There is no end to amount of reviews on Paris restaurants. The Red Michelin Guide, Fodor, Frommers, travel magazines, the Internet. Each and every travel writer and tourist has an opinion. Dining in Paris restaurants has never been inexpensive in comparison to the United States even without the pathetic exchange rate of the Euro against the dollar. ex-Marine (husband, Steve) and I love food and it doesn’t have to be haute cuisine. A yummy Gyro or Tuna Sandwich (the best ever was still the one we ate in Tunisia with loads of Harissa on it) can do it for us. With three days in Paris, I spent a minimum of six hours a day on the Internet doing a little research looking for good, “no-star” restaurants, culling through the favorites and finally printing off directions, phone numbers and descriptions of six different recommendations.

This is what we experienced and what YOU should know before you go.

- Many restaurants are closed on Sunday and Monday, two out of our three days in Paris.

Le Procope Restaurant founded in 1686 and the oldest cafe in Paris 

shellfish displayed in front of a Paris Restaurant
- It is a rare restaurant that doesn’t offer a Menu du Jour for lunch. The chalkboard menu outside will say: entree et plat ou plat et desert. Loosely translated, an entree is the appetizer, plat, the main course. So, for 15 Euros, you can have an appetizer and main course or main course and dessert. This is always the best deal rather than ordering a la carte but there are no substitutions and make sure you are happy with what is offered. This 15 Euro prix (price) includes all taxes and service. It is not necessary to leave an extra tip unless your waiter has gone out of his/her way for you. It was interesting to note that almost every restaurant we passed had the same price of 15 Euros for the Menu du Jour. Drinks are rarely included and the waiters are very obliging about giving you a carafe of l’eau ordinaire (tap water) if you ask. The French even drink carafes of tap water now.

- All restaurants, cafes, brasseries and fast food outlets will have a menu displayed outside showing prices. Even the exclusive Taillevent (a formerly three-star Michelin rated restaurant and now “only” a two-star) will display a menu with prices. We did drool and think about the 80 Euro/person lunch menu that included an entree, plat and desert for about a nanosecond before walking on.

- Lunch hours in restaurants and bistros usually run from noon to 3:30 p.m. (the latest). Brasseries serve continuously and, of course, there are always sandwich shops, take away, etc.

equally luscious looking sandwiches “to go” in Paris 

Paris delicatessen window on the Rive Gauche (left bank)
- Dinner hours usually begin at 6:30 p.m. and service continues until 10:30-11:00 p.m. You definitely need reservations at the most popular restaurants.

- Wine is still the big Paris bargain. For approximately 9 Euros ($13 U.S.) you can get a carafe of 50cl (a full bottle contains 750 milliliters) of good wine. At home, one glass of ordinary wine in a restaurant is never less than $5 U.S. a glass. Four glasses of wine for $13 is a steal…don’t you agree?

The restaurant recommendations tenderly carried across the Atlantic were: the hotter than hot Le Comptoir du Relais that said they served non-stop, daily from 12 noon to midnight; Cafe Constant, open only Tuesdays through Saturdays; Maitre Albert; L’Epigramme, open for dinner only Tuesday through Saturday; L’Ardoise, closed on Monday; and Chez Janou, open 7 days a week.

What we experienced? There was no deviation in the recommendations. Almost each and every one had pricing errors and incorrect times of meals. My recommendation is to forget recommendations unless you are looking for Michelin starred restaurants. Look at the menus posted outside. Translate what the menu du jour ou plats are. Decide if the price is what you want to spend and then go in. Simple, easy and if money is tight, buy cheese, bread, a bottle of wine and eat outside if the weather is warm or in your room. Don’t get as focused on the “perfect restaurant” as I did and save your fingers from google-fatigue…