moondoggie

Leaving for Paris in three weeks; if you have any experience or comments on any of these places, I'd love your recommendations.
Thanks!
Cirio (Italian)
Juveniles (Tapas)
Chartier (French)
Jo Goldenberg (Jewish Deli)
Le Petit Keller (French)
Le Liteau (French)
Les Muses (Creperie)
Au Rendez-Vous des Chauffeurs (French)
Chez Les Fondus (Fondue--fun or funky?)
La Grenier de Notre Dame (Vegetarian)
A la Bonne Crepe (Creperie)
Cosi (Casual Sandwiches)
La Cigale (Typical Bistro)
Le Cafe du Marche (Bistro)
Cafe Beaubourg (Cafe, duh)
Cafe Hugo
Cafe Lateral
Cafe Marly
La Palette (Cafe)
Les Editeurs (Cafe)

Any recommendations on your favorite boulangeries? We always pig out on bread when we go to Paris!

nytraveler

Chartier has been there about a thousand years. Very modest prices with basic bistro fare. Waiters are somewhat coloful/eccentric and if there are only two of you you're likely to find yuorself sharing a table with another party.

ira

Hi moon,

>Jo Goldenberg (Jewish Deli)

The food at Jo Goldenberg is not NYC style. It is closer to Montreal.

This is not to say that it isn't good, just to prepare you.

StCirq

I'll echo nytraveler's thoughts on Chartier. You definitely don't go there for the food, but it's an "experience."

If La Cigale is the one in the 6th, I'd definitely not call it a typical French bistro. It's very tiny, very cute, and serves only soufflés, both savory and sweet. They were excellent.

Jo Goldenberg did not impress me, though it's been a few years since I was there. My thinking was I could get far better deli fare at any number of places in NYC or the DC area where I live.

I've been to the Café du Marché a few times (assume this is the one on the rue Cler), and will never cross its threshold again. The last time we were there we were seated WAY back in the interior in a dark, smoky, overheated room near the kitchen, our waiter had on an apron that was so spattered it looked like he had just returned from the abbatoir, the service was brusque and the food close to indedible. It just seemed dirty.

I had dinner with some Fodorites and others at Les Editeurs a few weeks ago. We were originally going to go there for drinks and then move on, but the place was rather appealing, so we stayed for dinner. My foie gras wasn't up to Périgord standards, but otherwise the meal was delicious and quite affordable, and the place had a nice lively atmosphere.

moondoggie

Great comments so far--thank you! We are a low-maintenance 50's active couple, and not 'foodies', so simple fare appeals to us. We enjoy the ambiance more, as long as the food is good (need not be great!).

Scarlett

Cafe Marly. Beautiful and not inexpensive. Great for sitting outdoors and watching the people in the courtyard/Louvre pyramid. Great for a break and something sweet. Or inside for a real meal in a gorgeous room.
Cafe Beauborg- we walked from the Louvre to the Pompidou so this cafe was heavenly for finally sitting down and having a drink and people watching.
That is all I can think of for now.. Hope this helps.

PamSF

Just back from France. Here's a tip although not on your list. Try La Mascotte in Montmarte(52 Rue de abbesses). This is a shellfish heaven. You can order all sorts of stuff. We had a breton lobster there (with aioli) that was to die for). It doesn't look like much from the street but the dining room is in back and filled with the French.

For anyone considering L'avant gout:we were very underwhelmed. We both really liked the feel of the place and the price was right but the food left us wondering what the fuss was about.

If you're heading over to Rue Rosier(where Jo Goldenberg's is) I'd suggest a stop at the Fallafel place across the street. Beware it is closed on Jewish holidays and Friday/Saturday. It's the best I've ever tasted. Also on the same side of the street as the falafel place and a block down from Goldenberg's is Chez Marianne. They have falafel to go and all sorts of middle eastern plates to sample when you sit inside.

crepes_a_go_go

St Cirq:

Is La Cigale open for lunch? Do you know their address? Sounds like an interesting place for my little group in a few weeks.

Thanks.

Beatchick

And I had lunch with StCirq at La Cigale! Crepes, it was at 11 bis rue Chomel, super close to the Bon Marché but I understand they've moved the location. I've got that info at home and I'll let you know the new address.

Moondoggie, I've wanted to go to Les Editeurs since CigaleChanta mentioned it to me 2 years ago. I tried to go the last time I was in Paris but I didn't make it. It has wonderful literary associations. I have the website at home for that one as well.

