What is the best thing to eat (and cheap) when touring Paris?

Answer 1

You can find little stands/shops on the sides of the road that sell amazing sandwiches with fresh french bread. Just a bit of a sandwich meat and a nice light sauce to go with it. It's easy to eat while window shopping and doesn't break the budget! I had quite a few of those during my 2 week stay. There was one on the way from the museum to the ferris wheel that was a bit cheaper than the others- and was located in a nice garden area that had statues, benches with trees and little fountains. Lovely break area!!

Hope this helps!

Stay away from the fancy little "cafe" looking shops- they are more expensive and you're just paying for the cutesie stuff. Look for restaurants that have big open tables that everyone sits at together, you can meet interesting people and get tips on the things to check out around town. There was a pizza/pasta shop that had a different take on pizza and pasta just off of the main road where all the road side merchants are (I'm sorry I can't remember the names of the places!), it had the food downstairs along with some tables and upstairs was a small room with just a couple of small tables which gave you a nice view.

Also, my little hotel gave free breakfast- which was huge. Fresh breads, jams, butters, and fruits. We filled up on that wonderful breakfast and it stayed with us for quite awhile.

Answer 2

It depends when you are touring in Paris ... in winter it is quite awful and freezing to do a "pique-nique" outside.

I think the garden stated above (with fountains and statues) was le Luxembourg.

You could find plenty of little shops selling sandwiches (cold), paninis (hot), crepes (not the breton ones).

Chinese restaurant are cheap usually but not all that good (they all look the same). There are some good ones sometimes however.

As recommanded before, if you are touring in late spring or summer or early autumn, buy your own camembert, saucisson, salade and wine from a supermaket Franprix, Casino, Monoprix (a bit more expensive), your french bread from a "boulangerie/patisserie" and bring your knife (put it in your big luggage, not in the hand luggage for the airport control !) and your bottle opener.

Kebab are good also and cheap. It is more a Türkish speciality than a French one. But try it.

Answer 3

I usually find a grocery store and load up on bread, cheese, a few cold cuts - they are so much cheaper to buy in the supermarket & make up your own sandwich than to buy from a cafe. There are places on the street, little stores & vendors, that sell pre-made baquette sandwiches but it's so much cheaper just to make it yourself. A lot of department stores in Paris also have gourmet foods, so I just pick up a few things and make my own little breakfast or lunch in the hotel room. Saves a ton of money, especially for water and soda (costs about $5-6 to have a coke at a Paris cafe!).

Answer 4

Have a "Grec" (also named Kebab outside Paris), roasted sheep or turkey sandwich served with french fries. It'll cost you 4 Euros.
You'll be full and I bet you can't eat a second one even it's delicious...

Answer 5

First of all don't go to Paris cause parisian are stressed, snob, c'est des connards!!!! and food is very expensive
But in the rest of the france people are nice, food is better and cheaper.
If you visit the france in winter, eat a "fondu savoyarde or tartiflette" it is potatoes with cheese and it's excellent, or you can eat boeuf bourguignon, it is beef with sauce made with good wine, I eat that with dry bread covered withjuice of garlic.

Or taste escargots de Bourgogne ( snails of Burgund). Snails in itself has absolutely no taste but the sauce composed of butter, parsley and salt make you like eating snails (sorry for my english)

you can eat foie gras, or cassoulet, choucroute, endives au jambon.... (see www.marmiton.org/recettes/recettes_incontournables.cfm)

These are the best things to eat when you come in France
Cassoulet and choucroute are the menu i prefer

Answer 6

Sandwiches with French Bread with "Jambon de Paris" or "Saucisson sec" from any cafe or bar shop (ask them to do it on the spot : it's fresher !)

http://paris.c-lafrance.com/

Answer 7

buy a baguette at a local bakery, some cheap wine, nice cheese and cold meats in a grocery store or supermarket and you're done...eat it a a park.
You can also buy crepes at street vendors.

Answer 8

A Royale with Cheese.

Answer 9

sandwich, try pan bagna

Answer 10

go to macdonalds or quik