Paris eating on a budget

I can highly recommend Paris Walks.

creesepv,
There are a few Breizh Cafes in Paris. I know there is one in St. Germain area. The food is very good, reasonably priced, popular with the locals. They feature Breton food, especially the savory crepes of Brittany. Also in the same area, we ate at Cafe Mucha, also reasonable, with good food and good service. We had lunch at each of these places. As for dinner, we rarely have dinner in town as we always stay with family outside of Paris, and eat with them or at a restaurant in their area. It has been 7 years since I ate dinner in Paris.

I have never been to Paris in December, so don't know about Christmas markets, and also have never done a walking tour. You might try putting New Years Eve Dinner in the search bar above. Opt for Travel forum and last 6 months. There have been several recent threads about dinner on Christmas or New Years Eve and Day. Prepared food is also available at Monoprix, Carrefour (chains but with good food) and La Grande Epicerie de Paris. You could buy bread, pate, cheese, pastries, wine, winter fruit for an indoor picnic, or get some delicious roast chicken (poulet roti) and sides for something hot. Many French buy their chicken to take home for dinner after work.

Since you aren't museum people, you might enjoy attending a concert. There may be some at various churches or other venues. And if you haven't done so, take a boat ride on the Seine. Vedettes de Pont Neuf is cheap, lasts about an hour, and gives you a nice view of Paris. At night things are lit up (Eiffel Tower for example), and daytime you see a lot as well. Sit up top for the best views. Wear warm clothing and gloves. Narration is in French but often they throw in some English. You can reserve a time on line. It leaves from the tip of the Ile de la Cite. We have been several times. It is a good place to rest after walking all over Paris.

I don't know if they are open in the winter, but I always enjoy walking along the left bank of the Seine, especially across from Notre Dame, where the bouquinistes set up their stands/kiosks and sell used books, prints, and bibelots. Quintessential Paris! Also close by there is Shakespeare and Company bookstore, another popular stop. Check out a guidebook from the library. Most things to do and see haven't changed much over the past few years (except for needing reservations at museums, etc.), so the options of what to see and do should be apropos in a book that is 2-3years old. There are many hours of enjoyment ahead for you!

Bonne chance!

P.S. Be sure, as you walk around Paris, to buy crepes from a vendor on the street. Yum! A classic Paris experience!

I second the recommendation for Breizh Cafe - there are several locations in Paris.

https://en.breizhcafe.com/

I've done both of those walks with Paris Walks. I prefer to go ahead with a paid walk so I know that the guide has some actual knowledge instead of being a person who has learned a script. I enjoyed both but they are in fairly different areas so decide which might appeal to you or which history you would be more interested in. I also like their Paris During the Occupation walk that starts on the Right Bank at the Tuileries Metro stop if WWII is of interest (might not be on the right day for you). You really can't go wrong with any Paris Walks walk, lol.

For an inexpensive lunch I go for getting a baguette sandwich from a boulangerie near your hotel. I recommend you take some ziplock bags as the sandwiches are usually wrapped in paper and if you want to keep for several hours dropping them in a ziplock will keep them fresh. The sandwiches are pretty big so I often will have half for lunch and half for dinner, supplemented by some fruit. Or chocolate. Or a luscious dessert from the aforementioned boulangerie/patisserie!!

thank you all
some great ideas so far

Hi!

Paris is cram-jammed with amazing Christmas markets in December. There’s a HUGE one at Trocadero - there are more at Les Halles and the Marais - there are smaller, more local ones - and I think they give Germany/Austria a run for their money. Listings are easy to find online. We’ve been to the Trocadero market several times. We also liked the one near the Tuileries.

Since you’re staying near the Arc de Triomphe you will be in the white hot heart of Tourist Central. This is not conducive to “non tourist” dining. I would suggest strolling over to the Passy neighborhood for a meal. You won’t find super gourmet options, but we like Le Passy (https://lepassy.paris/) for well presented, tasty, honest (and non-touristy) fare. My husband has loved the steak au poivre, and I am very fond of their salad options, including a capresi salad with killer olive oil and decadent mozzarella. It’s a “neighborhood joint,” as it were. (Great for coffee and pastries in the morning, as well.)

There are other, slightly swankier options in the neighborhood. We also like Le Franklin for their oysters, but it’s not as “nicely” decorated as Le Passy, if that makes a difference.

Passy is about a 20 minute walk (mostly gently downhill) from l’Arc du Triomphe - and the walk takes you past Trocadero, with its magnificent (and wildly romantic ;-) view of the Eiffel Tower.

Judy is SPOT ON about the crepes!

