Where not to Eat in Paris
 

Hey Everyone:
I am off to Paris in couple of weeks, and I have received tons of advice from everyone here. Great threads!!
Also, I am overwhelmed on the tons of restaurants and things to try, what my concern is that I will end up eating in a commercial tourist place.
I will try my best to eat at the places recommended by everyone, including the books. But my fear is there any restaurant, that someone disliked and would not go back.
I am simply asking for opinions.
Thanks

<<my concern is that I will end up eating in a commercial tourist place.>>

Don't you think you'll recognize that the minute you walk through the door? And what will be the dire consequences if, out of lack of perception or a bad recommendation, you do end up in such a place?

Some aspects of travel are just better left to common sense and the five senses. This is not something you need to fret about.

But to answer the question, I once ate at a Quick. I will never do that again.

1. don't eat at a restaurant along the Champs or off the Place de Tertre (the food might be ok but there will definitely be tourists, not that there's anything <i>wrong</i> with that.

2. don't eat in a restaurant where the hawker tries to pull (or entice) you in

i would never return to le vieux bistro. we had a terrible meal there in 2001--perhaps it's improved since then.

I'll repeat TravelNut's last one:
don't eat where a hawker tries to pull you in.

And here are a few more.

Don't eat where they have plasticized menus in English only.

Don't eat where the only posted menu is in English.

Don't eat at a place called Hippopotamus or Quick!

Agree to avoid the Champs Elysees. You'll find mostly high prices and disappointment. The book &quot;Great Eats in Paris&quot; is a good little companion guide.

I confess, I have eaten in obvious tourist restaurants in Paris and lived to tell the tale. Yes it was a slightly unfortunate waste of a meal possibility, but we were hungry and jet lagged and that's where we sat down. The little pitchers of wine helped! Not being a foodie, I never bother with recommendations and guidebooks, but do try to keep my eyes open while out and about in the daytime for interesting places to return to in the evening and have had some lovely meals with that method.

If it looks good, eat there. If you are concerned about what everyone here will THINK when you tell them where you ate....well, you may not be ready for international travel

If anyone thinks that all fast-food hamburger operations are essentially the same, I recommend a trip to Quick. After that, you will think McDonalds is Taillevant!

Once in Paris I wnet into a McDonalds to get a take out coffee. I was alone and exhausted and just wanted to bring it to my hotel room. (It was bad.) Anyway, my observation was that there were way more Parisians in there than any other restaurant we visited! No tourists at all! Ha!

The worst tourist restaurant - L'Escapade. No idea if it is still there or not.

My wife won't let us eat anywhere there are pictures of the food posted.

I once ate at a horrid place called Le Ronsard: rotisserie chicken that tasted as if it had gone bad so they decided to cook it to the point of dryness. Ewww. It's located at 13 Place Saint Pierre fronting the place where the carrousel is at the bottom of the steps that lead to Sacr&eacute;-Cœur.

I've never encountered a meal I wouldn't eat in Paris!

I actually appreciate some of the places (typically Asian restaurants) that offer pictures or &quot;models&quot; of the food so I can pick something I would likely enjoy. Granted, no, I wouldn't want to rely upon it for every meal!

I think the worst place we ate in was at a little restaurant in the warren of streets in the St Germain and St Michel area. The price was really excellent, the food lousy and the wine delicious. I'd probably do it again! The best was a crepe on Rue Mouffetard. I hope we can to that again, too!

My worst meal ever in Paris was at a place called Pizza Pino, right on the Champs.
It wasn't just bad food for Paris, it was bad food for Irkutsk.

Avoid Cafe du Metro, which is located in the sixth next to the St Sulpice metro stop. My husband got terrible food poisoning there last month.

I don't remember the name of it, but if one were to walk out the door of the D'Orsay Museum, turn left, cross the street that's parallel to the river, and continue south about 2 or 3 establishments, one would suffer.
What's French for road kill?

Elaine, you've just reminded me. We also once ate at a Pizza Pino -- way out at Defense. Worst meal I ever had in Paris!

A few other thoughts:

Never eat at a place that puts little paper umbrellas on their escargots.

If there is a bottle of Heinz ketchup on each table, don't enter!

Never go to a creperie that has a big sign saying &quot;pancakes&quot;.

Elaine, one of the best places I ate at was one of your suggestions: Caf&eacute; la B&ucirc;cherie. My first experience with seabream. What incredible things they do with fish in Paris!

Now you've gone and reminded me that La Bucherie is no more
:))

oops, that was supposed to be a

:'(

Yes.

:(

Sorry, didn't mean to bring back bad memories.

