Restaurants in Paris

Could you please give us some idea of what you consider an acceptable price range for meals?

Thank you.

anicab: For the most part, the French restaurant scene is like a point of honor. Most of the restaurants are outstanding when compared with what we usually get in the USA. Restaurants of gastronomy are at the top of the list – both in quality, originality, service and price. Then come regular restaurants. Then bistros. Then cafes. Then brasseries. With the dollar going into the tank you just have to accept the fact that restaurants in Paris are going to be expensive. In November we found three exceptional places in the 8th er. Chez Andre was one. Bistro de Etoile was another. And I can’t remember the name of the other one. All were great. In the 5th er there are a variety of places at reasonable prices. Then there is the Tour d’Argent which is an experience you would not forget. (Especially the bill.) With a reasonable bottle of the appropriate wine (say 20 to 40 euro) the price of a typical meal for two would be in the 100 to 150 euro range. You can find a lot of places cheaper – and you can find many that would be more expensive. But they are all great. Donerail

anicab: I forgot to mention how to find them. During the day when we are walking around Paris, we usually look periodically at menus to see what the offerings and prices are. These are always posted outside the establishment. If we see one that really interests us a lot, we will call for reservations. If you are just out walking around at night, look for places that seem to have a line or a lot of activity. Its a good sign. Donerail

Do ask at your hotel for restaurant recommendations and give them your price range. Believe me, you can get very bad food in Paris . . . even at very high prices. The idea that all, or nearly all, restaurants in Paris are good is a real myth. Especially in tourist areas, there are some pretty bad places to eat. Your hotel staff will usually steer you to a very good place since it is a point of pride with them . . . unless Uncle Benny owns a lousy restaurant!)

The advice above to look for a busy restaurant is excellent. If the place is empty at the dinner hour, there is a reason! If it’s crowded with happy people, the food will probably be very good.

The Zagat Guide is pretty spot on for our tastes . . . which may be different from your tastes.

I understand that most restaurants in Paris will be pretty grand. The French cherish their cuisine and demand top dollar which I am prepared to spend for my "big" birthday dinner in Paris. My background is in wine and food so I am accustomed to fine dining and expect to pay for the experience. La Tour is definately on my radar for my special dinner. But aside from that my plan is to make lunch my main meal each day not only to save money but this is the way I eat at home. Every meal in France will be a gastronomic adventure to be sure but one does have to pace oneself. I do love to eat what the people eat on the street so recommendations of those types of restaurants would be helpful.

Thanks for your replies and suggestions.

Anicab

Good idea SalB. I will definately ask my hotelier their recommendations. FYI, I’m staying at Hotel Les Degres de Notre Dame located on the Seine across from ND. They have a restaurant on the ground level that offers classic bistro food and N. African specialites. There are so many restaurants to choose from. Fortunately I am an adventurous eater and love the hunt. I look forward to reading menus and poking my head into the door to have a look.

anicab: To give you somewhat of a calibration of Paris restaurants thru personal experience, I went back to some of my journals and offer the following. I have dined at approximately 75 restaurants in Paris over the years. One meal was bad. One or two were fair. The balance were anywhere from very good to outstanding. The dinings were a combination of expense account extravaganzas and more sensible personal funds dining. A restaurant serving poor food will not survive in Paris. At least any respectable restaurant. Another tip: If a restaurant has a menu in English, look it over very carefully as they may be just catering to the tourist trade. Donerail

Hello!

If you want to book on line, I know a website that deals with more than 250 parisian restaurants among the best of them and it’s free of charge!

http://www.bestrestaurantsinparis.com

I hope it helps, have a lovely trip!!
Regards,
Mathilde

heres a list of my favorite restaurants in Paris. theres something for everyone, so I’m sure one or two of these will suit you.

L’estivals – a restaurant in the Popular xx area, specialising in food from south-west france. So theres lots of duck and goose, along with pommes sautés – potatoes fried with garlic and parsley – delicious. They’ve got a good selection of regional wines too. Service is excellent, and the welcome is warm and friendly. Around 30 Euros per person.
http://www.eat-out.net/restaurant.php/ym26055

Djakarta Bali – an undiscovered gem. One of the only indonesian restaurants in Paris, its down a side street near ‘les halles’, the main shopping area. Its not cheap – probably around 40 Euros per person, but its a real experience and quite different from other soth east asian cuisines.
http://www.eat-out.net/restaurant.php/jc6372

Chateaubriand – this one is a little bit out of the centre of Paris, but its worth the trip. Its only 10 minutes away from the city centre on line 11 of the metro, get off at ‘Goncourt’. traditional french dishes, but with a difference. the owner is English, so communication wont be a problem. An amazing selection of wines too, all kept at the perfect temperature and decanted into a carafe before being served. The owner certainly knows her wines, and always recommends a wine that matches the meal perfectly.
http://www.eat-out.net/restaurant.php/fa25866

hope that helps, enjoy your trip

I dined at Le Coupe Chou nearby touristy rue des Ecoles. It does have atmosphere, but I ate in the first dining room. It’s the one that’s pictured on their website and it has the huge fireplace. The room is pretty small and fits a few tables only. The boeuf bourgignon was great and I ordered their 32 euro prix fixe menu.

I tried several restaurants spotted on this flick account and was pleased by the experience : le Restaurant du marché, le Réservoir and the Brasserie Printemps (at the top of the department store) were just great, each in its own terms…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7423241@N05/sets/