Paris Dining
 

Hi, I'm going to visit Paris in a week. I'm looking forward to all the wonderful French food! Unfortunately, I'm a student without a lot of cash. Can anyone recommend some inexpensive, more casual restaurants to try? Thanks.

Try this site http://travel.hispeed.com/parisrestaurantsvalue.htm<BR>

Every student who goes to Paris should have a meal at Chartier, one of the oldest, most classic Parisian restaurants. It's not haute cuisine, but it's good, and it's cheap, and it's an experience. At 7, rue du Faubourg Montmartre in the 9me arrondissement. You can find out more about it at http://www.fluctuat.net/nuits/restos...s/chartier.htm

Grechen, <BR><BR>Thanks for your help!<BR><BR>

Just off Place St Michel in the 5th are several streets, rue de la harpe, rue st severin, etc - lots of cheap but quite OK restaurants. Go before 7 or 7:30 as most have the cheapest options then. Even after that time plenty still in the 10 euro range.

Avoid rue de la Huchette. The food isn't French, it's a big tourist rip off and very poor value for money. Le Guide du Routard, a French guide book, will be of help to you. Just note the names and addresses if you don't speak French. Good luck!

xoxo is SO right! Nobody, not even a poor student, has to stoop to eating on the rue de la Harpe. Total tourist trap - no authentic French food anywhere around, and the restaurants are dirty. You're better off getting a fresh salad or sandwich at a Brioche Doree.

I really would recommend against those tourist fast food restaurants in rue de la Harpe, also, as I think the food is suspect, especially the meat (which if not spoiled may be all fat/gristle). I kind of got sick from eating in one of them once. They are tourist traps and not French, either. I will admit that I've heard several young students say they like that area, though, because they don't care about good food that much and like all the crowds and activity.<BR><BR>Chartier is a good idea, it's basic food, but an interesting experience (actually not bad for the money). I think I've also liked Perraudin on rue St-Jacques in the Latin Qtr. For Lebanese, La Taverne du Nil on Ile St-Louis, rue de Regrattier, is very good and quite cheap. There are some good cheap typical French restaurants where young people go, even locals, that are not like those on rue de la Harpe -- La Gargouille on rue des Boulangers (runs between the Lemoine and Jussieu metro stops) and Pot de Terre on rue du Pot de Fer near place Monge are two (prix fixe dinner 12-20 euro). There are also several good cheap restaurants of various types (including French) on rue Thouin in the Latin Quarter, a little to the east of the Pantheon area, you can just walk around there and check them out.

I highly recommend Cafe du Marche on rue Cler in the 7th - met many students there. Also, Pizza Milano on the Siene and rue St. Michel. If you want the best hot fudge sundae you've ever had (New York Sundae) go to Le Depart St. Michel (a cafe - it's across the street from Pizza Milano (all a hop, skip & a jump across the bridge to Isle de la Cite and Notre Dame.

You can do better than the Brioche Doree, which is just a chain serving decent but nothing-special patisserie. Why not try the home-made croissants at Cafe Mouffetard on rue Mouffetard? Or a croissant au beurre from any highly rated boulangerie (look for a sign that says Flute de Gana--a sign of superior bread).

Also if you like mussels there are a number of restaurants across from the Gare du Nord that serve inexpensive meals and particularly moules frites.

Go to the chowhound dot com site and select their international board. Not terribly far down the current list of threads someone asks this question and a person named maurice answers with some very helpful suggestions. He lives in Paris himself so he knows whereof he speaks. Check it out.

Wow, thanks for all the great advice everyone! I can't wait for my trip to start.<BR><BR>

For good, inexpensive, French food in a casual atmosphere I can recommend the following:<BR><BR>Perraudin, 157 rue St. Jacques (near the Pantheon) - closed Saturday and Sunday - cash only - no reservations - best to arrive at opening (7:30 p.m.) to avoid a wait.<BR><BR>Polidor, 41 rue Monsieur-le-Prince (Metro: Odeon) - cash only - no reservations - once again, best to arrive at opening.<BR><BR>Not French, but I can also recommend:<BR><BR>L'As du Fallafel, 34 rue des Rosier - for great fallafels in Le Marais<BR><BR>Le Jardin des Pates, 4, rue Lacepede (in Latin Quarter - Metro: Cardinal Lemoine) - for nice pastas - best to call for reservations 01 43 31 50 71<BR><BR>We enjoyed lunches at Le Pain Quotidien and Cafe du Marche. We found Brioche D'Oree at St. Michel and St. Germain to be a good spot for takeaway pannini (and Luxembourg Gardens a lovely location to picnic).<BR><BR>Have a wonderful time in Paris!