‘I love Paris in the springtime’ goes the song but, if you can take the heat, August is a very good time to go, as many of the Parisians have gone on holiday and it is perfect for finding a restaurant in Paris where you can eat outside, it’s what actor John Malkovitch does. September isn’t bad either as the Parisians are back from their holidays with their batteries recharged and the tourists hopefully have dropped off a bit so you will find a good bistro or brasserie that won’t be too crowded.

You don’t have to go without the beach either as the Paris authorities have created a beach and swimming pool along the Seine, complete with palm trees.

There are so many places to eat in the capital city of the ‘Haute Cuisine’ country which range from the grand restaurants with 3 Michelin stars via the large brasseries, to the humble bistros, but do not be fooled; even the most humble eaterie will have great food because the Parisians are a discerning bunch of eaters. A tip to wise, if you are out and hungry, just look for the brasserie that has a crowd of locals and you can pretty much bet that the food is pretty good.

For those who take a more structured approach to their eating we have supplied a list of restaurants in Paris that encompasses all those categories, the one thing they all have in common is that you will find them interesting in both food and décor. Sadly if you are vegetarian, like me, you will find a limited bill of fare but the omlettes are great. If you are vegan, you are in the wrong country.

Some of the Best Brasseries in Paris Parisians have always frequented the Brasseries

Lipp
Boulevard St Germain, 75006
Métro: St-Germain-des-Prés
If you are on La Rive Gauche (The Left Bank) this is the place to see or to be seen.
It is huge, historic, and a foodies paradise.
33 01 45 48 72 93
Balzar
49 rue des Écoles, 75005
Métro Cluny La Sorbonne
Parking : Ecole de médecine, Soufflot
The unofficial canteen of the Sorbonne, even intellectuals need good food, as they have for decades,
John-Paul Satre for one decided that ‘I am therefore I eat’.
Tel 33 01 43 54 13 67
Fax 33 0144 07 14 91
Au Boeuf Couronné
188 boulevard Jean-Jaurès, 75019
Porte de Pantin (métro ligne5)
Opened in the 1930’s, refurbished in the 1950’s as the name suggests a great place to eat meat.
It has to be as it is the meeting place for animal traders and butchers.
Tel : 01 42 39 44 44
Fax : 01 42 39 17 30
Mollard
115 rue Saint-lazzare, 75008
01 43 87 50 22
Unlike Britain, eating around stations is not a depressing experience, here you will eat some of the finest sea food dishes in a beautiful art nouveau surrounding.
Boffinger
5-7 rue de la Bastille, 75004
01 42 72 87 82
Travel to Alsace without leaving Paris and enjoy a sumptuous Art Deco surrounding at this traditional brasserie. Although the menu is traditionally Alsace, there is an English translation.
Le Café du Commerce
51 rue du Commerce, 75015
01 45 75 03 27
A definite summer eating place as it has an opening roof, who would have thought it was once the local for a now defunct auto industry whose favourites were the excellent meat dishes. traditio
Charlot- Roi des Coquillages
12 place Clichy, 75009
01 53 20 48 00
Another Art Deco palace, noted for its sea food dishes that do not stint on its portions. A lively scene where all your senses are catered for.
La Coupole
102 boulevard du Montparnasse, 75014
01 43 20 14 20
If you think this place is big you’re right, when it opened in 1927 it was the largest in Paris, it’s Montparness and still has original artwork on the walls. The food will not disappoint either.
Julien
16 rue du Faubourg-Saint-Denis, 75010
Métro Strasbourg Saint Denis (Ligne
01 47 70 12 06
A listed historic brasserie that was once a traditional working mans café, with Art Deco surroundings like this Macdonalds has a long way to go, as for the food, Mc D isn’t even in the running.
Le Grand Colbert
4, rue Vivienne, Paris, 75002
01 42 86 87 88
You will be surprised to find that this is actually a reconstruction of an 1850’s brasserie. That doesn’t put off the regular clientele who flock here for the food, or to be seen. doesn’t

Some of the Best Grand and Opulent Restaurants in Paris

Restaurant du Palais-Royal
110 Galerie Valois, 75001
01 40 20 00 27
The contemporary yet simply prepared French food lives up to the surroundings.

