Eating on the left bank, Paris?

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chanteur68

The left bank is known for all the touristy restaurants in the Latin Quarter. Stay away from these. They are not very good and are overpriced. Seriously any restaurant that needs an annoying guy out front to drag customers in is not where you want to eat!

So, having said that there are a few standouts in that area that I like. In particular:

Mirama Restaurant
17, rue Saint Jacques 75005
Tel: 01-43-54-71-77
This is a little hole-in-the-wall atmosphere place that is very popular with French politicians and academics. The food is probably the best Asian/Vietnamese food I've ever had (very authentic). In particular you've got to have the Salt-and-pepper squid, followed by the noodle soup with dumplings (it's impossible to describe how good this is!). Not many tourists here either despite being in the Latin Quarter near Sorbonne. Good prices too!

Here are my rules:

in general, don't go into any restaurant that has a guy out front trying to get you to eat there.

Look for a place that has french people eating there (and lots of them). In particular if you see a restaurant that has a line out front (or just inside the door) then get into that line. You'll have to wait but there's a reason they have a line (the food is amazing).

Stay away from the busy restaurant scene in the middle of the Latin Quarter unless rules 1 and 2 are followed.

Another fav of mine in that general area is:

La Bucherie
41, rue de la Bucherie, 5eme Arrondissement
(Metro Saint-Michel; across from Notre-Dame, near the Place du Petit Pont).

This is a good place for a drink (un demi), and the charcuterie place (assuming you eat meat). If not the cheese plate is really good. It also has a cool view of Notre Dame! It's a bit touristy but not too much. Next door to this place is Shakespeares books. So, after dinner go upstairs in the bookstore (just walk up the stairs like you belong there - don't worry about how it looks) and read the little notes on the mirror.

Rillifane

My personal favorite is La Methode at 2 rue Descartes in the 5th and just a short walk from the Pantheon. Its a very friendly place. Go thru to the back room to eat if the weather isn't good. Have the pain perdu for dessert. Its almost unbearably good. Here's a little video from Zoom TV featuring La Methode: http://www.paris-zoom.com/video/238/La-Methode.html

Another plesant (and inexpensive) place is the Auberge le Pot de Rerre at 22 rue du Pot de Fer. Good food, convivial crowd and low prices. http://www.lepotdeterre.com/index2.htm

Rosebud

Hi, I don't know your budget, the best way is to buy "Guide Michelin", it's more easy, there is a map of the district, prices, specialities, me, I like much Brasserie Lip, Boulevard St Germain, and small italian restaurants "rue des Canettes" a small street btw Bd St Germain and St Sulpice Church, Welcome in Paris.

Christine S.

The rue St-Andre des Arts is lined with creperies, panini shops, and other small and affordable restaurants. It's close to the heavily touristed rue de la Huchette (where falafel joints and Greek restaurants line the pedestrian lane), but feels far more off the beaten path.

If you want a fun and unintimidating experience, make a stop at Polidor (41 rue Monsieur-le-Prince 75006). The food isn't mind-blowing, but it's a relaxed and international crowd, and it's got great history (it's said that Hemingway, Joyce, and Kerouac were among the patrons at one point or another).

Rose T

I really, really like the Panini Rome at a cafe called Les Canons des Gobelins, just outside the Gobelins metro station at boulevard Arago.

I also like L'allouette, on rue de la Glaciere. I think I had steak frites there...

If you want to venture over to the right bank, I can also recommend Les Philosophes and Le Tresor in the same courtyard in the Marais.

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