BudgetTravel

Chattanooga, Tenn.: Heading to Paris next month. Can you recommend a good restuarant(s) to have a good, but not necessarily super-fancy or expensive meal in Paris. We will typically be eating picnic-style from markets, but we would like to have at least one French cuisine dining experience while in Paris. Thanks!

Clotilde Dusoulier: Paris offers plenty of what we call "neo bistros," i.e. casual restaurants that offer great food for a reasonable price. I can for instance suggest Au Fil des Saisons in the 3rd, or Le Pré Verre in the 5th.

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St. Paul, Minn.: I will be in Europe from 9/5/08 to 9/22/08. While in Paris from 9/15 to 9/22, I would like to dine in Alain Ducasse's restaurant in the Eiffel Tower, Le Jules Verne for lunch. I would welcome any advice on obtaining reservations or other tips. Thanks for your help.

Clotilde Dusoulier: Excelent idea—the lunch service at Le Jules Verne is an very good deal. Reservations for lunch are not too difficult to come by: call two or three weeks in advance to be safe, and don't forget to request a windowside table.

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College Park, Md.: Hi, Clotilde! Your blog is wonderful. I was wondering if you could recommend some good strategies for vegetarians who love Paris but don't want to starve? Any restaurant recommendations? Thanks!

Clotilde Dusoulier: Rather than going to all-vegetarian restaurants (I'm usually not impressed by the ones we have in Paris), I recommend going to vegetarian-friendly restaurants that offer vegetarian options, or whose cuisine is so vegetable-oriented you will find it easy to get by with a few adjustments. I can mention Rose Bakery in the 9th, Soya in the 11th, or Macéo in the 2nd.

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St Nicolas du Pelem, Brittany: We love day trips to Paris, but have yet to find a decent 'formule'. We seem to find expensive mediocre food, especially in the tourist spots. We are looking for a possibly family run restaurant, that has a set lunchtime menu for a good price.

Clotilde Dusoulier: Good lunch deals abound in Paris if you know where to look—lunchtime is actually the best time to eat out if you're on a budget. Two lunch formules that spring to mind are that of Mon Vieil Ami, a handsome bistro on Ile Saint-Louis in the 4th, or that of Autour d'un Verre, a homey wine bar in the 9th.

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