Hello: <BR> <BR>I've seen so many wonderful posts <BR>here about Paris, and I've tried to <BR>note all the restaurant recommendations, <BR>but am sure I don't have them all. <BR>(I always think word-of-mouth is <BR>the best). <BR> <BR>So . . . <BR>What is your favorite restaurant(s) <BR>in Paris? Please let me know, and let <BR>me know the price range - of course, <BR>the inexpensive, wonderful food, <BR>great atmosphere kind of places are <BR>my favorite, but I'm open to all <BR>suggestions!! <BR> <BR>We'll be there the end of May and my <BR>mouth is watering already. <BR> <BR>Thanks! <BR>Carol <BR>[email protected]

Ok, Carol, here are my choices. These are all in the $30-$40 pp range. <BR> <BR>2nd.... La Bonne Forchette on Rue Saint Honore (small, but good ... variety of dishes) <BR> From Hotel Inter-Continental on Rue Castiglione off of Rue Rivoli, turn right onto <BR> Rue Saint Honore. La Forchette is on the left a few blocks from Rue Castiglione. <BR> ... Tante Louise on Boissy d'Anglais which is near the Madeline. <BR> You can either get to it by going up Bd Malesherbes from the front of the Madeline, turning left onto the Boissy d'Anglais or from the Place Concorde ... go up Rue Royale (Madeline will be facing you strraight ahead), turn left onto St Honore and then right onto Boissy d'Anglais. Tante Louise dosen't have any specialty that I can recall, but it is very dependable and enjoyable. <BR> <BR>3rd ... Ambassade D'Auvergne, 22 Rue du Grenier Saint Lazare, tel 42 72 31 22 <BR> (specialties from the southwest region of Auuvergne in France ... try the aligot) <BR> Menus: 160FF / 250FF <BR> <BR>5th ... La Truffiere, 4 Rue de Blainville on Place de la Contrescarpe off of Rue Monge, tel 46 33 29 82 (specializes in dishes with truffles, but the dishes are also good without) <BR> Menu 220FF <BR> ... La Bouteille D'Or, Quai de Montebello, just down from Place Michel along the river and <BR> opposite Notre Dame (order the Carte Vert ... 3 course prix fixe meal (180FF)... request a table next to the windows and get a fabolous view of Notre Dame lit up at night... unforgetable) <BR> .... L'Ange Gourmand, 31, Quai de la Tournelle, tel 43 54 22 52, opposite corner of La Tour D'Argent and much,much cheaper. ... Le Bar a Huitres, Rue Saint Jacques (inexpensive fish dishes .... try a plateau de mer ... <BR> looks like a pizza tray loaded with ice and all kinds of shell fish ... just great; also many other fish dishes) <BR> <BR>7th ... A La Petite Chaise, 36 Rue de Grenelle, tel 42 22 13 35 <BR> (can't beat this place for value .... wine included; I am not doing this place justice. it really is quite nice; quiet, touch of elegance). Menu 170FF <BR> <BR>9th ... Auberge Landaise , 23 Rue Clauzel in the 9th, tel 48.78.74.40. <BR> Landaise has the best fresh foie gras which he (Chef Morin (also the owner)) pan frys with a raisin sauce (grapes) which is out of this world. Auberge Landaise also specializes in vintage Armagnacs that I have an affinity for. He displays them on one wall in the restaurant and they date back to 1900. This stuff is not cheap. A glass of the 1900 cost around 350 FFr; the 1923 was 300 FFr; the 1938 was 290 FFr and the 1978 was 100 FFr. (It can cost more than $40 pp depending on what you ordered, especially if Armaganc is inluded). <BR> <BR>14th ... La Couploe, 102 Bd du Montparnasse, tel 43 20 14 20 (big, loud, waiters put on a show,but it is worth it ... you either love it or hate it!) <BR> ... Le Dome, 108 Bd du Montparnasse, tel 43 35 25 81 ( fish reigns here ... very good, but more expensive than the Le Bar a Huitres) <BR> ... Le Bar a Huitres, 112 Bd du Montparnasse, tel 43 20 71 01 (same as in the 5th) <BR> ... Il Barone (italian) on Rue Robert Leopold (just off Bd du Montparnasse) (great italian food if you need a break from the french cuisine) <BR> <BR>16th ... Le Beaujolais D'Auteuil, 99 Bd de Montmorency, tel 47 43 03 56 (this was my neighborhood restaurant ... small loaded with locals (tourists non existent here) ate here many times ... variety of dishes ... always good) <BR> (not too far from Marmottan museum) <BR> <BR>17th ... P'Tit Bougnat, 18 Bd de Courcelles, tel 47 63 97 11 (very small, decor somewhat bleak, but they specialize in game dishes and I had the best wild boar dish I ever had here) <BR> ... Le Bistrot du XVII, 108 Ave de Villiers (same owner as the next restaurant .... 3 course complete meal including aperif (try a kir) ,water, wine and after dinner liquor for 175FF. if you find a better place for quality and value .... you must tell me ... <BR> ... Le Bistro Saint Ferdinand, 275 Bd Pereire, tel 45 74 33 32, near Porte Maillot (same as above) <BR> <BR>Also on the other side of Porte Maillot, (technically not Paris, but the suburb of Neuilly) is the Sebillon on Ave Charles de Gaulle, on the right hand corner just after going around the circle at Porte Maillot. According to french friends (and I concur), this is where you get the best lamb. <BR>The specialty--roast leg of lamb sliced table-side and served in unlimited quantity. The dish is served with traditional white beans and my mouth is watering just thinking about it. It is also customary to have 2nds. Actually you can have all you want, but 2 dishes does it for me. Add a half dozen oysters on the half shell, a salad, and a bottle of Bordeaux. Finish up with a cafe (I have never been able to squeeze in desert at this place) and tell me you don't think you died and went to heaven. <BR> <BR>There is a 2nd location for the Sebillon .... Sebillon Elysees on 66 Rue Pierre Charron just off the the Champs Elysees in the 8th, but I've never been to this location so I can't say if it is the same.(tel 1 43 59 28 15) <BR> <BR>Two others I will mention .... <BR>1. L'Manquier which has several locations .... Bd Montparnasse, Ave Ternes and Bd Montmarte. <BR>I've eaten here several times ... they have a 2 course meal for 95FF and 3 courses for 119FF. <BR>I would get the 2 courses ... salad with goat cheese and/or duck gizzards and a main dish of grilled meats ... 3 varietys plus a ½ bottle of wine and ½ bottle of water and a cafe.for a total of 175-200FF depending on the wine. <BR> <BR>2. Hollywood Canteen on Bd Montmarte ....I missed my American breakfast and this is the place (the only place in Paris ... maybe all of France .... maybe all of Europe .... to go) <BR>Cost was 50FF (in 1994 with exchange rate of 5) ... all you can eat! Large glass of fresh squeezed OJ, american coffee, cerals, eggs .... scrambled, omelette, fried with ham, sausage and bacon .... and then pancakes with maple syrup!!! I went there every weekend. <BR> <BR>Bd Montmarte is an extension of Bd Hausmann behind the old Opera and where the Printemps and Galeries Layfayette stores are. Just keep walking and it becomes Bd Montmarte. You will also find a couple of glass covered galleries near these restaurants on both sides of the street which has many interesting and quaint little shops. The Hard Rock Cafe and TGIFridays is also here. <BR> <BR>There are certainly many more wonderful, excellent restaurants in Paris. In general, the more you get away from the heavy tourist areas, the better the restaurants will be. The tourist restaurants do not depend on repeat business and the local neighborhood ones do. The house wines in the local neighborhood ones are also excellent and inexpensive. The owner's reputation depends on it. I never pass it up. <BR> <BR>One final thought. Service compris means the 15% tip is built into the prices shown on the menu and there are no additional charges. Service non compris ... does not mean the 15% tip is not added to your bill ... it means the 15% tip is not built into the menu prices, but will be added to your bill. Note, that in either case, the 15% tip (by law) is included in your bill. No need to add a 2nd 15% tip. It is customary to leave the small change returned to you (usually in a small dish), but never more than an additional 5% for exceptional service.

