Paris dining-with teens
 

Those of you who know me know that I start researching where to eat a year in advance. Well, this time we are bringing our kids with us and they will be 12 (DS) and 14 (DD) next June.
I have dined at La Astrance, Spring, Le Comptoir de Relais etc. I don't "wing it" when it comes to meals.
However, given the children issue, I am totally befuddled as to where to dine for dinner.
DD will enjoy a lovely meal but DS eats for fuel and will not enjoy a 3 (or even longer) course meal that takes 3 plus hours.
Would love some ideas - thanks all.

I say "wing it" especially with adolescents.

Your totalitarian past will be of no help on this trip.

Kerouac, I cannot-it is not in my nature. I used to book both lunches and dinners so have gotten a little more relaxed.

Chez Denise might be a good idea-they like escargot (ok they like the garlic butter and the bread!)

I am thinking about places like this that will serve 1 or 2 courses and not a long multi course meal.

Any other ideas?

Lunches will be more cafes, salads, and picnics.

DD will enjoy a lovely meal but DS eats for fuel and will not enjoy a 3 (or even longer) course meal that takes 3 plus hours.>>

Though I like a good dinner as much as the next woman I'm not sure that I have the patience or stamina for a 3 hour dinner, to be honest.

but you can still have 3 courses, even 4 and not have to sit there [or in your case, have your 12 year old DS sit there] for 2+ hours.

I should look for places with prix fixe dinners featuring limited choices, so that the kitchen doesn't have too much to do and can get the food out quickly, alternatively brasseries which are used to feeding people quickly at any time of the day [or night].

the website http://www.thefork.com/city/paris/415144 should be a help [was "la fourchette" but it got taken over] - you can select for type of food, area, price, and get money off at the same time.

IME of trying to feed a fussy child with a healthy appetite, dishes like pate, steak, and tarte aux pommes were quite acceptable, filled him up, and took a reasonable time to eat. we also took books for him to read, and developed a good range of entertaining family games to play - eye spy, who am I? We went to Paris and we saw....all help to make the time before and between courses go more quickly.

Bon chance!

I have to go with Kerouac and say, "wing it." We sent our two teens (DD14,DS19) to Paris in August for a few days (ostensibly to offer DD a chance to practice the language), with moderate guidelines for spending our money.

Their favorites on this sans-parent holiday? The overpriced tea and sandwiches from Institut du Monde Arab (and the view); crepes wherever they found them when hungry; and bistros/brasseries wherever the menu board offering appealed to both of them. On one particular day they picked up Jambon-Beurre and took the sandwiches, the frisbee, and a blanket to Champs de Mars and had a fabulous afternoon.

On previous occasions when we have traveled as a family to Paris we have either dragged them along to a restaurant or left them in the rental apartment with dinner a la Picard. Really, you can not force a Teen to love the Parisian dining experience.

Our kids love food, we have taken them to all sorts of restaurants, but I wouldn't subject them to 3 hour meals every evening.

Places they enjoyed in Paris were Georges (centre Pompidou), and Bouillon Racine. Nice surroundings, view (at Georges), good food and it didn't take too long.

Most restaurants will serve just one or two courses; you don't have to go for the 7-course tasting menu.

In any case, give them a chance to get to Paris, see what the eating establishments look like and check out the displayed menus before locking anything in.

Nobody will stop you from lobbying for your own ideas at the same time, but please do not decide 2 or 3 months ahead of time on certain "destination restaurants."

I've rarely eaten in a place that served multi-course meals as the only choice, you order what you want. I've never eaten in a place that had a "tasting menu", thank goodness. And I've never eaten in a place that had more than 3 courses (appetizer, main and dessert). But I don't stuff myself so sometimes just order a main, actually. Lots and lots of restaurants are like that, you order what you want.

I am very surprised you don't know of places where you can order a la carte. Any cafe will be like that, as well as many having some "menus" at dinner or even lunch, but you can always order a la carte. Many cafes can be quite nice. Any brasserie I"ve been to has been like that, even the expensive ones (like Bofinger). I know this may be too cheap for you, but the Chez Clement chain has lots of choices, a pleasant atmosphere and you can always order a la carte there.

