Paris -Birthday Dinner for $50/person - any recommendations?
 

I'm going with 5 other friends to celebrate a couple of birthdays. We like normal French food that we get here in San Francisco. We are not into fancy, artistic plates, but rather, good tasting food, maybe like a bistro style? We don't drink wine, so that is not an issue.

We are staying in the 17th Arron. but can go wherever a metro takes us. Do you have any good bistro/brasserie recommendations?

Thanks! :)

A good place to start would be to do a search here for 'Paris restaurant'. There are a ton of ideas that will get you started.

you can check out restaurants on bestrestaurantsparis.com; this is the tiny url http://tinyurl.com/39ycr8

That said, on Wagram, a couple of blocks north of Rennequin was a very nice restaurant whose name totally escapes me...I could page jeunes but I haven't.

I truly enjoyed staying in the 17th.

L'Entredgeu in the 17th gets good reports and is not too expensive. A small bistro.

http://www.lefooding.com/restaurant-162.htm

I think you might like Chez Plumeau in Montmartre (just a block or so from the touristy part). We ate there and had wonderful lamb and duck; once we just stopped in and ate inside, and once we made reservations and ate outside, on a beautiful night, which was magical. We found it an easy walk (but full of stairs; it is in Montmartre) from the Barbes Rochechouart metro stop, but it's also near Pigalle and Anvers, and the map suggests checking out the Abesses and Lamark Caulaincourt stops. Don't miss the view; maybe go at dusk?

Here's a good list of restaurants in Paris: http://www.travel--guide.org/Paris

Another place I liked a lot is Les Allobroges in the 20th. They offer a set menu for 32 Euro.

Without wine, you should be able to get out of Au Bon Accueil in the 7th for under 35 EUR. Outdoor tables have a view of the Eiffel Tower. Make reservations ASAP - it is very popular.

Seems like an outdoor table for 6 at Au Bon Accueil might be tight....or I just remember their outdoor seating as being in a narrower space than it is.

My favorite in the 17th is Le Ballon des Ternes (103 avenue des Ternes). It is a brasserie, but a very nice one. Beautiful decor and festive atmosphere, good food, good service. We discovered it a few years ago after I read an article about where French chefs ate on their day off. One chef (Guy Savoy, I think) recommended this place. I also love the 17th!

ekscrunchy!


Les Allobroges...their lamb shanks are to die for...I was never so happy as when Patricia Wells put that recipe in her Paris Cookbook!

Yes..I had the lamb shanks, too. Now I have to get her Paris cookbook from the library... I really liked the restaurant and wonder why no one ever mentions it here..I guess because it is not in the central tourist areas...

And the prices are really reasonable...I see from my notes here that we paid the equivalent of $56 US for TWO of us, with wine, in 1999( !!)

I guess they have gone up quitte a bit since then but I am sure it is still moderate...

ekscrunchy,

I posted the recipe on another website's food forum. As I said I bring the Quatre Epices home from France but , I do have a recipe for that too

Lamb Shanks

http://tinyurl.com/2qh4rg

Jody, that is wonderful! Thank you so much for posting.

Now I have another food item to bring home from France; what are the four spices?

We had our favorite meal on Ille St. Louis, at Le Caveau de l’Isle, at 36 rue Saint-Louis en l’Isle. Great menu, with a three-course fixed prix around 30 EU. Excellent and friendly service. Small and atmospheric place. You can see the menu on the website.
:)>-

Take a look at La Cameleon on rue Chevreuse right near the Vavin metro.

Quatre Épices..giorfle, muscade, cannelle, poivre...clove , nutmeg , cinnamon and pepper

Heck out Au Gout. It sounds like it could be just the place for you.

Thank you all for the responses! I will look over all of the restaurants you recommended; they sound great :) Now, it will be hard to choose!

There is a small restaurant, Florimond, just steps from the Ecole Militaire metro stop in the 7th. It is country French cooking and gets the Bib Gourmand from Guide Michelin. It's always full so a party of six would need an reservation one or two days before- 01 45 55 40 38. Best of all it's completely non smoking.