What does “coup de cœur” mean in French?

When a French person finds a place they love right away, they call it un coup de cœur. The words mean “a blow of the heart,” but it is not about romance. It is the warm feeling you get for a thing — a restaurant, a book, a song. Here the host calls this Japanese spot her “gros coup de cœur du moment,” her big favourite right now. Use it to share any place or thing you really love.

In the clip she says: « c’est vraiment mon gros coup de cœur du moment » — “it’s truly my big favourite right now.” The word gros (“big”) makes the praise even warmer. Coup de cœur comes from coup (“a hit, a blow”) plus cœur (“heart”). French uses coup in many set phrases: un coup de foudre (love at first sight), un coup de fil (a phone call), un coup d'œil (a quick look). So coup de cœur is “a sudden hit of the heart” — an instant, strong liking. It is everywhere in real life. Shops, blogs, and real-estate listings label their best pick le coup de cœur. You can say J’ai eu un coup de cœur pour cette veste (“I fell in love with this jacket”) or simply C’est mon coup de cœur (“It’s my favourite”). Note: coup de foudre is for romantic love between people. Coup de cœur is for things and places.