Hello ! So happy to see familiar nicknames from that old and very useful board that was closed, after too long, we just booked a week in Paris, preparing the lists is as much fun as travelling, and I would be very glad for opinions and info :
Restaurants – looking to book some from the twilight zone of “promising and might be 1 star” to the 1-2 stars known establishments, have past “week spot” for the operating Japanese chefs in the city, so list is influenced by that, considering Automne, A.T, Abri, Kei, Restaurant H, Toutain, Tomy Gousset…
Interesting set menus/tasting menus for lunch that lean towards French cuisine, even classical more then modern, in affordable good prices ? Open for all arr. Suggestions, thanks!
And I know and tried in the past many of the known places in the city for Jams/Chocolate/Gdetou types/Charcuterie/supermarkes/ice cream/patisserie/ everything foodies in short, but would be great to read and search about places that were opened in past years and worth visiting, thanks a lot for any info ! Btw will have a kitchen and probably staying in the good old loved 10-11 arr…
You and I have very similar interests. Even though now one michelin star, try Montee, Sola or Pages both with Japanese chefs cooking fantastic French food. Etude is nice too. We end up doing shopping at Grand Epicerie not because its the best but its pretty good and you can get a lot of delicacies done in one place which is efficient if we are visiting for 4-5 nights.
Love the market at Bastille/Richard Lenoir too.
Thanks ! We ate at Sola ages ago and liked it, nice place, i will check about the other two you mentioned. I started searching great older messages here and added interesting candidates to the list, like Granite, Pouliche, Chantoiseau , Flocon, Petrelle, Pantagruel and more, will see who might have interesting lunch offers…
I think Automne will be one of the choices, as i need a place opened on Sundays to mark an occasion plus we surly like long tasting menus and it seems to be the theme there 
Grand epicerie was good in the past for several things, i like it for an interesting variety of dark chocolate bars harder to find from smaller European producers, of course many other things there, i like the gallery gourmet as a “one stop”’ especially as it had in the past and i believe now the whole “line” of bordier butter at nice prices.
And will be glad also to get the current news on great asian cuisines “joints” and restaurants sitting options, it has been so long since we spent great nights at the 13th with pretty nice cantonese, Lao etc., so anything interesting to try, also Izakaya style that seems to be a newcomer to the city since those past days, indian or thai too, great take away options, Thanks !
I just did a quick write-up in my other post but two of my favorites from the last week would be David Toutain and Montee. I would personally pass on Pantagruel unless it fits very well into your plans location wise as it didn’t feel exceptional to me relative to the other spots we visited (Granite, Kei, etc). Food at Kei was quite good but I hated the service and enjoyed David Toutain more fwiw.
Out 4 dinners are going to be Pages, Granite, Montee, and Flocon next week. Will report back.
definitely convenient for Bastille market, thursday and sunday mornings.
I am not sure if classic/ trad cuisine is suitable for a tasting menu and I know of no trad restaurant that offers one. I’m not sure what an “interesting” set menu for lunch means if you are aiming for trad/ classic. And what “affordable” means to you. I really don’t like trad lunches—just too heavy—and so have a limited experience but would imagine that Chez Denise in Les Halles, Amarante in the Bastille quartier and soufflé-paradise Le Récamier near Sèvres-Babylone could qualify as interesting because they have more unusual items on their menus than other restos. I’d be surprised if either has a set lunch menu. Seafood restaurant Rech in the 7th could also qualify because of the total experience. Cuisine tends towards modern but there are a few classical fish dishes on the menu. Oh-so-Paris setting in a 18th-century “hôtel particulier”/ mansion and, best of all, a glorious terrace when the weather is good. Set lunch for around 40€. I am also rather fond of lunch at Les Parisiens in the very new Pavillon Faubourg Saint-Germain hotel in the 7th. Cuisine varies between trad and modern but the 2- or 3-course set menus for lunch are limited-choice.
Just to add a few of my current favourites for dinner. Origines on rue Ponthieu in the otherwise horrible Champs Elysées area in the 8th for a choice of either a tasting menu or à la carte at both lunch and dinner… I’m a creature of whimsy and never know until I’m there if I’m in the mood for a long menu dégustation or a quicker à la carte meal and so, for me, the choice is a big plus. And the cuisine is fab and Michelin-starworthy.
Chantoiseau on rue Lepic in Montmartre. My sister lives nearby and it has become a firm favourite for family get-togethers. The bistronomique cuisine is impeccable, the service is exceptionally personable (almost flirty) … note: flirting in France rarely reaches an obvious sexual level and doesn’t matter if it is done with the opposite or same sex because it’s a just playful way of interacting after a certain level of familiarity releases us from the form strict formality required with strangers.
