Watching English-language movies at a cinema in Paris

UPDATE!

I love going to the movies and the French film industry is great! However, watching a movie entirely in French is still a challenge for me. I have looked for cinema's in Paris that show English-language movies (version originale). I have found a website with a list of the English-language movies shown by Parisian cinema's. It is listed by arrondissement.

This is the link: List of English-language movies shown this week

After going to the movies myself I noticed that there is a difference in price and quality, depending on the location. I went to MK2 Bibliothèque (take the RER and you'll be there in no time!) and they offer a huge discount for people who are younger than 26 years old. I paid only € 4.90. However, at MK2 Odéon this discount wasn't available. I could only get a student discount, so I ended up paying € 7.90. I was surprised that this chain doesn't always charge the same price. Funny enough, the rooms of the cheaper MK2 Bibliothèque were much larger, the seats were more comfortable and the screen was much bigger. MK2 Bibliothèque it is!

Have fun!

  

Going to Amsterdam for a long weekend

UPDATE ON HOSTELS!

Currently, (international) students in Paris are planning weekend trips to other European cities. The first leaves are falling, but it's not cold yet, so this is a good time to pack your bags and discover Europe. Many choose to visit Amsterdam (the capital of the Netherlands), because it's relatively close to Paris and there are several inexpensive options to travel to Amsterdam. As a Dutch person I would like to help you with planning your trip to Amsterdam, so it will become an unforgettable experience!  

Transportation

There is no need to step on a plane to go to the Netherlands. It's pretty close to France and you can travel to the Netherlands by bus or train for little money.

Bus
When I travel between Amsterdam and Paris I take the bus, because it is the least expensive option. I have tried 3 coach operators and all of them take you to Amsterdam in 7 hours.

Megabus is the cheapest coach operator you'll ever find in Europe. A ticket Paris-Amsterdam (roundway) costs only € 30. There is a toilet with a mirror and a sink to wash your hands on the bus. The seats are comfortable. Megabus makes one stop at Brussels, the Belgian capital. I have taken the night bus several times. It's safe.
uk.megabus.com/routemap

iDBus is my favorite coach operator, because it offers free WIFI on the bus and each row of seats has an electrical socket. There is a toilet with a mirror and a sink to wash your hands on the bus. The seats are more comfortable than the seats of Megabus. However, it's more expensive than Megabus. The lowest price for a ticket Paris-Amsterdam (roundway) is € 78. iDBus makes one stop at Lille (Northern France), but will also go through Belgium.
www.idbus.com/map

Eurolines is the most expensive coach operator, but it also has most travel options. There is a toilet with a mirror and a sink to wash your hands on the bus, but when I took the night bus the door was closed, so the toilet could not be used. The bus stops several times before arriving in Amsterdam. Eurolines charges different prices, depending on the day and time of your departure. Check out the website to find the lowest fare: www.eurolines.fr/en/destinations 

Train
Traveling to Amsterdam by train is more expensive than traveling by bus, but it takes only 3 hours. The cheapest train ticket (roundway) Paris-Amsterdam costs € 70, whereas the cheapest bus ticket (roundway) Paris-Amsterdam costs € 30. Train tickets for €70.00 can only be purchased 3 months in advance. The later you book, the more you will have to pay. I once booked a train ticket (roundway) 1,5 weeks in advance and it cost me € 180. Check out the website for more information and current fares: http://www.nshispeed.nl/en/france  

Accommodation
In general, most hostels and hotels in the Netherlands are clean and safe. The Dutch have a high standard when it comes to hospitality.

However, the country attracts drugs tourists who come to the Netherlands specifically to buy marihuana. For the people who didn't know: some drugs can be legally purchased in the Netherlands, most notably cannabis. Drugs tourists often make a mess or behave badly, so personally I wouldn't like sleeping in a hostel that is full of drugs tourists.

Therefore I advice you to go to one of the Shelter Christian Hostels in Amsterdam, even if you're not a Christian. Smoking, alcohol and drugs are not allowed inside these hostels. They have a courtyard-garden where you are allowed to smoke normal cigarettes, but drugs and alcohol are not tolerated. 

I understand that there are people who prefer to stay at a hostel with more freedom. For them, I recommend Stayokay Amsterdam Vondelpark. The location is magnificant. This hostel is situated in the middle of the most famous park of Amsterdam.

