Let me start off by saying that the apartments in Paris are minute!! So, if you’re thinking of renting an Air B&B and cooking in your apartment, you may want to think again. Most apartments are a room, the bed is the pullout couch, in the middle of the room, next to the kitchen and bathroom. You are going to be eating out a lot and this is how I recommend you do it.
There are loads of bakeries in Paris, all the big chains are legally obligated to close for at least one day a week to give the entrepreneurs a chance. I recommend getting a pana-chocolate (chocolate croissant) or one of the other delicious pastries that are locally made, along with a delicious cappuccino. This is likely to be the cheapest meal of the day.
These are my tips for eating out in Paris:
- Less is more: Look for restaurants with a handful of options on the menu. Good food takes time to make, so a menu with a couple of options on it is catering to locals. You’re likely to find authentic food, at decent prices. A menu with a string of options is likely catering to tourists and will be accompanied by tourist-trap prices.
- Stickers: Parisians like stickers, they put them up on their windows for everything. If they’ve won any sort of award it will be up on the window, so look out for stickers on the windows to see if the restaurant is award-winning or not.
- Translation: Parisians do not like speaking in English and struggle with the English accent. a couple of things can be lost in translation. Such as, they will only swipe your card if you spend a certain amount of money. Anything under requires cash. Use a translation app, it will help you a lot.
- Expensive: Paris is expensive and the touristy restaurants charge about 23 euros, no matter what you order. So you’re paying the same price whether you order a burger and chips or a truffle oil, prawn risotto. So order whatever you want, it all costs the same. Save up and have an experience.
- Diet for who: Parisians like cooking with fresh, organic ingredients and then adding loads of butter to it. So, forget about your diet at just live your best butter-life.
- Water/wine: Wine is cheaper than water. Order wine at restaurants and buy bottled water at the store.
- Pack snacks: Eating out in Paris is expensive. pack snacks and bring them with while you’re out exploring, try only eat out at a restaurant once a day if you can help it.
- Pastries: Paris has some of the best pastries I’ve ever tasted, enjoy them all! Pack a picnic, and enjoy them under the Eiffel tower.
What are your tips for eating out in Paris?
