Go Back  Fodor's Travel Talk Forums > Destinations > Europe
Reload this Page >

Eating in Paris...

Search

Eating in Paris...

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Apr 13th, 2016, 07:37 PM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Eating in Paris...

We will be in Paris in a few months, and i am after some advice on the best places to eat! We aren't looking to spend lots of money on meals, and are hoping to find out some Parisian restaurants that service Plats du Jour or would cost less than 40euros for a decent breakfast/lunch.

We will be staying at Le Clement Hotel from August 5-11 this year. Would love some advice on where to eat around our hotel/Ile de la cite/Ile de st Louis.

If anyone has some advice on the best bakeries around the St Germain des pres area, and also where to get the best macaroons, I would love to hear about them!

Thank you!
kiwiabroad3000 is offline  
Old Apr 13th, 2016, 09:01 PM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,386
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
ha! i'll be watching this post!! we are staying at le clement next month!

a friend told us that there is a wonderful italian restaurant just up the street-- but we don't really want to eat italian in paris... especially since we are going to italy on the same trip!

glad you posted this question.
kawh is offline  
Old Apr 13th, 2016, 10:28 PM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,860
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Go to this website parisbymouth.com.
cafegoddess is offline  
Old Apr 13th, 2016, 10:35 PM
  #4  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 1,817
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Look for the "menu du jour" or the "formule" - usually on a blackboard or a separate slip of paper. Normally, you can eat very well for around 35 EU - either an entree + plat (appetizer + main) or plat + dessert, or sometimes entree + plat + dessert. Drinks of any kind are never included, but tap water is free. The house wine is always the least expensive, but you can also buy a glass of something better for around 5 EU or 20 EU/bottle.

It's only for special occasions that we spend more than 35 EU for a full meal, whether lunch or dinner. You can spend much less than that in a restaurant, but will usually end up eating poor-quality microwaved meals.

Ile Saint-Louis isn't known for quality food, though there are one or two places which are very expensive and might be worth it - but we've never been to them.

I would recommend having a look at the ParisByMouth website, which lists restaurants by neighborhood, then checking out the photos and their reviews. There are a lot of restaurant choices around the Odeon area (5th and 6th arrondissements).

Macarons are piled high in every patisserie's window. Since the demand is so great, most of them are made in factories (even by the big-name patisseries), but the quality is about the same - all you have to do is choose your favorite flavor. Best to eat them the same day you buy them, because they fade quickly.
fuzzbucket is offline  
Old Apr 13th, 2016, 11:09 PM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 7,763
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
"Best" is a loaded word.
sparkchaser is offline  
Old Apr 13th, 2016, 11:52 PM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,179
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
<i>Macarons are piled high in every patisserie's window. Since the demand is so great, most of them are made in factories (even by the big-name patisseries), but the quality is about the same</i>

That is correct. The best deal in macarons is at McDonnald´s - 6 for 4.95€. Made in the same factories as are the more expensive options.
Sarastro is offline  
Old Apr 14th, 2016, 12:30 AM
  #7  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 49,560
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Breakfast in France is typically a croissant or pain au chocolat or tartine with a cup of coffee and maybe a small glass of orange juice. There is no way anyone should be paying 30-40 euros for that. If you want an American/British-style breakfast, you'll have to seek it out, but still won't pay that kind of money for it.
StCirq is offline  
Old Apr 14th, 2016, 01:32 AM
  #8  
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,179
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I am not sure why you are thinking that either breakfast or lunch would be anywhere near 40€. For dinner 35€ to 40€ will be the price for something other than what you might cook yourself but you can find many options at far lower cost.

As StCirq points out, breakfast will not be what you might be accustomed to. If you want a big breakfast, I would recommend Breakfast in America at 17 rue des Ecoles in the 5th. You could walk there from your hotel.

There are a number of places for lunch where are not expensive, under 15€.

-- Le Babylone on rue Babylone in the 7th, be there early for the lunch specials about 15€. It´s an old family run operation bursting with old world charm.

-- l´Auberge de Venise on rue Delambre in the 14th. They offer an amazing two course lunch, including wine, for under 15€. It is Italian but it´s a great lunch place.

-- l´Avant Comptoir very near your hotel offers various lunch items at its bar for 10€ or less. Unfortunately it has been featured on too many English language TV shows and is recommended in too many books. It´s now full of tourists but it can be very interesting and the food is excellent.


