Paris Restaurant Tips by jglsongs

La Tour d'Argent: Ultimate splurge with a view La Tour d'Argent Review

OK, you're in Paris and you've budgeted for the ultimate gastronomic experience with a beautiful setting, exquisite wine list, a menu to end all menus and one of the best views on earth. There's only one restaurant that fits the bill: La Tour d'Argent.

Now, turn back the clock before you even arrive in Paris: call and reserve a table at least a couple of weeks beforehand! They are booked quickly and often.

If your budget isn't infinite, reserve a table for lunch with a view of Notre-Dame. The prices are lower than dinner, and reservations are easier to get.

Favorite Dish: Although everything on the menu is amazing, their duck is world famous.

Address: 15-17, quai de la Tournelle 75005-Paris France

Comparison: most expensive

Directions: On the "left bank" of the Seine directly across from the Pont des Tournelles

Phone: 01 43 54 23 31

Price: US$41 and up

Rating: 5

Theme: French

Le Petit Dakar: Taste of Senegal in Paris

Paris is a great city for African food as well, especially from Francophone Africa. Le Petit Dakar, a small place not too far from the Musee Carnavalet, is all about three things: great and unique food, a very friendly staff and pictures and memoribilia of 1920's Senegalese boxer Battling Siki who seems to practically haunt this place.

I still don't know half of the spices they use, but they are wonderful.

Favorite Dish: You can check out the menu on the web site (link below for the English page). The veal maf? (like a stew with substance) with a peanut-based sauce is great, and the Yassa de poulet (lemon-marinated chicken) is great too.

When you want to experience non-French restaurants in Paris, don't do American fast food or TGIF-style chains (God forbid) - discover the foods of the world with a (former and present) French connection like Senegalese, Algerian, Moroccan, Vietnamese or Polynesian.

Address: 6, rue Elzývir (3e)

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: Metro: St Paul. Rue Elzevir runs between rue des Francs Bourgeois and rue St-Gilles

Phone: (01) 44 59 34 74

Price: US$21-30

Rating: 4

Theme: African

L'Ilot Vache: THE restaurant on the Île-St-Louis

Traditional French restaurant with a bovine theme, but don't assume it's a tacky cow palace- it's very beautiful and country-like. The other plus point to this restaurant is that (at least when I was there in late Dec. 2006) it was already a non-smoking restaurant. (The law will change, making Paris a non-smoking city in 2007 for public buildings, restaurants, bars, etc.) That means, you can enjoy wonderful food in a close-quartered restaurant without the added smoke.

Plus, compared to other similar restaurants, it's about one-third cheaper, which is especially a nice surprise on the Île St-Louis.

Favorite Dish: Everything on the menu is great - their wine list is massive, one of the appetizers (terrine d'Avocat et son coulis de tomate au basilic or avocado terrine with a coulis of tomatos and basil) is one of the most wonderful things I've had. Save room for dessert- and order the mousse - which is spooned onto your plate from a huge bowl with two different chocolates side by side.

Address: 35 rue Saint-Louis en l'île

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: in the heart of the Île-St-Louis on the main street; closest Métro stops: 7 Pont-Marie, 1- St-Paul

Phone: 01 46 33 55 16

Price: US$31-40

Rating: 5

Theme: French

Website: http://www.ilotvache.com/

L'Excuse: There's no excuse to miss L'Excuse

What do you get when you mix good, traditional French cuisine with a twist of Nouvelle and a decor that's beautiful, homey and floral all at once? L'Excuse - perhaps one of the best deals in the entire city. It's not the cheapest place on the block, but still far cheaper than other restaurants of its type.

The other good point about l'Excuse is that it has an atmosphere of luxury without the formality. The staff is very friendly and down to earth.

Favorite Dish: The prix fixe menu is a good choice, but anything you get, is going to be good.

Address: 14, rue Charles V (4eme)

Comparison: about average

Directions: Closest to Metro #1: St-Paul, rue Charles V is a small street right off rue St-Paul (Village St-Paul). In fact, the American restaurant "Thanksgiving" is on the corner, and it's a fairly good landmark.

Phone: 01.42.77.98.97

Price: US$31-40

Rating: 4

Theme: French

Gourmet de l'Ile: Memories of a great restaurant that's no more...

Gourmet de l'Ile was a wonderful, inexpensive gourmand's dream on the Ile St-Louis. I was lucky enough to have been there 2 days before it closed (in late Dec. 2004) without knowing of its fate.

The restaurant location will be open soon with a new place, but I still think the ghosts of Gourmet de l'Ile will still hang around for a while.

