France is known the world over as a gourmet destination, and with the exception of China, it has a more varied and developed cuisine than any other country. And although the 'steak frites' is a perenially popular choice on menus pretty much everywhere, it's the richness of regional specialities that make French cuisine so fascinating.

Things to know: Almost all restaurants offer two types of meal: à la carte (extensive choice for each course and more expensive) and le menu (a set meal at a fixed price with dishes selected from the full à la carte menu). 

National specialities:
• Ratatouille (courgettes, tomatoes and aubergines stew), bouillabaisse (fish stew), tapenade (olive paste), aioli (cod and vegetables served cold with a garlic mayonnaise) and salade niçoise (tuna, anchovies, capers, boiled eggs, green beans, black olives, tomatoes and potatoes) are among the best known specialities from Provence.
• Alsace and Lorraine are the lands of choucroute (sauerkraut) and kugelhof (a special cake), quiche lorraine and tarte flambée (onion tart).
• Lyon is the heartland of French cuisine, though the food is often more rich than elaborate. A speciality of this area is quenelles de brochet (pounded pike formed into sausage shapes and usually served with a rich crayfish sauce).
• Desserts include soufflé grand-marnie ile flottante (meringue floating on custard), mille feuilles (layers of flaky pastry and custard cream) and ganache (chocolate cream biscuit).

National drinks:
• Wine is the most popular alcoholic drink in France, and the choice varies according to region.
• Pastis is a popular apéritif (brand name Ricard or Pernod).
• Beer is brewed in Nord Pas de Calais , Picardy and Alsace. The latter is said to brew the best beer in France. Cider is brewed in Upper and Lower Normandie.
• Coffee is always served after meals, and will always be black, in small cups, unless a café au lait (or café crème) is requested.
• A wide variety of brandies (such as Armagnac and Cognac) and liqueurs (such as Chartreuse and Genepi) are available.

Legal drinking age: 18. Minors are allowed to go into bars if accompanied by an adult but they will not be served alcohol.

Tipping: A 12 to 15% service charge is normally added to the bill in hotels, restaurants and bars, but it is customary to leave small change with the payment.

In major cities such as Paris, Lyon or Marseille, there are lively nightclubs that are sometimes free of charge, although drinks are likely to be more expensive. Alternatively, the entrance price sometimes includes a consommation of one drink. Nightclubs are everywhere and in even the remotest corners of France. Their style and music vary widely from one place to another. Nightclubs have a fixed closing time of 0500.

As an alternative to a nightclub, there are many late-night bars and cafes. In Paris and the regions, theatres offer a wide variety of shows from great classics to light comedy, from one-man shows to cabaret.

Tourist offices publish an annual and monthly diary of events available free of charge. Several guides are also available with information about entertainment and sightseeing in the capital. Guides for events in Paris (Pariscope, L'official des Spectacles and Zurban) are sold at newspaper kiosks. They list all cinema programmes, museums, exhibitions and all other types of shows.

Kiosks on the forecourt of the Montparnasse railway station and at Place de la Madeleine offer same day theatre tickets at reduced rates. Travellers can also buy tickets for concerts from FNAC and Virgin sales outlets or from the venue themselves.

In the provinces, the French generally spend the night eating and drinking, although in the more popular tourist areas, there will be discos and dances. Weekend festivals in summer in the rural areas are a good form of evening entertainment. There are over 100 public casinos in the country.

Special purchases include lace, crystal glass, cheeses, coffee and, of course, wines, spirits and liqueurs. Arques, the home of Crystal D'Arques, is situated between St Omer and Calais. Lille, the main town of French Flanders, is known for its textiles, particularly fine lace. 

Most towns have fruit and vegetable markets on Saturday. Hypermarkets, enormous supermarkets that sell everything from foodstuffs and clothes to electrical equipment and furniture, are widespread in France. They tend to be situated just outside of town and all have parking facilities. 

For bargain hunters, bric-a-brac or brocante is found in a number of flea markets (marché aux puces) on the outskirts of town, most notably at the Porte de Clignancourt, in Paris. There are several antique centres (Louvre des Antiquaires, Village Suisse, etc) where genuine antique furniture and other objects are on sale. 

Amongst the larger department stores in Paris are the Printemps and the Galeries Lafayette near the Opéra; the Bazar Hôtel de Ville (BHV) and the Samaritaine on the Right Bank; and the Bon Marché on the Left Bank. 

Paris has many varied markets including the flower market on the Ile de la Cité and bird, organic and food markets in every quarter. Another Parisian speciality is book markets. Travellers will find booksellers' stalls along the banks of the Seine around the Saint Michel quarter, crammed with all kinds of books plus comics and postcards. 

In the regions, the town centre often has a number of clothes shops which are just as good as those in Paris. Some have good second-hand shops. 

Shopping hours: Department stores are open Mon-Sat 0900-1830. Some shops close 1200-1430. Food shops open 0700-1830/1930. Some food shops (particularly bakers) open Sunday mornings, in which case they will probably close Monday. Many shops close all day Monday or Monday afternoon. Hypermarkets are normally open until 2100 or 2200.