Nikki

Your husband is a wise man; you should listen to him more often.

If you read a bunch of Paris trip reports here on Fodor's, you will be at least as travel-savvy as your friends think you are.

Some restaurants I have enjoyed that will make you and your friends feel like you are in a very Parisian place:

Le Pre Verre, 8 rue Thenard in the 5th arr., 01 43 54 59 47
This is not far from your hotel. French food with a slight Asian accent, reasonable prices, very reasonable lunch menu.

Le Petit Prince de Paris, 12 rue de Lanneau in the 5th arr., 01 43 54 77 26
Also near you in the Latin Quarter, reasonable prices, very good.

Petit Marguery, 9 bd. de Port Royal in the 13th arr., 01 43 31 58 59
Traditional French atmosphere, very good food.

Le Pamphlet, 38 rue Debelleyme in the 3rd arr., 01 42 72 39 24
Good modern French cooking, very good price for such high quality.

A la Biche au Bois, 45 av. Ledru Rollin in the 12th near the Gare de Lyon, 01 43 43 34 38 (weekdays only)
Great prices, generous portions, game in season, large cheese platter.

Au Vieux Chene, 7 rue du Dahomey in the 11th, 01 43 71 67 69 (weekdays only)
Great atmosphere in an old workers' bistro, wonderful food, my current favorite.

Cafe Constant, 139 rue St. Dominique in the 7th, no reservations
Very reasonable lunch menu, wonderful food.

You can have the hotel call to make reservations, and reservations are a good idea and possibly necessary at all these places except Cafe Constant.

Loisde

Wow. Thanks for all the specific restaurant information. I will definitely use these - let's see - how many meals can I manage in 5 days?

Ya'll have also made me feel much better with your suggestions about exchanging pleasantries and etiquette. This is the sort of information that is extremely helpful to the first timer.

I will certainly do a trip report when I return, even if there is a "faux pas" or two. I mean, you can take the girl out of the south, but you can't totally take the south out of the girl.

Thanks again all.

ssander

goddesstogo...

Your SO has a good point...my experience in Paris is that (in small shops not geared to tourists) if you start in French despite the fact that you are obviously not a good/experienced French speaker, it gives them confidence to return with their not-so-good English. Between the two of you trying to use each other's language, you can pretty-much understand each other.

NOTE: Although I am in no way fluent in French, I find that trying to speak the local language is part of the fun of travel.

SS

smrt2

Speaking French is part of the fun, but also shows that you care and that are making an effort which will be greatly appreciated. Even just bonjour, etc, as others have mentioned. I will also second the thought that your sensitivity alone is proof that you will make the effort and that is what will keep you from being the ugly American. Have a great time!!

tedgale

Bookmarking for Nikki's restaurant list.

PS:

And may God forgive me for this prissiness ....but:

"Charlatan" is the spelling, in both French (the language of origin) and English.

From the Italian "ciarliare", to prattle

cherrybomb

I already prissed for you tedgale.

RetiredTraveler

Go to experience the differences and not the similarities and you will have a great time.

crefloors

I can't wait for your trip report. I was scared my first time on french soil and it was all just fine. I speak enough french for them to think I speak french when I ask something. The problem is, I have no idea what they are saying when they answer me. I have only been to Paris and I haven't run into too many people that don't speak some english.

tejana

I agree with everyone on the politeness thing - you CANNOT be too polite, and hello, goodbye, please and thank you are absolute imperatives. For my personal sanity I always keep a good restaurant menu translator in my purse that I can peer at discreetly if there is something on the menu that I can't figure out. And please do NOT be afraid to wear whatever shoes are going to keep you sane and mobile after 10 hours on cobblestones every day -- you aren't there to impress anyone, and you are the one that has to be able to keep moving tomorrow!

kerouac

I wouldn't worry about the restaurant lists. I am one of those people who likes to wander and discover new restaurants, depending on the time of day and the area where I find myself. And since I have lived in Paris for the last 37 years, I think that I would have figured out by now if that was not a good way to do things.

Yes, I have a few favorite restaurants, but there are none that I will go out of my way or backtrack to have a meal. And if I were a tourist, this would be even less likely, but that's because tourism is not about eating for me -- I know that many people would disagree.