mkdiebold - Ira seemed to eat at reasonably priced restaurants when he took his mother and sister to Paris in 2004. Here is his trip report and he lists restaurants, locations, and prices.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34497442

Hi mkdiebold
>... we're staying at Hotel Bonaparte. Any recommendations??<

Enter "61 rue Bonaparte" at www.viamichelin.com.

There are a number of inexpensive restaurants (about 20E for appetizer and plat or plat and desert) on Rue Guisard and the streets leading off it.

There is a very pleasant cafe on rue St. Sulpice, facing the church.

Not far from you are:

**Amorino 4 Rue de Buci Gelato

Aux Charpentiers 10 rue Mabillon, 01 43 26 30 05 Noted for Duck breast with olives and also Lamb

**Bistrot Henri. 16 rue Princesse Go N to Rue du Four, Go right authentic bistrot serving traditional French food

Café de la Mairie 8 pl. St-Sulpice, 01 43 26 67 82 good rating on Fodors

Café Bonaparte 42 rue Bonaparte N of Boul St. Germaine

Chez Papa 3 r St Benoît 01 42 86 99 63 The portions are enormous and the entire meal is usually less than 20 € per person, including an excellent local winelist. get a "Boyarde" salade

La Boussole 12 rue Guisarde 01 56 24 82 20 Open every day for lunch and dinner, nonstop on weekends 20E menu

La Cigale Recamier 4, rue Recamier Phone 01 45 48 86 58 off Rue Du Four near the Sevres-Babylon Metro abt 25E pp Souffles recommended

Petit Saint Benoit 4 Rue Saint Benoit 01 42 60 27 92 near corner of Rue

Jacob basic Bistro food
****Poilâne Bakery 8 rue du Cherche Midi Rue du Vieux Colombier to square Go left

**Pizza Vesuvio 1 Rue Gozlin

Also

Brasserie Lipp 151 Bld St.Germain Take R Bonaparte to St Germain and go left (art deco)

** Le Relais de l'Entrecote. 20 rue Saint-Benoit steak and frites only
they give you seconds. dinner for 2 with dessert and wine cost 65E.

**Leon de Bruxelles 131, bd St Germain 01 43 26 45 95 for mussels and a beer. …about 15E North on Rue Bonaparte to Rue du Four Go Right to Bld St Germain on left.

L’Epi Dupin 11, rue Dupin 1-42-22-64-56 near metro Sèvres-Babylone good reviews make res.

Marco Polo 8 rue de Condé, (off Rue St Sulpice) 01-43-26-79-63 Italian

**Restaurant Vagenende 142 Boulevard St. Germain (331) 43 26 68 18 Métro: Odéon Open 12 noon ‘til 1 a.m.

**Yen 22 rue St-Benoît Japanese Noodles inexpensive North on Rue Bonaparte to Bld St Germain Cross street go left

I hope that this sets your mind at rest.

((I))

Thanks, KY.

Read my trip report form 2005, where we went whole hog.

http://fodors.com/forums/threadselec...p;tid=34676645

Hi Ira - Yes, your 05 report was whole hog, but mkdiebold was trying to watch her Euro so that is why I suggested your 04 report instead.

We missed you at the Altanta GTG!

You've gotten a lot of reassurance over restaurant prices; I think the most reassuring thing of all is that menus are always posted in the windows!

On splitting an entree (in American English, a main course), I agree that your teen-agers are unlikely to fill their bellies enough by doing so. When we took our 10-year-old son to France last year, we found that he almost always did nicely with just a main course, while us grownups had an appetizer and a main course. We only occasionally had a dessert at a restaurant, primarily because by the time we got to that point, he was tired of sitting and/or tired (we usually began dinner at 8). Instead, we would have a crepe or a gelato on the way back to our hotel.

And at lunch, it was easy to get only one item at a cafe - my son's new favorite food item is a croque madame (French-style grilled cheese sandwich, which includes thick bread, a slice of ham and cheese, and a fried egg on top).

Ambergirl --

I hope no one scared you off about prices. There are many less expensive dining oppportunities as others have indicated.

Just a personal reflection: unless there is some kind of special event, business dinner, or place we "gotta go," we often prefer to stay in the nearby neighborhood for a relaxing meal. Here, the concierges at your hotel can be invaluable for recommendations. Also: it's good to walk around in different directions to get a sense of what is around. There have been many good discoveries this way.

Well, you can be sure that I'm printing out THIS post! So much valuable information, especially from ira. I was hoping he'd hop in on this one when I mentioned we're staying at Hotel Bonaparte. Merci, merci, merci!

Several folks mention the expensive soft drinks/beer/wine. What do people drink that is more reasonable? My children will drink noncarbonated water if available, and my wife is a coffeeholic. It sounds like I will have to make sure I am "decaffeinated" prior to our trip as I am not likely to desire overpriced soft drinks, and I do not prefer coffee. Advice?

The waiter will ask you if you want water. Unless you specify that you'd like "une carafe d'eau" (pitcher of tap water), you will be supplied with a very expensive bottle of mineral water (usually 4-5 euros or more for a large bottle).