Lassere
17 Avenue Franklin D Roosevelt, 75008
01 43 59 53 43
A great summer venue with its’ opening roof, once the favourite haunt of famous surrealist Artist Salvador Dali who must have enjoyed the equally famous sole with asparagus cream.

Prunier
16, av Victor Hugo, 75016
01 44-17-35-85
Prunier was a once a household name, it is still a favourite with the in-crowd who enjoy their seafood and caviar served in an elegant Art Deco surrounding.

Hôtel Plaza Athénée
25 avanue Montaigane, 75008
0153 67 65 00
This restaurant is the home of the Haut Cuisine renaissance and if money is no object you will get the finest food in the finest of surroundings of anywhere in the world.

Le Grand Vefour
17 rue de Beaujolais, 75001
01 42 96 56 27
A superb mix of classic and current dishes that appeals to the discerning diner.

La Méditernanée
2 Place de l’Odéon, 75006
01 43 26 02 30
Some come for its magnificent terrace, some for its stunning seafood, what ever it is, they do come.

Some of the Best Cool and Chic Restaurents in Paris

L’Ambroiserie
9 place des Vosges, 75004
01 42 78 51 45
The place to go when you tire of Haute Cuisine because the Haute here is of Everest proportions.

L’Apicius
20 rue d’Artois, 75008
01 43 80 19 66
A stones throw from Les Champs-Elysees, where else would you go to eat the finest calfs head in Paris whilst walking in film maker, Luc Bessons’ garden.

L’Arpége
84 rue de Varenne, 75007
01 47 05 09 06
Possibly one for the well healed vegetarian, as master chef Passard features vegetables in his cuisine in a big way. The meat eaters will definitely not be disappointed either.

L’Astrance
4 rue Beethoven, 75016
01 40 50 84 40
A true foodies Mecca where chef Barbot dazzles and delights the palates of the Parisian beautiful people.

Guy Savoy
18 rue Troyon, 75017
01 43 80 40 61
3 Michelin stars and worth every one. Impeccably chosen ingredients cooked to perfection. Gourmands will think they have died and gone to heaven.

Tertasse Mirabeau
5 place de Barcelone, 75016
01 42 24 41 51
If you are getting bored by the old décor then try this neuveau-bistro with its’ modern design and great cuisine.

Some of the Best Affordable Bistros in Paris

Aux Lyonnais
32 rue Saint-Marc, 75002
01 42 96 65 04
Alain Ducasse-owned bistro, say no more.

Le Baratin
3 rue Jouye-Rouve, 75020
01 43 49 39 70
People come for the food, not the décor, so should you.

Le Repaire de Cartouche
8 boulevard des Filles-du-Calvaire, 75011
01 47 00 25 86
Modern bistro cuisine with a hint of Normandy.

le Régalade
49 avenue Jean-Moulin, 75014
01 45 68 58
Birth place of the modern bistro chic and still packing them in, get there early if you want a table.

Chardenoux
1,rue jules-Vallès, 75011
01 43 71 49 52
Traditional home cooking for the workers for over a hundred years and still going strong. They must be doing something right, must be the food.

Le Vieux Bistrot
14 rue du Cloître Notre Dame, 75004
01 43 54 18 95
If you are feeling pious and hungry after a visit to Notre Dame you can do no better than to sample their menu of traditional home cooking.

Finally, after sampling the delights of the restaurants in Paris, or if you are hot and thirsty, with money to burn, go to one the most chic beautiques called Colette in rue St Honore. In the basement is a water bar that serves over a 100 different exclusive waters from around the world. Jack Daniel drinkers may wish to sample the Tennessee spring water, in its own, limited edition crystal bottle made by Swarovski. At around $65 for less than half a litre, lets hope you get to keep the bottle.

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Ian Richards webmaster of http://www.facialwizard.yourpower2be.com and http://www.yourpower2be.com website for Women that Men love to browse.

