The challenge: good 3 course French meal (with half carafe of house wine preferred but not required) for 20 Euros or less. Impossible? Non! Two to get started: Trumilou (on Seine near Hotel de Ville) and le Petit St. Benoit (in the 6th). Both have good, traditional food, and the staff at the first, in my two meals there, were very helpful. During my first visit, the waiter took pity on me and explained that riz de veau was sweetbreads, not veal with rice as I thougt.

Okay, where else?

Chez Papa. 7 locations in Paris.

Good ideas for those who look for real cheap meals. Just some other opinions (French) on Petit St Benoit:

http://mmmm.free.fr/scripts/script_d...to.php?id=1178

I guess you can't expect a lot for that price.

The Leon de Bruxelles chain. Slad, mussles and a waffle for dessert - 15E.

Take the #4 metro line to St. Michel and follow the signs to Place St. Michel...you will emerge by an academic book store with a predominant yellow motif...walk between the bookstore and the restaurant on the corner and within a block or two you will see oodles of French bistros with hawkers outside...go to Rue de la Harpe and my favorite among them is La Vieux Hostellerie on Rue de la Harpe...food is typically French (absolutely not haute cusine) , they have various menus consisting of a starter, a main dish and a dessert starting at about 10€, then there is one for about 14€ and a couple of others more expensive...a half liter of house red wine will add 7€...there are many many other such bistros all along the way there...yes they are touristy but they are typical of French bistros and as a tourist, you will not be completely surrounded by other tourists (there will be some locals) and they are used to people speaking English.

I happen to like the area and believe am very aware these are not top of the line restaurants but they are far from the worst.

Thank you for this post. Bookmarking for (hopefully) my May 07 trip!

Hmm, Christina, I Googled le Petit St. Benoit, and the review site that you listed came up as no. 3. A little selective, aren't you? All the other sites I checked (those on the first Google page) were positive, including one of the three on your link. Try Googling or, as one example take http://www.paris-eating.com/651.htm

For mussels the cafes across the street from the Gare du Nord. We go every time we are in Paris.

Joe, some people _always_ point out the negative, deliberately, or otherwise ignoring the positive.

The important thing is that ate there, enjoyed the meal and had a nice experience. You spoke from personal experience, not from anonymous googled comments. Thanks for sharing with us.

Nina

Great info for a budget minded travel. Marking for May 2007 trip.

I'm sure that a lot of people on the Fodor's board nearly fainted at the idea of ordering a carafe of the house wine. So they are disqualified from recommendations for a cheap meal anyway.
I had an excellent cheap lunch at Cour Saint Emilion today -- 32 euros for two, but we didn't have dessert. It was at La Bocca, an Italian place run by Chinese people who use Africans in the kitchen. The escalope with gorgonzola sauce and spaghetti was fantastic.

Good idea for a thread. It will help me plan

Le Gourmet
19 rue de Bruxelles
75009
01.47.74.53.42

Dinner, 3 courses 15 E
Lunch, 3 courses, 12 E

Delightful neighborhood resto, traditional French, very popular during the lunch hour with the business crowd, menu changes daily.

Anyone tried La Petite Chaise at 36 rue de Grenelle in the 6th? I'm staying in an apartment directly across the street and it sure would be handy. Its just a couple blocks from le Petit St. Benoit so I'll give that a shot too. Thanks Joe.

Actually, I just googled La Petit Chaise and its really in the 7th. Frommer's says its the oldest restaurant in Paris opening in 1680...

Well, it certainly doesn't belong on this list of restaurants :

"Menu à 29,50 € (entrée + plat + dessert)"

That's directly from the restaurant's website. Wine not included, and almost certainly not in a carafe.

Hmmm... was there some kind of anti-carafe snobbery mentioned above? I always order a pitcher or carafe of "house white", always good for a good price. Not to mention, easier to order in French then dealing with a real bottle. Sorry can't help with the menu, I only care about finding wine.

Bookmarking for May 07.

Chez Clement is a nice place specializing in rotisserie meats. We ate at the one at St. Michel, behind the fountain, and they have both indoor and outdoor dining. We ate indoors, and the decor was intimate but fairly upscale, very nice. You can select 3 different types of meat for your entree, and this comes with home-style buttered mashed potatoes. Choose either a "starter" or a dessert, and the price is 17.50 euros. I think I had the roast beef, ribs and chicken. I remember it was a really nice meal for the price. They have a website (I saved their card!), chezclement.com, and it appears they have a number of places throughout Paris. Wish I were going back!

It is a little more than 20 Euros, about 25, but I have had exceptional meals there every time. Located about three or four block behind the New Opera at Bastille, La Table d'Aligre, 11 place d'Aligre at the end of the cul de sac. Three course meal, menu changes every day and is very creative, service is excellent, very good selection of wine and also by the glass or carafe. I would describe the decor as exquisite simplicty with linen table cloths and napkins. A few years ago it was mentioned in the Paris issue of Bon Appetite. Open for lunch and reopen for dinner about 7:30 in the evening. I would highly recommed a reservation as there seems to be a line when they open. I know it a little out of the way, but I consider it an excellent value for the money. Ledru-Rolln metro stop.