I have never spent 3 hours at dinner, either, in Paris. Even in the places that did have 3 courses, like the Willi Dorr places (ie, I like Bistro Champetre, or Bistro des Deux Theatres in the 9th). They do have a set 3 course "menu" but you can still always order a la carte.

I really like the Relais d'Entrecote steak-frites chain. You have no choice, that's all you get, but it does include a salad as appetizer (so two courses). It's up to you whether you choose to add dessert separately to the bill. I would think teens would like that, unless vegetarian. I think their frites are the best I've had in Paris.

Thanks all. Christine, I mostly dine at the baby bibs with a set price for 3 courses.
Am looking at Le Resto, Pascade, Tempero, Oka and Circonstances now.
comments?

what does 'to wing it' mean ?

Go to l'ambassade d'auvergne for a start.

wing it = improvise

I went to Pascade and wasn't crazy about it. It's just a sort of puffy pancake filled with different meats and veggies and then filled with fruit and cream for dessert. It would have been much better if they had just left off the gimmicky pancake.

A couple of the other places you mentioned (Oka, Tempero) serve neo-fusion type meals. You might like them, but your kids probably would want a lot more (and less fussy) food on their plates.

Take them for moules-frites at any brasserie, cous-cous at Omar's or Cafe Charlot for a cheeseburger, instead. Chez Dumonet in the 6th arr. is great for traditional French food and atmosphere.

fuzzbucket, I fear you are right. after paris, we head to the Dordogne for a week and then provence where I think more casual eating will be easier.

Maybe your kids are different from mine (but mine did grow up spending every summer in France eating French food at all kinds of restaurants), but they sure wouldn't have wanted to be subjected to 3-hour meals anywhere (well, they did a few of those in the Dordogne and it was fine), or even meals pre-planned. What we used to enjoy the most was walking around together and looking at menus and saying "Well, this looks great for all of us!." A little spontaneity works wonders with teens and gives them a sense of ownership of what they're eating in a foreign place. Perhaps on this trip you could "supprimer" the desire to control every meal ahead of time? You might find it actually enjoyable. My kids' favorite place to eat in Paris was Pizza Tina (not just for pizza).

There's a fine line between introducing teens to "the dining experience" in Paris and letting them just enjoy themselves eating.

Any brasserie will have a lovely selection that won't take hours. Steak frites? Surely they have done that at home!!
As mentioned, any restaurant with a prix fixe menu choice should be fine and except at Jules Verne, I don't think we ever ate for 3 hours. Maybe it is the parents' expectations/desires that need to be pared down.. 'o)

Just would like to add that reverse psychology can sometimes be useful in the "I bet you would never dare eat...." department.

plambers - As a parent you already realize that what works for one generation doesn't always do so well for the next. I have escorted many student groups from Canada to Europe and generally, the youth like to make their own decisions about food. I think you might be well served to, after having them join you for a wonderful 3 course meal, offer them the choice to try other venues. While they really aren't old enough to go wandering the streets looking for alternate dining places, they could certainly have input in what they choose to eat. Street meat is great and there are loads of small cafes that serve snack/meals (donair etc.).

I would try to discourage them from places they already know like McD and KFC - but it is their trip too.

I hope you let us know how it goes.

tC

I agree with the suggestion Relais l'Entrecote. A bit more expensive but with a menu that has some reliable staples that most kids would like, plus an amazing view of the pyramid at the Louvre, Cafe Marly.

Around the corner from Le Comptoir is Marco Polo. Great Italian that might be more familiar for them. If you can sell a souffle, then Le Souffle might be fun (on rue Mont Thabor) savory and dessert souffles. Also, near by....Ferdi, which some say has a great burger (have not been). Also, near by da Rosa...iberico ham, olives, cheese and other menu items (also a location in St Germain).

Galette Cafe on rue de l'Universite may also be an option.

Not sure where you are staying.

Paris's finest restaurant (for kids): Hippopotamus!

Also, there's a place called Chartier on the edge of the Opera district that serves lower end fine dining. It started as a workingman's restaurant about 100 years ago.

I think they may have three courses, appetizer, main, and dessert, but they turn the tables quickly, so there's not as much waiting around. And the prices are reasonable.

Below is a link to their webpage. And of course you can look them up on Tripadvisor.

http://www.bouillon-chartier.com/en/

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