Cheap eats/inexpensive restaurants

[Felice]

Cafe des Musees and Brezh in the Marais are both in the price range.   The first has a prix fixe around 20-25 euros.  The second makes the best galettes (buckwheat crepes) I have tasted. 

Tried the first in July and thought it good value.  Tried the second last night. 

Both get packed so reservations are a must.

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You need a reservation for Breizh, to eat crepes?

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YES, definitely. I called on Saturday afternoon and he had to squeeze us in that night and turned away tables while we were there. It's tiny and good.

[skiter53]

Cafe des Musees and Brezh in the Marais are both in the price range.  The first has a prix fixe around 20-25 euros.  The second makes the best galettes (buckwheat crepes) I have tasted. 

Tried the first in July and thought it good value.  Tried the second last night. 

Both get packed so reservations are a must.

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You need a reservation for Breizh, to eat crepes?

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YES, definitely. I called on Saturday afternoon and he had to squeeze us in that night and turned away tables while we were there. It's tiny and good.

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Good to know. I was just hoping to stroll in whenever I happened to be in the Marais. Is it usually that busy, even during lunch or week days dinner?

[Felice]

Good to know.  I was just hoping to stroll in whenever I happened to be in the Marais.  Is it usually that busy, even during lunch or week days dinner?

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Probably not if you going at off hours (I think they might serve all day but am not sure) but if you go during lunch or dinner hours, it is probably best to reserve. I haven't been during the week so perhaps it's not so crowded, but there are not many tables, so it wouldnt surprise me if they are booked during the week as well.

[John Talbott]

How about this? Les Bouchons ex-Francois Clerc, now Le Restaurant de Philippe et Jean Pierre, 7, rue du Boccador in the 8th, 01.47.23.57.80, closed Saturday lunch and Sundays, serves an outstanding, while forced-choice 3 course menu for 28 Euros, which with 1 glass of wine, bottled water and coffee = 33 Euros. My Anglo-American friend and I were most impressed by the oysters, cod with puree and millefeuille and ice cream.

[dlc]

Cafe des Musees and Brezh in the Marais are both in the price range.  The first has a prix fixe around 20-25 euros.  The second makes the best galettes (buckwheat crepes) I have tasted. 

Tried the first in July and thought it good value.  Tried the second last night. 

Both get packed so reservations are a must.

My wife and I ate lunch at Cafe des Musees last week on a Thursday. They were packed so if you can, I would suggest reservations. This has been a reasonably priced (for this neighborhood), quality ingredients favorite of ours for 15 years. We did not have reservations so were seated downstairs which is not quite Siberia but the fun of people watching and the open kitchen is sorely missed. The changes of the past 2 years have made the food even better and the prices remain relatively low. I would recommend this for lunch or dinner as a great reasonably priced choice in the Marais.

[John Talbott]

OK here's a new one for the back-packing relatives who show up next week -

Opus Vins, 72, rue Vasco de Gama in the 15th, 01.42.50.14.91, closed Saturday lunch, Sundays and Monday nights which has a 20 € 3-course meal at lunch and with cheese at night it runs 30€; wines start at 3.80 a glass. My full report will be posted at the end of the week. It's quite good and has a wonderful wine list.

[John Talbott]

Dave Hatfield has put up a map of Cheap Eats linked from his topic and I thought I'd revive this resource so folks can update it and Dave can get additional ideas, esp re:Paris.

[Dave Hatfield]

Dave Hatfield has put up a map of Cheap Eats linked from his topic and I thought I'd revive this resource so folks can update it and Dave can get additional ideas, esp re:Paris.

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John Thanks for the resurrection. If you go to the link you will see that I've made a start on Paris. I've a long way to go, but will keep slogging away.

I am somewhat frustrated by the fact that there are a lot of nice recommendations with a restaurant name, but not an address. To put places on the map I've gotta have an address.

Ideally, price & phone number as well, but the address is critical.

