Hello! I am working on an itinerary for our October trip. I have been before and taking 2 that have not been to Paris.
When traveling in the states I always eat at odd times - so I don't end up in the lunch and dinner rushes. Learned the hard way that doesn't work well in France . . .
Finding we are close to major sights during most meal times - how do you find good food without spending a lot of time traveling too far out of your way for it?
Paris by Mouth does a thing called Not Terrible near X with X being the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, or the Louvre. A search will bring them up. I have eaten at roughly half of the places they mention near the Eiffel Tower and all except Cocotte (food was way too salty) were very good.
The cafés and brasseries typically serve all day long—unlike more proper/formal restaurants.
In Paris, I don't like to take long lunches because they cut into sightseeing time. I often pack picnic lunch stuff that I buy at a grocery store - some will make sandwiches to order, all have ready-made salads, sandwiches and more. For dinners, just make reservations and you'll have no worries. There are food markets within a 15-20 minute walk or a short metro ride from almost anywhere. You can graze through or eat at one of the many restaurants around them. The Marais is full of good restaurants, so is the Rive Gauche.
Just popping into my head for picnics - there's a small park across from the Cluny Museum. The sculpture garden in the Rodin Museum is perfect. So is the Place des Voges in the Marais.
The restaurant within the Louvre complex is great, and we really enjoyed the view of the front facade and pyramid entrance while dining. When we dream of returning to Paris, that spot comes up frequently in our "must do again " list of experiences.
JHK - Checking this out! Love the blog so far so will be checking out these posts and more.
PharmerPhil - good to note, I will look for those in the names. I just winged it last time and did not get good food or much of it. So planning better.
Chani - I like food markets I will work on finding some of those around. We are open for picnics but in October not sure if the weather will allow eating outside everyday.
Linda - there seem to be a number of choices around the pyramid - do you remember which one you liked?
Convenience stores in Paris are more like they are in Japan, namely they have a wide variety of items and the takeaway food is very good. A few times we popped into Monoprix or Carrefour on the way back to the hotel and just grabbed what looked good (including beer or wine if needed) and ate it in the room, then if desired we could go back out for sightseeing.