Parcelles on rue Chapon in the 3rd. A worthy and perhaps better successor to my one-time favourite bistro Le Taxi Jaune (which served horsemeat charcuterie and had a wonderfully idiosyncratic owner-chef). Very wine-centric and spot-on recommendations by the clued-in and very personable staff for food-wine pairings which a non-wine-geek like myself appreciates. Cuisine is bistronomique/ updated trad, the small menu (a good sign) changes often and respects the season. Even without the culinary clichés that many visitors wrongly assume to be typically French, I suspect that it will meet most foreigners’ expectations of what the ideal neighbourhood Paris bistro should be.
Le Condesa in the 9th. One of the few Michelin-starred restaurants that I enjoy for the total experience and not just the food. The chef, Mexican trained in France, is utterly charming. For me, a huge bromance and, so, I can’t be impartial.
And many, may more recommendations but I’m suddenly in the mood for bed.
@Beam, I don’t share your enthusiasm for the Marché Bastille. Certainly, the Sunday version is huge and vibrant. But maybe too big and certainly way too crowded (including lots sightseers looking for Instagram opportunities). There are other street markets that are far more neighbourhoodly and, for me, more enjoyable because the vendors are more relaxed and chatty. And, if staying on the borders of the 10th and 11th, far more convenient i.e. the delightful Marché Popincourt (Tue + Fri) further up the boulevard Richard Lenoir near métro Oberkampf. BTW, you can find many of the vendors that set up stalls in the Marche Bastille on Sunday at other street markets elsewhere in Paris depending on the day of the week. This is especially true of the “maraîchers” and “producteurs” that come straight from their farms and fishing ports to sell their products directly to Parisians.
Thank you Daniel for this great sharing of knowledge and options, always a delight to read your posts on the city, now and in the past.
As usual, a bit of a struggle for me to give the best explanation over a massage in English (not to mention a non-existent French…), indeed my intention isn’t “traditional lunches” exactly from the reason you wrote, but more of set menus/formulas at lunch that might be considered “bargain” at up to let’s say, 40-60 per person before a glass of wine, you mentioned great options to consider with Parcelles, Chantoiseau, Origines , Le Condesa and others, it seems to be what I’m looking for and I will continue checking.
I also read in one of your past messages here about Virtus, and it seems to be another good candidate for my “too big” now list of possible 1 star interesting lunches at “not dinner” prices…
And I agree with direction of your comments about Richard Lenoir market, unfortunately it didn’t feel great to wander around there, for that we preffer the President Wilson market and some other smaller places, I also loved in the past taking the “special trip” to marché Vincennes, veg/fruit produce seemed especially good and vendors very welcoming in a calm setting, not sure how it is nowdays. Richard Lenoir btw was very good as i remember for the fishmonger options, to cook at the appartement
I have another question please, regarding walk-ins at lunch time to several options , i assume dinner much more complicated and for sure reserving in advance also for lunch time is the correct way to go , but not sure what our daily plans will be, so i’m trying to prepare “selected” list of the more desired places to try in different arrs and if by chance we are near (midweek), maybe try to eat there… So will it make sense to gamble spontaneously for lunch formula at places like - Chantoiseau , Le Pétrelle , Parcelles, La Grande Brasserie, Les Arlots, Le Mazenay, Origines… Or too much of a gamble nowdays ? Thank you
“Seafood restaurant Rech in the 7th could also qualify because of the total experience.”
Does anyone know if Rech at the Maison de L’Amerique Latine is under new management?
The last I heard (maybe 6 weeks ago), the restaurant it is now being managed directly by Maison de l’Amérique Latine. They had great experience and success in managing the restaurant pre-Rech and as the venue/ caterer for hundreds of “tout Paris” weddings/ receptions so not really a bad thing. Supposedly temporarily until they find a new restaurant operator or reconcile with Rech.
But wait for an answer from @Carmenere. She’s a pro at restaurant intel.
It’s still listed on the Ducasse website (with the restaurant’s web page being different from the one Ducasse had for the previous two years, but the new website is linked to by the Ducasse website).
The Rech website that the Ducasse website links to mentions being part of the Musiam group that operates or at least oversees restaurants in many museums.
The restaurant originally was supposed to re-open on 1 September, but instead apparently only re-opened this past Monday (20 September).
In short, clear as mud.
Hmmm, 
I was going to book it for mid-October when some friends are joining us in Paris. I may wait a bit until some real time reviews appear. Thanks Daniel and Onz for the quick responses.
BTW, I was also going to book lunch at Le Clarence, but there was nothing until Nov.11, and then not until December! I scooped up the Nov. 11 opening.
