My daughter is visiting Paris on Spring Break and is looking for a good french restaurant near her hotel in the 2nd Arr.
Prefers something in the 2nd or 3rd Arr.
We always get the best recommendations from everyone in the Forum!
Thanks ahead of time!
Kevin
Just outside the eastern edge near the Bataclan is a wonderful bistro Les Petits Papiers. Family owned and run, Thierry is a magician in the kitchen. Reasonably priced, excellent food, few tourists, reservations a must.
We had a discussion at home the other day about what people mean by "french cuisine".
Restaurants are probably the only place you can get "french food" , and even then only if you're prepared to pay through the nose for it. We decided it's a particularly 19th century invention, started by Escoffier, involving making like southern dishes with heavy northern produce - so recipes from below the butter/cream border but made with butter and cream.
In reality, most French people probably only eat french cuisine as a special thing. The rest of the time they eat regional cuisine: simpler, with local ingredients, and seasonal.
I'd tell your daughter to do what a french tourist would do - keep her eyes open during the day and look at restaurants that might be interesting.
For "French cuisine" in the 2nd, I like Brasserie Dubillot on rue Saint-Denis, although service can be a bit slow/messy at times. Prices are very reasonable.
Bouillon République at the edge of the 3rd is also rather nice considering the great price, but in that same vein I do not care for the oft-mentioned Bouillon Julien just over the 2nd-10th border in the 10th, and even less for the famous Bouillon Chartier.
Otherwise, French food is not necessarily my go-to so, even though I live in the 3rd, I am of little help here!
In December, we had a wonderful meal at Parcelles (https://www.parcelles-paris.fr/en/) in the 3rd near the Pompidou. Very small so she will definitely need reservations, but can make them online via the website. The menu was full of what I think of as French classics (though that definition varies, as pointed out by other posters :) ). The staff was warm and friendly. The mix of diners seemed to be heavy on locals. They have a pretty active Instagram account if she wants to get inspired by seeing the food and wine.