Favorite Dish: The prix fixe menu was very reasonable and the food was wonderful. Also, the tables made it possible to meet and talk with your dining neighbors, making it more of a party than a stuffy restaurant.

Address: 42, rue Saint-Louis-en-l'Ile

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: on the main "strip" on the Ile St-Louis

Phone: 01.43.26.79.27

Price: US$21-30

Rating: 5

Theme: French

L'Alivi: Restaurant L'alivi - par for the 'Corse'

Corse (Corsica) may not be the most well-known of French cuisines, but it's definitely worth the exploration - especially in Restaurant l'Alivi.

It's a cozy (i.e., small) restaurant that's always crowded, so it might be a good idea to reserve a table if you're having dinner on a weekend. Great food, very reasonable prices, and a very friendly and attentive staff.

Favorite Dish: It's all good - very French Mediterranean and a good introduction to the cuisine of Corsica.

Address: 27, rue du Roi de Sicilie (4eme)

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: Closest to Metro #1 (Hôtel de Ville), about a 5 minute walk along rue du Roi de Sicilie (small street parallel to the north of Rue de Rivoli).

Phone: 01 48 87 90 20

Price: US$21-30

Rating: 4

Theme: French

Website: http://www.restaurant-alivi.com/

Les Mauvais Garçons: What's in a name? Les Mauvais Garçons Les Mauvais Garçons Review

Charming, comfortable, homey- all that and in the Marais on Rue des Mauvais Garçons (translated as Bad Boys Street).

Favorite Dish: Very good and simple bistro food, good wine selection and a great place to have dinner on a rainy night- very cozy and romantic.

Address: 4, rue des Mauvais Garçons

Comparison: about average

Directions: In the 4th arrond., right off Rue de Rivoli and fairly equidistant to Metro: St. Paul or Hôtel de Ville.

Phone: 01.42.72.74.97

Price: US$21-30

Rating: 4

Theme: French

Le Marais Sainte-Catherine: In memory of a wonderful restaurant...

Located on the corner of Rue Caron and Rue d'Ormesson on the Place Marché Ste-Catherine (4th arr.), Le Marais Sainte-Catherine was a family-owned restaurant that made everyone feel welcome. The food was always great, and I had been there many times, and assumed that it would be there forever; it's not.

It must have been in 2003 sometime when it closed after being open for years and years. According to the neighbors on the square (Hotel Pratic, Arirang, Double Fond, Pitchi-Poi, and a realtor), the family sold the place and went on to other endeavors. Now, it's an Italian restaurant called Sonata (I think...it's some Italian musical word). It's possible I blocked the name since I had a hard time accepting the fact Le Marais Sainte-Catherine was no longer there. C'est la vie.

Address: was located on Rue Caron and Rue d'Ormesson

Comparison: about average

Directions: In the 4th arr. on the Place Marché Ste-Catherine, near metro: St-Paul.

Price: US$31-40

Rating: 5

Theme: Local

Chez Marianne: A touch of the lower East side and the Middle East Chez Marianne Review

Chez Marianne is as close to a New York deli/middle eastern restaurant as Paris has, so if you're homesick for small wooden tables cramped together, lots of din and little elbow room, and good deli and middle eastern platters, this is the place for you.

You might even catch a glimpse of Marianne herself (you will immediately recognize the (not-so-naturally) blond hair on the same face that graces their house wine bottles.

Favorite Dish: The middle eastern platters are excellent- hummus, babaganoush, tabbouleh and falafel served not with pita but an overflowing basket of Jewish rye and pumpernickel bread!

Address: 2, rue des Hospitalières-Saint-Gervais

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: Métro : Hôtel de Ville or St-Paul. In the heart of Jewish Marais, around the corner from Rue des Rosiers

Phone: 01.42.72.18.86.

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 4

Theme: Middle Eastern

Au Gamin de Paris: Picturesque corner - cozy restaurant

Au Gamin de Paris is a great spot right in the Marais, which I discovered a couple of years ago on Christmas Day; it was open and packed.

The food is very reasonable, the decor is very cozy (homey atmosphere with big picture windows looking out on the neighborhood), and two small dining rooms on either side of the bar.

Favorite Dish: Everything is good there, but there is a salad appetizer they have- with (very) fresh greens, tomatoes and this cheese-pate concoction that's out of this world.

Address: 51, rue Vieille du Temple (4e)

Comparison: less expensive than average

Directions: (Metro: St Paul) Right on the corner of Rue des Blancs-Monteaux, and a half-block from Rue des Rosiers in the Marais.

Price: US$21-30

Rating: 4

Theme: French