Carol, I can hardly compete with jrizzuto, but I have 2 favorites that I would recommend. I've eaten there quite a few times on business trips. The first of these is Le Recamier which features a superb saute of boeuf bourguignon and a very charming decor in the Art Nouveau period. Find it in the narrow little street, rue Recamier, which is off the Rue de Sevres intersection with Blvd Raspail in the 6th arrondissement. Get there by taking the Metro to the Sevres-Babylone stop. It's a very short walk from there. Prices range from $40-80 with wine. <BR>For seafood, I recommend The European which is right across from the Gare de Lyon. I frequent that because I'm coming and going from that railroad station and have always found it a very nice spot for fish or shellfish. Wide variety of prices.

McDonald and Burger King are always good stand-by when you need a good ole hamburger!

Hush your mouth, Richard! You're just trying to start another feisty Fodor's fisticuffs. <BR> <BR>On with the recommendations - I'm copying as fast as I can!

THANKS!!! <BR> <BR>John & Joel: I haven't had time to digest (literally) all your info (especially yours John) - can't wait!! <BR> <BR>Richard: been there, done that in my earlier college days . . . <BR> <BR>Carol <BR>[email protected]

Speaking of McDonalds and Burger King - is there a French equivalent fast food restaurant to take teenagers to?

While in Paris, we stayed in the Montepanarsse neighborhood. There is a great cous cous restaurant on the corner, cannot remember the name. Right at the intersection of Rue St. Germaine and the big square. I think it was Moroccan, excellent!!!

Reply to Barb, Not sure if they're still around, but Wimpys was the French equivalent of Mickey d's and BK. Favorite, nos Ancetres les Gaulois on the Ile St. Louis; Boullion Chartier, 7, rue du Faubourg and L'Epi-Butte, 8, rue Lamarck.

Barb, I think they are called ... Quick's.

Quick is the French equivalent...but the French teenagers go to McDonald's. I have succumbed to Mickey D's when I have had a cold and wanted a cup of tea to go; when I've wanted American coffee; and when I've really REALLY wanted a taste of home....and I love French food! Sometimes, ya just gotta do what ya gotta do...

Elvira, I never knew they had American coffee. Incredible! Thank you.

Richard does bring up a good point. As much as I like French food, while living in the Auverne region (central France) for a few years, about once every 3 months we would get this craving for an American burger and off to Lyon we would go to (at the time) the closest McDonald's. <BR>In Paris, however, if you do decide you want a good burger, a la americaine, go to Chicago Meat Packers over behind the Bourse on rue J.J. Rousseau. It's along the lines of a 50's American restaurant. Even the music. <BR>