[julot-les-pinceaux]

I've been talking about this one for a long time but now I have pictures: Luna Rossa, rue de la République in Romainville, is a very good and simple trattoria, with a super nice boss running the place. The highlight is the flambé pasta inside the parmesan wheel, but the frito misto is also worth a try, as is basically everything. I just love that place, even if no one, aparently, ever wants to go to Romainville. Yesterday night we paid 103 eur for three, and we had more than we wished for.

Here are the pics: http://picasaweb.google.fr/jultort/LunaRossa4thJuly

45, Rue République

93230 Romainville

01 48 40 49 80

[Dave Hatfield]

I've been talking about this one for a long time but now I have pictures: Luna Rossa, rue de la République in Romainville, is a very good and simple trattoria, with a super nice boss running the place. The highlight is the flambé pasta inside the parmesan wheel, but the frito misto is also worth a try, as is basically everything. I just love that place, even if no one, aparently, ever wants to go to Romainville. Yesterday night we paid 103 eur for three, and we had more than we wished for.

Here are the pics: http://picasaweb.google.fr/jultort/LunaRossa4thJuly

45, Rue République

93230 Romainville

01 48 40 49 80

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Glad to add your post to the inexpensive restaurants map.

Any more?

[julot-les-pinceaux]

Glad to add your post to the inexpensive restaurants map.

Any more?

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Not yet, but it will come. My under 50 eur list in Paris include Wally le saharien, Chez l'Ami Jean, La Régalade, Pho 14, Asia Palace, Thao Ly, Sollia, l'Auberge Bressane, l'Acajou, le Bistrot d'à côté, and that new North-Chinese place that just opened on rue des Colonies and whose name I can't remember. I'll send more detail later if you need to.

[Dave Hatfield]

Glad to add your post to the inexpensive restaurants map.

Any more?

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Not yet, but it will come. My under 50 eur list in Paris include Wally le saharien, Chez l'Ami Jean, La Régalade, Pho 14, Asia Palace, Thao Ly, Sollia, l'Auberge Bressane, l'Acajou, le Bistrot d'à côté, and that new North-Chinese place that just opened on rue des Colonies and whose name I can't remember. I'll send more detail later if you need to.

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I'll look forward to more posts from you - soon!

A note, the 'locals' (John & Felice) dictated that the definition of cheap is 32 Euros for a Paris lunch. Who am I to argue?

[John Talbott]

Last Tuesday the Guardian had an article by John Brunton on his “Top 10 Paris bistrots on a budget.” They included:

l’Ebauchoir 14 € lunch

La Boulangerie 17 € lunch

Les Dingues 15 € lunch

Les Racines 12 € plat du jour

Le Pre Verre 13.50 € lunch

Chez Gladines 8 € for the plat de jour

Chez Germaine 16.50 € lunch

Georgette 15-18 € plat du jour

Vins des Pyrenees 13.50 € lunch

Un zebra a Montmartre 15 € lunch.

I can vouch for l’Ebauchoir, Boulangerie, Racines, Pre Verre + Georgette.

[John Talbott]

A note, the 'locals' (John & Felice) dictated that the definition of cheap is 32 Euros for a Paris lunch. 

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I think this arbitrary number is open for discussion; I picked 30 or so Euros because most of the articles in ANP or Figaroscope on inexpensive meals I "digest" use 30 E without liquids; I dunno.

Today, however, I ate at Christian Etchebest's 3rd venture La Cantine du Troquet and for a superb meal (with the maestro in attendance eating mind you not cooking) three courses a la carte were 27 E which I think in terms of price-quality, is about as good as it gets. With a half-liter of wine and coffee the bill went to 37 E, which I still think is great.

[John Whiting]

Our recent experience (see new listings in page below) would suggest that 30€ for dinner and 20€ for lunch are still reasonable ballpark figures. Of course some charge more and are worth more, but these approximate limits still permit a wide selection.

In fact, with the world-wide cost of ingredients and energy going through the roof, I wonder how they do it.

[Dave Hatfield]

John - Nice to see you back.

I wouldn't argue with the suggested price levels for meals. They are somewhat arbitrary to be sure.

