Mr_Dreamer

What do you think we could expect to have for dinner at a moderate sit down restaurant in Paris for that price? I don't even really know what the french eat but I am sure it's not only snails and goose liver ( I hope!) I have tried to search Fodors for ideas but most posts seems to be priced over what we have to spend and I don't know what the food is because they have french names?. We will be in the 11th distract and we are mostly beef and potatoes eaters and we love wine. Sorry if this question has been answered before. Thank you

JeanneB

There is a street on the left bank lined with restaurants with open spits in the window: roasting ducks, meats, chickens, etc. We ate lunch at one of them for about 12eu each, served with potatoes and a vegetable. I think dinner might be about the same. You will see restaurants like this all over Paris if you know where to look.

On your map start at Notre Dame and the Petit Pont. Move onto the Left Bank and find Saint-Severin church 2 or 3 blocks from the river. This little street is adjacent to the church on the river side. I think it may bear the name of the church.

Travelnut

First of all, here is a nice free document to get you started on food terms:
http://www.intimatefrance.com/glossarypag.pdf

Second, here is a nice free list of moderately priced restaurants:
http://www.beauxvoyages.com/Selectio...Tower_News.pdf

One that I have seen recommended before is:
Jacques Melac - 42 rue Leon Frochot
Metro: charonne (closed Sun/Mon)
http://www.melac.fr/

Mr_Dreamer

That sounds great! Our hotel is only about 1 mile from Notre Dame so your ideas are within walking distance and being from the near south (Arkansas) we love roasted foods. thanks. Oh, how much do you think they charge for local beer or house wine?

Travelnut

Another one in the 11th that sounds fun is:
Le Clown Bar - 114, rue Amelot - Paris 75011
Subway : Filles du Calvaire
Decorated with a circus theme (it's near Cirque d'Hiver)

JeanneB

We had wine but I don't recall the price. Order a carafe or half-carafe of house red or white. It won't be much.

Travelnut

In general, you can order wines by the glass, by the bottle, by the half-bottle, or by a "pichet" - a small carafe. Not every wine on the list is available in all these ways, but there is always a good price range and the waiter will certainly help you choose and not give a look if you want something "pas tres cher" (not too expensive).

It is very, very easy to find places to eat for 18-25€ person - the most expensive meal we have EVER had was a total of 75€; we usually average around 33-45€ for a restaurant dinner for 2, incl. some wine.

We aren't 'adventurous' eaters, so we find things like roasted chicken, Boeuf Bourguignonne, seafood (hubby loves those mussels in wine/garlic), veal...

We also like to switch to Italian or Asian food for a change.

Mr_Dreamer

WOW thanks Travelnut I printed that intimatefrance restaurant/food translations guide. It will come in very handy. I looked at the rstaurants also. Thanks again.

JeanneB

BTW, 2 more points. Be sure to visit the church if you go over there. It's lovely with an interesting history.

Continue down that street toward Rue de la Harpe. All along there the street is lined with creperies, restaurants and pizzarias...even McDonalds. It's considered a "touristy" part of Paris, but you won't find a lot of un-pronouncable items on the menu.

To expand on Travelnut's mention of mussels: look for signs saying "Moules et Frites" (Mussels and fries). It's almost like burger and fries in the U.S. We often eat at Leon Bruxelles' mussel restaurants (a chain) when we want a light dinner.

