Years ago, when we visited Paris, we were directed to a wonderful, colorful little windy street in Paris which was full of the most wonderful restaurants. I can't remember much except that among many wonderful eateries there were greek restaurants where people threw plates on the sidewalk to get your attention, and I vaguely remember turning in under an arch or something to mark this special section of town. Probably St. Something - that doesn't help much. I must have found this neighborhood in a guidebook, but I can't remember. Now my daughter is on her honeymoon in Paris and I keep telling her about this wonderful area, but she can't figure out what I'm talking about. Does anyone know? Thanks so much.

Sounds like rue de la huchette in the latin quarter to me!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rue_de_la_Huchette,_Paris

I would not say that the food is highly recommended in this area...but I guess it could be rated as an 'experience'.

Yes, it does sound like rue de la Huchette and rue Saint Séverin. Actually, the last time I went through there, most of the restaurants looked better than they used to, not that I have ever eaten in any of them.

Rue Mouffetard also has numerous Greek restaurants.

Got to be the rue de la Huchette and surrounds. Worst place to eat in all of Paris. Your daughter is better off not knowing how to find the place.

I am staying on Huchette next month. I am going to start a new thread seeking restaurants nearby.

I would never eat in any of the tourist traps down those little alleys like de la Huchette/de la Harpe, and referred to as "Bacteria Alley". There is an exception however but it's a bit further along in narrow Rue Gregoire de Tours, near the corner of rue de bucci. It's called L'Insulaire, is very tiny and fills up fast. The food is decent and cheap.

Wow - who knew? We had fun watching the proprietors hawking their business, but glad to know about the quality of the food. we didn't actually eat there - had picked up something before we arrived - glad now that we didn't. Thanks, everyone.

<<We had fun watching the proprietors hawking their business, but glad to know about the quality of the food. we didn't actually eat there - had picked up something before we arrived ->>

Good decision. Yes, it can be fun to walk through but I'd skip eating there.

I always wonder whether any of the people steering tourists away from these restaurants have eaten there themselves. The only reports I have read about actual meals in these restaurants are, like the original poster's, very positive. A few years ago there was a report here on Fodors by a young woman who was traveling with her sister and had an extremely entertaining evening in one of those Greek restaurants.

I have read all the cautions about bacteria alley but my curiosity is starting to get the better of me, and I might just be contrary enough to give it a try if I am ever lucky enough to find myself in Paris again. Hey, maybe I'll ask if anyone is brave enough to join me for a get-together!

Well, good luck, Nikki. Back when I was young and didn't know much about Paris, I ate in one of those places with a friend. About halfway through the meal, we figured out that the thing our feet kept brushing up against under the table was a dead pigeon.

At least it wasn't on the plate!

Pigeon is one of my very favorite entrees in France. Best when it is cooked very rare.

We walked through that area in '08 on a Paris Walk guided tour. Did not look appealing at all - and the people smashing plates on the street looked quite gimicky. & untra-touristy. Lots of people dining at 5:30 in the afternoon - probably not local Parisians.

Niki, the OP never actually dined at any restaurant there.

Stu Dudley

yes, I have eaten there once when I was in the area and very hungry. The food was execrable, and it was one of those Greek places (I do like Greek food). The meat was mostly fat, not real meat, and it smelled funny.

I guess the question is...when there are so many good places to eat, in that area, is there a reason to go?

The "Bacteria Alley" moniker is totally undeserved, it must be said. To my knowledge, none of those restaurants has ever been closed for any problems of hygiene, which is what would happen immediately if there were any incident.

However, I easily understand how the nickname came into being. 10 or 20 years ago, these places would all display skewers out on the sidewalk with uncooked sausages and pork chops and other items, interspersed with onions, tomatoes, green peppers, etc. They would do this even on the hottest days of summer, which would make people like me cringe at the idea of what was happening to the meat. However, the display items are never cooked or served to anybody -- they are thrown away at the end of the day. In the meantime, these restaurants have realized that this display of meat was turning off more people than were being attracted, so I have not seen the display for many years.

But what people remember from the past dies hard.

We had lunch there at one of the Greek places about seven years ago. The only disagreeable thing about lunch was another American lady a few tables over ordering everyone around and being unbearably rude.

So, in other words, you have to eat with other tourists. Who wants that?

We tried two restaurants on that street four years ago. Honestly, they were the worst meals we had in Paris. I was actually shocked at how bad they were, given how great the food in Paris usually is.

Well, maybe the get-together is off then.

We call it Rue de Ptomaine