carolyn

I'll be in Paris for a week the end of this month, with my 16 yr old daughter. Her eating habits are stereotypical - I won't enjoy gourmet french cooking at high prices on this trip! <BR>Will you share your favorite inexpensive Paris eateries with us? Name, location, and what's on the menu? Thanks.

wes fowler

Pick up a copy of Gustafson's book "Cheap Eats in Paris" at your library or bookstore. I don't think you can go wrong with any of her recommendations and you'll certainly dine inexpensively. You can always foist your daughter off on McDonald's. Once she's tried the laughable French version of a big Mac, she'll be ready for a croque monsieur at a French bistro.

kimberley

I'm not sure what part of the city you will be in, but I'm sure you will be able to find her something to eat anywhere. There is a Chili's just off the Champs Elysee with the same menu as here (and only a little more expensive). Most of the restaurants on Rue de l'Harpe (latin quarter, just off St. Michel) are inexepnsive and not too adventurous (there is an italian restaurant with typical pizzas and pastas, there's a creperie with all sorts of dinner and dessert crepes...). Good luck. Kimberley

marilyn lux

We spent spring break in Paris with our 18- and 15-year-old daughters. Eating was not a problem, although they will not like to eat in as nice a restaurant as you would. Our older daughter is a vegetarian and ate a lot of omelettes, cheeese and bread, green salads. Our younger daughter eats meat and is somewhat adventurous, but doesn't like meat with bones, fat, and most sauces. We ate in lots of cafes and brasseries, and it could get expensive because we usually ordered a la carte. Did have a few meals in restaurants--which in France usually just means fixed price meals but not as much variety as in a cafe or brasserie--and the value was much better, ie, a lovely 3-course meal with wine and coffee for maybe $27 a person. Just walk around and read the menus posted and decide how much time you have. Actually, eating and drinking was very pleasant for all four of us--we all enjoyed the properness of it, the different serving style, etc. Even a pizza restaurant we collapsed in after touring Versailles served our pizza with flair!

Carolyn

Thanks. My 16 yr old sounds like your 15 yr old...loves to eat meat, but no fat, no sauces. I am encouraged to find eating in Paris will not bring on conflict. Pizza at Versailles sounds great! Do you remember the name of the place? We will be travelling by train from Paris to Versailles - are there restaurants near the station?

Pattie Price

Carolyn, My husband and I were in Paris for two weeks and we found the neatest ex-Mex restaurant, the 'Le Texan' @ 3 Rue St. Philippe du Roule, <BR>TEL#42 25 09 88, just take the metro and it is around the corner from the metro entrance. Great food, good prices and lots to eat. And the sugar and butter crepes anywhere are wonderful. There's a Planet Hollywood near the Arc de Triomphe and other American-like restaurants there. Have a Wonderful time, we did! pattie <BR>

Al

Message to Pattie Price: <BR>What did you go to Paris for? You wasted a lot of money for the trip. You could have eaten the same in Podunk, Iowa. One goes to a foreign country to sample things different than what is available at the corner restaurant.

elaine

On my last trip to Paris I ate at <BR>Rotisserie d'en Face which is a popular place on the left bank. It is mentioned in most guidebooks. <BR>There were several other Americans there, and the <BR>food, while very good and French, was simply <BR>prepared: excellent plain roast chicken, for <BR>example. You both might be happy there.

Christina

You should easily find things in any cafe or <BR>brasserie. For example, roast chicken with frites <BR>(French fries) is frequently on any brasserie menu. <BR>Also, she might like crepes--there are a lot of <BR>crepe restaurants on rue du Montparnasse, 14th <BR>arr. (not just dessert crepes). I suggest you avoid <BR>the suggestion to eat croque monsieurs, as they <BR>are hardly gourmet French food and are worse, to me, <BR>than any Big Mac (I might add, French Big Macs <BR>are virtually identical to ours--I think McDonald's <BR>regulates the recipe of their products throughout <BR>the world)--they are extremely greasy and fatty <BR>fried ham and cheese sandwiches, that's all. As far <BR>as the rude comment about why go to Paris, it may <BR>be surprising to some people like Al, but there <BR>are reasons to go to Paris other than eating. I go <BR>almost every year because I'm very interested in <BR>the arts, ballet, opera, the French language, <BR>French literature, classical music, and historical architecture. <BR>I am not that interested in food--it's just not that <BR>important to me, so I don't spend my time obsessing <BR>about where I'm going to eat and whether a <BR>croque monsieur is superior to a Big Mac. I'm sure <BR>a lot of my interests are of no interest to other people <BR>either (for instance, I like to visit French bookstores <BR>and libraries and read original correspondance from <BR>French musicians), but I do not make snide comments <BR>to people whose tastes and interests are different <BR>from mine just because they don't want to do the <BR>same things I do.

