When it comes to food it is every man for himself (or woman). It’s fine that they are kosher and it’s equally fine that you are steak/frites. End of discussion.
Some people tend to be overwhelmed with travel, particularly international travel. The non-kosher coworkers might have been just happy enough to stick with the group and what became the default restaurant. I bet a lot of business travellers, after and exhausting day of travel and other work stuff, are happy to just grab dinner at the hotel restaurant and retire to the room. Not me, but I can understand that feeling.
A 1.5-second Google search gave me this:
I’m laughing my ass off that, just as there is a Kosher restaurant caled “La Marais” in NYC, there’s is a Kosher restaurant in Paris called “Crown Heights.” Seriously, I’m dying over here.
I learned long ago not to allow my diet or my entertainment to be held hostage to the most restrictive member of my group.
I would go off on my own. I would have a lunch or two and maybe one dinner with them early on, but after that I would feel fine not dining with my coworkers. I avoid going out with colleagues in general, my free time is mine.
I’m going to dinner, see you in the morning. I think it would be rude of them to suggest or imply that I should adhere to their dietary rules. I have a similar thing going on in my current job where I tend to have a lot of vegetarian Indian colleagues. In this case, I don’t mind the food that they like, but sometimes I’ve got to eat what I feel like. The main difference is that they can work around my preferences in most cases, although some cuisines are right out.
I’d have one meal with them, but it’s PARIS and who knows when I’d ever get back again. I’d love to eat some wonderful meals.
Maybe the kosher restaurant would only seat them if they had a party of ten.
This. It sounds to me like the coworkers saw following the group as desirable for personal reasons. This could be any number or reasons- they could be too tired to worry about it, anxious about foreign-language menus, not into doing the research it takes to find a good meal in a new city, picky eaters who prefer consistency, etc. Some people are just not very adventurous, and see a dinner in Paris as a pain in the butt rather than an opportunity.
When traveling for work, I think at least one dinner with the team is appropriate. Otherwise, you are free to do as you wish unless the meals include a significant business component. I’ve been in travel situations where we’ve used meals to debrief and strategize the next day, and of course you may be entertaining clients or networking. But if it’s a “sit down and eat and make small talk,” it’s fine to strike out on your own.