We are staying at the Mansart 3* Hotel for 7 nights in May. Would like some restaurnat recommendations in the area.It is next to the Ritz.Would like restaurants that are reasonable. I hope that there are some in that area that aren't outrageously expensive.

Willi's Wine Bar is excellent.

Willi's Wine Bar, 13 Rue de Petits Champs, 2nd Arrondissement
Telephone 01 42 61 05 09. Métro Palais Royal

It's not large, but has excellent food. You must reserve ahead.

What kind of food is it?Is it expensive?

You can easily get on the metro at Madeleine and take it to the 7th where there are so many excellent restaurants.

Don't miss:

L’Ami Jean
27 rue Malar 75007 Menu at 29 € Phone +33 (0) 1 47 05 86 89 Metro: La Tour Maubourg

Les Fables de la Fontaine about 40€ 131 St. Dominique, 7th Tel : 01 44 18 37 55 1*
Metro La Tour Maubourg

Both of these are just excellent, although very different from each other. They're only 3 metro stops from Madeleine and you can enjoy seeing the eiffel tower lit up after dinner. You must reserve your table, or you won't have a table, as both are very highly regarded. We dined at both in February.

The menu is 34€ at night at Willi's. Here's their web site with a link to a menu.

http://www.williswinebar.com/

I'm pretty sure they have an English menu also. I've eaten here 3 times, and each was wonderful.

What price range are you looking for? I know some excellent places for less, but not in your area.

Thanks for those recommendations. They sound great. We are willing to go all over the place because we want to see different areas.I was just curious about our area because of the expensive hotels and shops there, I thought that everything will be prohibitive. Any suggestions in the same price range as Willi's or less would be appreciated.

A good place to know, within a short walk, is Chez Flottes. Extensive menu (also in English), moderate prices, very good food, friendly service, open early and late and every day.

Short walk from our Hotel? Do you know the Mansart?

For lunch La Crêperie des Canettes, 10, rue des Canettes 75006 tele: 01.43.26.27.65 We loved the area this was in, ( just north of St. Sulpice) as there were other creperies and pizza places along the cute alley. Metro St. Germain des Pres or Mabillon or St. Sulpice.

I haven't been, but Chez Denise 5, rue Prouvaires in the 1st has a good reputation. Tele: 33 01 42 36 21 82 Many others on this board have dined here.. I beleive it's closed on weekends.

We've really enjoyed Le Pre Verre, menu 26.50€ 8, rue Thenard in the 5th Metro Maubert-Mutalite Tele: 01 43 54 59 47. When you reserve ask to be seated in the main dining room, not the basement. Lots of atmosphere and very good food at reasonable prices. Good wine list also. www.lepreverre.com

We were very happy with Au Bascou 38, rue Reaumur in the 3rd. Tele: 01 42 72 69 25 Metro Arts et Metiers. From your location it would be good to walk to Opera metro and take line 3 for 5 stops. They have excellent Basque food and great wine. We're going to be in the French and Spanish Basque area this May and are looking very forward to more great food there! I can't remember the price. We ordered a la carte for around the same price, 30€ or so.

That's a good start! Have fun and dine well. You can if you plan ahead, otherwise it can be a disaster.

The food in Spain is amazing. We went to Barcelona,San Sebastian and the Costa Brava last May and it was awesome.

Thanks! We're hoping to spend two nights eating in San Sebastian! We actually have a gite near Sare, France and will travel out for dinner.

We'll be back to Barcelona in September. We loved the tapas there but really over ordered

One more great place near you in Paris which we enjoyed for lunch is A Priori The, in Galerie Vivienne in the 2nd. We didn't reserve and had to sit in the galerie, not indoor the restaurant. It was so pretty under the umbrellas we didn't mind at all. May will be warmer so it would be nice. Tele: 01 42 97 48 75

"We are willing to go all over the place because we want to see different areas."

tobyl, you can get most anywhere in Paris in a very short period of time. We were staying in the 1st near avenue de l'Opéra in February and took the metro from either the Pyramids or Opéra station to restaurants in the 11th and 12th arrondissements. The average travel time was 25 minutes from the door of our apartment to the door of the restaurant.

If you'd like to see the write ups of the restaurants, you can find them in a post by MargrietvanderBanck, about two thirds through our trip report:

http://preview.tinyurl.com/2be4vm

Anselm

One of our favorite bar/cafe/restaurants is Le Castiglione, 235 rue St. Honore. Should be just across the street from your hotel. The best hamburger in Paris(not cheap) and the locals often eat at the bar for lunch. Quite good Dover Sole and good sandwiches etc. This is our "hang out" when we stay in this part of the 1st.

Thanks Anselm. I read your travel journal and it sounds wonderful. We will be sure to try some of the restaurants that you mention.We are getting very excited about this trip.

Would love some suggestions for restaurants in the 5th and 6th because I know there are tons of them but which ones are good?

We had a wonderful dinner a couple of years ago at a brasserie, Au Dauphin, at 167 Rue Honore, in the 1st. The price (total of 100 € at the time - the two of us each had an appetizer (foie gras for me, soupe provencale for DW), an entrée (cassoulet for me, veal chops for DW), a desert (gananousse for me, pyramide for DW – both of them chocolates), and a bottle of wine. My cassoulet was one of the most incredible meals in my life.

Sam

This one posted above is in the 6th. In fact, everything on this tiny street is good.

<< For lunch La Crêperie des Canettes, 10, rue des Canettes 75006 tele: 01.43.26.27.65 We loved the area this was in, ( just north of St. Sulpice) as there were other creperies and pizza places along the cute alley. Metro St. Germain des Pres or Mabillon or St. Sulpice. >>

L'Ardoise....never been disappointed!
Innovative Bistro fare at affordable prices...also open on Sundays.
Make sure that you make reservations...aways busy!
01 42 96 28 18
28, rue du Mont Thabor, 1st

Chez Flottes is at 2 rue Cambon, less than a ten minute walk from Hotel Mansart. We always stay in the 7th, but have many friends who always stay at Hotel Mansart.

If you love asparagus, white asparagus may be "in season" during your visit.

Highly recommend the Aligot at Chez Flottes.

http://www.flottes.fr/anglais.html

When staying in a hotel, it's good to know places that serve late, in case you've had a huge lunch and aren't famished at usual dinner times.

Definately La Tour de Montlhéry AKA
Chez Denise 5, rue des Prouvaires
closed saturdays and sundays.