Nina66

Not that I really need a new one - I already have plenty of restaurants on my list, from previous trips and new ones from here and other places, but.... I have this need to keep buying travel books ;-)

I'm not looking for individual restaurant recommendations in this post, I'll find plenty more here, and from other sources - gives me something to live for ;-)

My 'newest'ones, which I've used on our last three trips are:

Bistros of Paris, Robert & Barbara Hamburger - 2001 edition

Paris By Bistro, Dennis & Christine Graf - June 2003 edition

I really like them both and have had some great meals from each. Neither book has been updated since the above publication dates.

I haven't used Sandra Gustafson., since Cheap Eats in Pars. Her latest, Great Eats in Paris, is the May 2004 edition.

This upcoming trip will be over the over the Christmas and New Year's weeks (2), so I'll be looking for smaller places that will be open during the holiday weeks.

I think that Astier will be closed and several others that I know of that are on my list.

I'm not worried about starving to death, just love doing restaurant research and returning to old favorites.

Any more up to date restaurant books that you like?

NOT Rick Steves - we used to get the worst service at his a lot of his restaurants and often the food was mediocre - that was years ago, but we're not willing to go that route ever again.

Thanks,

Nina

Nina66

I forgot that I had a Zagat-Paris, I think it is a 2004-2005 edition. I just checked and found out that a new came out in April, 2006.

I participate in their survey for Paris (and a few other cities), and get a free copy of the last edition when it is released. I voted in the last Paris survey and I should have received a free copy of thisnew edition. I'll call them on Monday and see what happened.

Zagat isn't my favorite restaurant guide. I like more complete and personal recommendations and specialities of the restaurant. Zagat is very handy though and easy to carry with you. I like the sections with Sunday/Holiday/No Smoking etc. info.

Nina

Margaretlb

I also vote on Zagats and rec'd my 2006 guide in March. You should definitely follow up for yours. I also like the Eyewitness Restaurant Guide.

Nikki

Time Out Paris Eating and Drinking Guide. Updated every year.

SuQue

Zagat's Paris.

hanl

Without a doubt, the Timeout guide to Eating and Drinking in Paris. Very reliable, written by locals and regularly updated.

tuscanlifeedit

I'm a fan of Time Out and Sandra Gustafson. Her recommendation of Baracane led us to one of our favorites.

HappyTrvlr

another vote for Zagats.

loisco

We use Zagat's and Red Michelin...! Just joined the online version of Zagat and we see we can find Florence and Milan restaurants too for our Italy trip.

Nina66

Margaretb - I emailed Zagat last night and lo and behold, I got an answer this morning. They said that the 2006-07 is an update and was not part of a survey, so therefore free copies were not distributed. Do you remember when you voted for the edition that you received in March?

I just wrote back questioning that since it is for sale on Amazon and we did participate in a survey within the last six or seven months.

I have a Paris Timeout 2005-2006 issue that I bought last year, but this is more like a regular magazine. The events don't cover the end of this year when we will be there.

Do they also publish a big fat one like we use in New York? I'll check the book stores here.

I didn't mean to sound negative about Zagat, we do use them and have had some good meals. It is especially handy if you are out and about in a new area and want something to eat - not a planned in advance type of dinner. It's the easiest one to carry with you.

Nina

Nina66

I just checked Amazon. Timeout Paris is $12.97 for the May 2005 edition. It is written by Rosa Jackson who is one of my favorite reviewers. She is the restaurant reviewer for Paris Notes - my favorite Paris newsletter. We have found some wonderful recently opened restaurants or restaurants that have new chefs or have changed ownership, in her montly column.
She reviews two restaurants a month, and some oldies that we know, but had never eaten at.

Years ago when C'Amelot was fairly new, Paris Notes favorably reviewed it, I don't remember if it was Rosa Jackson, but it probably was.

We were the only Americans there that night, and the French couple next to us wanted to know
how we had found out about is so soon, as they had just read a review the previous week in a local newspaper. We were there for a month and enjoyed it so much that we ate there three or four more times. It was close to our rental apartment and very very reasonable with exceptionally friendly service.
They always recognized us and 'forced' DH to try all of the desserts - didn't take much pressure to accomplish that.

A few years later when we returned, Christian Constant had sold it to protege I think, and they had enlarged it a bit. The food was good, but not as good as it was on the other trip.

