A survival guide to eating out in Paris

I visited Paris for the first time in 2003 for one week. I stayed with a lovely French family. They were warm, welcoming hosts who cooked dinner every night. Each day I returned to their home from long hours of sightseeing to wonderful meals: sardines one night, vegetables another, meat another, it was always something different. They casually flambéed fruit for dessert, and ended meals with a platter of various cheeses. Everyone ate at the table, and during dinner they talked about their plans to go scuba diving in Egypt or discussed politics. It was a wonderful cultural experience.

At the end of my week in Paris, I sobbed as I left from Gare du Nord, Paris’s central train station, to take the Eurostar to London. Even the security guards consoled me as I wept, telling me that I would be back. Looking back, it was probably the best week of my life and, Paris remains my favourite city.

On the other hand, Paris has a reputation. Tourists tend to complain that waiters are rude at restaurants and cafes, and Parisians are stuck up. This was not my experience, but I believe that such stories crop from cultural differences and misunderstandings. If you get bad service, believe it or not, it is possible that you were unintentionally rude first!

With restaurants named ‘Chez Jacques’ and ‘Chez Georges’, (Jacque’s place or George’s place) there is indeed a very personal connection between the restaurant staff and the restaurant. It is wise to keep this in mind when visiting restaurants in Paris. You are a guest at the restaurant, and customers are not always right, which is a concept many tourists — especially Americans — have a hard time understanding.

Before my second trip to Paris, I put some thought and research into why tourists can sometimes have bad experiences and how they can enjoy Parisian restaurants. Here are some tips that have helped me survive Paris with no problems.

1.  You don’t need to speak French to enjoy Paris, but some words must be learned. In my experience, the single most important thing to do is say “bonjour” (before 6 pm) or “bonsoir” (after 6 pm) when you walk into a restaurant. Acknowledge staff and servers who greet you. Do this also at small stores. It is considered terribly rude not to greet your “hosts". Definitely learn to say “merci” (thank you) and “s’il vous plaît” (please).

2.  Try to make reservations in advance. If you are uneasy, hotels can do this for you. Reservations are especially important for dinner, and it is considered polite. On the brighter side, you are more likely to research a good restaurant early on.

3. Don’t be offended (or argue) if you walk into a restaurant with empty tables and they are unable to seat you for the night. They probably expect the arrival of dinner guests soon, and in Paris, once you are seated at a table, you cannot be rushed.

4. In general, it is wise to ask before you plop yourself down on a table. Don’t walk in and seat yourself, unless at a very informal café.

5.  Tip/gratuity is included in the bill. If the service is outstanding, feel free to leave more, if you please.

6. Definitely try to learn some basic phrases in French outside of bonjour, s’il vous plaît and merci. This is a good rule no matter where you go in the world. You may not always find a carte (menu) in English, but it helps to ask, Avez-vous une carte en anglais? (Do you have a menu in English?). And if they don’t have a translated menu, chances are that someone will speak enough English to help you out.

7.  Keep an eye open for “Menu Prix Fixe", typically a 3-4 course menu at a fixed price. Substitutions may not be possible, but these are often good deals.

8 ) Paris is not inexpensive, and you will probably want to avoid unnecessary costs. Order “un pichet/une carafe d’eau” or “l’eau du robinet” (tap water) instead of expensive bottled water. It’s safe to drink the water in Paris. Coffee is pretty bad, and it is overpriced. Spend your money instead on things that are good in France, like wine and cheese, especially cheese!

9. Don’t ask for doggie bags — they don’t really have those in Paris. But this is rarely a problem because portions are pretty small.

10. Avoid wearing gym sneakers and especially shorts in Parisian restaurants, particularly at night. In fact, avoid wearing gym sneakers anywhere in Paris (other than at the gym).

11. Portions in France are smaller. With jetlag, you might find yourself hungry in the middle of the night. It is very difficult to find an open restaurant or delivery service in Paris at that hour. There might be some restaurants in tourist neighborhoods, but nothing too spectacular. Prepare by buying snacks at an épicerie (small, specialty grocery store) or something to take away. Keep them in your hotel room. You might also consider buying gifts to bring home at Le Grand Épicerie de Paris located at the ground floor of Le Bon Marche department store in Paris (38 rue de Sevres, ph: +33.01.44.39.81.00).

12. When dining with French people, you may notice a few differences. They put their bread directly on the table, not on the dinner plate. They don’t cut salad leaves with a fork and knife, but fold them gently and eat them. They leave their knife and fork in a criss-cross on their plates to indicate that they are done with their meal. Servers will not clear the plates until everyone at the table is finished.

