What to Eat (And Not to Eat) in Paris
Ah, Paris the City of Love. I've visited Paris 3 times now over the course of 17 years. The first time I stepped foot in Paris, I was only 5 years old, so obviously I don't remember much. However, I do remember one thing. That's when I discovered my love for crepes.
My dad took me to one of the street vendors and I was immediately captivated by the way the guy swirled the batter so perfectly over the flat skillet. I ordered an applesauce and cinnamon crepe and it was served piping hot right off the pan and folded into a pouch to take on the go. It was so good that I ate 2 everyday for the rest of that trip.
During my past 2 visits, I wasn't able to find applesauce fillings anywhere and the quality of the crepes had gone down. The usual fillings are butter and sugar, jam, or Nutella and the crepe itself can be soggy if they have them pre-made (ask them to make you a fresh one and just ignore the stink eye). If you're not about that street food and want to sit down to enjoy a legit crepe, then definitely check out Little Breizh in my list of restaurants below.
MUST EAT
Le Cafe Blanc (1st Arrondissement) - Service here sucks. But this is where the locals eat (at least from what I could see). The food is good and the portions are large so it's worth putting up with the snobby waiters (they're probably only snobby if you're a tourist). It's a good place for lunch close to the Louvre but it does get crowded so go early.
Little Breizh (6th Arr.) - The best buckwheat crepes you'll ever have. This restaurant is quaint so the tables fill up FAST during lunch. The menu is very reasonably priced and they have a set menu as well that includes a savory crepe, a dessert crepe, and their homemade apple cider starting as cheap as 10 euros!
Semilla (6th Arr.) - One of Alice Waters' favorite restaurants in Paris so I had to try it. It's more expensive than all the other places on this list and the portions are on the smaller side but it's definitely worth it. If there's one thing you get, it should be the egg parfait. Soooo good.
Huitres et Saumons de Passy (16th Arr.) - A tiny restaurant dedicated to seafood with the focus on salmon. It's run by a father and his son and the place seats about 15 people. Make an online reservation in advance otherwise you might want to stand outside and wait for them to open.
Le Bistrot des Vignes (16th Arr.) - Randomly stumbled upon this place when I found out Saumons de Passy was closed for vacation (located right across the street from each other) and I'm glad I did. Their menu is written in French on a chalk board but the waiter will translate every single item for you if you need. Pretty sure their menu changes frequently but try the salmon tartare if you see it. So amazing that I wasn't even sad Saumons du Passy was closed.
MEH
LA's du Fallafel (4th Arr.) - Overhyped. Yes, I said it. It's probably the cheapest and most filling meal you'll find in Paris and it's also in Le Marais, which is a super cute area. However, I think Taiim in NYC is waaay better. But if you insist on going, go at an off time so you don't have to wait in line too long. Someone will take your order and then you have to bring that order slip to the window so they know what to make (don't stand around after getting the slip like I did and think they'll automatically call out your order).
Ober Mamma (11th Arr.) - This place wins for longest lines. The restaurant opens at 7pm for dinner so I arrived there at 6:15pm on a Monday night and there were already 3 parties waiting in line already. As it got closer to 7pm, the line grew longer and longer down the block. As soon as the restaurant opened, every table was filled and the people in the back of the line had to put their names down for later (as in 10pm later, or so I've heard). They have a nice dining room in the back so don't be an amateur and ask to sit at the front of the restaurant by the bar like I did. As for the food, it was good but it wasn't mind-blowing. It's probably better than most other Italian restaurants in Paris but definitely not worth wasting your time in line for...unless you have time to kill or you're just sick of French food by the end of your trip like I was.
Le Scheffer (16th Arr.) - I was afraid that everything surrounding the Eiffel Tower would be a tourist trap so I found this place, which is a bit of a walk uphill from Trocadero. The only person who spoke English was probably the owner so don't count on the waitresses to help you out. I had a veggie platter that ended up being pretty good (probably because all the veggies were covered in butter). My boyfriend had a steak and fries but he thought it was pretty average (they like to cook their steaks more rare than in the US so if you normally order a medium-rare, then you should order a medium or medium-well there). A little pricey for a casual place that serves standard French food.
SKIP (you've been warned)
Le P'ti (5th Arr.) - This place was recommended by one of my guidebooks so I looked it up and noticed that it was really cheap (15 euros for a 3 course dinner and wine). It has great reviews online but it's probably because you're getting such a great deal that it's easy to like the place. The food wasn't bad but it definitely wasn't better than average. There's so many great places to eat in Paris that I don't think this one is worth wasting your calories at...unless you're on a really tight budget.
Firmine (15th Arr.) - Can you say TOURIST TRAP?? It's located a few blocks from the Eiffel Tower so what can you expect... Unreasonable prices for the quality of food (you're paying for the location because it's convenient). If you told me that the pasta I had was Easy Mac, I would believe you.
Le Jardin d'en Face (18th Arr.) - Oh man, this was hands down the worst meal I've had in Paris. It's the sister restaurant to Le Potager and not only are they located across the street from each other, but they also have the exact same menus. Both restaurants are small and tight to the point where you can't move or you'll knock down the table next to you (typical for Paris I guess). They have raving reviews online and are extremely crowded (maybe because they're so small?). The main entrees are heavily focused on meat so I ordered 2 appetizers and only took a few bites out of each because they were that bad. My boyfriend ordered one of the meat entrees and it was swimming in a pool of oil so he didn't finish his dish either. No bueno.
