 2nd best, Seine et Marne).

Patisseries - Frédéric Cassel is an institution in town - and they know it, as service is a little on the cold side. But you still need to try their incredible macarons, savoury millefeuilles, blackcurrant millefeuille and other cakes - as well as the Chapeaux de Napoléon chocolates in the shape of hats.

Our personal favourite is L'A Pâtisserie with exquisite French-Japanese touches to their beautiful macarons and cakes. Incredibly light and not too sweet.

Special Fèves for Galettes des Rois in January

If visiting in Winter (especially January), you'll also find many beautiful fève (porcelain trinket) collections to garnish your own homemade galette des rois. Some range from royal, quirky trinkets to museum pieces. For local royal-themed fèves, head to Cassel and Suzy & Arlette (more reasonably priced).

Otherwise L'A Pâtisserie do Japanese-themed Geisha and fan trinkets.
All three pâtisseries' galettes des rois, of course, are most legendary with various flavours. Leave any Fonty galettes questions in the comments below, as my daughter, Lucie may be able to help - she apparently studied these too!

Les Comptoirs du Thé - this tea shop has the most exquisite teas where they take great pride in selecting your favourite flavours from their blends. If you love infusions (very French), then their blend of camomile with orange blossom is worth a trip alone!

Cheese Shops & More Specialities

For fromage, try the famous Fontainebleau. It's essentially whipped cream that's not sweet. La Ferme des Sablons often runs out but don't despair - just ask and they'll whip one up for you. As well as Brie de Melun, check out a local goat's cheese (chèvre) called le Sein de nounou (Nanny's breast); its suggested shape is definitely a talking point around the cheese board!

Boucheries - There's even a Rue des Bouchers (Butcher's street) but you'll find a few like Boucherie Napoléon and many with large queues on a Sunday morning...

For more specialities, try the poppy syrup and its confit de coquelicots de Nemours, and syrup confit de rose de Provins, both produced locally.

Best Restaurants

Brunch at Luwei café - out of tourist season, it's vying with the locals to get a table but feasible. During high season, I'd book in advance for weekend brunch. Huge range of dishes Ottolengi style and good coffee. They torrify their coffee in nearby Melun - and if you have a garden, ask for the Marc de café (the leftover filtered coffee) as they give them away for free for your compost.

Restaurants - perhaps our favourites over the years - and only a small selection of what's on offer - I love that this is always work in progress! Alas, La Salamandre is now closed, but plenty more to choose from. There are a few good restaurants on rue de Montebello, including Inalis for copious salads, Thai-style dishes - plus a delicious macaron dessert.

For great Japanese food, head to Fuumi, with great atmosphere with great value French wines of which their staff know their crus as well as the raw fish! Ma.Su was also good but Fuumi has the edge.

Casa Azul is a must for Mexican food. Although I haven't tried it myself, it's a legendary address and loved by Fonty's students.

Lebanese - we first discovered Ô Phénicia at the market and their sit-in restaurant is super with fresh produce.

Tea Salon - Frédéric Cassel's salon du thé is good in the afternoon for their cakes only. Alas, we asked for their pastries with our hot chocolate for breakfast and we were asked to walk in the rain to their other shop to buy them and return. Just be warned.

Fontainebleau Forest

The Fontainebleau Forest is reason enough to visit the town. Famous for walking, climbing, trail running and mushroom foraging, it attracts visitors from all over France.

Lucie used to run here often during her studies - and we can see why. The Barbizon painters from the 19th century also immortilised the giant rock formations... and cakes are usually named after the rocks, bien sûr. It's great for picnics.

A guide to 20 mapped walks is available at the local tourist information here and in Barbizon.

Nearby Villages Worth the Detour

If you have a car and staying around Fontainebleau a bit longer, shorter visits to these nearby villages are definitely worth the trip.

Barbizon: The Painter's Village

It was here that my husband and daughter squealed on taking a bite of a viennoiserie with "It's the best pain au chocolat I've ever had." Now that takes some doing after all we've enjoyed over countless years in Paris... at la galérie des pains, Potherat. Try their nutty chocolate speciality, the Rocher de Barbizon, a sister to the Rocher à la noix de coco or coconut macaroon.

For such a small village, the locals definitely have a sweet tooth! Maison Morin excellent for pâtisserie, macarons and chocolates.

L'A Pâtisserie has been such a success in Fontainebleau that they opened a salon du thé here for a taste of France and Japan...

Restaurants - there are less now than I remember many years ago. I did have an epic crêpes Suzette when I was pregnant with Lucie 24 years ago, and she got the hiccups - the restau is no longer there, alas. Speaking of crêpes, I'd avoid the (albeit popular) crêperie - perhaps one of the worst classic buckwheat galettes I've ever had, swimming in water.

Instead head to either La Bohème for something more gourmet or Val'et des Fromages - the fromagerie's popular restaurant next door in the conservatory for more informal.

Milly-la-Forêt

Famous for its landmark place du marché, just across from it is the just as famous Pâtisserie and boulangerie of Sylvie and Johan Herrmann. Don't leave without trying their star-shaped speciality, le Seigle feuilleté aux noix (buckwheat puff pastry bread with walnuts). We've deliberately bought many and froze them for special occasion breakfasts with cheese back home!

Check out Millymenthe, a peppermint infusion made since 1934 as well as other plants as well as the house museum of artist, Jean Cocteau.

Moret sur Loing

Moret-sur-Loing is the home of barley sugar sweets. The town is famous for its historic sucre d'orge bonbons dating back to the 17th century.

Although the museum is still closed, visit the main boutique on Place Royale and walk around the quaint town by the river Loing with old timber buildings. See if you can spot the cannonball fired into the town's gate from 1814.

Château de Courances

One of the most beautiful château day trips from Fontainebleau. If you visit by car, then a visit to the Château de Courances is a must. We visited in Autumn which I thoroughly recommend to see the colours in the Japanese garden, just across from the charming tea room, complete with smoke coming from the chimney and inside, classics with tea such as tarte aux pommes, chocolate fondant cake and madeleines.

Guided tours only around the castle (I highly recommend), which is closed in July and August - so best to visit outside tourist season, as this castle is a private residence (I'm deeply envious, of course). Gardens are vast for walking to build up your appetite - check out the Renaissance fountain.

How to Get There from Paris

• Trains: Trains from Paris Gare de Lyon take around 40 minutes to Avon-Fontainebleau station. Tickets are surprisingly inexpensive on regional trains and often cost far less than visitors expect (under €3).
• By car from Paris: take the A6 (autoroute de soleil). Although it should take an hour, it usually takes us 1h30 since it's a popular motorway towards the south with traffic jams or bouchons.

To plan your trip in more detail, see the Château de Fontainebleau's practical guide.

More Food-Focused Day Trips from Paris

For more day trips from Paris like this one, see my food guides to:

• Giverny (Monet's House and Gardens)
• Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Saint-Germain-en-Laye pastry tour
• Alexandre Dumas, Cuisine & Monte Cristo
• Versailles Potager du Roi
• Top 10 Reasons to Visit Honfleur, Normandy.
• The most Scottish French town at Aubigny-sur-Nère