If you prefer to stay at another ho(s)tel, book a private room. Don't safe money on your safety! I think Amsterdam is a safe city (I never had a problem being in the city centre at night), but even in safe cities you can come across untrustworthy people. However, don't let drugs tourists stop you from visiting Amsterdam. Amsterdam also attracts many tourists who are interesting in art, architecture and culture. Furthermore, the Dutch state invests a lot in the safety of its citizens and tourists and besides police officers there are always volunteers who walk through Amsterdam in groups to make sure everyone is okay. We call these volunteers ''street coaches''. You can recognize them by their jackets with the logo of the municipality of Amsterdam. 

I normally book a hostel through Hostelworld.

Weather

Amsterdam enjoys an oceanic climate that features two major seasons, a mild summer and a cold winter.

 

Summer

During the summer months, from late May till early September, Amsterdam remains enjoyable enough with the average high of low twenties. Although the season gets a moderate level of rainfall, as August receives more than 80mm of precipitation, it is the best season to visit Amsterdam. The average low temperature, especially in the evenings, stands around 12°C. The city gets a great level of sunshine throughout the season, more than 200 hours per month.

Winter

Winter weather in Amsterdam is chilly and somewhat uncomfortable. The average high temperature falls dramatically as winter appears and stands at 9°C in November, 6°C in December while January, the coldest month of the year gets not more than 5°C. The low, on the other hand, fluctuates between -1°C to 3°C. Moreover, a little rainfall and very poor level of sunshine, 60 hours, may not allow you to be fixed with your plan.

 

What to do in Amsterdam?
Click on the link for an English-language list of Amsterdam's best attractions. My personal favorites:

Rent a bike!
Dutch people are keen cyclists. A Dutch person rides his bike to go to school, work, the supermarket etc.. You will see people riding a bike everywhere in Amsterdam. The narrow streets make it difficult to go by car or taxi, so often going by bike is a more efficient way to discover Amsterdam. Check out the following website (available in several languages) for information on renting a bike in Amsterdam: www.iamsterdam.com
The bike rental corporations and tourist offices sell cycling guides and maps of Amsterdam and its surroundings. If you Google ''bike tour Amsterdam'' you will also find guided bike tours.

 

Visit a museum
There are over 50 museums in Amsterdam, so there must be a museum that interests you. Here is a list (in English) of the most popular museums. I advice you to go to the renowned Vincent van Gogh Museum, the Rijksmuseum (here you will find the best works of Rembrandt) and the Anne Frank House. Beer lovers should visit the Heineken Museum, for football fans the Ajax Museum is a must-go and kinky people might find the Erotic or Torture Museum interesting. After all, you're visiting Amsterdam, the capital of one of the most liberal countries in the world. The Netherlands was the first country in the world where gay people could marry and I'm pretty sure there are not many countries with the same drugs policy. (Note: I'm more conservative than most Dutch people. Just because I write about the Dutch culture doesn't mean I like everything about it.) 



Canal cruise
The world famous Canal Belt (a section of the historic city centre) was placed on the UNESCO  World Heritage List in 2011. It's a Dutch tradition to treat visiting royals and other VIP's to a cruise on the canals. Famous visitors like Winston Churchill, the Beatles and Nelson Mandela became acquainted with Amsterdam from the deck of a canal cruise boat. Some canal cruise operators give you a discount if you book a ticket in advance.
List of canal cruise operators.

Tulip fields
Spring is the best time of the year to travel to the Netherlands, because of the magnificant tulip fields that attracts tourists from all over the world. From the end of March until the second week of May the flowers in the fields bloom. It goes without saying that the exact period depends on the weather. Generally speaking, the best time is the second half of April. It takes only an hour (max. 1,5 hours) to travel from Amsterdam to the tulip fields by public transportation, so you could easily make it a day trip. The buses that take you to the tulip fields leave from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Please keep in mind that the buses are only available during the tulip season, so in spring!
Here are some websites with practical information on visiting the tulip fields:
Guide to Seeing the Tulip Fields
Keukenhof, the world's largest flower garden
Private tour to Keukenhof Tulip Gardens and Tulip Fields

Food and Drinks in Amsterdam

A ''coffee shop'' in the Netherlands is a place where you can purchase drugs legally. People who want to have a cup of coffee or tea don't go to a ''coffee shop'', but to a restaurant, tea house, bar etc.!

