Le Petit St. Benoit, on street of same name, in the 6th. It's an old fashioned bistro with a prix fixe of around 15 euro. Lunch or dinner; no reservations so arrive early for dinner.

Our fall-back is always Vesuvio, just across the street from the St-Germain métro station. It has a lengthy menu of Italian and French food; student meal cards are accepted, which gives you an idea of the affordability. The restaurant is very lively and lots of fun.

Tipping: You can get away with a few euro--like 5%-10% of the total. Service is already included in the bill. Some people just leave a couple of euro..

niteflite - check these threads

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35130365

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35126211

the subject has been dealt with a lot.

Tipping...I would not leave 5-10%. Round it up to the nearest euro, unless you feel it was special service, then be generous

Just came back from Paris, and posted the places we ate on my blog. You might take a look and see if anything suits your fancy: http://kylemcnichols.blogspot.com/20...an-4-2009.html.

Hope it helps!

I rarely tip in Paris, and certainly wouldn't if I was eating on that budget in real cheap places. Even when I do, I sure wouldn't tip 10 pct of the bill!

YOu don't have to tip at all, there's no law that you have to tip. Service is already included in the bill, unlike the US and some other countries -- at least in France.

There isn't any European rule, it varies by country and whether service is included or not in the bill. It isn't included by law in some countries, but it must be included in France.

You can always eat in the cafeterias in the deparment stores. I like the one in Galeris Layfayette. Happy Travels!

FWIW, my daughter and I were able to eat quite reasonably in Paris by sticking mostly with crepe stands (Oh how I miss those ham and cheese crepes!) and the little sandwich place near our hotel. We had a couple of cafe meals and a wonderful lunch at a Jewish restaurant in the Marais. But I was amazed at how little we wound up spending. And how much we enjoyed what we ate!

Bookmarking!

Monica ((F))

An ex-pat took to this bistro where I think I was the only non-Parisian. It is just a few blocks from the Louvre. Quite good and in your price range.

Bistro Vivienne

http://maps.google.com/maps?source=i...;latlng=667994