One place for dinner, near your hotel, which is often overlooked is Polidor. It´s not fancy but I think it is every bit worth the 25€ you´ll pay for dinner. I find the food here much better than at Chartier for example, my vote for one of the worst meals in Paris.

Don´t avoid places for dinner only because you´ll be paying 40€. They can make you whole trip very special, particularly if you choose the right one.
Sarastro is offline  
Old Apr 14th, 2016, 03:04 AM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 6,047
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
1. Open viamichelin.com
2. enter the address of your hotel and zoom in
3. click on "restaurants" - all listed restaurants are displayed
4. click on "filter" and you have the opportunity to select inexpensive restaurants and "Bib Gourmand" restaurants.
5. or click on "sort by price".

The "Bib Gourmands" usually exceed the €40, but offer excellent, memorable cuisine at reasonably prices. Always a good choice if you want to treat yourself but not break the bank. There is one in walking distance of your hotel, called "Atelier Vivanda" (which is specialized in excellent meat like Black Angus and Iberico).

For cheaper restaurants, the Quartier Latin offers a wealth of options. For me, it is a part of the travel experience to do some research on the net or just walking and reading menus in the restaurant's display cases.

If you want to save money, think about skipping restaurants at all. First, there are many street stands serving decent food, often ethnic. Second, charcuteries, rotisseries, boucheries, patisseries and grocery stores have excellent ready-made
food items which can be eaten as snacks or picnics. You may save a lot of €€€ and have high-level culinary experiences.

This is often better than going into cheap restaurants that are tourist traps. Often, they have photos of dishes and menus which are advertised in four or six languages. A "terrine" or "paté" for a starter will be no better than the same thing you can buy at the grocery store around the corner, and a "steak" is often a thin slice of fibered charcoal. And "jambon" is nothing that you have to eat at a restaurant. A gas station will serve it better.

A last word: You asked for the "best bakery". Be aware that in France you find two types of bakeries: the boulangerie which specializes in bread and the patisserie which has its focus on cakes and desserts. Have you ever heard how many names the eskimos have for "snow"?

(BTW, there is nothing like the "best" bakery. When in France, DW always sends me into one bakery for bread and into another for croissants, because one makes one thing best and the other one the other thing.)
traveller1959 is offline  
Old Apr 14th, 2016, 03:29 AM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,876
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Quoting that much for b'fast and lunch is out of kilter for sure! As stated, b'fast is a "continental breakfast". The other thing to be aware of is where you eat it and how you "sit" in the cafe. If you order coffee and croissant standing at the counter it could be as little as 5E. If you sit down it will be more--AND if the cafe has a terrace, and you sit there it can be even more!
Lunch--stop by a creperie and have one sitting on a bench in a park or on a bridge. Get a ham and cheese on a baguette at the charcuterie.
Scour these boards for restaurant recommendations and eat the prix fixe menu mentioned in several posts. These can also be available at lunch and if you want to eat at a "splurge" restaurant, go at lunch for a little less.
And if you like mussels, Leon de Bruxelles is a chain in Paris that serves them in all kinds of iterations for a good price. BUT many little cute restaurants do the same with more ambience--we often go to the row of restaurants across from the Gare du Nord, and eat mussels on the terrace with the people watching available there.
Gretchen is offline  
Old Apr 14th, 2016, 05:21 AM
  #11  
 
Join Date: May 2003
Posts: 27,868
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
We love good meals anywhere, but especially in Paris. I usually try and book a few places to eat wherever we travel but I rarely do in Paris.

We never know where we will be for lunch or dinner and usually just wing it. We eat in cafes and bistros that we happen upon in our wanderings. They always have their menu posted so we can walk around a bit and find one that suits our fancy. This method has rarely failed us. I realize that this is OUR style and may not work for others but it's a thought. I don't like to be tied down to "I must be in the 11th at 13.00 to have lunch at Z Cafe."