Monoprix comes in big and small sizes (as does Franprix). There are several large Monoprix locations with excellent bakeries and a fantastic selection of hot and cold prepared food for takeaway. The one we prefer is in Passy, so I won’t call it out for you: you should be able to find a large one near you online.

Go to Les Frenchies on YouTube. The best around YouTubes on the internet. Everything you want to do in Paris

I second the idea of getting a sandwich from a bakery. They are always delicious, usually large enough to share, and very inexpensive.

Some bakeries will also have small ready-made quiches or other tasty goodies available. I don't remember exact prices, but it seems to me these sandwiches and quiches are under €10 each.

Sometimes there will be seating nearby, or occasionally even inside the bakery.

I don't want a crappy bakery sandwich for dinner -- they are convenient for picnic lunches but lets not overhype how wonderful they are.

for cheap dinners -- big traditional menus, try the Bouillons. Bouillon Pigalle in Montmartre and the Bouillon Chartiers have decent industrial food. Pigalle is a bit better. The Chartiers have stunning rooms, particularly the one on Blvd Montparnasse. We have had worse dinners for 3 times the price in Paris. Unless you are paying big bucks at a restaurant with a short menu, you are probably getting airplane food anyway -- and the Bouillons have lots of choice. (my 12 year old granddaughter was introduced to snails at one -- but also enjoyed duck confit.

Chez Gladines which has several locations, the one we use is in Butte aux Cailles, has big sloppy plates of inexpensive Basque food and they are very tasty.

I am not a fan of the Breitz Cafe crepes but there are tons of great crepe restaurants. Rue Montparnasse has several; we have usually eaten at Joslin. Good selection. Inexpensive. both savory and sweet crepes -- and 10 times as good as the ones you get at stands. Eat one of those for the 'experience' but they are not very good.

Lifetime travel - yes. Agree! Les Frenchies can be a bit twee, but they have a LOT of very up-to-date content with great detail on price and location. Excellent recommendation!

They sell food at the Xmas markets. It's a lot of fair food, of course, but there are also stands selling tartiflette, crepes, etc.

some great suggestions. Thank you!

There is a block of local shops- meats, cheese, breads, fish, fruits, vegetables bakeries, monoprix, franprix, all nearby. It’s like a neighborhood market. It’s off of the blvd de Wagram and Ternes. It’s in that vicinity. Looking at my maps it appears to be Rue de Poncelet. We went there and lived like a local for an evening.

I even found this blog that highlighted it. https://parisplusplus.com/paris/discover-rue-poncelets-outstanding-outdoor-market/

To. Clarify what janettravels wrote: the inexpensive restaurants with huge menus don’t serve airplane catering, but a lot of the food is industrial made and microwaved. I’ve had it for years and think some can be quite good, made in large vats. I wouldn’t automatically turn up my nose. Several of these restaurants are in the guidebooks ( bouillons, Polidor, and many more)

Crêpes: the stands outside tourist attractions use buckets of industrial batter. So do some restaurants. This batter lacks nuance in the flavor and the griddles have a minimum butter. Think package pancake flour. The small crêperies and Breizh Cafes are good. Rue de Montparnasse has excellent crêperies since this is the area the Bretons who came to Paris to work 20th century settled, near their train station. Josselin gets the hype, but they are all good, good batter, and butter.

Bakery pastries, croissants, etc most come from distributors—even some real patisseries don’t have time to make everything you see for sale. And most of these are fine, a step above Paul and Pret a Mannger, etc. I have three bakeries in my neighborhood; the one that sells industrial croissants has the most buttery and flaky ones. The bakery at my corner makes their own and they are too doughy.
So don’t turn up your nose, but just enjoy.

Sandwiches: just be sure the bread comes from a good bakery and doesn’t dominate the flavor. They have so much bread that you can feel bloated, but a good sandwich is a pleasure.

thanks Mo!
I love the idea of the street with fresh foods etc. We will certainly check it out. :)

I don't know where you live, but prices to eat out in So Cal are pretty over the top now. When we were in Paris this past spring, we ate at really lovely brasseries (we stayed in St Germain) and we honestly couldn't believe how inexpensive it seemed by comparison. For delicious, wonderful food.

People do really romanticize a baguette sandwich from a boulangerie. Many boulangeries do sell "plats préparés" with things from pasta to croque messieurs.

All that said, you can still find great restaurants at good prices. Try some French chains like Hippopotamus and Léon de Bruxelles. As mentioned above, the bouillon-style restaurants offer great deals.
Also there's many neighborhood restaurants that are hole in the wall hidden gems.

