Favorite Paris Restaurant and WHY?

Terry - thanks for the recommendation! Looked it up, sounds like just the kind of restaurant we want. Seems to be off the beaten track - which makes it that more desireable. We fly out tomorrow and will definitely go there.

We just returned from our 4th trip to Paris. Without question, Chez Gladines, 30 rue des Cinq-Diamants, was our best meal EVER. You can read reviews about it on TripAdvisor or read this review: http://goparis.about.com/od/parisrestaurantreviews/fr/Chez_Gladines.htm
Our waitress was happy to help us get through the French-only menu, making fabulous suggestions. It was by far the friendliest Parisian restaurant we've ever encountered. The servings were enormous. My husband and I shared a salad and we could have easily shared our huge meal as well. The unbelievable salads were about 7 EUR each and the duck in a blue cheese sauce I had was around 12 EUR. The wine we had was inexpensive and good as well. This was our first experience with a server asking us how we liked each thing she brought. Since this restaurant is kind of off the beaten path, they apparently weren't tired of Americans and seemed very happy to learn about us and where we were from. A French journalist was also there, writing an article about the best budget restaurants in France and wanted to know how we had found this place and what our impressions were. The restaurant is small, so we were tucked in very tightly with French people...a great evening when the food was so incredible and flavorful (Basque cuisine...I MUST get a cookbook!) and the atmosphere so relaxed, warm and enjoyable. We were just sad that we discovered it on our very last night in Paris and we couldn't go back another night. But it made our last night absolutely incredible. Don't miss this restaurant.

I'm also travelling to Paris and Provence/St. Remy very soon.

I'm staying in the 16th Arr. - on Blvd Bastille. Any restaurant/bistro recommendations in that area?

Merci!

In response to Keith: we are staying in the Marias and it our 7th trip to Paris. Price range: I would like all types. Some cool inexpensive places and some high end. I want to know what you LOVED.

Mostly, I am a cook and am interested in RS folks response to this inquiry.

Sue of Springfield (original poster): Here's a link to one of the best topic threads I've seen on how to pick a restaurant in Paris:Picking Paris Restaurantssee especially the posts of Martine and Jona. I know only a petit peu (little) about selecting good Paris restaurants, but it doesn't hurt to consult the experts and the French seem to think the Michelin organization is one of the experts, they've been rating restaurants in France for over a hundred years. Martine's post, the 1st one, explains how to use the Michelin website to identify restaurants of whatever quality and price you want.

Sue in Oakland would like restaurant/bistro recs in Paris, Arles/St.Remy/Avignon for inexpensive-moderate price range. Merci!

This is not necessarily a favorite but a very good restuarant that would be near where you are staying. Look for Astier near (or on) Rue Turbigo. Interesting menu with good cheese tray. We spent a week in Paris in May and noticed prices are up in most restuarants--wine up in price too (not in wine shops though). We went armed with a list of must do restos. Some were great, others not so much. In the Marais we loved Chez Catherine (for lunch) on Rue Roissiers--near the falafel place which is closed on Saturdays.

Sue (Oakland):Avignon - L'Isle SonnanteSt Remy - Alain AssaudArles - Le Jardin de ManonYou can look at price ranges for above at www.viamichelin.com, select Restaurants and input city name and these should come up.For Paris 16th, restaurants with set-price menus for less than €35/person:L'AcajouRestaurant 16eLa Butte ChaillotChez GeraudOscarPort Alma

My morning bakery! There are probably a million in Paris, but this was the one I went to every morning while there. Right near Rue Cler. We stayed that the hotel Londres de Eiffel and right around the corner from that hotel was a bakery with a maroon/red overhang. The pastries, the buns and jam, the coffee...it was all spectacular.

My other huge kudos to Paris food is on Rue Cler - we were scared of the cheese shop. It smelled so bad and we didn't know what the heck to order - so we skipped it. Instead we went next door to the Wine Shop and asked the guy working to please recommend a nice red wine. He did and then asked if we were eating cheese with it - when he sensed our hesitancy - he went next door with us and talked to the cheese guy. We ended up with fabulous cheese and wine and I couldn't have been more grateful to the guys. We ate it on the Eiffel Tower lawn.

Thanks to all for your restaurant tips. My stomach and I will report back after our trip.

I have two favorite places to eat in Paris.

L'As du Fallafel at 34 rue de Rosiers in the Marais is amazing! I've been to Israel, and this is just as good as what I got there (perhaps because the place is actually run by Israelis). I recommend the Special, it has roasted eggplant in it. And best of all, it's incredibly cheap for Parisian food! Last time I was there was in 2005, so I'm sure prices have gone up a bit, but I was able to have a sandwich and drink inside for less than €10! Just remember they are closed on Friday evening and Saturday!

My other favorite is not far from L'As du Fallafel. It's called Cafe Feria, located at 4 Rue Bourg Tibourg. It's a mixture between a French cafe and Spanish tapas bar. Decent cocktail prices for Paris (€7.50) and they have an amazing Sangria for €3.50. Flirt with the bartender and he might give you a second glass for free! I love their take on the Salade Nicoise, it was somewhere between €10-15.

Have an amazing trip!

I realize that people often want to eat in Paris only with Parisiens...but we think these two restaurants are quite okay despite being capable of cooking at home (for example, this morning i went to the market and supper was/is based on what i found)..My son loves to take exchange students into Paris to CHARTIER, rue du Fg Montmartre, Metro Rue Montmartre because he says you can get some ordinary food at a good price with those sterotypical bad waiters in a place with ambience; another restaurant that gets the "trop touristique" from you who want to eat with locals..is Le Grand Colbert, 2-4 rue Vivienne, metro Richlieu-Drouet...I've eaten there with the French mother in law who loves the decor and the portions and the Baba au Rhum..advise to not go on sunday (prices higher?) but go late weekday afternoon...Food is not always the back streets or the Stars...And sorry that i can't invite you all home to supper..Tonight it's just a cod "chowder" with leeks and baby greens salade...