Wine and Liquor
One of the main draws of this area is the famous wine. We scheduled a wine tour which you can read more about on our page Things to do in Burgundy. This was an excellent way to taste a lot of great wine and to learn about the regulations and methods unique to the area.
In town, there are many opportunities to try wine at all prices. We noted that waitstaff used the word "fresh" in English to describe wines that are young (and more tannic than we like).
Liquor here includes creme de cassis; blackcurrant is a local flavor.
Mustard
Dijon, France is obviously known for its (dijon) mustard. We enjoyed mustard in many restaurant dishes during our visit. In nearby Beaune, one can visit the mustard store--including a tour and tasting--of Edmond Fallot.
Boulangerie Specialities
La Gougere is a local specialty made with choux pastry and Comte cheese, though you may find it made with other cheeses). We loved the version at Aux Délices de la Chouette aka Blanchard Laurent (26 Rue de la Chouette, 21000 Dijon) which is near Our Lady Cathedral. Unfortunately, this boulangerie only offers take-away. However, there are places to sit in the square near the church. Blanchard had many other yummy items: good quiche, giant slices of flan that were not too sweet or dense, a raspberry and cream swirl that was eggy and difficult to eat with hands, but really yummy, chocolate croissants, apple hand pies. Everything we tried here was good!
We also tried Tartine Art, which was ok. The chocolate croissant was good but the quiche was soggy. However, they have seating inside and out.
Pain d'Epices (Gingerbread)
Moulot and Petit Jean is a famous local gingerbread maker. They have several stores and a factory with a tour in Dijon.
We walked to the factory from the town center. It was about 30 min and is quite close to the train station. (La Fabrique de Pain d'Epices Mulot et Petitjean, 6 Bd de l'Ouest, 21000 Dijon). For 8Euros, there is an audio guide in English that walks you through 3 rooms with history, old machines and samples of ingredients, and a viewing window where you can watch real people in production. At the end of the tour you get a sample of three items.
One of the things we learned on the tour is that the original was "spicier" and the recipe has changed to meet "modern tastes." We found it too sweet and not spicy enough. Despite not liking the gingerbread enough to buy souvenirs, we'd recommend this tour if you have the time, if you have children who might like to see the production and smell the various jars of spices. If the tour sounds like it's not necessary for you, then a visit to one of the stores is probably good enough.
Candy
Les Anis de Flavingy is a candy made locally and found all over France. My personal favorite of their flavors is lavender. They also come in pretty boxes. I didn't realize it was from this region until we got here, so I'll have to save a factory visit for next time. But if you are coming to the region check it out and tell us how it is! It looks like a great tour. Unless you have your own car, you will likely need to hire one. It appears to be about one hour from Beaune and from Dijon, without access to train.
Restaurants
L'AbenFant was excellent. This is a little bistro in the center of the old town serving only French food. We had a wine pairing for 14 euros (2 wines). You can choose 2, 3, or 4 courses for a reasonable price: It was about 50 Euros a person with the wine pairing. Overall, we were impressed with the variety of flavors and textures in every dish. The service was friendly and the vibe was quaint local eatery.
In the photos below you can see Dan with a birthday candle in his cheese course. The cheese selections were excellent and served with a little cassis jam. For 1st course, Dan had the pate and Sarah had a lovely fat, sweet tomato slice with pickled mackerel on top and a frothy egg sauce. Both were fabulous. For main courses, Dan had the chicken and Sarah had risotto with truffles. Again, both excellent. For dessert, Sarah's poached pear was fabulous and served with pear sorbet and several items of varying textures and flavors.
Above: Dan at L'AbenFant Dr. Wine: it was ok. Not special.
Caffe Gufo, Dijon
This restaurant is directly behind the Notre Dame Cathedral at 9 Rue de la Chouette, 21000 Dijon, France. It was the last place we ate before departing Dijon and we loved it! Labeled gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian options, hot drinks, fruit shakes, a nice Indian-inspired croque monsieur.
Cafe Guffo pictures: yummy hot drinks like chai latte (non-dairy milk available)
Dijon central indoor market hall
The market (located at Halle central de, 21000 Dijon, France) has lovely cheeses, fish, bread, and fruits but not many restaurant options. We made our own breakfast from some cheese, vegetable spreads, olives and coffee. On some mornings, the market extends to the outside of the main hall with more produce and things like specialty soaps, honey, and some clothing. We loved these skinny pineapples from Ghana.
