Hi
I've never been to France and I'm so excited. I'll be in an apartment in rue Plumet, the 15th district, off rue Volontaires where Metro Volontaires is located. Has anyone stayed in this area before. What did you like in terms of buying bread, wine, cheese, etc.?

I've heard this isn't exactly a great area for little inexpensive restaurants. Anyone have suggestions? We'll be out of the area most nights but it would be nice to have some local back up spots for dinner.

I promise to post a trip report.

Thank you!

"Chez Papa" on rue de la Croix Nivert is an excellent cheap place where locals eat French Southwestern specialties.
Rue de la Convention at metro Convention has a big street market near where you will be.

Areas like that are fine for inexpensive restaurants, since those are the residential areas where lots of Parisians live. I don't know that I'd call Volontaires close to Montparnasse, though.

The area around Montparnasse itself is chock full of restaurants, and again they are not necessarily expensive.

Hi F,

You can take a walk through the neighborhood, and look up restaurants, etc at www.pagesjaunes.fr

You can find out how to 'get around' by exploring the transportation website:
www.ratp.fr

It will show you the metro system, the bus system, and has street maps that show the stops... and so on.

As to using the above 'yellow pages' site:
You can change to English, but I've learned the French words for most types of businesses that a tourist needs... so you can do a "proximitie" search for places nearest your street address, like the
- supermarche
- boulangerie
- pharmacie
- café
- restaurant
... try it -it's fun!

I was wondering who told you that area isn't great for inexpensive restaurants? It's a lot better than the touristy areas in the center, in terms of price. I wouldn't call that area Montparnasse, though, either. I think people usually refer to it as the Pasteur area.

There is a good restaurant down on rue d'Alleray, which isn't far, which is really cute, also (trad French) -- Je The Me (pun). Here's a description in English
http://www.bestrestaurantsparis.com/...je-the-me.html
It does have its own website but I can't find it now.

I really like the area around Sq. St Lambert (I like the cinema there which plays a lot of rep stuff), and there are lots of reasonable restaurants just walking around between there and west a bit -- like rue des Entrepreneurs or around Felix Faure metro. That's just the area I know better, but you may not want to wander over that way, but it's a pleasant area to walk. The Tire Bouchon bistro on Entrepreneurs is good. Of course, there is the wellknown Cafe du Commerce which isn't far, around Commerce metro stop.

http://www.lecafeducommerce.com/

One of my favorite bistros is in the 15th, although not around Volontaires -- I was probably walking over to it from St Lambert when I noticed all the other good restaurants -- that is Bistro Champetre on rue St Charles just about the corner of rue de l'Eglise. Complete menu for only about 32 euro, which includes wine and dessert. They make excellent profiteroles, also, and that's not easy to find any more.

There are plenty of good bakeries in the 15th, but you need to get in the mood of wehat this is all supposed to be about. You living there and exploring and discovering things. Walkd around and look and see what's there. You aren't going to want to go far away just to buy bread, wine or cheese, so just look around the neighborhood. YOu don't need to plan everything in advance and only go to a list of addresses you have. It's more fun when you don't. Stop worrying about finding a place to buy bread, and relax.

Great advice guys. Thank you!

Great website reccomendations too. So glad to hear I have a street market nearby.

Travelnut. Thanks for filling me in on how to use the Yellow Pages search.

Christina. Excellent tips and I'm not worried I'm EXCITED. gt; Getting more excited as the days go by. Thanks.

Any one else have reccomendations?

We loved Cave de l'Os a Moelle, 181 rue de Lourmel, Paris 15, Metro Lourmel. It's the smaller restaurant of two restaurants owned by the same Chef. You are served buffet or family style at common tables. The guidebook I found it in described it as eating at your grandmother's house if she were a little French grandmother.

Here's a place right around the corner from the 15th. Not the Moulin Rouge, but the Moulin Vert! http://parisdailyphoto.blogspot.com/...ulin-vert.html

Terrific ideas. I've saved them all and am very thankful you all took time to post them. I'm also interested in Patisseries nearby, if you know any?

Thanks again

Didyou try finding them yourself? I gave you that tip in an earlier post above.
www.pagesjaunes.fr
get a building on your street to come up
click on "proximite"
enter "patisserie"
It will give you all the patisseries in the immediate area of that address
It isn't difficult - just play around with it a minute. Otherwise, other people are just having to do it for you, as it is not likely someone is going to have this info. at their fingertips. And you can use this tool many times to find all kinds of businesses around your location.

Use the "photo" option, too, and see what the street looks like. Use the "overview" (arienne?) to get a satellite pix - very cool.

Foodmuse, I think you received a wealth of information! Do not try to plan everything in detail - and do not worry about nice boulangeries and Patisseries. Once you are there, you will find them everywhere - just walk around - and you will see them!

Enjoy Paris!