About Karen Goldman
I came to France for the food — and never left.
With a background in communications, and a lifelong fascination with how culture expresses itself through what we eat and drink.
France did the rest.
Over the years, I deepened that curiosity through formal study: French cuisine, food history, gastronomy trends, and sustainability. I learned to taste wine seriously, to read a market like a map, and to understand why a specific cheese from a specific valley tastes the way it does. But the most valuable education came from the people I met: chefs, sommeliers, winegrowers, artisans, historians, and local guides who welcomed me into their world and shared what they knew.
That network — built over more than a decade of living, eating, and exploring France — is the foundation of Gastronomos.
I created Gastronomos because I believed there was a better way to travel. Not packaged. Not rushed. Not guided by rankings or commissions. Just a deeply personal experience designed around who you are, what moves you, and what you'll still be talking about years later.
Every itinerary I design, I design as if I were planning it for someone I care about. Because that's what it is.
Karen Goldman Founder & Travel Creator, Gastronomos Based in France
A Note on How We Work
Gastronomos is intentionally small. I work personally with each client — from the first conversation to the last day of the trip. There are no templates, no standard packages, and no intermediaries.
What you get is direct access to years of local expertise, a trusted network across France, and someone who genuinely wants your experience to be extraordinary.
If you'd like to start planning, I'd love to hear about your trip.
