Hungry for Paris: The Ultimate Guide to the City’s 102 Best Restaurants has just been published by Alexander Lobrano. Lobrano is a well known and respected gourmet food journalist, and gives us us some suggestions on how to eat well in Paris for a great price.
When it comes to breakfast if it’s not included in your hotel rate then don’t eat there. Instead head down to a local cafe such as Ladure on the rue Royale or Angelina on the rue de Rivoli.
Need a drink with your meal ask for tap water instead of bottled water or soft drinks. All restaurants will bring you a “carafe d’eau” if you ask for one. Feel like a glass of wine, in France the house wines are pretty good and safe you money.
Skip the restaurants all together and Picnic. You can get food at an outdoor market such as the Marche d’Aligre in the 12th arrondissement, and then enjoy your food and the scenery. However the market is closed on Mondays.
If you enjoy Asian food Paris has two great Asian areas in the 19th arrondissement and the 13th arrondissement behind the Place d’Italie that are filled with great-value restaurants. Some amazing Vietnamese restaurants are Le Bambou, Au Coin des Gourmet, 5 rue Dante, 5th arrondissement. If you see the word volonte which means help yourself, you’ve found a buffet. Get ready to dig in.
Remember that restaurants with a great view tend to have higher prices. So skip the view and opt for great atmosphere. Restaurants such as Josephine-Chez Dummonet, 117 rue du Cherche Midi, 6th and Mon Vieil Ami, 69 rue Saint Louis en l’Ile, 4th, are romantic but won’t break your wallet. Reservations are recommended for both.
Europeans tend to eat their main meal at lunch, do the same. Restaurants offer extremely good-value and prix fix menus at noon.
Here’s a list of some other great value restaurants in Paris
- Itineraires, new, 5, rue de Pontoise in the Latin Quarter -Market driven cooking..
- Le Petit Pontoise, 9, Rue Pontoise in the 5th arrondissement - French Bistro Cooking
- Bistrot du Dome, rue Delambre, 14th arrondissement - Great fish
- Le Mesturet, 77 rue de Richelieu in the 2nd arrondissement.
- La Ferrandaise, 8, Rue Vaugirard, 6th arrondissement.
