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EATING OUT in PARIS

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The culinary attractions in Paris match anything else the city has to offer, and you don't have to spend a fortune to enjoy them. Street markets are in every neighborhood and contain as fine a selection of cheese and charcuterie as any high-priced restaurant. Gleaming pastry shops beckon you with croissants, tarts, éclairs, and elaborate cakes. Even a humble sandwich becomes a Parisian specialty when it's made with a crusty baguette or the dense, chewy Pain Pôilaine.

	Le Bistro Maxim's by Mark St. John BUY THIS PRINT

Of course, you will also want to sample the offerings of the local chefs, and -- with a little planning -- it is possible to be a gourmet without breaking the bank. The key to fine dining on a modest budget is to eat where the Parisians eat and stay away from restaurants surrounding major tourist attractions. You'll find few bargains around the Eiffel Tower or along the Champs-Elysées. Leave the mediocre cafés on the place du Tertre to the milling crowds of sightseers. Opt instead for restaurants in neighborhoods where people live and work, which are forced to keep their prices and quality competitive. (For more tips on dining in France, see our chapter on French Eating Establishments.)

Review: Zagat Survey - Paris Restaurants

The title of this handy publication is based on the fact that its reviews have been culled by surveying 1700 diners who ate a combined 330,000 meals in a year, covering 825 restaurants in Paris and its surroundings. Of those surveyed, 96% are French, 71% are male, and the breakdown by ages is as follows: 20's - 11%, 30's - 26%, 40's - 23%, 50's - 25%, 60's or above - 15%. The Zagat survey concept began 30 years ago, and guides are now published for over 40 cities throughout the world.

What makes this pocket-sized guide such an excellent value (List $11.95 US, 69.00FF, £7.99 UK, $15.95 Canada), is that it not only offers individual reviews for each restaurant, but provides ratings in every conceivable category. For example, the guide rates the top spots by various different criteria:

Reviewers' favorite restaurants Food ranking (overall quality) Type of cuisine (seafood, Provençal, haute cuisine, ethnic, etc. - 25 categories and 8 ethnic groups) Arrondissement Decor Gardens

Historic interest Romantic atmosphere Terraces Best views Waterside locales Best service Best value

Following the pages of rankings is the alphabetical listing of all restaurants, including street address, arrondissement, métro stop, phone number, hours, credit cards accepted, numerical values for food / decor / service and price range, and summaries of the surveyors' own commentaries. In the back of the book, a comprehensive index lists all restaurants by arrondissement, nationality, category, and special features, including such helpful ones as:

Business dining Dancing / entertainment Dining alone Family style Fireplaces Game in season Handicapped access "In" places Jacket / tie recommended or required Late late spots Meet for a drink Outdoor dining Outstanding views Parking / valet

Parties & private rooms People-watching Power scenes Quick meal Quiet conversation Romantic spots Sleepers (good to excellent food, but little-known) Special occasions Sunday dining Teenagers & other youthful spirits Trendy intelligentsia Winning wine lists Young children

	Bar de L'Entracte-Paris by George Bates BUY THIS PRINT

The Paris Survey was coordinated by Elizabeth and Philippe d'Hémery. Editors are Alexander Lobrano, a food and travel writer; François Simon, a journalist and author of gastronomic guides; Mary Deschamps and M.L. Lewis, freelance writers specializing in lifestyle and cultural subjects. No doubt, this book will prove invaluable to both the traveler on a tight budget, as well as the jet-setter looking for the poshest setting or the trendiest new cuisine!

Review: Cafés of Paris

In which café did Robespierre play chess? Where was Napoleon forced to leave his hat in lieu of payment when he forgot his purse? In what establishment did Simone de Beauvoir find respite from loneliness after Sartre left for the Front? "The Cafés of Paris...a Guide" provides much more than the encyclopedic listing of establishments one might expect.

In rich detail, author Christine Graff has conjured up the kind of book no lover of Paris should be without. "In the 11th arrondissement, close to the Bastille on the rue Saint-Sabin is a real find: the Café de L'Industrie.... Here, in a café that looks as if it might have been Bogart's just before he went off to Casablanca, you can sip coffee for five francs standing or nine francs seated at the dark red banquettes next to old wood tables. Faded cream walls, the frosted Deco glass, old photos of French celebrities, Oriental rugs well past their first splendor, an artsy crowd, and strains of traditional French folksinging coming from the back create an ambiance of Old France."

Flavored with witticisms from Montesquieu to Henry Miller, The Cafés of Paris shines like the city itself. Chapter titles such as "The Ratman of Paris and Other Café Stories," "A Cheapskate's Guide to Cafes," and "Parisians Discuss Their Favorite Cafés" offer only a hint of the wealth of information to be found in this charming guide.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS

Zagat Survey 1998/99 Paris Restaurant Survey SAVE 20% With findings based on the opinions of ordinary diners, Zagat's restaurant guides are much more reliable than critiques written by any one person. Restaurants are separately rated on food, decor, service, and cost, with snappy reviews that are concise and fun to read. Covering All of Paris and Immediate Surrounding Neighborhoods by Zagat Survey Paperback Published July 1998 by Zagat Survey, LLC Usually ships within 2-3 days. List Price: $11.95 Our Price: $9.56 You Save: $2.39 ISBN: 1570061343 A restaurant critic for France's weekly L'Express and The International Herald Tribune, and a renowned food journalist, Patricia Wells is eminently qualified to write about the culinary treasures of Paris. Pat Wells returns to each of the more than 450 restaurants, bistros, cafés, and specialty food shops listed. She samples, she reviews, she updates all vital statistics, she drops those whose quality has disappointed and she recommends more than 100 terrific new places, emphasizing less expensive entries. And of course she brings back recipes, 20 new ones in all. SAVE 20% Food Lover's Guide to Paris by Patricia Wells, Peter Turnley (Photographer) This title is currently on back order. Paperback - 416 pages, 3rd edition Published in June 1993 by Workman Publishing Company List Price: $15.95 Our Price: $12.76 You Save: $3.19 ISBN: 1563053268 The Cafés of Paris SAVE 20% To the average Parisian, the local café serves almost as a private club, a place to take a respite from work, meet friends, and relax. Getting to know the cafés can be your key to really discover the city, its people, its pace, and its charm. by Christine Graf Usually ships within 2-3 days. Paperback - 192 pages Published February 1996 by Interlink Publ. Group List Price: $13.95 Our Price: $11.16 You Save: $2.79 ISBN: 1566562015

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