Beer is also usually relatively expensive, but wine isn't. Many restaurants usually have several white, rose and red wines available by the glass, pichet (a mini-pitcher that is a good size for one person - about 2 small glasses) or carafe. They also often have half bottles for some wines as well as regular bottles.

Coffee is expensive. You need to think of it more as an investment in real estate, instead of a beverage. For the price of a cup of coffee (e.g. 2.50-4 euros), you are buying the table for as long as you want it. A good deal if you're sitting outside on a terrace and watching the world go by.(Plus you usually get a biscuit or chocolate ...)

Avoid asking for a café au lait. The waiter likely will bring you a gigantic bowl of coffee and charge you 7-8 euros for it. If you want milky coffee, ask for un creme. Un café is usually an espresso (not the thimble-sized Italian variety, but probably only 1/4 cup of liquid). You could ask for un café allongé (espresso with a bit of water added) or une noisette (espresso with a bit of milk added to it but not as milky as café au lait or cappucino).

While we think that Canadian/American Starbucks culture has gone a little too far (to the point where people seem to have lost the ability to walk down the street or drive unless they've got a giant cup of coffee in their hands), we really miss take-out coffee in Paris. While we enjoy sitting in a café and watching the world go by, sometimes we just want a big cup of coffee to go. If you need a Starbucks fix, there are a few in the more touristy areas of Paris (including a nice one near the Marais, a little north of the department store, BHV).

I don't agree with some of these ideas about what is expensive. I've been to Paris a lot over many years, and don't remember seeing who says wine/beer etc are all expensive, but don't agree with that. Well, maybe they are in comparison to where you are from, but they are cheaper in Paris than where I live in the US in a big city, generally--at least the beer and wine. Coffee is usually more expensive in Paris than where I live.

All drinks in cafes are pretty much the same price, in my experience -- wine, beer and coffee. I don't drink soft drinks, but I think they are about the same price, also, maybe a little more. Depending on brand, size, time of day, etc., all of these are between 2-5 euro in all the places I go. For example, you can buy cheaper draft beer in comparison to more expensive imported bottled beer, of course. It's not more expensive than wine in the places I go. The cheaper "house" wine brand is only a few euro a glass. You will pay more in more expensive parts of town or places, at night in some cafes (after 9 or 10), and on the terrace, etc.

Aside from draft beer and house wine, the (only) cheapest thing is just tap water, it seems to me. Bottled water is also about the price of cheap beer and wine. Waiters don't usually ask me if I want water, I think that is rare. If you want it, usually you have to mention it yourself.

Actually, Christina, I think we were asked "what kind of water" we wanted every single place we ate during our recent 10 days in Paris. I always ask for "Kar-aff dough". The asking did seem newer as it seems I always used to have to ask on my own.

We've reduced ourselves to half bottles of wine at each meal. We drank wonderful Bordeaux (Medoc in particular) and some great Cotes du Rhones for 10 to 15 euro by the half bottle. Gee, we can't get wine that good by the glass for under $15 at home!

I had a funny incident at a cafe when I ordered a cafe noisette. Out came a big cup of watery coffee. I questioned the waiter and he said "aren't you American? That's how Americans like their coffee." I said, "not this American. Could I please get a cafe noisette?" He grudgingly did so.

One more point about prices, especially in the tourist zones; cafes may have up to three posted prices per item, depending on where you are in the cafe. Cheapest prices are at the bar; that is why you will always see the locals standing there. A table is more costly, up to double in some areas. And if the cafe offers tables with cloth tops the price may be even higher. These prices are required to be posted, but you may have to search a bit. The reason is that when you sit at a table you own it...for as long as you like.

If you order the red, rose, or white "house wine" that comes in carafes or little clay pitchers, it is not expensive at all.

If you really find you can't manage without regular fixes of carbonated drinks [which I agree are outrageously priced in all bars and restaurants], why not buy a large botttle from a supermarket, and decant into a small one each day. Then carry one with water and one with your choice in it, which you can drink in the srteet or park, as you would your water. WHen you fancy a stop at a bar or cafe, stick to a small coffee, or verre du vin, like the locals or something you can't do yourself like a citron/orange presse. [freshly squeezed lemons or oranges, served with water to dilute and sugar to taste]. Then at least you aren't wasting valuable euros on fizz!

Yes, it certainly can be pointed out to the people drinking $8 Cokes that you can get 1.50 liters of generic cola at the supermarket for less than 30 eurocents (or the 'real thing' for about 1.20 euros).

oakglen, glad to see you posted about the different prices in caf&eacute;s. It was my understanding that the most expensive pricing is for outdoor tables; middle price indoor tables; least expensive <i>au comptoir</i>, as you mentioned. I have seen this to be true in caf&eacute;s all over the city, not just tourist ones.

We have had &quot;to go&quot; coffee from the French bakery chains like Pomme de Pain and Brioche Dor&eacute;e - but last time I tried (about 2 years ago), they did do paper cups and wooden stirrers - but no lids! ;)