Prior to the great Regional Reorganization which sort of buried the many useful Index's I had started an interactive map showing as many of the inexpensive restaurants as possible in both Paris & the hinterlands. The Link is here.

If there's interest and a way to keep the link visible I can update it from when I gave up and try to keep it current. As of now there's quite a lot of Paris and most of our local haunts.

[John Talbott]

How about this?

Le Dos de la Baleine, 40, rue des Blancs Manteaux in the 4th, 01.42.72.38.98, closed Saturday lunch, Sundays and Mondays, with a 20 €, 3-course limited choice (3-3-2) menu at lunch, but 40-50 € at night with pricey wines by the bottle, but a bargain by carafe at lunch (7 € for a ½ liter of Merlot). It was realy good simple food and my bill came to 29 € with the wine and Illy coffee.

[John Talbott]

And this:

Memere Paulette, 3, rue Paul Lelong in the 2nd, 01.40.26.12.36, 2 courses for 15 and 3 for 17 € (that’s correct, it’s not a misprint), closed Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Huge menu, huge wine list, huge portions. With a bottle of fine red and two coffees plus two aperitifs, our bill was 73 €.

[John Talbott]

Sorry to hog the stage and drive the bidding down but how about this place discovered by Pierre45 (and unreported by the papers despite its being open since Aug 26):

Au Gout Dujour, 12, rue Beaugrenelle in the 15th, 01.45.71.68.36, closed Sundays. With the 20 € menu and 7 € wine pitcher one exits at 27 €.

[John Talbott]

I of all people should appreciate it's all psychologial, but I must note that three of us ate at Figaroscope's #1 Sunday lunch place today for 34 E each with 2 bottles of wine and coffee:

Firmin, le Barbier, 20, rue de Monttessuy in the 7th, 01.45.51.21.55, closed Monday and Tuesdays, lunch formulas at 18 and 23, a la carte 40-50 €,

[hughw]

And here's another; La Mère Agitée in the 14th, which was mentioned with the following comment on the France slowtrav.com forum:

"Every day there a different a la carte menu with 2 choices. Madame speaks halting English and treats you like a guest in her kitchen. Intimate,very traditional country French cooking and a neighborhood institution."

So, I've googled around and haven't found too much about it except a blog by John Whiting that commented more on the politics of the deceased patron than the food. Any reports?

http://www.lamereagitee.fr/index.html

[John Whiting]

So, I've googled around and haven't found too much about it except a blog by John Whiting that commented more on the politics of the deceased patron than the food. Any reports?

http://www.lamereagitee.fr/index.html

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Part way through my review you'll find the following:

[NOTE: When Mary and I revisited in 2004, Père had died and Mère seemed less agitated by ultra-right politics. In fact she was cooking so well that we ate there on three successive days, two lunches and a dinner. Good satisfying fare, without pretense. Lunch was still a modest 18€ and dinner not much more.]

Subsequent reports to me have bourne this out, including a recommendation in the last Pudlo, which prices lunch at only a euro more.

[Laidback]

Firmin, le Barbier, 20, rue de Monttessuy in the 7th, 01.45.51.21.55, closed Monday and Tuesdays, lunch formulas at 18 and 23, a la carte 40-50 €,

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John has this place taken over the space occupied for years by the 1 star "Vin Sur Vin"? The address is the same.

[John Talbott]

Firmin, le Barbier, 20, rue de Monttessuy in the 7th, 01.45.51.21.55, closed Monday and Tuesdays, lunch formulas at 18 and 23, a la carte 40-50 €,

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John has this place taken over the space occupied for years by the 1 star "Vin Sur Vin"? The address is the same.

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Yes

[Ptipois]

Firmin, le Barbier, 20, rue de Monttessuy in the 7th, 01.45.51.21.55, closed Monday and Tuesdays, lunch formulas at 18 and 23, a la carte 40-50 €,

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John has this place taken over the space occupied for years by the 1 star "Vin Sur Vin"? The address is the same.

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Yes

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No, they're both at the same address and I had meals at both last Fall (Vin sur Vin was the later).