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Paris in Early June

Going to Paris for a high school graduate trip (husband, two 18 year old girls, and me - Mom) for a week - need restaurant suggestions. Cafes, good lunch/dinners around town, and especially close to the Louvre. We are in an apartment at the Palais Royal, so will probably tap into the fresh markets for breakfast stuff. Will be touring all around town, so looking for the lunch spots, cafe spots, gelato spots, and more near tourist locations. Especially spots with great people watching and views.

Posted by
7209 posts

Best way to spit a great place is to look for all the customers. You can find restaurants on TripAdvisor

Posted by
13809 posts

THB I’d just look for something when you are hungry.

I do make it a point to eat lunch in the Marais a few times each trip. I like the falafel best at Mi-va-Mi on Rue des Rosiers. The place across the street is more famous (L’As du Fallafel) but I think Mi-va-Mi is tastier. Generally things in the Marais are closed Saturdays.

Look for Amorino for gelato or sorbetto. Get the cone because they make a rose out of it. They’ll put as many flavors on it as you like-based on the size you purchase.

Posted by
8261 posts

I’m going to second the look for something when hungry idea, unless food is more of an emphasis to you than the sights themselves. What a lovely graduation trip!

Posted by
59 posts

Oh such a great topic...

I always investigate what restaurants are around our hotel. We are simple eaters and look for small or regional type places to eat and generally shun fast food, and are not looking to dine to expensively except for one night. The hotels desk or concierge can also lead you to great places. A suggestion in Conwy lead to our most memorable meal in Great Britain, so it is always good to ask. We never would have found it otherwise. I also do my initial trip intel, and look in Google maps... Street view is SO helpful! I usually look for a drug store, market, laundry, coffee and dinner places nearby. That is one reason Rue Cler is such a perfect place especially for Paris newbies.

Coffee places are also important to us, (not necessarily Starbucks, but a coffee house) since DH and I are coffee dependent….and we want to be NON grumps for our tours. It is shocking sometimes how finding a good cup can be difficult. I remember our joy of finding a place while we were in Turkey. We had been days without decent coffee on our cruise and it was like mana from Heaven!

I have heard some wonderful things about several sandwiches here:
Cosí. 9.1. 54 rue de Seine, Paris, Île-de-France. Sandwich Place · Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Chez Alain Miam Miam. 9.1. 39 rue de Bretagne, Paris, Île-de-France.

Also try Paris by Mouth, David Lebovitz or this yummy site for ideas https://sharedappetite.com/eat/the-top-10-foods-you-have-to-eat-in-paris/

If you are looking for vegan food, perhaps Pam will let you know her favorites.

Anxious to see what other places will come up here..

Nancy

Posted by
891 posts

Plug in your apartment location to Google Maps and ask for restaurants nearby. Based on your apartment location you will find many many places of all types. We found most places just by walking around during our daily ventures on our last time in Paris. We found a Pub that was about half US expats and the rest were French. It was a great atmosphere and they served great food. Liked it so much we went there twice. Remember to take a couple of lightweight grocery bags for your food purchases at the markets, plastic bags must be purchased if they are even available.

Posted by
4025 posts

The Fork/La Fourchette covers many restaurants. It will make reservations for you, in English. It contains opinions about cuisine and value (although, being part of TripAdvisor, some caution is wise.)
Paris By Mouth is a more personalized guide.
Time Out on-line magazine has resto recommendations.

Posted by
613 posts

When we started our 200+ days traveling in France, we relied on the infallible Michelin Red Guide for eating, but quickly realized that there are no bad (French) restaurants in France, so now we just walk down the street reading the menus posted by the door & eat where we find one we like. Never failed. However, there is one caution. While once Paris was full of French restaurants, now its full of sushi, pizza., KFC, McDonalds, & stratospheric priced haute cuisine temples so you will have to do a little hunting to find a real French family restaurant

Posted by
613 posts

Breakfast, not lunch/diner is more likely to be your problem. Odds are your hotel will serve a abomination called a "continental" breakfast, a tiny cup of liquid coal tar with a greasy baked bun (croissant). When you tire of this, here's how to get a really good breakfast in France. Locate a bakery near your hotel. Go there and get a tart and a beer for breakfast. The French make excellent beer, which nobody ever drinks because they think they should drink wine in France. We prefer apple or peach tarts, but it's up to you.

Go eat your breakfast in the nearest park.

Posted by
9462 posts

I've lived here for 13 years and have yet to see a bakery selling beer . . .

Posted by
15560 posts

I hope kb meant a tart as in a bakery product and not the kind of tart you'd be more likely to encounter in an establishment selling beer.

Paris Walks has an afternoon food tour: The Old Les Halles Food Market District Explore the architecture of this district rich in history, with picturesque old streets, and hear stories of the famous fresh produce market which was here for many centuries. We see Paris' oldest patisserie, old-style bistrots serving onion soup, traditional food stores, and the splendid Renaissance church of St Eustache. Enjoy the displays and hear the story of French food through the ages. Meet at metro Etienne Marcel. Price: 20€ Here is the May program, June should be out soon (they still have March posted). If possible, take it early in your stay. I mention it especially because the area is very close to the Palais Royal.

The best breakfast in Paris is fresh baked goods (croissant, pain au chocolat, or baguette with butter and jam) and a cup of cafe au lait or hot chocolate. I like to prepare picnic lunches in Paris. There are many places to plop down and the markets are where you'll find the best ingredients.

Posted by
2 posts

You MUST go to Bouillon Chartier (rue du Faubourg Montmartre, 9th arrondissement)! This restaurant is a legend, great traditional French dishes and very cheap for Paris. And the restaurant itself is beautiful, so typical.
If you like Asian food, don't miss the ones 'rue Sainte-Anne', most of them are fantastic.
Another great place (a bit more expensive though) is 'Café de l'Homme' on the Trocadéro with a stunning view on the Eiffel Tower.

Posted by
796 posts

Ice cream: Amorino and Grom are great as is the famous Berthillon. I have an app Ulmon Paris where I search the location before hand, then tske screenshots. There are several Amorino and Grom locations in the city.

People watching: la Terrasse a cafe by the Ecole Militaire metro, right by the Eiffel Tower. I have had many a drink and meal there. This is right by rue Cler which has many market shops and restaurants.

Enjoy!

Posted by
64 posts

Fantastic lunch place is Depot Legal, about a 5 minute walk from Palais Royal. We stopped in on a Saturday at about 13:30. It was very busy, but not hectic. The staff all spoke English, after (of course) we greeted them with a quiet "bonjour". The food was wonderful. Everything proudly organic and local. Simply delightful place to eat.

Their website depotlegalparis dotcom.

Bon appetit!