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I'm an American who ate at a French McDonald's for the first time, and it wasn't as glamorous as 'Emily in Paris' suggests

Erin McDowellJan 7, 2023, 00:15 IST

On a recent trip to Paris, I tried a few French McDonald's menu items, including macarons and the McBaguette from "Emily in Paris."Erin McDowell/Insider

I recently traveled to Paris after the release of "Emily in Paris" season three.
I was interested to see if McDonald's restaurants are as glamorous as they're depicted in the show.

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Before I took a recent trip to Paris, I caught up on the third season of "Emily in Paris" and watched the main characters eat inside a "chic" French McDonald's.

A scene from "Emily in Paris."Netflix

I visited a McDonald's in Paris' historic Latin Quarter and tried a few menu items I can't get back home in New York, including the McBaguette.

The exterior of McDonald's in Paris.Erin McDowell/Insider

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The inside of the restaurant looked pretty similar to McDonald's restaurants in New York City, except for a few touches.

The interior of McDonald's in Paris.Erin McDowell/Insider

Large screens built into a wooden wall displayed the chain's newest offerings.

The interior of McDonald's in Paris.Erin McDowell/Insider

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After ordering my food at the counter, I watched a screen displaying numbers for orders that were ready to be picked up.

The interior of McDonald's in Paris.Erin McDowell/Insider

After my order was called, I walked upstairs to the dining room.

The interior of McDonald's in Paris.Erin McDowell/Insider

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The dining room was busy, but I managed to snag a high-top seat by the staircase.

The interior of McDonald's in Paris.Erin McDowell/Insider

I decided to try two sandwiches, two sides, and a dessert from the French McDonald's.

The bag of food from McDonald's.Erin McDowell/Insider

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The McDonald's I visited offered a limited-time-only "Emily in Paris" meal, which included the McBaguette, fries, a drink, and two macarons.

The McBaguette from McDonald's.Erin McDowell/Insider

The McBaguette came with two beef patties, lettuce, Swiss cheese, and a smear of mustard on a small baguette-like roll.

The McBaguette from McDonald's.Erin McDowell/Insider

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On the outside, the baguette was a little too crispy and hard to bite into, but it was perfectly soft on the inside.

The McBaguette from McDonald's.Erin McDowell/Insider

The fries were good, but they were similar to fries I can get back home in the US.

Fries from McDonald's.Erin McDowell/Insider

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They came with a choice of ketchup or creamy deluxe sauce.

Creamy deluxe sauce.Erin McDowell/Insider

The creamy deluxe sauce tasted identical to plain mayonnaise to me.

Creamy deluxe sauce.Erin McDowell/Insider

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The meal also came with two macarons, one was chocolate-brownie flavored and one was cherry flavored.

Macarons from McDonald's.Erin McDowell/Insider

I thought the chocolate macaron was a little too chewy and hard to eat.

The chocolate macaron.Erin McDowell/Insider

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However, the cherry-flavored macaron was perfectly light and flavorful.

The cherry macaron.Erin McDowell/Insider

I also tried another signature sandwich from the French McDonald's: the CBO, or Chicken Bacon Onions.

The CBO.Erin McDowell/Insider

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The chicken patty was really flavorful, but I thought it looked and tasted more like a large chicken nugget compared to the chicken fillets I usually get in sandwiches at home.

The CBO.Erin McDowell/Insider

The chicken patty was really flavorful, but I thought it looked and tasted more like a large chicken nugget compared to the chicken fillets I usually get in sandwiches at home.

The bun was super flavorful thanks to a smattering of bacon bits.

The CBO.Erin McDowell/Insider

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This McDonald's also offered potato wedges as an alternative to fries, and I really enjoyed them.

Potato wedges from McDonald's.Erin McDowell/Insider

The next time I'm in Paris, I might go back to McDonald's just for the CBO, but I won't expect the experience to be as glamorous as it's portrayed in "Emily in Paris."

The outside of the McDonald's.Erin McDowell/Insider

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