Is food the way into the hearts of Pinoys and the French?

A shared love for food proved to be the perfect bridge between two cultures last weekend, as Makati’s Paseo de Roxas transformed into something reminiscent of Paris’ famed Rue Cler during the 2025 Goût de France culinary festival from 24 to 25 May.

French Ambassador to the Philippines, Her Excellency Marie Fontanel, described the festival as a celebration of shared values.

“Actually, food is, of course, one of our diplomatic assets,” she told DAILY TRIBUNE. “Filipinos love food... they have the same reputation as French people — always talking about food even during meals. So it makes it quite an easy task to promote French gastronomy in the Philippines.”

She emphasized that food offers a starting point for deeper connections.

“Our diplomacy is really based on people-to-people relationships... before we want [people] to engage on political issues, we have to have those strong links.”

The market offered French favorites from macarons and crêpes to cheeses, wines and other beverages.

On Saturday, attendees got a taste of French culinary finesse through a free cooking demo by Chef Marc Chalopin of Enderun Colleges.

The evening continued with a DJ set by JB Bolaños, reminding us that France can cook and throw a great party.

One of Sunday afternoon’s highlights was the “Course des garçons de café” or Waiter’s Race — a classic French tradition where café servers compete to deliver an unspilled bottle of water the fastest.

The race, both novel and surprisingly suspenseful, ended with the winning server earning an overnight hotel stay — and a lot of Evian on the pavement.

After the weekend festivities, participating French restaurants across the country continued the celebration with special French-inspired menus and promotions.

For those who came for the croissants but stayed for the culture, Goût de France 2025 proved that when it comes to diplomacy, French people and Filipinos really do have a lot in common.