I'm not sure I agree with the idea of staying inside Paris itself, especially if it's during the summer months (which can get ridiculously hot and crowded)... August is ok, but June and July can be a bit hectic. I would opt for staying a bit outside of Paris (like to the south near Versailles or to the east on the Marne river)... you can get into Paris for day-trips that way, but enjoy the calm of the countryside and fresh air. I've been living in Paris for the last 7 years and I love it during the fall and winter, but the spring and summer are better on the outskirts. For Le House (www.le-house.fr), I saw above that a comment was moderated and I'm not sure why, because it is really a great place, especially for people that are retirees or wanting a bit of calm during their stay as well. My mom stayed there last summer-- it is a nice little manor house in the countryside not too far from Paris... The people that work there are super friendly, take care of you as though they were your French friends, and organize trips to Paris and Versailles that are included in the price of the room... My mom came back raving about the food the cook, Arnaud made, and the cooking lessons she had also... It wasn't that big of a draw-back being 30-40 minutes from Paris, because in the mornings she could take a stroll in the countryside and in the evenings, she could sleep without hearing any traffic or parties. So, it depends on what you're looking for definitely, but I think it's worth looking into.

"Cafés and restaurants and bistros are the very least of your concerns. You can't swing a cat in Paris without running into good food of every description. Leave that until you get there unless you are very particular and need very high-end reservations."

This is far from true. Paris has more than its share of crappy restaurants and overpriced bistros (and yes I'm talking about Allards). It is by far the most overrated tourist destination on earth.