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Today, you are in Paris, and you need a place to picnic. There are so many possible locations, that I could never list them all. I’m inclined to suggest going to the square in front of Notre-Dame, the very center of the city, and finding some steps or a wall to sit on and use as a table. A lot of people don’t know that behind the Notre-Dame there is a very nice park with shade trees and park benches. There’s also the square du Vert Galant at the other end of the Ile de la Cité too, and just before it, the quiet and shady place Dauphine. This adds up to four places on this one island in the Seine.

There are also the places that come immediately to everyone’s mind. You can sit along the sunny banks of the River Seine and enjoy the fresh air, while you do a little people watching. The beautiful grassy lawn in front of the Eiffel Tower is always a popular spot; Luxembourg Gardens, the possibilities for a picnic in Paris are endless.

Storer is a famous and award winning Boulangerie-Patisserie that bakes excellent baguettes among other things. I think rue Montorgueil is one of the best market streets in the city and you’ll find dozens of food shops and supermarkets all on a single street. You can choose a baguette, some fromage (cheese) add some fruit, and you’re nearly ready. You could purchase a sandwich made with a crusty baguette, some ham and fresh cheese, or a delightful croque monsieur, which is sort of an inside out grilled ham and cheese sandwich. Add a bottle of wine, head to the park, and have the romantic picnic in Paris that you’ve always dreamed of.

Are you wondering if it’s legal to drink wine in the park in Paris? There are actually very real open bottle laws that the mayor of Paris has passed to reduce public drinking but they are very selectively enforced. The average picnicker probably won’t encounter them unless they are clearly drunk or publicly offensive but they are law nonetheless. The law is clear; it’s illegal to have an open bottle of any alcoholic beverage in a public park. The reality is to be discreet and you’ll be treated discreetly by the police. The police may approach people having picnics and ask them “please hide the wine bottle”, followed by a polite “bon appetit” as they move on. Just be aware that technically it is against the law.

When you’ve finished your picnic, you might want to finish with something sweet. You should try a delicious crepe while you’re in Paris – the vendors prepare them in front of you, and will fill them with your choice of filling; be sure to try a fresh crepe dripping with nutella. The warm, sweet nutella drips down your fingers, and is so delicious to savor.

Soon you’ll be sitting on a blanket spread on the grass with the one you love, gazing into each other’s eyes and toasting each other with a glass of wine, maybe watching the sunset over the Seine. Enjoy your picnic in Paris. Bon appetit!

Author and article credits

Terri is a successful businesswoman who shares a passion for travel with her husband James. They share their travel adventures and the many ways to travel on a budget at Traveling Tuttens

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Eating out in Paris can be a gastronomic bonanza. The culinary fare in Paris has a reputation to match any of its famous landmarks. And what is more, you do not have to necessarily spend a fortune in a fancy restaurant to appease your palate.

Small restaurants will entice you with their fare of croissants, tarts, éclairs, and elaborate cakes. Even a humble sandwich gets dressed up in Paris as it is made with crusty baguette and fine cheeses.

Modest restaurants located around the Eiffel Tower and the Champs-Elysées boast of authentic local cuisine. Gourmet dining at reasonable prices ensures a steady stream of both Parisians and tourists to these restaurants.

Experienced tourists recommend restaurants that are located in residential areas in Paris. These, they swear are authentic quality French food at competitive prices.

Dining in Paris is termed as an experience to be savored not something you do to appease hunger pangs. Classy restaurants with extensive courses and winning wine lists are bound to give you value for money. You might have trouble understanding the menu leave alone pronouncing it. If this happens ask for help unabashedly. Only then will you be able to relate to Salade de Gesiers as salad with sautéed chicken gizzards, or Ris de Veau as veal sweetbreads, or Langue de Boeuf as beef tongue. A proper meal in a Paris restaurant should be had in the right sequence -an appetizer, an entree, a main course and dessert along with suitable wine, and coffee as the grand finale.