You won't go hungry. There are deals to be had.

A plan we used years ago to contain eating cost was to really eat heavy when breakfast was included in the hotel rate. Then a hearty lunch and light dinner. Lunches were almost always less costly than dinners unless we stumbled on a local hidden gem..

Can I tell you something that cumulatively will make a difference in your restaurant /bakery / fast food budget over the course of your time ?

Drink tap water instead of purchasing a soda, bottled water, or wine or beer. Of course sometimes you will want a treat but ask for a 'carafe d'eau ' at a sit-down place or a "gobelet pour eau " at a sandwich shop and you will save a ton of money.

Not really an option when buying a sandwich at a bakery - so carry a small water bottle with you and fill it at one of the city's numerous Wallace water fountains.

Kim is spot on on water -- you will see locals with carafes of free water while tourists order bottled water. The water in Paris is excellent and it is a custom to drink it in restaurants.

And if you want a fancy dinner, many of the top restaurants charge substantially less for their lunch menu than dinner and often with a very similar menu. We had a wonderful lunch a few years back at L'Tour d'Argent; we could not afford their dinner menu.

I second the recommendation to seek out crepe restaurants, especially around the Montparnasse area. For a cheap lunch (cafeteria style) try the cafeteria at the large department store (cannot remember name) just to the north of the Hotel de Ville. Food is not great, but it has a great view. Peter

Can anyone recommend some non tourist $ or $$ type eating locations

The Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysées and its surroundings being the perfect antithesis of the non-tourist district, do not look in this area.

One of the days will be New Year's Eve. We do not want a huge
expensive dinner

All restaurants without exception multiply by 2 or 3 (or more) their prices for the New Year's Eve dinner by offering a special meal.

The "Bouillons" like the Bouillon Chartier (3 restaurants in Paris) generally offer not too expensive meals

https://www.bouillon-chartier.com/en/the-concept/

"Le Bouillon Julien" located in the 10th has a special New Year's Eve menu starting at 55€ / person excluding drinks, which is a good deal

https://www.bouillon-julien.com/

Having spent the last 3 days in Paris I'll just add a couple things.

1. Food at the Christmas markets in not inexpensive. Tartiflette with a sausage and onions and a beer will run 25-30 euro. Other items price accordingly.

2. You cannot take food or drink into most of the museums. And if you only spend 2 hours in the Louvre that's probably not an issue. But most of the major museums seem to use the same supplier and a sandwich, drink, and cookie (or whatever the daily menu is) is going to run over 20 euro. That's for the same meal you can find a mile away for less than 10.

3. Expect to see lines outside the decent places starting around 6pm. Reservations are a good idea.

The Christmas market at the Tuileries is very interesting, but wall to wall people. The small one across the street from the Notre Dame is nice, mostly crafts, and kind of tucked away. It was not jammed when I was there. They say the biggest market this year is at La Defense, but I didn't get there. The walk down the Champs d Elysees is very nice with some amazing window displays. The one at Dior especially.

Another great place for a hot meal and to try reasonably good food is the cafeteria-style restaurant Flunch. There are only about 2 left in the Paris area, but as a student this place saved my life and I was able to have a nice pâté de campagne as an entrée and a nice sundae aux fruits rouges for dessert!

Oh, I didn't know there was Flunch in Paris! On a Rick Steves tour a few years ago, the group stopped at a Flunch for lunch shortly after we arrived in France, and I was surprised at how good the food was. We found it confusing to figure out how it worked, with all the different stations, but I chose a duck paté that made me think "Oh, yes; we're definitely in France!"

Just to warn that Flunch cafeterias seen by the French have long been considered junk food places, it can even be a joke to talk about people who have no taste "they go to eat at Flunch". :))

In real life, it is true that if it's not expensive, it's low-end, bad, and fatty industrial canteen food. You might as well go to a fast food restaurant.

well if people are turning their noses up at Flunch they must not be the hordes of families that descend on the ones I frequent on my trips through France. They are also the only things open in the malls where they live on Sundays.

Yes, the vegetables (without limit and included with any main) can get a bit tired if there in the off hours, but at peak times they are continually refreshed, and if you are vegetable deprived as I often am on holiday they are the hit of the day.

Portions are good sized and reasonably priced, almost all completely France sourced, and fresh.

The little cheese plates are most welcome after I get off the boat, and the desserts are pretty good too.

And how many places have you been where you can get a double Tennessee Rösti Burger unfortunately out of the current rotation)?

And I really look forward to their Moules à Volonté, with the freshly put out fries. A couple of buckets and I'm good. OK, maybe 3.