"When you plan for fabulous meals, you are setting yourself up for disappointment."

On the other hand, if you don't plan, you may end up settling for something that doesn't satisfy you. I spoke with several people on my last trip to Paris who had been extremely disappointed in the food they found. While I find this very difficult to identify with, I do believe their stories.

If you just look for the nearest place to whatever tourist site you are visiting when you get hungry, you risk finding nothing but mediocre touristy places. If you have the names of specific places, whether from this forum or a book like Zagat's or Time Out or Pudlo's, you can plan to have some nice meals at places that might be nearby but not obviously visible when you need them.

I know that there are places all over Paris, and it might sound silly to worry about this. But I was quite surprised at the conversations I had about this in November, and it does seem that some people have trouble locating and selecting restaurants they will enjoy.

I agree with Nikki -- it pays to be prepared if you care about food and want to try and ensure a good meal. That doesn't mean you have to plan every meal out and make reservations, but having some ideas of places in various locations really helps in getting a meal you will enjoy. Many times when we truly wing it and haven't a clue where to eat, we end up with not so great meals. And yes this is in tourist areas because when we travel we're tourists and generally spend lots of time in the tourist areas seeing the sites of the city.

Lots of really good restaurants in the 7th. There is a thread going on now which discusses them.

I enjoyed lunch at Le Cinq and La Grande Cascade my last trip. These might fit your definition of "top notch." For what it's worth, I planned for fabulous meals and was not disappointed--stayed a week and made reservations for about half my nights. That seems to work well for me. If I only had three days, I'd feel overwhelmed too. I live in San Francisco, which has a lot of great restaurants, and sometimes find myself overwhelmed by all the choices.

Well, the 7th on it's own is overwhelming for dining opportunities!

For a 3-night visit, for sure pick the most appealing restaurant you can find for one of those evenings.

Otherwise, "destination" dining usually isn't worth the trip, as there is always a place just as appealing much closer.

And, after being out and about all day, it's good to know a few places within steps of where you're staying (which you can easily determine with a walk around the block). You may not feel like freshening up/changing and heading out again. And, you're often through with "touring" before dinner time.

We almost always stay in the 7th and rely on locals we meet at bus stops, shops, etc., to keep us apprised of the places they continue to favor. Owners/chefs change...

Oh MissI, I needed a laugh like that---thank you.

Several years ago there was an article in Newsweek about that. The title? "Let them eat Prozac".

Here's what I find disappointing: Not having a suggestion or two in hand. Here's why: One ends up hungry and tired and just wants to eat. You choose a place that you haven't heard of and it's 85 Euro for one glass of wine, a bottle of fizzy water, two pieces of quiche and a bit of salad,(which were tasty), a small dessert, and two coffees. Between courses the waiter removes the crumbs by sweeping them onto your laps. ok, so you can see Notre Dame de Paris from the window.

I'm not big on pretentious dining but it's nice to have a little place in mind that will serve you a good meal far away from home.

Le Severo for the best steak you'll ever eat.
Jadis- wonderful and a little different.
http://www.bistrot-jadis.com/
http://www.viamichelin.com/ has addresses, phone numbers and opening hours.