Where are your favorite places to eat in the rue Cler area?

Been there, done that. My restaurant was in Turkey! Oh, was I sick. Linda

Bill, La Fontaine will be one of our first restaurants. Thanks, Linda

Oh, Linda, please tell me you will not eat ALL your meals and spend ALL your time in the rue Cler area..

Linda,

I'd be surprised if breakfast isn't provided by your Hotel and included in the room cost. On my last visit to Paris, I stayed at the Hotel Duquesne Eiffel and they provided a GREAT breakfast!

For lunch and dinner, there are lots of choices in that area. I usually just get a Baguette/Sandwich for lunch, and have more of a "treat" at dinner. Which restaurants to use will depend on whether you want a "gourmet" dining experience or something more "normal".

Some of the establishments I've enjoyed on past visits:

- Cafe du Marche: (have a look at the photo at www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/helpline/index.cfm/rurl/topic/40706/how-to-get-from-the-gare-du-nord-to-the-hotel-in-paris.html)

- Cafe Roussillon (not sure of spelling?): Menu is on a large blackboard, which is a bit unusual. I found both the food and the service to be good. It seemed like a very popular and busy place!

- La Terrasse: on the corner near the Ecole Militaire Metro stop. Food was great, seemed a bit more on the "gourmet" side.

- Cafe Central: dined there on my last visit and enjoyed the meal.

One that I can't recommend is Le Bosquet, which I believe is the one Rick used in his Paris TV show. I found the food adequate, but the service absolutely terrible. I will NEVER dine there again!!!

Happy travels and have fun in Paris!

Norma, I promise not to spend all my time around rue Cler!! That's just where our hotel is located.
Ken, thanks for all the info. I'm like you, not so much for lunch and enjoy dinner. But, not knowing my French too well, I'm careful about the gourmet meals. I like to know what I'm eating!!
Thanks again, Linda

Linda,

My French skills are at best "minimal", but I've had no problems with understanding the foods. The Waiters are always happy to explain, if required.

Cheers!

Linda, are you looking only for casual places, or are you also open to nicer places? Are you willing to bring a menu translator or do you need an english menu/english speaking staff? The 7th is an excellent restaurant neighborhood--I think there are more restaurant listings in the Michelin guide for the 7th than almost any other arrondissment. I can recommend some places but I want to make sure you aren't just looking for cafes first. Rick has some good suggestions too in the 2010 book.

Ken, breakfast is rarely included in the room cost in Paris. Sometimes hotels are less than clear that there is an additional charge and I don't want Linda to be surprised.

Right off Rue Cler on Rue Saint-Dominique is where I had my best dinner ever in Paris. "La Fontaine de Mars" (where the Obamas went while they were there).
The address is 129 Rue Saint-Dominique 75007 Paris.
And no, it isn't terribly expensive. I have been to Paris many times; and I will definately return to La Fontaine de Mars. Bon Voyage et Bon Appetit!
Ph 33 1 47 05 46 44.

I got very bad food poisoning from Cafe du Marche and will never eat there again. Spent the last two days of my vacation on the bathroom floor.

Tribeca was consistently one of our favorites on Rue Cler. The duck liver salad is outstanding - I don't recall the french name - it is delicious. Daily specials very reasonable at lunch time. It seems to be popular with younger college students mid-day.

Tribeca was consistently one of our favorites on Rue Cler. The duck liver salad is outstanding - I don't recall the french name - it is delicious. Daily specials very reasonable at lunch time. It seems to be popular with younger college students mid-day.

Tribeca is allegedly owned by the same people who run Cafe du Marche. I've eaten twice at the Cafe du Marche, enjoyed it both times. Ate at Tribeca once, decor is slightly "swankier" than it's cousin, food was equally good.

Between the two, I'd probably choose Tribeca....... Although "La Fontaine" gets really good reviews.........

Bon Apetit!

La Fontaine is very good and not very expensive. Take care to call for reservations, though. You can ask your hotel to help.

We enjoyed Tribeca a bunch of times. We were in Paris during February a few months ago and Tribeca had comfortable outside seating - under heaters perhaps? We were with our son, who was 8 at the time - he like the pizza at Tribeca and after dinner we'd feed him euros and let him run over to Monoprix and buy snacks. We never ate at Cafe du Marche - we did have a beer there one night but decided to move on and eat elsewhere as we didn't love the vibe.

Can anyone tell me the name of the cafe directly across Ave de la Motte Picquet from La Terrasse?

Jean, just Google map it and turn on the steet view:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

"Le 7 Vin"

Linda, read Tom's Guide to Paris............hop on the Metro and visit some of the wonderful restaurants in Paris.

Tom is an ex-pat who lives in Paris. He updates his list frequently. He has a wide range of pics.

We ate at Tribeca on Rue Cler a few times and enjoyed it very much. Food was very good, prices reasonable and the service was excellent.

My favorite restaurant in rue Cler is the Petit Cler. It is, I believe, owned by the same folks who run La Fontaine de Mars. They have a daily special, which is always good. I particularly like their confit de canard (Saturdays).

Linda, my memories of eating in Paris are that ALL the restaurants were good! We ate at some recommended by Rick, and others we just happened to find as we wandered around. We also enjoyed a dinner at Altitude 95 in the Eiffel Tower. Have a great trip-

I will be visiting Paris this February and would definitely like to try La Fontaine. I know reservations at restaurants in Europe are pretty much mandatory. Since it is low season, how far in advance do I have to make a reservation for the restaurant (for dinner)? I will in Paris from a Monday to Friday.

Gabriela,restaurants in Paris are like restaurants here. Each one is different. Many do not require reservations, in fact, when we were there in May, we never had reservations in any of the neighborhood restaurants. But when you decide to dine at a "high end" place, expect them to require reservations, or drop in, and see if they have a table.