For France, food has long been more than cuisine. It is identity, ritual, diplomacy, and soft power all at once. This month, the Embassy of France to the Philippines and Micronesia once again brought that philosophy to Manila through “Goût de France” (Taste of France), the annual gastronomic festival celebrating French culinary culture.

Held from May 16 to 17 along Paseo de Roxas in Makati, the festival transformed part of the city’s business district into a temporary French street market, complete with crêpes, pastries, wines, cheeses, spirits, coffee, and live cooking demonstrations. Organized in partnership with Ayala Land and Taste of France, the event also coincided with a broader celebration of French gastronomy across participating restaurants throughout the Philippines

At the center of the initiative was French Ambassador Marie Fontanel, who has consistently positioned culture and gastronomy as key components of France’s engagement with the Philippines.

French diplomacy has long understood the strategic value of food. French cuisine was inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2010, recognized for its recipes and techniques, as well as the social rituals surrounding meals, gathering, and hospitality. Events such as “Goût de France” extend that philosophy internationally.

In Manila, the festival brought together both French and Filipino audiences through food experiences that felt accessible rather than ceremonial. Visitors moved between market stalls, demonstrations, jazz performances, wine tastings, and open-air cinema screenings at Ayala Triangle Gardens. The programming also highlighted how French culinary culture continues to evolve globally while maintaining strong institutional traditions.

Live cooking demonstrations featured chefs from Enderun Colleges École Ducasse and Le Cordon Bleu Ateneo de Manila, reflecting France’s enduring influence on culinary education in the Philippines.

A waiter’s race—“Course des garçons de café”—also recreated one of France’s more recognizable café traditions, with servers competing while balancing bottles of Evian water through Paseo de Roxas. Music, meanwhile, remained part of the atmosphere. Accordion melodies, jazz performances, and DJ sets inspired by the Côte d’Azur helped transport visitors, even briefly, into a distinctly French rhythm and mood.

The festival extended beyond Makati as well. From May 16 to 31, participating French and Filipino restaurants—including several featured in the Michelin Guide—are offering special French menus nationwide. Restaurants participating in this year’s edition include Bistro Le Coude Rouge, Brasserie Sagana, Café des Amis, Champagne Room at The Manila Hotel, Chef Jessie Rockwell, Crêpe Glazik, Dr. Wine BGC, Dr. Wine Poblacion, Feria, La Spezia, Le Comptoir by Lemmy’s Bistro, L’Eau Vive en Asie, L’Entrecôte Restaurant, Manarola BGC, Michel’s, Mireio, Restaurant Aurora, Sala Bistro, and Society Lounge, alongside participating venues in Palawan and other parts of the country.

That matters in the Philippines, where dining itself occupies a deeply social role. “Filipinos eat out frequently, and always find time to celebrate,” the embassy noted in its materials for the event. And perhaps that is why French gastronomy continues to resonate here. Beyond fine dining or culinary prestige, it mirrors something familiar: the idea that meals are rarely just about food, but about conversation, gathering, and community. For France, that cultural instinct continues to be one of its most effective diplomatic tools.