Hi, me and my sister plan to visit Paris this year. I've been trying to breakdown the expenses and I was wondering how much should I consider spending for food in Paris for a 5-day stay? I won't be staying in a hotel and I plan to rent an apartment which means eventually I'd have to buy my own food.

I'm not sure what you mean by "eventually I'd have to buy my own food". Do you plan to eat some meals in restaurants? If so, what type of restaurant would you choose: well-known places that you have heard of, bistros, budget dining, etc.? Let us know a bit more about your plans and folks will be able to provide some ideas.

You'll probably get a lot of suggestions on this, but I think that you can easily stock the fridge in your apartment and feed two of you for a week for €100 - €150. Not including any meals in restaurants.

If you want to grab light lunches on the go (sandwiches, snacks etc.) you should allow yourself €10 - €15 per person, per lunch.

Naturally you can spend a lot more (or less) than this, but to give you a starting point, this should cover it.

And especially don't eat breakfast out because it can cost as much as the above suggestion for lunch.
I would think you'd like to eat out at least a few times. Having the ability to fix breakfast and maybe even picnic lunches will cut down costs a lot. But Paris IS food, and that is fun.

I would probably want to stock up some foods which I would prepare for breakfast and perhaps have lunches and dinners outside since we would be out most of the time. Budget dining and bistros are fine. Where are the most authentic and budget-friendly places to eat in Paris?

Thank you for the swif

Thank you all for the swift replies. I appreciate it.

Budget places are all over, no specific spot. That being said, I would not expect to sit down on Champs Elysee and get a decent budget meal. As you move away from the high real estate areas, better.

All restaurants will post their menu and pricing outside, so you can decide before going in.

Many will also offer menus/formules, which are combo specials and can be better value.

Several people here have recommended Pudlo restaurant guide.

Also, there are farmer's markets held regularly thoughout the city, good/better place to get some of your food needs.

http://marches.equipements.paris.fr/

Alright then, merci

I follow this lady's newsletters. She is an ex-pat American living in Paris. Her guide to budget restos:

http://www.insiderparisguides.com/guides/restos.htm

Thanks for sharing those links!

Six of us spent a week in an apartment last Summer.

For breakfast we went to the boulangerie and got pan au chocolate at €1.10 each and had fruit we bought from the verger stand. We went to the stand probably 3 times and got enough fruit for a couple days each time (breakfast plus snacks) and spent under €20 each trip. We had bought tea bags, orange juice and milk at the grocery store too.

Lunches we ate in cafes usually spending between €60-80 each meal (this included 2 small kids ordering from the menu enfant). We drank the free water.

Dinners were takeout like Chinese or sandwiches and yummy pastries spending about €35-50 per meal.

We were staying in a pricier area of the Marais so that may make a difference.

We also ate a couple of more expensive meals at Versailles and for my nieces birthday. Those meals were over €100 and a splurge to be sure.

Have a fabulous time planning and enjoying your trip.

My girl friend and I ate pretty inexpensively last time I was in Paris. It helped that neither one of us would be what I think of as a "foodie". I love good food, but the thought of paying 200.00, 300.00 for a meal just doesn't do it for me.

We we in a hotel and had breakfast included with our room rate. It was not that great but we availed ourselves of it. If we had been in a apartment I would be at one of the stores, Monoprix, Franprix or such, and would have gotten bread or pasteries, yogurt, maybe fruit, depending on what was available, and we would have had that for breakfast.

We usually would site see and shop until about two or three in the afternoon and then have a hot, sit down meal, at a cafe or brasserie. One day I had a wonderful roast chicken with frites (daily special), a creme brule for dessert, onion soup for a starter. We then had time to walk, and maybe shop some more, we always got a snack for the room for later in the evening. So, we really ate one main meal per day and that was plenty.

There was a patisserie around the corner from the hotel and we would buzz in there on our way back to the hotel and pick up something yummy for later that night. We also had some cheese and yogurt in the room.

So, really, you can spend just about as much or as little as you want, depending on your budget and what you like.

Paris is as cheap or as expensive as you want it to be. I am dismayed to see that visitors often overspend, because they are continually led astray by uncontrollable urges and do not spend enough time comparing prices.

Thanks trvlgirlmq, creefloors and kerouac. It's good to know that there are lots of vegetable and fruit stands and small groceries in Paris. I assume that most boulangeries sell the good stuff. I'm keen on eating the most authentic and sumptuous French breads and croissants

Lots of placein Le Marais to eat inexpensively. Our favorite Is Bouquet St Paul on the corner of Rue St Paul and rue St Antoine. Themeu with 3 courses is under 20 Euro and the indivudual courses if you only want 2 would be less. The food is excellent and the patrons all locals!

* taking notes. Got it! Thanks a bunch for the suggestions. I'm certainly looking forward to try the full courses under 20 euros.