Etiquette is something that seems inborn in the French and tourists would be wise to at least pretend at being good mannered in classy restaurants. If you do not want to stick out like a sore thumb, that is. Formal dressing, soft voices, no clinking noises from your table, extreme courtesy to the serving staff, etc., are a few basic behavior patterns expected at any fine Paris restaurant.

Le Vieux Bistro, Mon Vieil Ami, Le Petit Marche, L’Ardoise, J’Go and Café Moderne are a few Paris restaurants that are worth a visit.

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Paris provides detailed information on Paris, Paris Hotels, Discount Flights Paris, Paris Accommodations and more. Paris is affiliated with Paris Casino Hotels.

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Paris is debatably the number one dining capital in the world. Dining options truly run the scope from 3 Michelin-starred temples of haute cuisine to the equally charming Parisian bistro. If one has the opportunity to sample both varieties during a trip to Paris, one should absolutely take advantage of it.

For historic significance, an unbelievable ambiance, and the famed duck, La Tour d’Argent is one of Paris’s best and most famous dining experiences. Some of the slightly less expensive, but still excellent fine dining experiences includes Jacques Cagna, Gerard Besson, and L’Astrance.

The Parisian bistro is where one is likely to spend the most time. There’s arguably nothing that exude charm like the traditional bistro. There are traditional dishes, but bistros typically will have an extensive menu to please any taste. Some wonderful choices consist of the traditional steak and French fries with bearnaise sauce, sole meuniere, escargot, seared foie gras, and roast chicken. Many bistros and brasseries also offer fresh seafood, with oysters being the primary staple product.

When eating in Paris the mouth watering selection of pastries at Laduree as well as fine chocolates is a must. And since one is trying Laduree, one can compare chocolates by buying something at Pierre Hermes on the Left Bank and Angelinas. There is always a good reason to buy chocolate when visiting Paris. On the Left Bank, one can go to Poilane and buy a whole variety of bread or pastry that tempts. Stand in line with the Parisien housewives, buying the days baguettes. Pain au chocolate is a favorite of the children, stopping in after school.

The inopportune truth is that fine dining in Paris can be costly, with the menu capable of running up to 300 Euro per person or more. With wine added to it, one can pay $1000 or more for dinner for two. Though having a good meal at lunchtime is also a good option. Though the options at lunch will be much more limited, and one won’t get the dinner ambience, lot of money will be saved. The celebrity chef venues, such as Alain Ducasse and Guy Savoy, are forever popular but there are some other favorite also. Like the venerable Taillevent, followed by Le Cinq. The much-visited Jules Verne in the Eiffel Tower is great for the experience and views, but the food is rather ordinary for the price and by gastronomic standards. For historic significance, an incredible ambiance, and the famed duck, La Tour d’Argent is one of Paris’s greatest and most famous dining experiences. Some of the slightly less expensive, but still excellent fine dining experiences includes Jacques Cagna, Gerard Besson, and L’Astrance.

France has created some of the world’s most notable and creative chefs. Auguste Escoffier prepared the kitchens at the hotel owned by César Ritz and at London’s famed Savoy Hotel. Fine French dining is not confined to Paris. Some of the provincial French establishments joined the ranks of excellence. It is a mouth watering experience.

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Anil Gupta recommends that you visit http://www.bookings.fr/city/fr/paris.html?aid=305255 for more information on Paris hotels.

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No other country in the world enjoy mealtimes more than the French. With style and finesse, this national pastime unearths some exquisite dishes unmatched anywhere else on the planet. The top chefs parade round town like Hollywood movies stars, safe in the knowledge their culinary talents have blessed them with a lifestyle reserved for the rich and famous.

Whilst eating out can be expensive, a little common sense can go a long way to saving you a euro or two. Every budget is catered for in Paris, and should you wish to pay the same size bill as Brad Pitt then that can easily be arranged. However, avoiding tourist hotspots and seeking backstreet restaurants can yield lesser damage to your wallet.

The Au Virage Lepic offers a basic menu, though the food is of good quality. The friendly ambience provides a pleasant eating experience, and all at a reasonable price. Diners chatter away, conveying their thoughts and episodes of the day, whilst waiters scurry around feeding their hungry guests.

