Eating Cheap in Paris

After finding and affordable flight and accommodation in one of the apartments in Paris, one of your biggest worries will be eating. Paris has a well-deserved reputation for its cuisine, which unfortunately is as good as expensive. So if you can’t afford some of the best restaurants in the world, you’ll need to find more affordable options.

Eating cheap in Paris is not impossible. In fact, there are plenty of places where you can get good food for less. Generally, the more touristic areas are the expensive, so the key is to stay away from the tourist spots, like the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the Sacré Coeur and Montmartre. Working class areas offer a wide variety of affordable food so, leave the main path, follow the locals to and you will find some good treats for a little price!

Ethnic food: France’s strong Arabic influence has extended to its cuisine and often offers the best food bargains. You can find great falafel and kebab stands in the Marais, the Jewish quarter in Paris. Another good option it would be couscous, a very filling dish which you can find either in the “couscoussieres” or at some Lebanese or Moroccan restaurants. If you are an Asian food lover you will also find Asian restaurants throughout Paris but for really cheap meals you can’t miss the Asian fast food delis, where food is sold by weight and it can be taken out or eaten on-site.

Local food: One of the most typical French snacks is the crepe, and being in France it’s a great opportunity to try the best ones. They are so versatile that the same base can give you a main meal as well as a dessert, depending on the filling. You’ll find lots of creperies in the Latin Quarter, which is a tourist area but it’s also a very popular place among students, so the prices are lower than in other areas. Another typical French snack is the croque-monsieur, a grilled cheese and ham sandwich where the cheese is usually on the outside. You can also try the croque-madame option, which is the same with an egg on top. They are a bit messy to eat but they are so tasty that you might use a few dirty French phrases. You can also find other Parisian delicatessen at their typical bakeries, where you can buy bread, brioches, croissants and “pain au chocolat”.

Paris also has good value supermarkets so if you are staying in one of the Paris apartments, a great option it would also be buying some food and wine and have a meal at your place. But if you want to enjoy the city and don’t waste your time going back to your apartments you can also buy a baguette, a chunk of pâté and a tasty French cheese and have a picnic at one of its excellent parks and gardens. Just remember to take a corkscrew and something to drink your wine from and enjoy!