A Guide to Eating and Drinking in Paris
- Paris Information
- Eating & drinking in Paris
- Night life in Paris
- Getting around in Paris
- Things to do in Paris
- Where to stay in Paris
- Paris street map
When planning a trip to Paris, food and drink will quite rightly feature highly on most travelers' agendas. Parisians treat their food with an almost religious reverence and many of France's – and indeed the world’s – best chefs end up in the capital at one time or another.
Far from being merely a meal, breakfast in Paris is an institution. A croissant or ‘croque monsieur’ (toasted cheese and ham sandwich) can be ordered to go, alongside the obligatory morning coffee, as you watch the city splutter into life around you.
It’s said that “lunch kills half of Paris, supper the other half”. But Parisians are moving with the pace of the times and the traditionally leisurely three courses are being replaced with a less extravagant (and slightly cheaper) two courses known as the ‘formule’.
One of the best recommendations for finding affordable but tasty food in Paris is to head to a good neighborhood bistro or brasserie. Despite their trendiness, Beaubourg and Montmartre still have plenty of pleasantly scruffy places, with many staying open until late.
As with most European cities, the further you get away from the major tourist sites the more attractive the prices are likely to be. Most places with menus available in other languages should be avoided; a true Parisian restaurant would be far too haughty to dine here!
In recent years, eating out in the city has also been redefined by the city’s burgeoning immigrant community. As well as the variety they’ve brought, in a city where eating out is not always particularly cheap, these ethnic cuisines are also a good budget option.
In the 13th arrondissement, Avenue de la Porte-de-Choisy has plenty of very reasonable Chinese restaurants, while there’s also a small Chinatown out in Belleville. Turkish fast-food joints, meanwhile, cluster around Rue de l’Echiquier and Rue d’Enghien (in the 10th).
For something even more towards the budget end, a crusty baguette or a crêpe from a street vendor is always a good option. Both can be picked up absolutely anywhere and eaten on the move and, in many ways, represent a very authentic Parisian eating experience.