Paris by Mouth

Paris by Mouth is a food tour company and restaurant guide founded by the food writer Meg Zimbeck, who began the website as an independent guide to eating and drinking in Paris before launching guided tastings. Its tours focus on the specialist food shops of central Paris, introducing visitors to the producers and artisans behind French cheese, bread, pastry, chocolate, charcuterie and wine.

The tours are organised by neighbourhood, with separate routes in the North Marais, the South Marais, the Left Bank, East Saint-Germain and West Saint-Germain. Each one visits a selection of the area's best shops, with tastings along the way and a final sit-down tasting of the products collected, usually paired with wine. The guides are food writers and specialists who explain how the products are made, what to look for when shopping and how to order in a French food shop. For cheese lovers, the French Cheese Explosion workshop is a dedicated tasting focused on French cheeses and how to enjoy them.

The tours suit food lovers, couples and small groups, and they are useful early in a trip, since the shops visited can become places to return to for picnics and gifts. Because the tastings include cheese, charcuterie and wine, travellers with dietary restrictions should check with the company before booking. The pace is relaxed, with plenty of time to ask questions.

Tours are booked online through the Paris by Mouth website, and places are limited, so booking ahead is advisable, especially in spring, summer and around the holidays. Once you have completed your order, you are immediately sent an email with the meeting point details and a map. Arrive hungry, wear comfortable shoes and bring a bag if you plan to buy products to take home. Since the tastings add up to a substantial meal, it is wise to have only a light breakfast beforehand.

The meeting points are in central Paris neighbourhoods close to metro stations. The website's restaurant guide is also worth reading before your trip, as it offers independent recommendations for bistros, wine bars and bakeries across the city, many of them in the same areas as the tours.