Food in France La Gastronomie Parfaite

Iolanda Paris
Iolanda Paris is a great restaurant located in the 7th Arrondissement within walking distance of the Eiffel Tower. Pictured above is a pasta dish with ham, onions, and mushrooms. It is a cute and affordable place that has plenty of classic French dinners. Though you can't see the Eiffel Tower from sitting within the restaurant, if you just walk around the corner it will be standing there in plain sight.
Crêpes
Crêpe stands (or Crêperies) like this one can be found throughout Paris, therefore a food tour of Paris wouldn't be complete without showing a picture of one. This specific one is located on the Avenue de Champs-Élysées. Stands like this one usually offer a variety of crêpe flavors, ranging from fruity breakfast crêpes to dessert ones filled with chocolate.
Au Père Fouettard
Au Père Fouettard is located near the center of Paris in the Second Arrondissement. This place has a giant outdoor canopy to sit under just like your typical Parisien restaurant or café. Pictured on the left is Salmon and Rice in a white cream sauce. On the right is a popular Italian dessert known as Panna Cota, which is sweetened cream that is mixed with gelatin. It is often served with some sort of berry or fruit sauce.
L'Olivier
L'Olivier, located more on the outskirts of Paris in the 14th arrondissement, is not a place to overlook. Located near the student district, it is surrounded by an abundant amount of affordable restaurants and cafés. L'Olivier has many French classic desserts such as Mousse au Chocolat and Crème Brûlée. Pictured above is a piece of steak in a white mushroom sauce, served with either pasta or french fries (Pommes Frites). And if you haven't noticed already, yes, every meal is served with free bread.
L'Avant Comptoir
L'Avant Comptoir is located in le Quartier Latin, one of the oldest areas of Paris. It is a smaller restaurant, crêperie, and bar stand tucked in on a side street close to the Odéon Metro stop. The menu ranges from very expensive to super affordable and the food is amazing. Most of the expensive items have to do with wine and alcohol, so it's perfect if you like your wine. Most of the meals however are affordable, starting at around 12 euro. The cheese plate, which I recommend getting, is only 9 euro and it comes with at least 5 different types, along with some of the most amazing butter you will have! (it sounds strange, but trust me). The dinner above is two slabs of "lard" (Bacon), on top of mashed potatoes mixed with black olives. The other plate above it is a vegetarian meal of vegetables mixed with olive oil.
Les Novices
Les Novices is definitely a must see. The food is super cheap, amazing, and filling. The classic sandwich above (Jambon-ham, and butter) was a total of only 5 euro and was super filling, just like the smallest of pastries in this city. Les Novices also has a special which includes a "plat" (plate of food) and a café for only 10 euro. It is located in Montmartre and surrounded by plenty of boutiques and an amazing view of Paris not too far away (which you can see below). The interior has a simple artsy feel to it, with a mix of modern to old decor. The two other meals above are pieces of pork in a light honey dijon sauce with mashed potatoes or pasta. The three photos below show more pictures of Les Novices!
Montmartre has many views of the city and is a great place to spend an afternoon!
Montmartre Cafés/Bars
As stated above, Montmartre is a great place to go to find an abundant amount of cheap cafés and bars, especially very unique ones. The images above were all taken in various places throughout Montmartre, near the Abesses metro stop. While "Le Vrai Paris" did tend to be more on the pricey side, the staff was nice and you could find some drinks for around 5 euro. Montmartre really varies from the super elegant to the minimalist artsy look.
Le Départ Saint Michel
Le Départ Saint Michel, situated a five minute walking distance away from Notre-Dame Cathedral, is a restaurant with plenty of space to sit, inside and out. It has a ton of options, ranging from French Fries, to a Nordic Salad (with salmon), to the classic Pâté. Really ranges from American classics to French ones. The best part, if you're an ice cream lover, they have a huge dessert section revolving around Ben & Jerry's ice cream! Cheap prices for plenty of food in a great spot. Absolutely worth a visit.
Bar Du Central