Mr_Dreamer

We love mussels and dipping our bread into the Juice/sauce. We are on a limited budget and all the suggestions I have received from Fodors posters will sure help. If we can find dinners to average around 35 to 50 Euro with wine? I won't have to use my credit card because that will give us around 30 to 40 Euros for breakfast and lunch/snacks/drinks depending on how much dinner is. We're not fancy eaters but we love good food. the most we've ever spent on a dinner for the two of us in the USA was at the Ship yard Inn in the Disneyland hotel in 1995 Total bill with tip was $287.00 ($30.00 tip) it was my wife's birthday and in Montego bay, Jamaica at the Town house by the sea restaurant in 2000 $880.00 for like a 10 course meal of sea foods YUMMY! We sat two tables over from Britney Spears and party and just behind
Johnny Cash! Linda's parents paid me back for that meal as an anniversery gift (It was our 25th)

JeanneB

Seafood! Paris abounds with good seafood restaurants. They are particularly ubiquitous in the triangle formed by Rue Dante, Rue Lagrange, and Blvd Saint-Germain (not far from Saint-Severin). It's not cheap, but if you decide to splurge one night, check out the sidewalk menus in that area.

MorganB

JeanneB is refering to Rue de la Huchette and the surrounding area. Virtually only tourists eat there. I lived on the street for 6 months and the things I saw concerning hygene lead me to NEVER eat in any of those restaurants. I am sure some are okay but you are going to find much better quality food in a true French restaurant that locals frequent.

MaureenB

We found many little restaurants in Paris with menus offering a 25EUR fixed price dinner. You

We had our favorite meal on Ille St. Louis, at Le Caveau de l’Isle, at 36 rue Saint-Louuis en l’Isle. Great menu, with a three-course fixed prix around 25 EU. Excellent and friendly service. Small and atmospheric place. http://www.lecaveaudelisle.com
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Mr_Dreamer

I made reservations at Le Caveau de l’Isle for Saturday June 2 2007 9:00pm.
It will be a little splurge with wine but still affordable. Thanks you, we look forward to it.

RJD

Second MorganB. Ther are many places to eat other than the restaurants on the unsavory Rue de Huchette. That other guide, I forget the name, but it used to have $5 and $10 in it's title during the Middle ages, has a good list of inexpensive places.

nbodyhome

We LOVED Villa Romana, which is just steps from where we stayed at Port Doree. It may be farther than you'd like to go - but they have Italian, as well as steak and such. My husband had a rib steak for 10 Euros, and I had pasta a couple of nights for around 7 Euros. The food was fabulous, as was the owner. The meal was fairly quick too, in and out in about an hour or so.

They had a creme de menthe type ice cream that was awesome.

MaureenB

I hope you enjoy le Caveau! There are many Fodorites who recommend it. It's also in a lovely part of Paris.

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ira

Hi MD,

For 25E pp you should get an appetizer and a main or a main and a dessert + a glass of wine.

Gretchen

As someone has said it is VERY easy to eat VERY well on 25EPP--and you don't need to eat at the rue Harpe restaurants to do that. Go there and have an absolutely scrumpious lunch of a gyro, or a crepe, but don't eat dinner there. So much better places.

JeanneB

Thanks, all, for the input on the Rue de la Huchette area. I was responding to the OP's preference for "meat and potatoes". I recently spent a few days in Paris with my sister and brother in law---he definitely fits into the meat/potatoes-only category. I was at odds with my usual choices and found several places he would be happy with. He loved the rotisserie/restaurant next to Saint-Severin and we all enjoyed the meal. Didn't eat at other places in the area....now it sounds like I should be thankful we didn't!

Dreamer: My BIL really enjoyed another "meat and potatoes" restaurant. It was a brasserie next to Luxembourg Gardens...Brasserie (or Cafe) Luxembourg, corner of Blvd Saint-Michel and Place Edmond Restond. I believe it had a black awning and the cafe wrapped around the street corner. The offerings are typical of a brasserie. We had fire-roasted beef on skewers with "country" potatoes. Suffice it to say, he was very happy with it. As you come across "brasseries", check out their sidewalk menu. I think you may find them to your liking and within your budget.

One last suggestion. Sausages. Sounds wierd when I write it, but one of my favorite cafes specializes in grilled German sausages. Typical lunch/dinner will be sausages; whipped, roasted or au gratin potatoes; vegetable or salad; dessert. Very inexpensive, especially if you choose the house wine.