Hi J,

>We are not picky eaters but do not want to spend a months mortgage on a meal.

On another thread you mentioned going to Hemingway's at the Ritz.

Not doing that would save quite a lot.

Some suggests at reasonable prices (recommended by me and by others):

Brasserie Lipp 151 Bld St.Germain Metro St. Germain des Pres

Leon de Bruxelles 131, bd St Germain 01 43 26 45 95
Inexpensive Mussels an Frits
Also other locations

Restaurant Vagenende 142 Boulevard St. Germain (331) 43 26 68 18 Métro: Odéon Open 12 noon ‘til 1 a.m.

Allard 41 St. Andre des Arts 01 43 26 48 23 at corner of Rue de l’Eperon near Odeon Mº

Be Bop, Le 8 r. Gregoire de Tours. (N of Blvd St Germaine) 01 43 29 24 52 Pianist plays until 23:00,

Fish 69, Rue du Seine Tel : 01 43 54 34 69 very good wine selection, both by the bottle and by the glass.
32€ for the menu: choice of appetizer, main course, and dessert

Le Coup Chou 11, rue de Lanneau / 3 Impasse Chartiere 01 46 33 68 69 Mon - Sat 12h30 à 14h30 et de 19h à 1h Sun 19h à 1h Menus at 24 and 32E Mº Mutualite Maubert

Le Petit Prince de Paris 12 rue de Lanneau 01 43 54 77 26 Mº : Maubert

Rotisserie d’en Face 2 rue hristine 01 43 26 40 98 chicken, duck etc

La Mediterranee. 2 Place de l'Odeon 01 43 26 02 30 open Sunday Good fish and Veal

Polidor 41 rue Monsieur-le-Prince, N of R Vaugirard 01.43.26.95.34. Mon–Sat till 12.30am, Sun till 11pm. bistro, Duck, chicken and beef

Taverne Henri VI 13 pl Pont Neuf 01 43 54 27 90 An inexpensive wine bar w/very good cheese.

Citrus Etoile 6, rue Arsene Houssaye Metro Etoile Tel : 01 42 89 15 51 Menu from 39E

Ambassade d'Auvergne, 22, rue du Grenier Saint-Lazare. Tel: 01.42.72.31.22. Mº Rambuteau
Good regional food from the Auvergne. In the Marais treat yourself to their aligote—a concoction of potatoes, garlic and cantal cheese

Armand 4 rue de Beaujolais Menu 41 E a real bargain

There is a cool book which I perused recently called "Bistronomiques"...this is a general term for a style of resto which is fairly trendy, ie really good food, bistro style atmosphere and prices, but a chef who strives to do the very best he can put together for the Moderate price....

I have ordered it, and will report on the findings... but the book reviews 60 Paris-located bistronomique establishments, and also includes three recipes from each place. It was Xmas present to myself, and I think it will be a nice help for eating well in Paris without crying about the prices... It will also be interesting to see how it crosses with the recommendations already here on the boards. If you have access to it, check it out for your trip. Rouss

You have some good places, across a broad range of taste...note that Mon Vieil Ami is in the 4th, on Ile St. Louis and that he closes on Mondays and Tuesdays..

Not sure I would include Angelina's for anything other than their hot chocolate. Ma Borgogne is more for atmosphere than for food, in my opinion..

From your picks, it looks as if you may be based in the 1st..if so, and even if you are not based nearby, I recommend Chez Denise for a slice of quintessential "old" Paris with fantastic, hearty food and no pretense.
Note that they are closed on weekends.. If you would like to read about my lunch there, and about other meals in Paris, scroll down to the end of this report:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2&tid=34894706

We ate at Mon Vieil Ami n September on the advice of a friend. It was the most expensive place we ate and was not that impressive. As you enter the space, there is a long table running the length of the room. We sat with our backs to the room and most of the action. Sounds superficial, but I think we'd have been happier if we'd been able to see the sights. Just something to consider, if you do eat there. The food was very good, but not enough to support the prices, imo.

Also ate the Le Petit Prince. Wonderful environment and fabulous staff/owner. I really enjoyed my meal. Friends we were traveling with ate there twice.

Hands down, my favorite meal in Paris was recommended by NeoPatrick -- Le Louis Vins in the 5th. Absolutely outstanding meal, start to finish. Our Parisian friends were duly impressed with the choice too!

Just stepped off a plane from Paris an hour ago and am now waiting for a delayed flight to Halifax.

We ate at Willi's Wine Bar a couple of days ago. We'll be posting a trip report with more description, but here's what we found: tasty food, well-prepared. Good service. Menu around 34 euro, which we thought reasonable for the quality of the food. They have a great wine list, weighted a bit to wines from the Rhone, which we have a particular fondness for.

Be prepared for a small room. You'll probably hear a lot of English from fellow-diners.

Unfortunately, I can't comment on the desserts, as we fled a loud drunk at the next table. That was one of the worst dining experiences we've ever had, but don't worry: the drunk will likely have moved on by April.

Anselm

Two picks: Le Pain Quotidien for breakfast/lunch/late-afternoon snacks. There are several locations, but we like the one on the Place du Marché St-Honoré. A few blocks away on the rue Mont-Thabor is L'Ardoise, a lively place with a long menu at affordable prices. On the same street is the venerable and good Le Soufflé, which offers much more than the wonderful soufflés. (If you get the Grand Marnier soufflé for dessert it is accompanied by a bottle of the liqueur!)

Have heard varying things about Mon Vielle Ami (across from Notre Dame)/ there are endless restaurants that won't come near the mortgage.
I really want to try Ira's aligote restaurant suggestion our next trip. It has been on our list forever.
Our favorite local place is still Le Florimond in the 7th. Never misses.

Interesting how mixed the reviews of Mon Vieil Ami are here. We had a great meal there October 2005 and when we returned July 2007, it was unremarkable. Diners near our table had the same observation. I'd be inclined to skip it.

For those days that you may want a low-priced, local experience, be sure to check http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2&tid=34965189&start=0&dirtyBit=1