Paris: Lunch, Dinner and morning coffee - suggestions, experiences on planning a week long stay

Where are you staying? We have stayed in an Airbnb on Rue Clar twice and both times found a ton of great food offerings. Arnaud Nicolas is a ten minute walk and just one minute from the Eiffel Tower. Chez l'ami Jean is a 5 minute walk and is excellent but can be crowded. Right out your door you will have many shops for fresh meat, cheese, bread, fruits and vegetables. They also have three different wine stores within 100 yards of each other. This street is featured on a RS episode in Paris. It is a real treat.

near Place de Vosges in Le Marais.

I do understand to explore the local neighborhood and eateries is our best option.

Thanks

Hi gtl, it helps to try to speak a bit of French, stick to the basics, be polite and respectful, but don't obsess over it! In my experience, most waiters have at least a working knowledge of the English language. Paris is a wonderful city with tons of restaurants, bistros, and cafes and all have menus posted outside of the establishment so you can get an idea of what they offer and at what price. Early dinners are no problem if you choose a casual bistro or café. Grocery stores, boulangeries, and patisseries are scattered throughout every neighborhood. Have a wonderful time in my favorite city!

Coffee in the morning is as common in France as elsewhere. I like cafe au lait (espresso with milk), but without milk will be available, too, of course. Maybe not quite as good as Italy, but still better than most American-style coffee is to me.

One of the advantages of an apartment is you can do breakfast in. It is. cheaper of course, but it is better. I go out to the nearest bakery and get the morning bread while my husband makes coffee. We take it cafe au lait in the morning and then get a creme perhaps at a cafe in the afternoon or my husband gets an espresso while I get a cold drink. We just get ground coffee at the grocery store and fresh whole milk when we arrive.
We also usually have orange juice, yogurt, jams and butter and such available for breakfast.

The bakeries are full of wonderful breakfast breads. We actually prefer baguettes with good French butter but many people prefer croissants and enjoy comparing them from various bakeries. 'Artisanal' on the bakery sign may get you croissants made and baked in house as well as bakery made baguettes instead of those made from dough shipped from central kitchens. But in addition to these two choices there are always pain chocolate, and a variety of other tasty breads -- snails with raisons, pastries with fruit, half a dozen with variations on chocolate and assorted sweet goos, almond croissants etc etc. Many bakeries have baskets of mini pan chocolates and croissants -- since we are having baguettes for breakfast, we will get the mini pain chocolates occasionally to add variety or the puff pastries with rough sugar crystals on them, couquettes. And while we are getting the breakfast breads, I usually buy one nice dessert pastry to have after dinner that evening. My favorite is the tarte citron -- but there are many many choices.

Bottom line -- having breakfast coffee at home is not just cheaper, it is better especially if you want to experiment with the bread options. Most places we have stayed have at least two nearby bakeries and several more within a walk.

I’m heading back to Paris next year and already reminiscing about their breakfast pastries & breads. I will be heading here for breakfast:

Ah Petit Versailles du Marais, located in your neighborhood.

One of the things that helps in ordering meals is that all restaurants have their menus posted outside so you can look at them before you go in.

It needn't be an "ordeal". I'm vegan and have very little facility for language. I manage pretty well in Paris. I'll start off with "Je suis vegan" and start pointing to menu items I think might work. Most of the time the waiters will switch to English but I always try in French first. My pronunciation is so awful I think that's why they are quick to switch BUT I also think they appreciate the attempt.

Get the RS phrase book for French. It's pocket size and will cover most of your needs. I've also had servers correct my French phrasing (which I appreciate) when ordering so that is helpful too! I started out saying "sans fromage" (without cheese) but I had several tell me the proper way to say it is "pas du fromage".

I typically have a 6PM stomach. I can wait until 7 most of the time so I'm usually the first in a restaurant. No problem. I don't usually have reservations as I'll just eat where I am and wherever the menu looks OK. Usually not a problem if you are there early.

I buy ground coffee at a supermarket - they have different brands than in the US, which I think are pretty good. Your AirBnB should have a coffee maker or French press. I like to go out in the morning to a nearby boulangerie to buy a baguette or croissant for my breakfast, which I enjoy with fresh brewed coffee, fruit, and maybe some great yogurt - get the kind in little glass jars, or better yet, the one in the little blue crocks, and don't forget the salted Normandy or Brittany butter.

