I'm looking for suggestions for Paris restaurants that would be good for the nights when you don't want a "big" meal. When we were there before we had no trouble finding GREAT restaurants, but it was hard to find lesser known, perhaps smaller, lighter places to eat. I'm thinking along the lines of crepes or something...Any suggestions appreciated. We are staying in the 5th arr. Thanks!

Hi
the 5th is student country, lots of casual snackbars and cafes to drop into.
I'm not being helpful enough to offer any specific names, but you won't have a problem.

Go to one of the gyro places for a sandwich grecque. Go to a restaurant and just order a plat, not the formule. Go to a cafe/bistro and order a salad or soup.

I agree that the 5th is full of places geared toward students on a budget and wanting small meals. You'll find something on just about every street corner.

Some chains that are all over Paris serving sandwiches, soups, salads, etc., include the Pain Quotidien, the Brioche d'Or, the Bistro Romain, and Flunch. There are also salons de thé everywhere.

But really, you don't need to plan this in advance. I'm sure a quick glance around when you get there will give you plenty of ideas.

just head to a tea salon, which offers light meals as well and pastries.

Almost any of the sidewalk cafes will ofer a croque madame or monsieur - or perhaps a small omelet or something. You should find places on almost every block.

Grocery stores almost all sell prepared sandwiches, either at a <i>panini</i> stand on the sidewalk or in the cold case. The best I've found are at Galeries Lafayette.

The French invented the <i>piquenique</i>, did they not?

Well, here is more what I had in mind...

If someone asked me a similar question for my town, I'd probably recommend my favorite deli (Rubinos), my favorite pizza place (Marks), and my favorite hamburger joint (Schallers). I probably would not say, try a Wendy's, they are all over the place. See what I mean?

I know the 5th is student land (part of the reason we are staying there - we are travelling with our 2 teenage boys who prefer jeans and sneakers), and so I know there must be good little spots that are somebody's favorite crepe place, or favorite gyro place or whatever.

nytraveller:
What is a croque madame?

underhill:
I don't recall anything called a tea salon in Paris. What is that?

Thanks again everybody! Greatly appreciate the help!

i posted a reply to this earlier, but it isn't there. are posts here not working?

There's this huge space in here (?!) - scroll down. Thanks.

Pack a picnic. It's cheaper and easier than a restaurant.

I'm curious too what a tea salon in Paris is, or where there is one, or for that matter if there is one, if it serves at dinner time. It sounds like something that might be open in the morning through lunch or early afternoon only.
There are a dozen creperies in the 5th and close by in the 6th. And in the cheap but busy area near St. Michel, there are dozens of restaurants and stands where you can get a light meal or snack. I know people put those places down (including all the cheap Greek places) but you are welcome to go in and just have gyros at some of them or just a Greek salad, and it is good and cheap. Just don't expect Paris's finest dining experience.

Hi Patrick:
I recall the Greek places in Paris - with the owners standing outside begging you to come in. Ha! I will send the kids down there when they are hungry. I don't know if I'd eat there again though..

For those asking about tea salons:

Go to

www.pagesjaunes.fr

type in &quot;salons de th&eacute;&quot;
type in &quot;Paris&quot; for localit&eacute;
click &quot;Recherchez&quot; (or whatever)

and you will get 179 hits, in some of which the establishment describes itself. They vary from offering full restaurant service to only pastries, ice creams, etc.

I never remember names of places but as you go onto the Ille St Louis, there is a lovely small salon de the on the right. We have eaten there a few times and really like it.
We have often stopped at somewhere like the Cafe Deux Magots and had just a salad and omelet at night, when I just need a break from so many rich multi-coursed meals.
I imagine if you wander the neighborhood where you are staying, you will find a few places that you can just drop in and have a nice dinner without the Fuss

Hi wl,

A Croque Madame was Croque Monsieur with a fried egg on top.

A Croque Monsieur used to be a grilled ham and cheese on French Toast sandwich.

It is now a grilled ham and cheese.

A Croque Madame is a grilled chicken and cheese.

Vesuvio,1, rue Gozlin - across the Bld St Germain from the Eglise St-Germain-de-Pres, is a very good Italian restaurant with a wood-burning pizza oven.

Croque Madame is also a lovely poster on Fodors

Wow, ira, when did all that change? I had a very good Croque Madame this summer in Paris and it was still a toasted ham and cheese with a fried egg on top -- no chicken.
And a true Croque Monsieur to me is still toasted ham and cheese with bechamel sauce on top. I will admit that often the sandwiches are heated up on a grill now, not just made with toast or toasted in an oven as they once were.

This croque madame/monsieur idea sounds great. That is just the sort of thing I was looking for.

If your teenagers get tired of crepes and croques, go to Mezza Luna on the Left Bank for some great pizza. If I remember correctly, it's off Boul. St. Germain. That was actually our favorite restaurant in Paris (we like Italian food better than French).