If you are wanting a special restaurant with great views and at a reasonable price, I highly recommend lunch at "Ciel de Paris" atop the Tour Montparnasse. For 35 or 39 euros, a delightful meal await. And you can reserve online, which makes it extra easy.

http://www.cieldeparis.com/en/a-la-c...-gourmand.html

Have a grand time, as I know you will. As always, YMMV
DebitNM is offline  
Old Apr 14th, 2016, 05:54 AM
  #12  
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,585
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
On the same square as clément you have Pouic-Pouic - fabulous - I had there a 'tartare d'huîtres et veau' - I still remember it : minced oysters and veal (uncooked of course) - extra. A little above your budget if you take wine - which we did.

On the same square, I'd avoid le petit vatel.

In the 5th close to Panthéon - l'Estrapade, rue de l'estrapade - great too. Overranked on TA (as often) - old recipies but the service was above average. US tourists would call it 'so typically french' restaurant. We say 'un restaurant de terroir'.

if you want to go further, jsut say so ... what kind of food do you like and when do you come ?
Whathello is offline  
Old Apr 14th, 2016, 07:35 AM
  #13  
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Posts: 104
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Few places we have shortlisted based on Yelp reviews, we will visit some of these during our trip starting next week. Check if useful.

1. L¡¯Avant Comptoir
4.5 star rating 331 reviews
€€ Tapas Bars, Wine Bars
Saint-Michel/Od¨¦on, Saint-Germain-Des-Pr¨¦s, 6¨¨me
9 carrefour de l'Od¨¦on
75006 Paris
France
Phone number +33 1 44 27 07 50

2. Le Potager du P¨¨re Thierry
4.5 star rating 197 reviews
€€ French
Montmartre, 18¨¨me
16 rue des Trois Fr¨¨res
75018 Paris
France
Phone number +33 1 53 28 26 20

3. Le Bistro du P¨¦rigord
4.5 star rating 195 reviews
€€ French
Saint-Michel/Od¨¦on, 5¨¨me
71 rue Saint-Jacques
75005 Paris
France
Phone number +33 1 43 29 67 49

4. Comptoir de la Gastronomie
4.5 star rating 237 reviews
€€ French, Delicatessen, Breakfast & Brunch
1er, Chatelet/Les Halles
34 rue Montmartre
75001 Paris
France
Phone number +33 1 42 33 31 32


5. Pizza Julia
4.5 star rating 94 reviews
€ Pizza
Bastille, 12¨¨me
43 rue de Charenton
75012 Paris
France
Phone number +33 1 77 19 68 75


6. Little Breizh
4.5 star rating 118 reviews
€€ Creperies
Saint-Michel/Od¨¦on, Saint-Germain-Des-Pr¨¦s, 6¨¨me
11 rue Gr¨¦goire de Tours
75006 Paris
France
Phone number +33 1 43 54 60 74


7. La Co?ncidence
4.5 star rating 154 reviews
€€ French, American (Traditional)
Trocad¨¦ro/I¨¦na, Victor Hugo, 16¨¨me
15 rue Mesnil
75116 Paris
France
Phone number +33 1 47 55 96 44


8. Le Temps des Cerises
4.5 star rating 108 reviews
€€ French, Bistros
Bastille, Marais, 4¨¨me
31 rue de la Cerisaie
75004 Paris
France
Phone number +33 1 42 72 08 63

Bakeries - Paris
----------------

1. Boulangerie Pichard
4.5 star rating 30 reviews
€€ Bakeries
Vaugirard/Grenelle, 15¨¨me
88 rue Cambronne
75015 Paris
France
Phone number +33 1 43 06 97 37

2. Boulangerie Alsacienne Beno?t Maeder
4.0 star rating 16 reviews
€ Bakeries
Vaugirard/Grenelle, 15¨¨me
18 rue de Lourmel
75015 Paris
France
Phone number +33 1 45 78 89 31


3. Maison Privat
4.5 star rating 14 reviews
€ Desserts, Bakeries, Sandwiches
Vaugirard/Grenelle, 15¨¨me
7 Place Cambronne
75015 Paris
France
Phone number +33 1 47 83 53 34


5. Bretteau Jean-Marie
5.0 star rating 11 reviews
€ Bakeries
Tour Eiffel/Champ de Mars, 7¨¨me
31 avenue la Motte Picquet
75007 Paris
France
Phone number +33 9 64 40 88 66

7. Boulangerie de Paris
5.0 star rating 4 reviews
€ Bakeries
Tour Eiffel/Champ de Mars, 7¨¨me
55 avenue Suffren
75007 Paris
France
Phone number +33 1 42 73 32 56
RajatMakar is offline  
Old Apr 14th, 2016, 12:55 PM
  #14  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks everyone for your advice!

