Of the places on your list, we have been to Chez Paul (near Bastille) a couple of times. We find it to be a very pleasant bistro, the food is good, the staff is competent. The price is not cheap, but not expensive either. I imagine we will be there again in October.

kay

Actually, the Clignancourt flea market has recently added an interesting ragpickers market (which always existed, but it was illegal before and everybody would have to run like hell whenever the police showed up). It is at Porte de Montmartre, and you can buy items that have been pulled out of trash cans (some of them quite nice). It is also a good place to end your visit to the flea market, because there are some good bus lines going into the center of Paris that start from there.

My last trip I had planned on going to the Vanvin market but could not drag myself out of bed that early :)

Anyone ever been? It sounded like it was more antiques and the like.

Luckily I never asked for directions..."Vanves"

As I have posted previously, I have a list called "A Selection of 80 Inexpensive and Good Parisian Restaurants (French Cuisine Only)" published by Paris Eiffel Tower News around 2006 (so may not be completely up to date). We have liked the handful on the list we have tried so far. I don't see it anymore on their Web site, so if anyone wants the pdf file (22 pages, by arrondissement) email me at [email protected]

I agree with the Alexander Lobrano book suggestion - you'll get a good idea about the atmosphere and type of food offered at many affordable bistros. Zagat Paris is useful, too - there are listings of bistros by arrondisement, those open on Sunday, etc.

Of the places you listed, we have been to La Braisiere. It is a fantastic, small, elegant place with wonderful food. It isn't inexpensive, certainly, but not up in the stratosphere like a 3-star type of place, (I think it has 1 star - it certainly deserves it, in my opinion). My husband had a lamb dish there that he remembers with great fondness and hopes to have again. We loved everything about the place - the food was incredible, the service was very friendly, explanations of various dishes were volunteered freely and we felt welcomed there.

I'm happy to read good comments about D'Chez Eux - that place has been on my very long, "hope to try someday" Paris bistro list!

Vanves is mostly antiques, plus a number of old vinyl records.

Nothing wrong with having some ideas before you go, especially if they are suggestions near your hotel, places you intend to visit etc. Can't hurt, though certainly some of the best-remembered meals and experiences happen by chance.

We had a super lunch by following construction workers into a cafe near Musee Picasso. Inexpensive and good, the perfect antidote to lunch the day before at Chez l'ami Louis.

if you're a flea-market fan (and I don't mean tube sox and new frying pans), by all means go to Clingancourt. Lots of it is pretty fine and pretty pricey. But it's fun entering a shop or stall filled with vintage Louis Vuitton or vintage Baccarat. And you'll file the day with all the other fleas you've visited. I haven't eaten there, but there is a tiny cafe/bar where I've had a drink or two, where Django Rhinehardt played back in the day. Fun. Most likely you'll have a coffee and croissant before jumping on the train early Sunday, then be back into Paris central somewhere for lunch.

<b>General info/questions </b>
Okay for what it's worth I enjoy good food (very good food) and have found that it's better to make some choices/reservations/lists ahead of time to get the quality I am looking for given my limited vacation days. I find the tourist areas of Paris just as chock-a-block full of mediocre and crappy restaurants as any other big city. I typically reserve a lunch or a dinner about every other day and leave the rest to chance--armed with some recommendations by neighborhood. But I am particular about food!

I do tend to eat at a higher price point than you mention, though, so I don't have many recs that wouldn't break the bank for you. Does the 30E pp include wine or not? Is it lunch or dinner?

If your interest in food is beyond the "simple" that you mention above, you might want to Google:
Hungry for Paris (there is a website)
David Lebovitz's blog
Chez Pim
Chocolate and Zucchini
chowhound.com France board
John Talbott's blog (his prices are usually for lunch)
egullet.com

There are many others and I am not up on my Paris food blogs at all but this is a start.

