Paris is one
of the gastronomic capitals of the world, famed for its world-renowned
chefs, inventive fusion cuisines and abundance of expensive Michelin-starred
restaurants. Even Paris street food is delicious, making it easy
for bargain hunters to find good food at cheap prices. Check out
some of my favorites:
For a special treat, head to L'As du Falafel,
the most famous falafel stand in Paris,
Falafel
L'As du Falafel (34 rue des Rosiers, 4th, Metro St. Paul) is the
most famous falafel joint in Paris and carries the endorsement
of nearly every food critic, blogger and even Lenny Kravitz.
Its falafel
special, filled to the brim with succulent balls of ground chickpea,
hummus, cabbage, cucumber, tomatoes, grilled eggplant, tahini
and a number of mystery sauces, is a bargain at just €7.
You can also
beat the lines and head across the street to Mi-Va-Mi (27 rue
des Ecoffes, 4th, Metro St. Paul), a newer restaurant that offers
comparable falafel at the same prices.
Baguette
The French take their bread very seriously. An annual competition,
the Grand Prix de la Meilleure Baguette de Paris, is held each
year to determine the best baguette in Paris. At the time of this writing, the prize
went to Anis
Bouabsa, from the local bakery Au Duc de la Chapelle (32 Tristan
Tzara, 18th, Metro Porte de la Chapelle). A fluffy baguette tradition,
fresh from the oven, will set you back about a euro.
Go where Parisians go: tempting treats await
at three top pastry shops around town, all owned by famed pastry chef Gerard Mulot.
Pastries
Famed Parisian pastry chef Gérard
Mulot creates stunning, delicious fruit tarts, cakes and traditional
macarons at his three shops in the Quartier Latin (76 rue de Seine,
6th, Metro Odeon), Marais (6 rue du Pas de la Mule, 3rd, Metro
Chemin Vert) and 13th arrondissement (93 rue de la Glacière,
13th, Metro Glacière). At just €4 or €5 each,
go wild.
Crepes
Tourists go wild for Nutella-banana crêpes, mediocre versions
of which are available just about everywhere for around €3.
But for a different crêpe experience, try a traditional
Breton buckwheat galette at Crêperie Bretonne (67 rue de
Charonne, 11th, Metro Bastille) or a zesty Lebanese version at
Chez Le Libanais (35 rue Saint-André-des-Arts, 6th, Metro
St. Michel). Both are filling enough to be a meal and will set
you back around €6.