Chez Gladines is a snug little place, a real home from home. The informal atmosphere presents a more down-to-earth clientele, preoccupied with their delightful Basque dishes, washed down with the help of some fine French wine.

Excellent food at a generous price can be found at Flo, an old-fashioned eating place popular with many of the younger tourists. The tight, elongated tables afford a more party atmosphere as diners and drinkers alike sit shoulder to shoulder conversing, as time passes into the early hours.

For a vegetarian flavour visit La Petite Legume, a friendly little café to make you feel at home. The food is splendid and benefits from an organic slant.

Drinking establishments are spread throughout Paris, providing for every taste and wallet. Though street side cafés tend to be a little expensive, the unique Parisian atmosphere rewards any expense, and no trip to Paris should go without this experience.

Popular with the younger generation is the Café Charbon. Tranquil during day, the fashionable bar explodes into life come evening, as clubbers gather for early drinks and Dutch courage prior to their assault on the nightlife.

Facing St Sulpice church rests the unassuming Café de la Mairie. Its idyllic location draws plenty of passing trade, all appreciating the warm and friendly aura.

Low-priced beverages and daytime nibbles are aplenty at La Folie en Tete; the relaxed bar is a complete contrast to the vigorous street activities outside. Folk dash by, whilst the punters just sit and chill.

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Steven Cronin writes for several online travel publications and owns the Sargas Travel online magazine featuring travel reviews, news, inspiration, advice and special offers. For further reading please visit http://www.sargas.co.uk

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This is Paris and it is raining, which is as it should be. Paris rain is not as the rain of other cities. It is softer, benevolent. It caresses, rather than soaks.

Perhaps the main reason I come to Paris is because of the food. Not that I am a true gourmet. More a gourmand. It is perfectly possible to spend an arm and a leg on food in Paris. I am still in a state of shock after paying $17.50 for a single glass of beer. Granted, I was sitting on the pavement on the Champs Elysees and granted, I could have sat there all day. But I am still in shock. Normally I steer well away from such high-priced nonsense.

When you go to Paris – and you should go at least once in a lifetime – make your own discoveries. I am assured it is possible to get a bad meal in Paris. It simply has never happened to me. At the following restaurants you will only get great meals.

First and foremost, La Crémerie Polidor. If it was good enough for Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, Andre Gide, Jack Kerouac, Paul Verlaine and Paul Valery, it is good enough for me. For lunch yesterday I had the plat du jour, which was cassoulet in the classic style. It cost $10.

This restaurant has never heard of nouvelle cuisine. Its style of cooking is still firmly embedded in the twenties. (In fact, it opened 20 years earlier.) As are its decor and standard of service. And the fact that it does not accept credit cards.

With my meal I had a pichet, a small jug, which is about a third of a bottle of Chateau Magondeau, a Merlot, which has won a Medaille Concours Agricole and is generally well spoken of. A full bottle would have been silly, but a pichet at $10 was just right. This system of serving excellent wines in less than bottle quantities is splendidi. In most restaurants you can have a carafe of house wine, which normally will be singularly nasty and probably will have come from Algeria or Morocco and be chemically treated. Sometimes you can detect that someone are the grapes first. You can drink it at a pinch. But you have to be desperate.

A step up from that is réserve maison, or réserve du patron. This is much better and very drinkable. At the top in quality and price are the wines which qualify for the title vin delimité de qualité supérieur (VDQS), or appellation d’origine controlée (AOC). These can be truly splendid wines, but can be pricey and a bottle much too much to drink for one person.

Some restaurants serve great wines by the glass or small jug and the good ones get the Coupe de Meilleur Pot, which is a much-coveted award. This means that you can sample the grand wines of France – and grand wines, indeed, they are – without doing dire damage to either your wallet or your liver.

The best places to experience this superior plonk by the glass are in bars run by the Ecluse chain which keeps expanding. Originally there was one Now, I think, there are five bars. On offer are Bordeaux wines by the glass, some of them grand cru. These bars also have, beyond argument, the best chocolate.