<b>Personal experiences that come close to your price point:</b>
I've had decent but not phenomenal lunches at Cafe des Musees in the Marais. Ate at the place across from l'As de Fallafel. Have had lunch at Cafe Hugo a number of times but never found the food anything special and it's rather overpriced yet still a nice place to sit and enjoy the scenery.

To splurge if you're interested in getting something beyond simple and not a lot more than 30E (without wine), you might consider Le Gaigne in the Marais, l'Avant Gout in the 13th, or Au Bon Accueil in the 7th. I have enjoyed these but they all are more than 30E. Quite a bit more if you order ALC, less so if you go for the menu.

I wanted to try Les Cotelettes and Chez Janou, both in the Marais by Place des Vosges, on my last trip but never got around to making a reservation. I have read that Fish la Boissonerie on rue de Seine in the 6th is relatively reasonable too with good food and wine.

http://www.lescotelettes.com/english/index.php
http://www.chezjanou.com/
Fish, 69 r. de Seine , 01 43 54 34 69

Enjoy your trip!

A couple more lists for the pot -

http://www.paris-expat.com/bistros.htm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/200...is.restaurants

Both my husband and I are flea market fans, but we're the type that are lookers, not serious buyers. In our recent trip to Paris, we went to both Porte de Vanves and Porte de Clignancourt markets.

We found Vanves dull, but LOVED the Clignancourt market. Yes, it's huge and overwhelming, and there's no way we could've seen everything - but the range of market shops was incredible! Just made it so much fun to poke around there for a few hours. I would recommend it highly for flea market fans, just as long as they understand that the market is extensive, like a small city of markets.

Thank you all!!! Are we going to be able to eat on Sunday, Haaa. So many restaurants are closed. I bet we will not starve :)

I suggest a couple reservations at places you really might like to dine and shoot from the hip on other days, based on th emenu and what yuo feel like eating. I would not be happy with an "adequate" dinner in Paris, feeling I might have chosen better. Look forward to a report on the markets!

Angie, on Sunday I would highly recommend you go the the Musée Jacquemart-André for the wonderful, affordable brunch. Doors open at 11, but get there early - there will be a line. The bonus is you get to wander around the museum's small but delightful collection.

On Le Marais I suggest you to reach Place des Vosges and eat at Brasserie Victor Hugo, very French atmosphere, very well attended and very good food within the budget.
Champs Elysee, at the top of champs Elysee, looking at the Arc de Triumph on the left, there is a restaurant, which I don't know the name anymore where you could eat very well on a terrace with a beautiful view on the avenue for a very good price. If you go at sunset it is really fantastic.

You might check out Petit Pointoise in the 6th. I think they are open on Sunday.

Chez Fernand and Le Reminet are both open on Sundays

i have only one recommendation to contribute but it's exactly what you are looking for:
www.bouillon-racine.com
off St Mich around the Sorbonne area so hopefully convenient to one of your days.

Yall Rock!!!! Oh yeah, I am from Texas. We will see how Paris feels about Texas at the moment - hmmm.

All of your recommendations are soooooo helpful. I don't leave till Oct. 8th so if anything else comes to mind just let me know.

I wonder what restraunt Cladia is speaking of?? Sounds great.

"Champs Elysee, at the top of champs Elysee, looking at the Arc de Triumph on the left, there is a restaurant, which I don't know the name anymore where you could eat very well on a terrace with a beautiful view on the avenue for a very good price. If you go at sunset it is really fantastic."

Have a good evening

Before we went last year I too put together a list of all the restaurants I had read about on blogs and had been recommended to me by friends and acquaintances. Of that whole list, we only ate at two: Robert et Louise and L'Cave la Moelle.

I found Robert et Louise to be charming, but I didn't love the food. I also didn't like watching the cook yell at the hostess when a couple sent back a nearly raw steak they had ordered medium, as if it was her fault that he didn't cook it correctly.

We absolutely adored La Cave and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking for a wonderful, local dining experience. We were the only Americans there and while there was certainly a language barrier with our other diners, the host was gracious and did a wonderful job explaining everything to us without being overbearing or condescending.