We will arrive in Paris at 8:30am and depart 24 hrs later---what is a must see/eat/do with a short time frame--already did the tower,notre dame on a previous 24 hr trip---would like one blowout dinner--can you help. Thx

It would help to define a $$ for your blowout dinner.

What are your interests? In such a short time, for example, I wouldn't go to the Louvre, but maybe I'd go to the Orsay/Cluny/Rodin.

I like walking in Paris, so any short time I had there would include walking around Left Bank (along St Germain), Ile St Louis, above and below banks of the Seine, a market (Buci would be nice), some cafe time, a night cruise on the Seine,...

Do you arrive at the airport at 8:30 AM? I'd allow for 2 hours to get into the city and settle. Where are you staying?

Have you been to St. Chapelle? That would be another worthwhile place you could easily visit that is worth the time

Staying at La Meridian Montpornasse(?) in Paris,price for dinner is no prob--just a fantastic place/food--making up for that expense by picnicing on a lot of our days. Have not been to St Chapelle and Buci would be nice--Orsay is def a good option.Interests in almost everything-history,art,Jeff is wine fanatic,food,etc.Thanks for your help.

Hi,
for a 24 hour trip, I would forget abour Orsay ( no time to see such a splendid place). Just walk around and enjoy the Left Bank. If you love food , Le Grande Epicerie next to Bon Marche deprtment store is a must
( even my "ketchup on everything" partner wants to go back every time we visit Paris )
nela.

If you are willing to pay upwards of 200 Euro per person, have dinner at Taillevent. Or go casual at Atelier de Joel Robuchon...you can have the tasting menu at the counter there for 110 Euro and it is quite amazing. Do you want traditional or cutting-edge food? There are dozens and dozens of possibiities, you should tell us more about what you are looking for in the way of dinner in order to get meaningful responses.

L'Orangerie (a museum, not an orange grove) just re-opened and my recent houseguests have raved about it.

For a reasonably priced splurge, I would recommend my favourite restaurant in Paris, Pomze. It has a modern, innovative (but never quirky just for quirky's sake) menu where all the courses feature apples in some way. It is partly sponsored by an association of apple growers. Go to www.pomze.com. The fixed price menu is 33 euros per person for 3 courses. You can order wine, but a better choice is the degustation of ciders (12 euros), 3 wine-glass sized servings each matched to your courses (with a detailed explanation from the waiter of the cider's origin and why it was selected to match the course). We went there for my birthday last year. We ordered one menu, an appetizer and a main (and split the dessert), which gave us more flexibility in terms of menu choices - and more than enough food.

Other dinner options: We took a guest to Le Dome in Montparnasse for an appetizer of oysters. The decor is beautiful art deco, and the location is historic. But a whole meal would have been very expensive, so we slurped our oysters, savoured the ambience and then split for a cheap and cheerful dinner elsewhere.

Stella, in the 16th arrondissement, offers very good quality classic bistro cooking in an attractive room, at a reasonable price.

If the weather is clear, and you would like to check another iconic Paris experience off your to-do list, head up to Montmartre for its view.

If you only have one night and want to splurge on a special dinner, I recommend that you make a reservation in advance of your trip.

Hi M,

> in Paris,price for dinner is no prob--just a fantastic place/food--making up for that expense by picnicing on a lot of our days.<

Another vote for Taillevent.

>We will arrive in Paris at 8:30am and depart 24 hrs later....already did the tower,notre dame on a previous 24 hr trip---<

Have you ever considered actually visiting Paris?

The only other advice I can offer is that if you want to dine at Taillevent or another top-rank Paris restaurant, you need to reserve in advance. Sometimes way in advance. I tried to reserve dinner at Taillevent about three weeks before my October arrival in the city and was told, in a lovely e-mail from the owner, that the restaurant was booked for dinner through the end of 2006. It is much easier to secure a lunch reservation.