Patrick, I wish I'd heard that advice before walking into that horror that passed itself off as a restaurant in Montmartre. They had ketchup (Heinz ketchup - very sour, very bad) on the tables!! And 6&euro; Cokes! :P


Ahhh, yes, the other place I recommend AGAINST is:
La Rotonde de la Muette
12, chauss&eacute;e de la Muette, Paris 75016
(it's near the Mus&eacute;e Marmottan)

Find a McDonalds first. Do an about face and walk ten blocks, at the first minor street take a left and look for a place where noboby pays attention to you. Or you could go to Maxim's.

Don't eat at Flunch!

A corollary to the Woody Allen club-joining rule. Don't eat in any restaurant that has a table open! Or, more practically, don't eat in any retaurant that has more than a few tables untaken.

We tried not to eat at restaurants who offered English translations and tried to avoid the areas most crowded with tourists. We also avoided places where they tried to lure us in off the street. The above served us well and we had good meals at reasonable prices.

I can't believe this came down to a debate about whether it's better to eat at QuickBurger or McDonald's! Gosh, what a conundrum!

Do not eat at a restaurant where there are fire trucks outside.

We ate at a little restaurant - Coup de Torchon, on rue St. Jacques (good thing I keep a journal) - and, evidently, there was a fire going on in the basement! Got through most of the meal, but missed dessert when the firemen asked us to leave. It was funny to watch the owner busily stuffing towels under the basement door while we were dining. The place was full too (but VERY small). Once out on the street all the other diners from the various restaurants were out there finishing their wine - thank goodness we'd finished ours! I wonder if it is still there? Does anybody know?

I think this is a great thread. Especially loved elaine's comment about &quot;not just bad for Paris, bad for Irkutsk&quot;. Hah!

Beatchick, I think we've actually been in that place at Place St. Pierre. Didn't know it's name though. I think my husband sat there and waited for me while I went to the fabric places. He was quite happy with his wine, and just to be in Paris, but he ordered a pre-made Croque Monsieur, which should probably never be anyone's first meal in Paris.

&quot;Flunch&quot; isn't so bad. It isn't the kind of place for your romantic fine-dining experience. It's a cafeteria basically, but you can make your own salad, choose from several hot dishes, frites, get a small bottle of wine or get a fountain soda with ice. A good place to take your family to 'fill up' and that has lots of other kids and teens. and, after all, it <i>is</i> French.

&quot;a pre-made Croque Monsieur, which should probably never be anyone's first meal in Paris&quot; LOL, Elle-belle!!

Travelnut, I'd probably do Flunch with my family! StCirq, didn't you say you &amp; yours have been there? It's a good place for kids?

Underhill, I'm sorry you had a bad experience at Le Vieux Bistro. Mine was a wonderful experience in 2003. I'm hoping it wasn't a fluke &amp; that they have improved since you ate there.

Don't eat at the restaurant somewhere in the 5th that had the rats moving in their window display after hours. ((N)) Really creepy fellows!!! Yes, be very wary of any place along Rue de la Harpe and Huchette where they try to pull you into the restaurant, otherwise that area is great for people watching in the evening. Deborah

Beatchick,

i think improvement was the only possibility! we might give it another try on your recommendation.

Underhill, I think, too, it may depend on the server that you get. My server was Philippe and he helped to make it a memorable experience. Was it the food that was terrible? And what did you have, if you don't mind my asking? Or was it the service? Or was it just everything overall?

Don't eat anywhere there is a tour group of students eating as a huge group.

I did this once in Rheims. The restaurant was so charming-looking, that we ignored our misgivings. It was possibly the worst food I have ever had, but we did enjoy watching the group of teenagers from China. They were having a blast despite the horrendous food.

Yes, Beatchick, I used to take my kids when they were young to Flunch sometimes - they have the placemats with puzzles on them and word games and crayons and they offer a lot of things young kids like to eat (spaghettis bolognese, roast chicken and frites, hamburgers, etc.). But I also took them to traditional French places, and once they were older than about 7 or 8 we didn't spend time in Flunches any more.

Hi StCirq,

I knew you took them to traditional French places but that you weren't averse to taking them to Flunch either. :) So I guess you wouldn't take a teenager there now? That is good info to know!! :D

Don't eat at rest. called Hippopotamus

Flunch is fine for the times that you would normally eat fastfood in the U.S. There is a Flunch at the Castorama hardware store at Place de Clichy. We are at the store frequently and if it's around lunchtime, it's a decent place to get a simple, inexpensive lunch.

This is not a restaurant I will advise you to avoid. It's a cafe that I'm sure most everyone has walked past as it's on the next block after Shakespeare &amp; Company and across Pont d' Arcole. It's got green awnings and looks inviting.

However, my relatives got were treated to very rude waiters and lousy service. Examples: older waiter refused to give them menus yet demanded to know what they wanted to order, the other waiter, younger and just as rude as the older guy, purposely tripped over their stroller that was underneath the table and was clearly out of his path. Someone else on another forum confirmed that the waiters are indeed very rude here.