Inexpensive Eating in Paris
 

Three of us are going to Paris in early December for the first time in several years. We're staying at the D'Albe and would love to get some recommendations for dinner restaurants in the general area (Latin Quarter/Notre Dame) or farther afield. We'd like to stay in the budget to moderate range.

Thanks.

"Inexpensive eating in Paris" is a compound oxymoron. Nevertheless, here are a few thoughts that originated from personal experience. l) look off the main boulevards and check the eating places on side streets; 2) avoid those places that offer menus in both French and English; 3) avoid places that have decals of the main charge cards plastered on their front doors; 4) look for places that have their menu written on smallish chalk boards above the bar; 5) look for a place where Pop or Mom does the cooking and Mom takes the money at the check-out; 6) ask for the day's special because it's fresh, good, and has been on the menu for years.

I forgot a couple other pointers. Look for places to eat near law courts and/or publishing offices because their clientele (lawyers and journalists) like to eat quickly and cheap. Avoid going to lunch too early, say, at noon. Eat after 1 p.m. And then eat after 7 p.m., even after 8 p.m. if you can. That way, you don't run into the locals who have only limited time or who want to get to the theater. Don't be fussy where you are seated, relax, and don't ever try to bully the waiter/waitress as too many tourists do. If given good service, I call the waiter/waitress to our table and tell them how highly we thought of their services. Remember: psychic income is tax free.

Hi Mom,

If I recall correctly, there are many inexpensive restaurants near Rue de La Harpe.

If you go to http://www.voila.fr/PJ/ you will get a map of your neighborhood. You can then search for restaurants on each of the streets.

You can also see a picture of the place.

First of all we do not exactly know what the poster considers "moderate". Secondly Paris is the bargain of the world for good food at "moderate" cost.
All restaurants post their menus and prices outside so as you meander around during the day you can choose a restaurant for the night. Most Parisians eat later in the evening--after 8. It makes no difference in the price. Food is very inexpensive on streets like rue Hachette--it is also VERY bad. Don't eat at a restaurant where a guy is trying to entice you in--the food will be poor. Small brasseries have good food at moderate prices. The prix fixe menus give good value. You can eat very well in Paris at all levels. You don't have to settle for poor food to eat inexpensively. And MANY good restaurants offer English menus. Come back and tell us your budget idea and probably many can offer concrete suggestions.

Yes all..or almost all.. restaurants post their menus outside...and even the Michelin starred ( Jacque Cagna for one) will post their menus in French AND English, so that is no criteria on which to base your choice.

A place my wife and I enjoyed which falls within your inexpensive category is Chartier, in the Montmartre area (there may be another branch too). Its been around since the 1890's serving low priced meals for workers and neighborhood people. It's a fairly large restaurant with waiters dressed in traditional black waistcoats and long white aprons. Nothing fancy, just good basic food.

If you like mussels, the chain Leon de Bruxelles is the place to go. Their desserts are forgettable.

The D'Albe is situated right in the heart of a block of cheap restaurants that vary in quality from pretty good to pretty awful.

By the way, I love the location of the Albe and have enjoyed staying there twice, some years back. I would recommend taking earplugs if you're a light sleeper as noise can be a problem if you go to sleep reasonably early.

In February 2002 my husband and I took my niece to Paris, her first trip overseas. On that trip we stayed in Hotel Select in the Place de la Sorbonne.

Some restaurant we ate at that might interest you:

We had a nice, inexpensive meal in Le Chat qui Peche on Rue de la Huchette (very near your hotel).

We ate twice at L'Escritoire, a small and casual place next door to the Hotel Select. We enjoyed a variety of their main-meal salads and sandwiches such as Croques.

We particularly enjoyed the meal we ate at Le Symposium, another restaurant on Rue de la Huchette and one we'd assumed would be pretty touristy, like most on the road are. Infact most of the other patrons were French - men sitting on their own with a newspaper or some business documents.

Further afield we had lunch at a creperie, Au Petits Creux, up behind the Sacre Coeur, another inexpensive and enjoyable meal.

Also not near the Albe, but perhaps somewhere you might visit, we had a lovely and inexpensive three course dinner at a restaurant called Volcan, on Rue Mouffetard, not far from the Place de la Contrascarpe.

Of course, since February 2002 all these restaurants may have new managers, new chefs or new menus, and I certainly don't know whether we were simply lucky or whether they are consistent in their output.

Good luck,
Kavey