Dinner in Paris

Walk a few streets off the main thoroughfares and ask a local where they would go to eat.

One of my favorite little spots in Paris.

Chez Monsieur

Bistro Paul Bert
Willi's Wine Bar
L'Ami Louis
Joia

David Lebovitz is a good resource. He's an American pasty chef that's been living in Paris for many years and he's got good info on Paris restaurants, bakeries, etc.

LINK

My friend lived there for three months and gave us these recommendations before we went a month ago. We went to Aux Trois Mailletz and it was good food and felt authentically French. Live cabaret music upstairs was great (they also have it in the cave/cellar until late. Robert et Louise was a great setting, food was good though not to the level of steakhouse we have here in Chicago. They cook on a wood fire.

Eating / Drinking:
Aux Trois Mailletz:
Weird little cabaret spot but it is tons of fun late night. Definitely doesn't get going till after 11p; recommend getting reservations.

Cinq Mars:
Cute little restaurant in St. Germain. They all speak English / have an English menu but it doesn't feel at all touristy and the food is amazing. They also have bottomless chocolate mousse that is to dieeeeee for. My fave night is to go to Cafe de Flore for champs and then wander to Cinq Mars for dinner. Yes, Cafe de Flore is famous but true Parisians do hang out there!

Bistrot Paul Bert:
Definitely need reservations, but this place is so great. Don't speak a lot of English (my waitress the last time I was there spoke French, Portuguese, and Spanish, so I felt like shite) but the ambiance is fun and the food is delish. It's also not in a touristy neighborhood so there aren't a lot of assholes in there.

Companie Les Vins Surnaturels
Little wine / app spot in the Latin Quarter. It's kinda unmarked but really cute inside. [update: they opened one of these in SoHo in NYC, so random!]

36
Fun bar in the 9th; very French / there aren't any tourists in here at all. Great place to grab a few drinks after dinner slash party into the night.

Bar Hemingway
Great ambience, at the Ritz. Get there right when they open so you can get a table or (preferably IMO) a spot at the bar. Drinks are pricey (~30E) but totally worth it for the vibe.

L'As du Fallafel: best falafel I have ever had, ever, in my life. You can stop at the counter and get a falafel and then enjoy the shopping on the Rue des Rosiers in the Marais.

Laduree: the best macarons in Paris. There are a few locations, but the one on the Rue Royale is my favorite. It was the original Laduree (I believe) and is very close to the Louvre, the Rue du Faubourg Saint Honore, etc. You can eat lunch in the tea shop or just buy macarons in the store. There is a Laduree in NYC now so maybe the bloom is off the rose on this one but they're still my faves.

Robert et Louise ... in the Marais (4eme). Really cute place on my favorite street in the Marais. I saw Chloe Sevingy, the actress, in here one night.

The Grand Cremerie
Sort of a random spot in St. Germain but it has great food. It's basically just meats / charcuterie and cheeses. Rabbit terrine, burrata, wine. . SO good.
FYI, Fooding.com is a good resource for authentic spots in Paris. Yelp is really full of American recos, which is fine, but if you wanna get off the beaten path, there are some good options.

quote:

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I love beer but if I'm in France or Italy those inexpensive, fantastic wines are what I'm drinking.

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That's fair, and I'm sure we'll have plenty of wine, but I'm definitely more of a beer guy and was hoping to stop at a few beer bars / breweries during the day to break up the walking.