great thread. bmk.

Juveniles wine bar (1st)

Le Pantruche (9th).
Tip: Their soufflet is to die for.

La Véraison (15th)

Philou (10th)

Chez Marie-Louise (10th)

Les Antiquaires.(7th)
This one is close to Musée d'Orsay so it makes a perect stop for lunch.

In the Saint-Germain area I would recommend Semilla but it's more of a Contemporary French bistro.

All the restaurants I recommended above are reasonably-priced, around €20-€30 for a two-course meal, except for Semilla which is more upscale.

If you want to get away from places overrun with tourists, you might want to try La Souris Verte on rue Marcadet behind Montmartre.

I just had a fantastic meal (and evening) at the newly opened/rennovated Le Clou in the 9th on Ave Troudaine (at rue de Martyrs). Excellent food and service. The chef came out to meet at the end of my meal. A very neighborhood/local vibe. After walk over to Lulu White for a night cap and a bit of Jazz.

We like Philou too. In addition we have had very good meals at:

La Cerisaie
70 boulevard Edgar-Quinet, 75014
Montparnasse-Bienvenüe (4, 6, 12, 13) or Edgar Quinet (6)
Closed Sunday & Monday

and

Au Bon Coin
21 Rue de la Collégiale, 75005
Les Gobelins
Open 7 days

Both are small so make reservations. You can change your plans and cancel but it is harder to get a table if you don't reserve. Have a great time.

Thanks again for all the replies...I'll have to extend my stay in Paris as I now have more restaurants than days :)

Jim_Tardio, we agree with that!!! How about at least a month? We enjoy maitaitom's report links; however, need time to read them all.

One main issue we have is that we're never quite sure where we may end up of an evening, and sometimes hesitate to make reservations in another part of the city.

Thanks for starting this thread.

"Thanks again for all the replies...I'll have to extend my stay in Paris as I now have more restaurants than days :)"

I feel your pain. If you are into seafood, Aki is really good.

165 days, 7 hours, 2 mins and 40 second until we are back in Paris!

Just because any of us liked a particular restaurant doesn't mean that the OP will, but of course it is always good to have a lot of suggestions.

Frankly, what is missing is the exact definition of a "moderately priced meal." In my own monetary scale, that rarely exceeds 30-35 euros, but I'm sure it is not the case of everybody here.

It you are going to be speaking French in Paris, it also helps to know that the word "bistro" is as misused as the word "inn" in English. Is it a restaurant? Is it a bar? Is it a hotel? In ordinary French, a bistro is a café/bar, so if you ask for a good bistro, that is where you will be sent. If you are planning to eat in what is called a bistro in English, ask for suggestions for "un petit restaurant."

I consider moderate 30-50 euro. Below 30, I consider cheap. That is for meal plus wine. I do agree some on Fodors might call moderate 75 or more, though, but not sure.

I have never heard of anyone thinking of a bistro as just a bar, even in France. And in France, many places with the word bistro in their name are not, in fact, "bars" but are small restaurants, so I can't agree with you that there is such a different meaning, or any difference that I can see.

FOr example, one of my favorite restaurants in Paris is Bistro Champetre in the 15th (not a bar nor a cafe). I also like Bistro des Deux Theatres in the 9th (also a small restaurant). Bistrot Paul Bert in the 11th also seems like a small restaurant to me. Now sometimes they are more like cafe/restaurants but not usually just a bar.

bookmarking

Christina, that's exactly why I said that the word BISTRO is just like the word INN -- it can designate all sorts of different establishments going far beyond the original meaning.

But I must insist very firmly that if you ask a normal French person "tu connais un bistro sympa?" or "il y a un bistro ouvert dans le coin?" or any other such question, the immediate understanding is that you are looking for a café.

(On a totally different subject except for the fact that it is a beverage served in a bistro, the American confusion over the word <i>limonade</i> is also worth mentioning. It is usually translated as <i>lemonade</i> and poses absolutely no problem to speakers of British English because <i>lemonade</i> is a fizzy lemon-lime beverage such as Sprite or 7-UP. But to an American, lemonade is a drink made with lemon juice, water and sugar, known in French as <i>citronnade</i>. Almost no French waiter knows that the British and American usage are different on this subject.)

Yeah, around 30-35 euro per person is about as high as I like to go.

Whether you define a bistro as a cafe/bar or a small restaurant is fine with me. As long as I can get a good meal and a drink there I'm usually happy :)

A lot of places include all this on their awnings and anywhere else it will fit - I guess so they'll manage to attract everyone:
"Restaurant - Bistro - Brasserie - Cafe - Bar"

Please note that Les Papilles is one tough reservation, we ate there 6-7 years ago, but when we were in Paris just this past September, we could not get a reservation on any weeknight I requested. Try to reserve now via LaFourchette (the online version of OpenTable). There is a by-arrondisement listing on Paris by Mouth (or was it my France Today online newsletter which I love?) which is very handy.

Thank you, Aliced. I did manage to get a reservation for October...but I have to confirm that day before 3pm or it gets cancelled.

Then again with Les Papilles, you may have to drink tap water to keep the bill "moderate."

I love Bouillon Racine especially for the art nouveau building. Also enjoyed Le Pre Verre.

I have not read all the replies but if you are staying in the St Germaine area one of the greatest places to eat is in Rue Moffatard in the Latin district. It is an easy walk from where you are staying and there are so many little bistros in that cobbled street to choose from. Wont break the bank either.