Nikki

From the web pages Raymond posts, it appears that he got the list of restaurants off www.paris-lights.com. I looked at it and found a list of restaurants which were largely unfamiliar. I don't know what criteria were used to list restaurants, but it looks to me as if it might be an advertising site with paying participating restaurants and hotels.

Some of the menu items in English translation are hilarious: "lawyers shrimp" (from avocat) and "jumped potatoes" (from sautee) stick in my mind. I just used this to remind my daughter of the dangers of computer translation sites when preparing school papers. She appears to be aware of this already.

Christina

I've only eaten lunch in the restaurant at the Musee d'Orsay in your list, but it is really nice and quite good, and not too expensive. Be sure you go to the real restaurant, not the top-floor cafe or you'll think what's the big deal.

I've heard of Lou Cantou, just reading on some French Paris restaurant web sites -- very cheap but positive as a local "cantine". Seems like a good choice if you are in the area for shopping, as it's near the Garnier and the big dept. stores. It looks sort of cute online for that price level, and their English menu translations were rather amusing (must have been automated):

<<Today's specials
Chicken roasted in the juice of thym
Puree Andouillette fried sauce in the pepper-
Escalope of fresh(cool) salmon in the crushed of tomatoes
Crystallized of duck + 5,00 €
Pavement of rump steak wipes in the pepper + 6,00 €>>

I don't know about the rump steak wipes.

Gretchen

St. Cirq, have you eaten at Auberge de Jarente in the Marais? It is very inexpensive, had a good cassoulet and magret last month. The ambience is a bit spartan but we did really enjoy it.

Laidback

The Ambassade du Sud Oeust on Av de la Bourdonnais was closed when we visited in Oct. as was the Cantine des Gourmets on the same street.

StCirq

Gretchen:

No, I haven't been over in the Marais on any of my recent trips to Paris, unfortunately, and haven't ever tried the Auberge de Jarente, but if you liked it, I'll put it on the list for the next time around! I'm a sucker for a good cassoulet

elaine

Christina or anyone
speaking of places for lunch near the opera or dept stores, I know you like le Grand Cafe, but are there any cafes within Galeries Lafayettes or Printemps that are good values?

elaine

Christina or anyone
speaking of places for lunch near the Opera G or dept stores, I know you like le Grand Cafe, but are there any cafes within Galeries Lafayettes or Printemps that are good values?

Parisisthebest

Stevepen, you're advised to heed Elaine and Christina, probably StCirq -as you suspected, anyone who brags they've travelled to P so often - well, possibly a psychophantic troll.

Christina

I don't know, Elaine, I've only eaten in Laduree's in Printemps. They have a branch in there. It's good enough, although no windows, and not particularly a value place. They have a branch of Angelina's in Galleries Lafayette, also, which is supposed to have about the same as elsewhere.

I saved an article about the various dept. store restaurants that was in the NY Times travel section from 1/28/01. If you can't get it, post an email address and I'll send it to you. The summary was that they all sounded decent, but Galleries Lafayette seemed to have the best ones according to the reviewer and the best selection. In particular, the author liked the seafood bar near Lafayette Gourmet, the gourmet food section of the store (Le Grill Poison), and the description of their 6th floor cafeteria Lafayette Cafe sounded pretty good to me. It has windows with some views of the city, a salad bar with fixed price, and is pretty cheap, it sounded like good value and what you might want.

I read about Lou Cantou on a couple other Paris restaurant web sites where locals post comments, so I wouldn't worry about that just being an ad. That may be a paid ad on that web site, and I don't think I'd just choose restaurants on it, as it does look very limited. But it's on others like www.oubouffer.fr which I use for local restaurant reviews, and www.ciao.fr The Orsay restaurant is good, though, so these might be interesting finds.

jeffwill4you

We just returned from paris and all I can say, the best places to eat that we found were the restaurant off of the main streets were the locals eat! Paris is a safe big city as long as you don't go to far off the main streets. We found that a very good french dinner with wine for 2 is about 50 euro in these places. if you go to a 5 star hotel restaurant it will be 4 times that amount with 1/4 of the food and service so please really get out and enjoy the city.

jamieson

Our recent trip confirmed once again the value and reliability of the 'Cheap Eats' of Guftason. You just don't need to spend a hoard of gold in Paris to dine well. I also second Elaines choices.

Scarlett

Here I am, back from Meeting the Fokkers and I wanted to post once more here to clarify.
StevePen is blacktie/Leone/Joe (and could he be Praline?) and does not deserve a better answer than I gave.
I doubt I have been to Paris 12 times, I think 7 or 8 is the number, if this is important to anyone else but a Troll.
So I did want to be as honest as possible even though it is sort of weird that I care
Now- back to the Important Question:
Paris Restaurants, where to eat ??

Scarlett ( who always posts as Scarlett)

jamieson

Is the fokker film any good? our local paper said ixnay, and suggested 'Sideways' instead.

Scarlett

Oh I would definitely go see Sideways

jamieson

... and Scarlett, dont be too hard on ole StevePen and pralinepal, your conclusion was, shall we say, just a tad off, lol, like 100%. Now, you do have a good holiday and prosperous 2005, and do see 'Sideways' - it was funny, warm, quite human and just brought a tear to the eye. You'll love it! Take care.

elaine

Scarlett, now that you've met them, what did you think of the Fokkers?

I'm sorry you're being stalked by the nutcase, at this festive time of year it seems we really need a Nutcracker.

OneWanderingJew

Pralinepal,
Did a pecan get stuck in the lower reaches of your bowels or are you just an unhappy nutjob?

Why would you question whether someone went to Paris many times? Could it be that someone could like it well enough to go back over and over again? Others, like my friend's fiancee' have been there countless times b/c of work. Wouldn't you agree that they might know one or two things about the place?

I think it's time you lay off the sweets. They're affecting your judgement.

OWJ

Christina

whoops, I made a funny typo -- that was the Grill Poisson in the store (not Grill Poison). he he he

I really liked Sideways, also -- I used to live in that area so kind of know those characters. Last week I saw Closer which was interesting as a character study, but I didn't think as good as Sideways in terms of human character or life truths. A little too bizarre for me, maybe because I'm more Californian than New York.

raymond2911

Hi everyone,

Thanks all your reply and information.

As i will go to paris next week. Honestly speaking, i would like to find out some cheap restaurant and 'new' one. So, the List i found out from web-site.

may be i will choose LOU CANTOU and Musuee D'ORSAY..

continue....

Scarlett

Inexpensive and delicious and a real neighborhood bistro:
Petit Benoit on rue Benoit.
In my notes, this is what a friend told me about L'Annex..a fun bistro in Pigale.