I picked my first meal in Paris in Rick Steve's Europe book http://www.ricksteves.com: cheap but good was the comment. It was cheap and disgestible, let's say. And the water was as expensive as the meal! (But then I learnt to buy my bottle in a corner store, AFTER the meal.) To rate what I mean by digestible, let's say that's what I think about most American fast food restaurants. The place was Comptoir du 7e, on rue de la Motte Picquet, in the 7th district. A much better bet, when you are in the area is rue Cler itself! Tarte Julie is amazing, though their prices double when you sit in (and it's not much of a service, when you can just sit in a pack outside, with your slice of quiche and your slice of pie!)... Yes, so they specialize in quiches and pies, and the ones I randomly tried were amazing. There is also a multitude of small sandwich and crepe shops on the street. No need to sit in an annoying below expectations restaurant.

I studied and worked in Paris. And when I come back to the French capital, I really like going to one of my favorite restaurants: le Rocher de Cancale. Good traditional food, great amosphere.

Un grand café-restaurant que j'adore. Très calme en journée pour lire un livre, rendez-vous des pépés du coin au comptoir le soir, c'est aussi un restaurant sympatique et pas cher dont la cuisine est soit pas extraordinaire mais bonne. Le décor rapelle un café colonial avec trophées de chasses et photos jaunies au murs et pour les garcons: les serveuses sont connues comme étant les plus mignones de Paris!! Pour les groupes il y a plusieurs grandes tables. Enfin il est conseillé de réserver si on ne veut pas attendre. Attention: Fermé le samedi soir !!!!!

If you can feel your arteries hardening from all the cheese and garlic butter from French cuisine, you might be up for something different in the City of Light. Sakura is located conveniently near the Metro Bastille. They serve reasonably priced, filling menu prix fixe, like brochettes of beef and cheese with miso soup and plum wine apertifs to kick it all off. The sushi was OK, although Japanese people wouldn't think so for a second. This place is nothing super-special, but I recall it's a sure thing, and a nice atmosphere to relax with friends.

Should you trust an English publication to provide trustworthy reviews of the Paris eating/drinking establishments? Absolutely. Better than Zagats on multiple counts +, if you fear French food words, there's a handy and quite comprehensive French-to-English "food, drink, and savoir-faire" dictionary. (There's a map of central Paris as well.) Two forks up.

Here is the best tip you will ever get for eating out in Paris (well, besides don't fly all that way to eat McDonald's). Actually, it's kind of two tips in one. Firstly, don't go anywhere near the God-awful tourist-trap 'restaurants' that litter the Champs Elysses. Secondly, and even more importantly, avoid like the plague any restaurant which advertises an English menu, or which hangs a sign out front indicating that English is spoken within the establishment. In such places (frequented exclusively by Brits, Australians and Americans) you will find sub-standard fare at high prices, and it is usually little more than American meals with a hint of garlic. Do yourself a favour, learn the French words for chicken, beef and fish, and you will have no problems whatsoever in a real French restaurant. Anything else is just a wasted experience.

The Costes brother, already running some of the most trendy places in paris like Café Marly in the Louvre, Le Paris on Champs Elysees, and of course Cafe Costes on rue Saint Honoré, have oppened a new restaurant. It's located right on the Esplanade des Invalides and it's really something you should try if you're not too much regarding for the bill.

When you are in Paris, be sure to stop by any of the multitude of creperies you will come across. Some are just stands while others are sit-down locales. The menu alone will amaze you with the variety. You can have had them prepared any which from tomorrow! I had a delicious one flambéed with orange marmalade and Grand Marnier liquor. Yum! A French classic, it's a great late-night snack.

My God--am I really doing this? Am I really suggesting that anybody go to an American chain pizza parlor in the world capital of cuisine? Yes, yes I am. You might be shocked to discover how pleasant it is to eat at the Pizza Hut near the Hotel de Ville on rue de Rivoli. Pizza Hut offers reasonably-priced, filling meals with smiling, easy-going waitstaff. If you're living abroad, it'll be a welcome vacation away from the stresses of snotty unionized waiters in many other establishments in the city. The most difficult thing is living with yourself afterward.

The Greek restaurants along rue de la Huchette in the Saint Michel region of Paris are a welcome change of pace when dining on a budget. Sure, these days the French Franc is cheap now, but a few years back, North American currency didn't go far in Europe. For 35FF, the Greek district offer a plate of lamb, fries, and salad that would really fill you up--a welcome change in a city where dining out is not free. There's around 40 restaurants on rue de la Huchette, more or less equivalent, although I prefer "L'olympia".

This excellent, tiny restaurant specializes in coucous of the Berbere variety, direct from Algeria. Specifically, the cooking is from the Kabyle region, and the tribe that takes its name. Cheap and amazing, this is a place to hit if you are tired of paying 60FF for crappy steack frites in tourist cafes. The owner serves up mountains of couscous and a massive steaming crockpot of stew for the whole table. He selects a bottle of Kabyle wine to go with it, and the experience is spicy and magnificent. If you still have room for dessert, you're a better man than I.

This restaurant's in "Porte Maillot". They only serve a salad and meat, but is delicious. If you like the meat, you should go.

I'm sure you'll love this place where you can have good traditionnal french food with your favorite glass of wine. Unlike other parisian restaurants, it is opened late at night so it's a nice place to go after the theater. It is a chain of 4 restaurants : my favorites are on place de la Madeleine (nice non-smoking area) and rue Marbeuf.

This is a place to try even if you don't like biological food. You should try their fresh fruit juices (about 35 F) and bio meals (about 70-80 F). There are 5 such restaurants in Paris ; my favorites are on Quai des Grands Augustins and Avenue Georges V.

This is my favourite place to eat Japanese food. This restaurant is located in the Students area near La Sorbonne, it is very popular. For a very small price, you will enjoy sushis or meat "brochettes" in a very noisy atmosphere but it's fun!

If you look for a good restaurant of typical Spanish food in Paris, with a very "in" atmosphere, you will enjoy this restaurant called Les Caves St Gilles (rue St Gilles in le Marais). But be careful, you have to book very in advance!

This restaurant provides very good specialities from Germany and Austria. You can have lunch on the terrasse in a street where there many groceries, flower shops and no cars. I like the atmosphere and the food is really good. Address is : 11, rue Poncelet-75017 Paris Metro Ternes

there's a great fondue restaurant at Montmartre. It's small (only two long tables), you are seated close to each other, but it's really fun! There are only to menues to choose from (fondue with cheese or fondue with meat), only two wines - but it's deeelicious and you'll love it. Name: "Chez les Fondues" Street: Rue des Trois Freres (going up the hill, it's on the left side)