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I spent the evening reading my Time Out Paris guidebook trying to figure out where we might grab a bite to eat.
Other than $$$$, what is the major difference between the above mentioned -- particularly Bistro, Brasserie, and Café ?
Restaurant, Bistro, Brasserie, and Café - Oh my!
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Search for "Bistro cafe" and the below thread title from 2005 will have an answer.
Difference between a bistro, cafe and brassiere
A brasserie serves food all day and evening, some are open all night. Often the focus is on Alsatian fare (sausage, saurkraut, beer, etc). Also seafood - oysters, 'moules', etc.
A cafe serves light meals (omelette, sandwiches) and coffee, bar drinks, also your typical cafe/croissant/jus 'petit dejeuner'.
A bistro is like a cafe/bar where lunch is served and dinner is served, and just drinks in between.
The lines are getting very blurred on the use of these terms, with restaurants calling themselves 'bistro' and the like. Restaurants, by the way, are open for lunch, then close to get ready for dinner. You order more of a full meal here, not just a snack or a dessert.
Here is a nice traditional description:
http://www.miettas.com.au/Content/Restaurants/Rest_opinons/Restaurant_Definitions.html
http://www.nytimes.com/1996/01/14/magazine/come-to-the-brasserie.html
Thank you!