During the day, you will have plenty of opportunities to stop for coffee. I like a "noisette" - espresso with cream, or a cafe creme. If you like it black, just order "un cafe," which is an espresso and the least expensive. This comes with world class people watching and access to "les toilettes."

Oh, and don't forget to great the lady in the boulangerie and the waitperson in the cafe with "bonjour," and through in appropriate "si'l vous plait" and "merci."

Bon voyage.

your replies are great...
some nice pointers, advice that is informative and helpful...
thanks

A lot of great advice here. As to lunch, on multiple visits to Paris we simply look for a cafe with lots of business people, generally away from a tourist site, and we generally order salads, which the French do very well. The museums offer good options, too. The cafe at the Musée d’Orsay is terrific. Another favorite for us is Pret a Manger. Great sandwiches and salads to go or eat in if you can grab a table.

Everybody is unique. I based the framework of my trip this past week on the Museum Pass I bought and how I felt physically (back condition). I found wherever I went , I poked my head in and out of places (or looked through the window/read the menus) to see if they were the kinds of places I would enjoy. If you go to any outdoor market like I did with Rue Mouffetard, you'll find wonderful cafés for your coffee in the morning that are relaxed, won't have English menus, and will encourage you to take your time. There might be newspapers for you to read assuming you understand French.

As for lunch, that just depended on where my day took me as did dinner. I picked restaurants that either only had french menus (cartes) or the menu was written on a blackboard (those I loved). If there were a prix fixe menu, I would opt for that as it would allow me to sample things I may not have normally ordered (plus enjoy dessert). I typically ordered the house wine too.

Always look for where the locals go. Breakfast at your place as many have suggested, there may be many bakers within blocks of you. Give them all a try, see which you like the best. If getting a quick bite, stand at the bar for better service and cheaper as well. Eat at bar$ inside $$ outside/view$$$ same menu. I always look behind the bar for the fresh orange juice machine too. For lunch as mentioned cafes in Museums or around metros there is a cafe on every corner. Visit all, check menus, how many locals, who eating & what or is everyone just sipping on a beverage of choice. Restaurants I would choose based on recommendations either RS, other travel guides and even on line reviews, as well as any locals you may meet or the review booklet left at your place.

My husband and I are very picky coffee enthusiasts and seek out the best places we can find wherever we go!
We were in Paris for a month this summer and discovered a great "3rd wave" coffee place just near Place de Vosges...it's called ALMA and is on the Boulevard Beaumarchais just a couple of blocks away from the square. Exit the square at the northeast corner, walk a couple of blocks, and turn left onto Boulevard Beaumarchais. It's at #59. Tiny little place with some of THE best coffee I've had outside of Oslo.
Yes - Oslo has the best coffee anywhere in the world. But I digress...
You are staying in a very touristy part of the city so not speaking French will not be a huge problem.
There are some great little restaurants right on the Place de Vosges - we enjoyed Ma Bourgogne at the NW corner. Even though they cater to tourists you'll see a lot of locals there and the food is quite excellent. Very nice decor as well.
There are countless coffee / patisseries in The Marais...you'll pass one every 30 seconds as you walk along so just take your pick! As long as you politely attempt to speak French you will be treated well - most waitstaff speak restaurant English and will help you out.
Reservations are not really necessary and you can get dinner earlier than 8 o'clock in the evening. We ate at some of the nicer places in the city and ate around 6:30 - 7 without a reservation. If you have a special place you want to go then reservations aren't a bad idea...to make it easier you can make reservations online sometimes. Open Table is now operating in Paris. If you've used that before then you'll know how easy it is.
Oh...I just noticed that someone in a post above said "cafe au lait"...the French actually call it "cafe creme".

I love coffee and have made a list of recommendations from others. David Lebovitz has some on his page. I have been to Coutume, there are a few locations. I have tried to get in to Holybelly but they were closed when I was there. They have more than one location now. Belleville coffee processes coffee and perhaps has a coffeehouse now. KB coffee on rue des Martyrs is delish. I have to search for the other names on my list. French Frye in Paris is addicted to coffee, he may have recommendations on his web page.

Enjoy.