Leslie

There is a chain of apx. 7 restaraunts called Chez Clement located in these areas: Port Maillot, Champs-Esysees, Opera, Marbeuf, Porte De Versailles, Montparnasse and Wagram. They were very attractively decorated and low to medium priced. I enjoyed a combination platter of grilled chicken, pork and steak served with a good green salad and delicious garlic mashed potatoes. I noticed that the other diners around me were speaking French, so I didn't feel I was in a tourist trap. I really think your daughter will like it. <BR>

Laura

There is a good self service restaurant in Paris on the rue di rivoli right across from the Tuileries. They have a good selection of meats, vegetables, bread, salads and you can choose any combination that you like. I can't remember the name of the place or the exact prices. However, I do remember that the prices were reasonable and to me that is less than fifteen American dollars per person. <BR>

Jen Z.

I must qualify my comments by mentioning that when I was in Paris I was on a seriously low-budget trip. Basically that meant NOT eating in Paris. I always hear people saying that the UK, Austria, and Switzerland are the most expensive countries, but I think Paris is definitely the most expensive city! Anyway, I picnicked my time through Paris (not that that's bad; it's a particularly yummy way to go, actually). The one time I went out for a meal I had a gross, greasy cheese omelette and a bottle of water for about 16$. Very disappointing, but the place was kind of a dive, so I wasn't surprised. Anyway, definitely take the initiative that is your right as the mother and try at least a few meals that are oh-so french. And for breakfasts and lunches, I'm sure you would both be very happy with the yummy breads, cheeses, crepes, etc. that are available. And just in case, for your daughter, french fries, are, surprisingly enough, french.

anne

The posting about the self-serve restaurant reminded me of those we enjoyed several times on a trip to Paris a couple of years ago. It's a chain of cafeteria style places called SELF, and it would please all eaters! You could get typically French things (I remember they had good cheese plates), and your daughter could pick familiar looking things that she would enjoy. Cheap prices too.

jennifer

Carolyn - My husband and I go to the supermarche (NOT a supermarket -it's really a farmer's market) in Paris in the morning after breakfast to put some baguettes, wine, cheese, various different types of meats and fruits, in our soft sided cooler. We then loaded it into our day packs and marched off into the sunset. This gave us extremely cheap eats during the day - typically we spent less than $10 or $15 USD for the two of us for lunch which meant we could splurge a little at dinner. A great restaurant for fun eating and not too expensive is called Les Fous D'En Face. I frankly can't remember the address, but it's on the right bank, and I'm sure you could find it in the phone book once you're there. A Sante!

Carol

Carolyn: <BR>As others have said, you can always get a good "steak/frites" (steak and french fries)at any neighborhood bistro near your hotel. "Steak Hache" is usually a hamburger without a bun and also served with fries. Bistros and Salons du The (tea rooms) are you best bets for inexpensive and light meals. Salons du The serve meals continuously not just between 12 and 2, and they're the best places to get a wonderful fresh salad and/or quiche or some other kind of quick bite. Cheap Eats in Paris has a bunch of them. Also Zagat's has just come out with a guide to Paris restaurants. Barnes & Nobles carries them. Finally, I picked up a recommendation from this forum for a terrific little guide to inexpensive Paris restaurants that you can get on-line. It's called the Leeds Guide to Good Eating (I think) and it costs @$12--the web site is "www.wfi.fr.leeds" I used it last month in Paris and was very happy with the recommendations. Oh yes, right now, the French, especially the kids, love all things American, and you can get pizza all over Paris. Have a great time.

jennifer

Al - in message to Pattie Price on 7/10 - You go, girl (Uh, boy)! Why in god's name go to Paris to eat stuff like that?! BE ADVENTUROUS!

Peter Goodman

You will have NO problem - there's a bistro on almost every corner - lots of salads (salade compose), steak frites(steak and french fries), poulet roti (roast chicken)- make sure you go to Bertillon on ile st louis - the best ice cream in the world!! the second time you go to the corner bistro you become a regular customer - enjoy!!