Now I am reading excellent reviews, so it's probably time to go back.

Has anyone been there recently?

We are not 'trendy' diners, looking for new in places, but it is nice to try recently opened restaurants with current favorable reviews.

One of the reasons that I like current reviews is that we had talked about eating at Le Grizilli (sp) for years, but by the time we went there with guests, in September 2001, it had unbeknowst to us, it had changed hands within the past year. It was OK, but not worth the calories and carbs that we ingested.

I realize there is no way that you can possibly know every change to every restaurant as it occurs - but I hate relying on reviews that are two or three years old.

ROSA ... CALL ME.

Nina

Neopolitan

My best luck has been using this exact website as a restaurant guide. Before our 10 days in Paris this year, I searched through tons of recent Paris dining posts here and based on recommendations (generally more than one or two for a specific place) we chose a number of our dining options.
Among those we chose because they were recommended here by other posters:

Pharamond
Perraudin
Au Petite Marguery
Louis Vins
The Grand Cafe

We were happy with all these.

One place we ate at based on raves in various dining guides, but seemingly less touted here was Le Grand Colbert. It was OK, but our least favorite. Our results were better with the personal recommendations from here than with the guidebooks.

probono

My daughter is going to Paris to (study??) at The Sorbonne.
Can you give me some advice about where to eat near the university. I thought about giving her a copy of Liebling's book about his adventures in learning how to eat by being poor in Paris. But, he often tricked his dad into sending him more money?
Any advice will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Bob

Neopolitan

Hmm. Yea, I'd keep that book away from her then, Bob.

There are lots of options for cheap eating in that area.
She can go to the madhouse of a restaurant area near St. Michel -- Rue Harpe, St. Severin and couple of others. There are probably 150 smallish and some larger restaurants that will average about 12 to 15 euros per person, often for three full courses. No, this is not gourmet dining, but it is jammed with students, locals, and tourists -- and some places are actually not half as bad as you'd think -- even pretty good. It's also a place for good gyros and gyros plates -- there are at least a dozen of those places -- and all are cheap.

There's a really pleasant square with fountains at the front of the Sorbonne, facing Rue. St. Michel. We had a really nice dinner outside there at a place called Les Patios -- mostly students there. I had a lamb shank roasted with four spices (cinammon was one)and served with eggplant and potatoes and Lee had a veal milanese with pasta and also a superb creme brulee. Along with 2 glasses of wine, our meal was 45 euro for the two of us and quite good. There are actually several places on that delightful square. The Rue Mouffetard area is also filled with inexpensive places. We love a place there called La Papillote, which has superb food in a number of three course menus ranging from about 11 euro to 20 euro.

Travelnut

Back to the original topic:

Has anyone found this guide to be truly useful and reliable?
"Leed's Insider Guide to Paris Restaurants"
http://www.insiderparisguides.com/re...nts/index.html

MaisonMetz

Nina, I've currently three favorite sources for Paris restaurant and bistro information.

One is the previously mentioned "Time Out Paris Eating & Drinking", edited by Rosa Jackson.

The second is an annual paperback, "le petit Lebey des bistrots parisiens", published by Albin Michel. I've found it only in France. FNAC always has them. It's a small pocket/purse sized reference easy to carry and - at least in my experience - one of the most reliable printed sources for neighborhood bistro information.

The third is the France portion of the website -

http://forums.egullet.com/

Nina66

Thanks Maison Metz, I'll look for Le petit Lebey des bistrots parisiens when I'm there. I presume that it is written in French (hmmm was the title the giveaway?"

I speak non-fluent French, mainly menu French and lots of nouns.

I am a user of e-gullet and chec there often

Nina

Nina66

I just broke my own typo record in above. Three errors in a ten word sentence - eGullet, check, and forget the period.

I haven't eaten in two hours, and I feel a litle faint ;-)

Nina

Tsutomu

My wife and I spent a long weekend in Paris to celebrate an aniversary a little while back and we selected our three restaurants from patriciawells.com website under Paris>Bistros. All three were just wonderful.

And to probono, don't miss dinner at Atelier Maitre Albert which is very nearby. Just a wonderful meal in a beautiful environment.

Tsutomu

SuzieC

My beau bought the Michelin Red quide.
The French version or maybe they all are only in french. Well, this ought to help me "bone up" on my French!