My husband and I are staying in the Marais district for 3 days. Because of the euro we dont want to spend $250 for dinner but want nice cafes with ambiance. We would like suggestions for left and right bank. Thanks

What do you consider "medium-priced?"

The good thing about cafes and restaurants in Paris is that they post the menu and prices outside. Most of them have pre-fixe menus so you get a choice from each course for a flat rate. Also, do a search here for Paris restaurants to get more information. It would also help to know what price range you are comfortable with.

If you search the forum on 'paris restaurants', I'd say about 90% at least will fall well below $250 for a 2-person dinner with wine.

The most we have spent for a dinner in 12 years is 90€, including a bottle of wine. 2nd most was a dinner at 75€. The rest of the time we have enjoyable meals for 40-55€ total for 2, incl. at least a glass of wine each.

So you will have no problem whatsoever.

Almost all cafes are medium-price or less, except a few on the Champs-Elysees, etc. Perhaps you are really asking about restaurants, where you can have a much wider variety of prices?

I'm also wondering if there are less expensive cafes/restaurants than what are commonly reported in this forum. No offense to anyone willing to shell out over 90-100 Euros a day for a dinner for 2, but I was a bit put off by some reports that make it look like you have to spend at least that much to enjoy dining in Paris.

I simply cannot do that for all 7 days I'm going to spend over there without going broke, at the same time, I don't think I could accept that Paris is simply just the way it is: for the ELITE. Or is it?

Hi W,

$250 is about 160E.

That isn't exactly roughing it.

For 80E pp, you can have lunch at Taillevent.

Hi F,

You can easily find Fixed Price Menus (2 courses) for 30E or less.

I really wanted suggestions from eople about specific places you have eaten that you would return to----Iabout 100 euros for 2?

We have enjoyed Taxi Jaune at 13, Rue Chapon in the 3rd. Very nice ambiance and good food/value.

Sorza and Le fleur en isle on Isle St. Louis.

Marco Polo on Rue de Conde near the Odeon.

We enjoyed Bouillon Racine, 3 rue Racine in the 6th off St Mich Blvd. Lovely ambiance.

But truly you can find you own places easily enough once you are there. Just keep your eyes open when you are out and about during the day, check menus, and jot down addresses.

Le Pamphlet 38 Rue Debelleyme 4eme, has a 30 Euro menu and the food is exceptionable. In the 7th , Les Ministeres, on rue du BAc, has a 35 Euro menu that includes a half bottle of wine. Bistrot de Breteuil has the same , 35 Euro with wine.

My daughter and I just returned from Paris, and I have my Mastercard bill right here:

Chez L'Ami Jean (27 Rue Malar--7th) was $149.29 for two people. Price includes a bottle of not-too-expensive wine. It was fun, lively, and had great food, especially the rice pudding and the seafood bisque. Service was so-so, but it was crowded and busy and we didn't care. We loved this place!

Le P'tit Troquet (28 Rue de L'Exposition--7th) was $160.80 (with wine) for two people. Very good food. Quieter than L'Ami Jean and better service.

Bocconi (10 bis, Rue d'Artois--8th) was $144.55. Very friendly and good service, food was good (Italian) but not great.

Maison du Jardin (27 Rue de Vangirard--6th) Very good food, very few tourists. Reminded me of the type of place I might go to at home to celebrate a friend's birthday, etc. Nice, but not over the top. I think it was about $160.00 for the two of us.

Ze Kitchen Gallerie (4 Rue de Grands Augustins--6th) It was somewhat more expensive. I don't have that bill here, but I think it was about $200-$220 for the two of us. They has just gotten a Michelin star. The food was very good--creative and innovative-- service somewhat snooty, but not to the point of being annoying.

Hope this helps!

Here are two recommended cafes in the Marais:

My favorite: Cafe des Musees on the Rue de Turenne, around the corner from the Musee Carnavalet and the Musee Picasso. Very, very crowded at lunch, crowded enough that you may have to get up to let people at another table get in our out. Traditional food, well-prepared at reasonable prices. Not a huge selection of dishes so not for picky eaters.

Here is a description of another from a trip report I did in 2004:

Temps de Cerises Rue de Ceriseries in the 4th, between Bastille and the river. Recommended in lots of guides and by Jack the Belgian on the web, but not a sign of another American, at least partly because this looks like a ‘70’s pizza parlor in Somerville, MA, fake stone on the exterior and all. From inside, you could watch people come up, look in, and decide, “I don’t think so!” Big mistake. Goodish food and fabulous scene of neighborhood people, all of whom knew each other and the owners. Much kissing of babies and small children, about four deep at a bar that was about 4 feet long. I had a salad of lentil and potato with mustard vinaigrette, followed by fish and macaroni and cheese (delicious). My wife had charcuterie and duck pot au feu – so fabbo she wouldn’t share more than a taste except for giving me the turnip. There were some desserts included in the €13 menu (2004); my crème caramel was better than her tarte aux peche but we traded midway through.

On the other hand, we also had a really bad meal at a fish place called Le Vapeurs de Marais near the St Paul metro station. Cheap, cute as a bug outside, charming inside, but a smell of drains from the basement kitchen, lots of Americans, and waiters who held them/us in contempt. We found it in a “Right Bank on a Budget” article in the Times earlier this year. My wife promptly developed a Restaurant Review Rule: never eat anywhere that has been mentioned in a budget travel article in the Times any time during the past three years. If it is still around after that, it may have regained what made it a good choice. This was a 2004 review, so it is 4 years later and may be better, but I would sniff the air pretty carefully on entering.

Les Philosophes, at 29 Rue Vielle du Temple in the Marais is one of a string of cozy cafes under the same ownership and located close to one another.

I would not recommend these for fine dining but they are quite cute and have set lunches for about 20 Euro (that is the price I paid 18 months ago..)

You can read lots of Paris food information in this report if you scroll down to the Paris part at the end..


http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34894706

Hi W,

Here are some that we like:

Bistrot de la Grille Saint Germain
1 r Guisarde
Tel: 01 43 54 16 87

Pizza Vesuvio 1 Rue Gozlin across the street from the Eglise St. Germain des Pres

Brasserie Lipp 151 Bld St.Germain

Le Petit Zinc 11 r St Benoît
01 42 86 61 00

Restaurant Vagenende
142 Boulevard St. Germain
01 43 26 68 18 Métro: Odéon

La Mediterranee.
2 Place de l'Odeon
01 43 26 02 30
open Sunday Good fish and Veal

Au Pied du Cochon
6 rue Coquilliere, 01-40-13-77-00 Mº Les Halles

Thanks so much to all of you for your generous comments and advice!!