One of my favorites is in the 6th: Café de la Mairie which faces the fountain of St-Sulpice (Henry Miller used to frequent this café so I suppose this was where he had a chance to muse over the church's "fat belfries&quot. You can pick up some bread from nearby Poilâne on rue du Cherche-Midi and walk to the café to have the bread or pastry with your café. Or you could get something from Gerard Mulot on rue de Seine, east 2 blocks and around the corner from the café (much closer).

Underhill

For a first-rate bistro with fine food at a good price, try the Bistro de Breteuil, in the 7th. A 3-course dinner (with about a dozen choices per course) with apéritif, a full bottle of wine for 2, and coffee is all of 31€. Hard to beat.

elaine

Re Cafe Marly
I think it's worth it for a light lunch or snack if three weeks from now you can sit outside and be looking at the Pyramid. I thought inside was pretty, but smoky and noisy last time I was
there, and I could think of many other places that I think are better value and just as trendy.

Where is Chez les Fondus? I love fondue.

Scarlett

The nice thing about Cafe Marly, they have a covered area outside and the outdoor heaters. We go to Paris usually in November, so that was my experience then. Chilly and damp but we were warm and snug with hot chocolate and cake

dln

Thanks Scarlett for that last bit of info. When I go to Paris in January with Marcy, we still want to sit at the cafes and people watch! Those heaters will be great.

Scarlett

Oh dln, if only I could be there with you two
The Ma Bourgogne in the Marais is also covered, under the arcade , and has these heaters ( as do many cafes etc in Paris) and I recommend them highly! That would be good for a Sunday in the Marais, right on the Place des Vosges.

sol_veracruzano

Difference

What's the difference between a NYC Deli and a Montreal one?

moondoggie

Elaine, Chez Les Fondus is in the 18th, at 17 rue des Trois-Freres (great name!) The Metros is Abesses or Anvers. I definitely want to go, DH is a bit hesitant, but I'm planning to go with or without him! Will post back after THX when we're there. We are renting a flat within bell distance of Notre Dame. Thank goodness we have several chiming clocks in our home so we are used to hearing those sounds during the night.

shellio

La Cigale: had dinner at their new location on rue Recamier a few weeks ago and all of us were distinctly underwhelmed. The service was abysmal, with a very rude woman at the desk failing to even acknowledge the problem, let alone apologize for not seating us until 9:30 for a 9:00 reservation. The soufflés were rather dry and uninteresting and we waited a long time between courses. Not someplace I'd return to. I much prefer Le Soufflé on rue Mont-Thabor if it's soufflés you want.

Café Marly: definitely worth it for the experience but is expensive. The food this trip was not as good as it had been in the past. If you don't care about sitting on the terrace looking over the Louvre pyramid, or inside the interestingly decorated Napoleon III/contemporary salon, save your money.

Les Editeurs: my favorite café. Very cozy and comfortable, pleasant service, the best onion soup I've had in years and a great addition to the Odeon area.

La Palette: I've only had coffee there when the weather was good enough to sit outside. It's an interesting location to people watch as there are a lot of galleries in the area.

Jo Goldenberg: avoid it. Bad food and a tourist-rip-off attitude. The recommendation of L'As de Felafel across the street is a good one, as is Chez Marianne up the block. For pastries in the area, Sacha Finkelsteyn across from Chez Marianne is good.

Boulangeries: Gerard Mulot on rue de Seine, Eric Kayser on rue Monge and now a branch on rue Mazarine, I think, Poîlane on rue du Cherche-Midi.

Leely

Oh, PamSF, I'm so sorry to hear you were underwhelmed by the food at L'Avant Gout. Sorry for you, but really sorry for me if the restaurant has taken a turn for the worse.

I hope the kitchen was just having a bad night. One of my best-ever meals in Paris was Christmas Eve at L'Avant Gout last year. Low-key, cute waiters and everything was delicious. But it was a special menu, so maybe that's why?

StCirq

And I'm sorry to hear about La Cigale - I thought it was a very sweet place, and I loved both my soufflés. Goes to show how message boards are so much more current than guidebooks!

shellio

Leely, I had lunch at L'Avant Gout last week and loved it. The €28 menu offered a number of creative and very tasty dishes, and if you don't want dessert it comes to a bit less. If you're willing to take the no-choice "formule", this is one of the best buys in town at €12 for an entrée, plat, glass of wine and coffee. Few tables, so you must reserve, but a call that morning worked for us. Walk-ins were turned away at 1:00. Maybe PatSF hit a bad day, but we were very pleased.