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Foodie in Paris

I would love to hear from foodies. You are a foodie at home, and to you, Paris was at least 50% about the cuisine. For those unfamiliar, a foodie is a gourmet or an epicurean, but without the snobbish stereotype one might apply to such terms.

What was remarkable? From consistent ubiquitous items, to dishes or restaurants that one should seek, please add your experience. Was there a cheese monger who made it easy on a traveller to understand all they were seeing? If you walked different market streets, which did you like better and why?

I would like the emphasis to be under 40€ per person for restaurants (excluding wine, perhaps, but I wouldn't mind knowing where I can fill my own jug inexpensively, either). I can look to a Michelin guide for assurance of expensive quality, but I trust the Rick Steves followers more than other websites for most advice, and I could never afford to eat every meal at a starred restaurant.

Thank you for adding what you know!

Posted by
2262 posts

iburnbrass, the notable restaurants we dined at last September are as follows, each served very good food, and for the most part were filled with a fairly local crowd:
A la Biche au Bois-venison stew, mashed potatoes, cheese course. Lots of game dishes and classic French stuff. Ave Ledru Rollin.
Le Timbre-fried fois gras with figs, pork belly, very small place, one chef and he does it all. Excellent. rue Sainte Beuve in the 6th.
La Regalade Saint Honore-squid ink risotto, Grand Marnier souffle. Near the Louvre.
For a nice lunch in Montmartre, check out Lepic Assiette, on rue Lepic. Crepes and lots of other stuff; excellent friendly service.

What we found dining in Paris is that, more than in most situations there it really helps to make an effort to speak the language just a bit. Proper greetings, being right on time for your reservation-not ten minutes early or five minutes late-and being just assertive enough while smiling and saying sil vous plait, goes a long way to having great dining experiences. The three dinner spots are in the 25-40 euro range; less of course for Lepic Assiette. "Eating and Drinking in Paris" by Andy Herbach is a good guide.

Enjoy, and…bon appetit!
Dave

Posted by
5860 posts

Go to the Bastille Market along Richard Lenoir on Sunday. It is a foodies delight. Watch this video to get a taste. http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2011/12/visit-to-a-paris-bastille-market-video/

Read through David Lebovitz's blog for ideas. http://www.davidlebovitz.com

Buy butter with the big grains of sea salt from a fromagerie and slather it on a really good baguette.

Find some Comte that is at least 24 months old. I had some 30 month old on last trip and it was to die for.

I like both Cafe Constant and Les Cocottes. ... they are both in your price range and a good value for Paris.

Posted by
8293 posts

As a "foodie" (why do I dislike that word?) you may enjoy the gourmet grocery store, Faucher, at Place de la Madeleine. Everything is so beautifully displayed and the utra-high quality of it all is stunning. Just a wonderful experience to go there, even if you don't buy.

Posted by
1329 posts

Norma, I think you meant Fauchon. I agree, it is a wonderful place to browse. Also Hediard which is nearby.

Posted by
8293 posts

You're right!! And I have coffee every morning in a mug with the Fauchon name on it! Apologies!

Posted by
2307 posts

And if you go to David Lebovitz, look for "En Vrac," a place in Paris to buy bulk wine.

Posted by
2081 posts

iburnbrass,

im more of a grazer so i try not to fill up in any particular area/place and this allows me to try more different things.

I love desserts but i also had at 2 croissonts every AM with my coffee. I wasnt disappointed at all, but for me i had the most light/flakey ones in Bayeux. Not that i would turn down any of them in Paris. I should say i will turn down the ones in Starbucks, since i discovered, they all suck no matter which Starbuck you go to. I only went there to use the toilet.

Macaroons, I stumbled across some in the Rue Cler area. But i think it was a really high end shop since they were priced by the piece not by the bunch. I didnt have a chance to try others, but they were delicious. THose were my first macaroons and i they were so awsome, they didnt make it thru the night.

OJ. what i found was that ANY place i was able to buy fresh squeezed OJ, it was sweet and so tasty. So i made a point to always ask if they offered it.

Baguette sandwiches. They were so tasty and so simple. I could live off them if i needed.

coq au vin - i had this in Bayeux too, but the next time im in France/Paris i will seek it out again.

So much to taste so little time....

happy trails.

Posted by
2307 posts

We really enjoyed Bozart Bistrot. Off the beaten path, good food, nice people.

Posted by
2098 posts

It’s a misunderstanding that Michelin is only for high priced starred restaurants. If looking under Classification for Bib Gourmand at their website you can find any - good value for the money - eating place in Paris in the price range you are now searching for. You can even look for budget options at their website.

Posted by
233 posts

To get the best experience, you need to do your research. There are several sites from local Parisian foodies worth checking out:
1. David Lebovitz's site, as previously mentioned. He has great recommendations for restaurants, markets, chocolate shops, boulangeries, etc.
2. Paris by Mouth- their site will cover highly rated establishments for just about anything you may want to eat or drink.
3. Paris Patisserie- This site has extensive reviews of most high end Paris patisseries. However, he has not posted since Sept 2012 and information may be somewhat dated.
4. There is an annual "Best of Paris" contest for both a baguettes and croissants. Check out the top 10 list of finishers for both categories for find the best of each. Having sampled both croissants and baguettes from over a dozen different establishments in Paris, not all croissants and baguettes are great, some were pretty average. Same applies to patisseries. Need to do your research.
That being said, I think the best hot chocolate is at Jacques Genin in the Marais, the best macarons are at Pierre Herme, the best carmels are at Jacque Genin and Henri LeRoux, and the best overall chocolate and candy store is A l’Etoile d’Or, Denise Arcabo's shop near PIgalle. There several great patisseries, too many to mention.
For crepes, go to Creperie Josselin in the Montparnasse area. Really busy, crowded, noisy. But cheap and great crepes because they are dripping with Brittany butter. Watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PeuGhhtWj50
Great wine bars are Le Rubis and L’Avant Comptoir.