Bar Du Central, located in the 7th arrondissement, is right in between Les Invalides and the Eiffel Tower. You can actually see the Eiffel Tower on the streets if you look outside the restaurant. This is the perfect place to grab a drink and an entrée (appetizer). Happy hour features cocktails for 6,50€ as well as pints of beer for 6€. The cheese plate was a total of 14€, just like everywhere in France, so it's the perfect price to split among friends. The staff speaks English, and the decor is described as "retro-chic." A must see.
Amorino
Amorino is an Italian brand that focuses on selling Gelato. It has many stores throughout Europe, as well as in the United States. No matter where you find it, it is a must try. The gelato is absolutely amazing and they also have some of the best hot chocolate I have ever had. It is thicker and tastes like you are drinking straight chocolate (tastes better than that may sound). While it can be on the pricey side (5€ for a cup of hot chocolate), it is definitely still worth it. The one I ate at can be found near Cathédrale Notre-Dame on Rue de la Huchette!
Le Bourbon
I am mainly putting this restaurant in my photo journal to prove that cheap meals can be found in Paris! The key to finding cheaper places to eat is finding a main tourist area, and then stepping right outside of it. Just like the Amorino restaurant above, Le Bourbon can be found near Cathédrale Notre-Dame on Rue Xavier Privas. This whole street and area is in fact home to a mix of fast-food vendors and amazing restaurants. The perfect place to find something to eat. The meal shown above was a total of 10€. It came with foie gras, a glass of wine, steak, fries, and a dessert (I was too full to get the dessert by the end). A lot of smaller restaurants in this area have 10-15€ menus you can eat at. That usually includes an entrée, a plat, and a dessert, which for 10€ is not bad at all, especially on a student budget. The restuarant may not be as big and as good as quality food as you would find directly under the Eiffel Tower, but it's nice to eat at other places now and then!
Le Petit Lux
Le Petit Lux is one of my favorite places to grab a quick lunch time meal. It holds a variety of food with the two main options being sandwiches or a dessert. Sandwiches are on average 4-5€, and the desserts range from 3-7€. The patisserie is very small, but it's meant for a quick bite to eat that you grab on the go. Situated on Rue de Vaugirard in the 6th arrondissement, Le Petit Lux is very close to the Luxembourg Palace and Gardens. It is located in a cute less crowded area of Paris. It is right next to the Institut Catholique de Paris though! So there are bound to be students roaming about during lunch hours!
Rue des Abbesses
Unfortunately I cannot recall the name of this café that my friends and I ate at, especially because it was one of my favorite places in Paris so far! It is located on Rue des Abbesses, one of the busiest streets in the Montmartre region. This is the street to go to if you're looking for food or a nice place to relax! Though it can get crowded, the food and atmosphere is definitely worth it. Pictured above is a Cappuccino along with a glass of chocolate mousse. The chocolate mousse was the best I have tasted in Paris so far so I recommend going to this street and hunting this place down! Once I am aware of the café I will add its name!
Café Arena
Café Arena is an amazing place to get a pizza! The pizza seen above only cost 10€ and was enough to fill me up itself. The menu here is quite varied, with high and low prices. The salad on the right was around 5€. This restaurant has more of a relaxed feel and is surrounded by a ton of other places to eat as well. Much like the Notre-Dame area, the food in this area ranges from super cheap to more expensive. It can be found at Rue Saint-Denis! A good place to find something that everyone will like. Just be aware that a lot of cafés or restaurants have minimum prices to spend in order to use a credit card (usually around 10€).
Returned to Café Arena to try a new cocktail
Just some more examples of French patisseries and cafés
La Fourmi Ailée was a great find right in the Notre-Dame area, close to the famous Shakespeare & Company bookstore! It can be found specifically on 8 Rue du Fouarre. The menu was varied, but consisted of a lot of rare foods and more extravagant plates. It was more on the pricey side, but it was definitely worth it. A dinner for two can be priced around 30€. The plate above shows a veal dinner with rice and a cream sauce. My friend and I also got a cheese plate on the side! The interior is designed like an old library with great decorations all around. On top of it, the staff was super kind!

Report Abuse

If you feel that this video content violates the Adobe Terms of Use, you may report this content by filling out this quick form.

To report a Copyright Violation, please follow Section 17 in the Terms of Use.