Back to Polidor for the moment. The ideal time to go there is around 1.30, when the first mad rush is over, but the atmosphere is still there. They don’t accept telephone bookings.

To get to it, take the Métro to Odeon on Boulevard St Germain de Près and walk through Carrefour Odeon and then up Rue Monsieur le Prince to number 41. It is not a flashy frontage and easy to miss. The unisex toilets are very probably a historic monument.

After eating a literary lunch, go back down to St Germain de Près and turn left. You will shortly come to three great Paris institutions: Aux Deux Magots, the Café Floré and Brasserie Lipp. It was at Aux Deux Magots in 1964 and 1965 Jean Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir held literary court.

You can have a glass of wine or a tea, typically with lemon, or a coffee and huddle over it for hours without disturbing the waiters of Aux Deux Magots, who have seen it all.

Always and ever you will see some tables occupied by Parisian lovers. They lean forward over the table with their spines concave, their buttocks jutting and their legs intertwined under the tables. Looks damned uncomfortable, but they do it by the hour. In Aux Deux Magots there was a dark-haired couple – both handsome – who were seemingly frozen eternally in this posture of adoration.

If you are on a tight budget, there are many restaurants which serve better than acceptable food at ludicrously low prices.

One example is Chartier, in Montmartre, which is at 7 Rue du Faubourg Montmartre. Take the Métro to Montmartre, come out into Rue Montmartre and take the first turning on your left.

This is an immense restaurant, which looks like a set designer’s idea of a waiting room for the Orient Express – always crowded, always noisy. In the old French tradition, the waiter writes your order on the paper table-cloth. At dinner for two, one had fish soup (great), the other fresh shrimps (likewise), followed by veal (better than good) and shashlik (dreadful). To go with this, a bottle of Côtes de Provence rosé and some cheese to follow.

Total price 28 euros, under $40.

If you are on a very tight budget the answer is to picnic. Start off with a loaf of bread. These are called baguettes, cost three francs each, and were the glory of France. Sadly, they have in recent years deteriorated because the bakers do not like working through the night to make fresh batches. So they make them the day before and deep freeze them. Another black mark to progress. Baguettes, nevertheless, are still better than any other bread.

To buy it, head for a boulangerie. Easy to find – they are everywhere and emit a glorious smell of warm bread. If you want the best baguettes, head for the shop with the biggest queues, Parisians know their bread.

Nearby will be a charcuterie – food shops in Paris come in clumps – where you can buy pâte, quiche, ham, saucissons (sausages) in all varieties, especially the dried, smaller kind. They will slice up the sausages for you. Many charcuteries also sell hot take-away dishes in plastic containers although I tend to avoid these as being too messy.

An example: for lunch in a charcuterie in the Rue du Faubourg du Temple I bought a portion of feuillette de jambon; a portion of museau de porc vinaigrette; some potato salad and a portion of salade Chinoise. There was enough there to feed me until I was full to groaning and yet it only cost a few euros.

Now, if you are a greater glutton than I, nip into the fromagerie, which will be somewhere on the same block, and experiment with cheeses you have never tried before. If you are quite open with the shopkeeper and confess ignorance you will sometimes find a selection of small portions being made up for you as a sampling kit.

Lastly, the wine. Treat yourself to a bottle with a cork in it. Again, tell the wine merchant the type of wine you want and that you are learning about French wines and you are poor. You will be pleasantly surprised at the friendly advice and assistance you will be given.

Where to eat your picnic? On a recent trip I ate my picnic meals in the little park at the Pont Neuf end of the Île de la Cité. Behind me, the Gothic wonders of Notre Dame. In front of me, the Seine.

I ate like a king in solitary splendor. I was alone, but I was not lonely, I had all of Paris around me.

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Gareth Powell is the author of several travel books, has been the travel editor of two metropolitan newspapers and has a travel website – www.travelhopefully.com, a non-blog web site – www.bloggeroff.com and a digital image web site – www.pixelates.com. He is passionately against restrictive laws and copyrights and lists free software on his site
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