13. For a comprehensive guide to eating out in Paris, invest in Clotilde’s Edible Adventures in Paris by Clotilde Dusolier and The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz, two of my favourite resources about food in Paris.

14. You can certainly find rude service in Paris — don’t hesitate to go to a different restaurant if you feel uncomfortable after walking into the first. The waiter at one of the first brasseries I ate at recommended that we generally avoid bars and restaurants in the Montmartre area because “they are overpriced, and the service is bad, and you will be treated like meat going through a grinder".

15.  Finally, Paris is not all about the food – it’s also the most beautiful city in the world. When I first visited Paris, I had no money and bought baguettes with ham and butter to-go, which I ate at the Jardin des Tuileries or while watching people ice skate outside the Hôtel de Ville. And I had the best time ever.

Parisian restaurant recommendations on the next page

Paris has many great restaurants, but these were a few that I particularly liked.

I stayed at Hotel Saint Vincent in the Saint-Germain-des-Près area. Some of the restaurants below are in that neighborhood, some not. But all these places were recommended to me by locals.

Le Temps Perdu (54 Rue de Seine, Paris, 75006, Ph: +33.01.46.34.12.08) is situated in the Saint-Germain-des-Près area of Paris, has incredible food and is very reasonably priced. It was referred to me by a Parisian who said that the area has too many restaurants that are tourist traps, but this one is visited by locals. The food was outstanding. Be sure to order a pot of mussels in the white cream sauce as a starter. The mussels are tiny and I assure you that you will not ruin your appetite. After dinner, take a walk down to the Seine and enjoy the views.

Le Vrai Paris (33 rue des Abbesses, 75018 Paris, Ph: +33.01.46.06.02.42) is situated in Montmartre, where the famous movie Amélie was shot. I ended up at a Le Vrai Paris in Montmartre with a local. The service was great and the food was amazing. If you like steak, definitely get the entrecôte. The fois gras (duck or goose liver) is also great here, served on a bit of sweet balsamic vinegar. Before dinner, walk up to Sacre Coeur and enjoy a view of Paris … the view is better while there is still light.

Les Fontaines (9, rue Soufflot, 75005 Paris, Ph: +33.01.43.26.42.80) was recommended by a local, who said that only the French really know what to do with endives, and Les Fontaines is the place to find out. The endive salad here is fantastic.

Café de l’homme (17, Place du Trocadéro 75016 Paris, Ph: +33.01.44.05.30.15) has good food and an exceptional view of the Eiffel Tower, but not all tables have the view - there are tables here with the view entirely blocked by pillars. Located in the Museé de l’Homme, this restaurant serves upscale food of great quality. I sampled the wine, abalone, scallops, and cheese plate.

Chez Thoumieux (79, rue Saint-Dominique, 75007 Paris, Ph: +33.01.47.05.49.75) is very nice bistro, frequented by locals. Consider tripe, cassoulet or duck confit. Yes, when in Paris, try tripe.

Chez Georges (273, boulevard Pereire, Paris 75017, Ph: +33.01.45.74.31.00) serves traditional French cuisine, and the specialty here is meat and gratin. Avoid dessert here; there are better places. Make reservations in advance. This restaurant is popular and dinner tables can be hard to get.

Fouquet (22 rue François 1er, 75008 Paris, Ph: +33.01.47.23.30.36 or 36 rue Laffitte, 75009 Paris, Ph: +33.01.47.70.85.00) is a really famous chocolatier in Paris. They also sell candy, caramels, cakes, tarts, tea and other specialty items.

A La Petite Marquise (3, Place Victor Hugo, 75116 Paris, Ph: +33.01.45.00.77.36) is a nice little pastry shop for fruit tarts and pastries, and a good place to pick up gifts.

Quai Ouest (1200 Quai Marcel Dassault, 92210 St Cloud, Ph: +33.01.46.02.35.54) is ouvert tous les jours (open every day). We visited Quai Ouest with a lovely Parisian family on a cold and rainy Sunday night, when most other restaurants in Paris were closed. It is situated outside Paris, right on the Seine and in the day time you might see boats going by on the water. It’s a very pretty restaurant with an outstanding view. Our host ordered a bottle of Alsace Riesling to go with our dinner, which was surprisingly dry for a Riesling and went very well with the raw oysters. The oysters here were exceptional, as was the crème brulée.