We like a wide varity of food! We love everything from Japanese cuisine, to Indian, to a good steak and we also like trying new foods we haven't eaten before.

For our breakfasts i am now thinking that we will just go to a patisserie/boulangerie for a coffee and a sandwich/croissant/pain au chocolat. Is it really that much more expensive to sit on the terrace of a restaurant?? It is something that i want to do once while we are in Paris, but we definitely will not be doing it everyday that's for sure!

You can buy macarons in MacDonald?? wow that is bizarre

Thanks for all your suggestions RajatMakar!

My partner also wants to try frogs legs while we are in Paris, are they commonly served in a lot of restaurants?
kiwiabroad3000 is offline  
Old Apr 14th, 2016, 12:58 PM
  #15  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 61
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
l´Avant Comptoir looks great Sarastro! It looks rather small from what i can see so i imagine it gets very busy!!

Polidor looks very cute! I think it is great to know of a few places in a neighbourhood just in case. The prices look really reasonable too!
kiwiabroad3000 is offline  
Old Apr 14th, 2016, 03:45 PM
  #16  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 16,876
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Sitting on the terrace isn't "that" much more but the point is to be aware of the difference IF you do it--or sit down inside (less, but still more than standing). You might rather sit at lunch--or in the afternoon--sipping wine and people watching. It is just a difference that you will want to pay attention to.
One time I wanted to use a rest room so DH sat down and ordered a coffee as "admission". I think it ended up to be 10E for my rest stop. Just a word to the wise(r)!
Gretchen is offline  
Old Apr 14th, 2016, 04:03 PM
  #17  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,007
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
About a 5 minute walk from your hotel is Boucherie Roulière on rue des Canettes; we had a very good meal there. Despite its name, it did (2 years ago) have a vegetarian main course , but it's known for its good cuts of meat. I think I had beef jowls as an entrée. Small, popular, so good to stop by or have your hotel make a reservation for you.
grandmere is offline  
Old Apr 14th, 2016, 04:14 PM
  #18  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,969
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
If you are used to noisy restaurants, this does not apply to you. In Paris, mid-range restaurants frequently written up in English language restaurant reviews seem to be frequented mostly by tourists. While the quality might not have changed, the dining room noise level felt higher at indoor restaurants visited mostly by the NA tourists. How did I know? All the diners around us were talking American English! This was especially noticeable coming to Paris after visiting countrysides restaurants with hardly any American diners.
greg is offline  
Old Apr 15th, 2016, 01:48 AM
  #19  
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 1,817
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
The food doesn't usually cost more, just the drinks - which will at least double in price if you sit on the terrace. Look for "Happy Hours" at most places, if you like to have a drink in the evening. You'll have to take what they offer, but it's cheaper.

Instead of going to l'Avant Comptoir and fighting your way to the counter to eat standing up, just go right next door to Le Comptoir du Relais - which is owned by the same chef. There's usually a line out front, but sometimes not - just ask a passing waiter for a table.

You can eat inside or on the terrace and the food is much better, though a little expensive. Menu is in French, but the waiters will explain it to you. The "joues de boeuf" (long-simmered beef cheeks) is wonderful, and the "plat du jour" on the mirror inside usually is worth trying. Make sure to ask for "un carafe d'eau" if you want water, so you don't pay for bottled stuff. Skip dessert and go have ice cream somewhere else.
fuzzbucket is offline  
Old Apr 15th, 2016, 02:06 AM
  #20  
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 6,047
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Frog legs ("cuisses de grenouille") are not often on the menus. You have to search for restaurants which serve them. Or, when making a reservation a couple of days in advance, ask them if they can prepare them for you.

Mostly, frog legs are served as starters (for a main course, you would need many of them, requiring quite a bit of time to negotiate all these tiny bones).

The taste is rather mild, so they are usually prepared with lots of garlic, spices and herbs, sometimes seared with breadcrumbs.

I had them a few times in restaurants, but usually I buy them frozen and cook them by myself (we often rent apartments in France). BTW, 99 per cent of the culinary frogs are now imported from Asia.
traveller1959 is offline  


Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -