Indulge in a Great Value French Dinner on March 21 as Goût de France Returns for Third Year

Beijing has no shortage of French restaurants and there is no better occasion to enjoy them than during Goût de France/Good France, a global celebration of French gastronomy held in March every year, organized by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development. 

On March 21, over 2,000 restaurants in 150 countries – including Beijing – will serve a French dinner celebrating everything that makes food great. In the words of the organizers:

"Dinners served simultaneously in participating restaurants will honor the merits of French cuisine, its capacity for innovation, and its values: sharing, enjoying, and respecting the principles of high-quality, environmentally responsible cuisine."

The event is inspired by a similar event created by Auguste Escoffier in 1912, Dîners d'Épicure, which saw restaurants cooking the same menu, on the same day, in several world cities, for as many people as possible. 

For the dinner, restaurants are asked to prepare a classic "French-style" menu including an aperitif, a starter, one or two main courses, a cheese board, and a dessert, all washed down with copious amounts of French wine, naturellement.

Confirmed restaurants include Café de la Poste, Café Flo's Guomao, and Parkview Green locations, Heritage at Sofitel Wanda Plaza, Le Cabernet, and Maison Flo (formerly Brasserie Flo). Prices vary per restaurant, depending on whether the restaurant is categorized as "bistrot" (mid-range) or "haute gastronomie" (high-end). 

We got a sneak peak at some of the menus and one of the best value options is most certainly Café de la Poste, where the menu is priced at RMB 228, which includes a  starter of quiche Lorraine, flank steak with shallot sauce, a cheese board, and chocolate mousse. Flusher diners may want to seek out a table at Maison Flo, who's RMB 668 menu features luxury ingredients such as Rougié foie gras, scallops, and French brie.

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Photos courtesy of the restaurants/Ambassade du France en Chine