Dining in Paris between 2:00 and 5:00 in the afternoon?

It's been our experience that cafes/bistros, etc. pretty much close up shop between 2 and 5 p.m. Sidewalk stands that sell sandwiches are usually open.

However.....I bet someone out there has better information for you.

Specific recommendations would depend on the neighborhood you plan to be in at a given moment. Rick's books list many choices in many different parts of Paris. However, in general, the kind of places you are looking for are either cafes or brasseries. Cafes are happy to serve just drinks (soft or hard), but they also serve sandwiches and salads at any hour of the day. Brasseries are more like casual restaurants (think Applebee's with infinitely better food), serving beer and simple food with a Germanic influence such as sausages and sauerkraut or roast chicken. Brasseries also will serve at pretty much any time. Bistros and restaurants, however, are not likely to serve you between lunchtime and about 7 pm or later, and they are more formal. The menus will be posted outside. Look and discuss and decide before going into a cafe or brasserie to sit and order; these are no-nonsense places with quick service, but the waiters are too busy to stand and wait while someone dithers about what they want. Plus, consider getting a picnic together if the weather is nice and eating in a lovely spot like the banks of the Seine. There are also sidewalk vendors selling crepes to go, and a hot crepe oozing chocolate (or some other savory or sweet filling) is bound to appeal to any 13 year old.

Hippopotamus. Several around Paris (and all around France), we like the one at Bastille. I think what they have, and the atmosphere mid-afternoon, would fit well with your needs. -=- Another choice is Flunch, another national chain which stays open all day at most locations. -=- If you go to see the Hippo, they have menus in English upon request and have good special Menus at the back of the menu. Both operations run decent websites. Try the Ile Flottante, a special desert.

You should have better luck finding places open in the major tourist areas. You could get a delicious gyro during that time in the Latin Quarter. The majority of multi-course sit-down restaurants will be closed, but brasseries and some cafes and tabacs will have some options.

We had no problems finding "ethnic" food (couscous, gyros etc) at all hours of the afternoon in the Latin Quarter

Since I like Chinese food, I can find a place to eat anytime after about 10:30am. Chinese delis are in many neighborhoods; you can eat it there or have it for take-out.

Cafe's around metro exit St. Michael-walk toward streets Pl. St. Andres des Arts R. Sugar, Danton, offer menu's like you are looking for. We had great chicken & steak at one of them, unfortunately I cannot recall the name. 3 streets come together and there is a cafe on each corner. We also had an accordion player and a street entertainer while we ate. It seemed like locals from the area were there with their children too.

Cafes do not generally close in mid afternoon. However, cafes do not generally serve hot meals. Mostly salads, cheese or meat plates etc. I think the Hippotomous suggestion was good. I think I spelt it wrong, but too early in am for me to care. LOL

Laurie, In your sightseeing and wanderings about Paris, if you just happen to be close to a train station, you and your family can duck into them or the brasseries across from the stations that serve the simple French dishes, eg., poulet frites (roast chicken and frites). The train station brasseries are noted for their decent and reasonably priced food which are served throughout the day. I've done this in the Gare du Nord area, when arriving I found some of the restaurants closed (after lunch) and did not open again until 7pm. The locals eat at the train stations.

Try Cafe Constant (cafeconstant.com - english version on upper right of homepage). I've never been there but its been recommended to me by a couple of people. I think its "famous", owing to the cookbooks of the same name, but still remains very good from what I've heard and read. They serve lunch until 2:30 after which they offer a limited menu until dinner. The food is billed as "everyday french" and the prices seem reasonable.

I'm not 100% sure about the timing, but I would think that a cafeteria, such as the Monoprix in the 1-eme, would be exactly what you are looking for.

I'd like to thank everyone for their suggestions, most helpful.