What Is a French Tacos? The Grenoble Street Food, Explained
Say “tacos” to someone from France and they will not think of Mexico. They will think of a big grilled wrap packed with fries, meat and cheese sauce. Here is what a French tacos is, where it comes from, and how to order one in Bali.
Not a Mexican taco
A Mexican taco is a small corn tortilla, open, with a few fillings. A French tacos is the opposite: a large flour tortilla, folded closed into a thick rectangle around everything you choose, then grilled flat until golden. In France it is always “tacos” with an s, even when you order just one.
What is inside a French tacos
The base is always the same: crispy fries and a creamy melted cheese sauce, inside the tortilla with your fillings. Then you choose:
The meats, one or several: minced beef, marinated chicken, plain chicken, chicken tenders, nuggets, cordon bleu, beef bacon, or falafel for a vegetarian tacos.
The sauces: the French snack-bar classics. Samouraï and Algérienne bring the heat, Andalouse and Brazilian are milder, and there is mayo, BBQ, 1000 Island, curry, tomato and sambal for the local touch.
The extras: cheddar, mozzarella, Laughing Cow, caramelized onions, pickles or jalapeños, and the option to have it gratinated, with cheese melted on top.
Where French tacos comes from
French tacos was born in the early 2000s in the snack shops of Grenoble and the Lyon area, at the foot of the French Alps. In a few years it spread across France and became one of the most popular street foods of a whole generation, the kind of meal you eat after school, after football or after a night out.
The first French tacos in Bali
Bon Appétit opened the first French tacos restaurant in Bali in 2022, with the original recipe developed in France, in the French tacos shops of Grenoble where it all began. Today there are two Bon Appétit restaurants: Kerobokan, near Seminyak and Umalas, and Pererenan, next to Canggu.
How to order your first one
Start simple: a size M or L, two meats (minced beef and marinated chicken is a good first combo), one creamy sauce and one spicy sauce, gratinated. Then try other combinations next time; there are a lot of them.
You can eat in, take away or order on GrabFood and GoFood, every day from 11AM to 4AM. Want to plan it first? Use the tacos builder on our home page.