Supermarket
Go to Albert Heijn, the best supermarket of the Netherlands.You can find Albert Heijn at several places in the city centre of Amsterdam. Many products have an English-language label, so you know what you're buying. Besides regular products like bread, milk, fruit and vegetables, Albert Heijn offers organic and vegan products, fresh sandwiches, salads, muffins, donuts etc. I miss Albert Heijn now that I live in Paris. The Parisian supermarkets don't have the quality or the diversity of Albert Heijn. Albert Heijn can be cheap or expensive, depending on the product you're buying. However, the expensive products are often still cheaper than what you find in Paris or are special, like organic.

Restaurants
To be honest, I almost never went to restaurants in Amsterdam, because as a student I had a limited budget and I could cook at home. But from my limited experience I know the following restaurants are worth trying:

Ron Gastrobar (scroll down once you entered the website)
This restaurant is led by a chef who once had a restaurant that was awarded two stars by Michelin. He voluntarily gave back the Michelin stars to start a new concept: Ron Gastrobar. Here you can eat a dish for only € 15. It was the dream of the chef to serve people high quality, but simple food for a reasonable price. He feels like too many Michelin restaurants try to impress, instead of focusing on what people like to eat.

Hard Rock Cafe Amsterdam
Best hamburgers ever and the only place in the Netherlands where you can get a free refill!

La Place (inside V&D)
La Place is a chain of restaurants that you can find inside V&D, a Dutch department store. Here you can buy sandwiches, soup, cakes and warm meals like steak with fries. For € 5 you can get the ''meal of the day'', served with fries or rice. I like their wok, but it's not available at every La Place. Dutch people like to come here for the sandwiches.

Vegetarian/ Vegan
Every restaurant in Amsterdam has at least one vegetarian course on the menu. Many Dutch people are vegetarian, so you will have no problem finding delicious vegetarian meals.

Vegan people should take a look at this website which shows the location of vegan restaurants in Amsterdam. For example, there are four branches of Maoz Falafel in Amsterdam. Maoz was founded by Dutch people, but also has branches in e.g. France (Paris) and Australia. Another vegan restaurant in Amsterdam that is not on the list of the website is Mana Mana.

Dutch specialties
I love the Dutch pancakes and pastries. Go to a pannenkoekenhuis (pancake house) to eat a gigantic pancake with a topping of your choice. The favorite pancakes of the Dutch are either with ham and cheese or with apple, raisins, cinnamon and sugar. But there is an endless list of options. A gigantic pancake at a traditional restaurant costs between € 7 and € 15, depending on the toppings.
The Dutch also like to eat poffertjes, a portion of tiny pancakes covered with butter and sugar.

For some people a surprise, for others a well-known fact: Indonesia used to be part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The colony became independent in 1949. The Indonesians influenced the Dutch cuisine. Dutch people love Indonesian food and you can find Indonesian restaurants everywhere. We specifically like the sweet peanut sauce (satésaus) from Indonesia, in combination with meat and (fried) rice. The Indonesian restaurants are usually not expensive.

For more information on the Dutch cuisine, read the article on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_cuisine

Let me know if you want to visit other parts of the Netherlands. I could give you advice on that as well!

Applying for CAF (Housing Allowance provided by the French state)

UPDATE! I started with the CAF application in September and the last week of December I finally received it. Hang in there!


The monthly rent is probably your biggest expense while living in Paris. Luckily, the French state understands that housing is barely affordable for people with a limited budget. Therefore it provides a housing allowance for low-income inhabitants, including (international) students. This allowance is called CAF, which is short for caisse d’allocations familiales. In some cases the allowance is € 200 a month, so going through the bureaucracy that is linked to the application for CAF is definitely worth it!

You can apply for CAF online, but afterwards you have to send them documents by mail. Personally I plan on going to the CAF office and hand them over my documents. Make sure you do the online application as soon as possible (even if you don't have the required papers yet), because the date of your online application is the date from which on you will get money! Sometimes people receive retroactive payments, but I don't think you want to risk getting less money than you deserve. Click on the link to apply for CAF online.

If you want more information on CAF and the application procedure, please read the following English-language document that is written by CAF: Student Housing Benefit (CAF)

This is the list of documents that I have to provide myself for the application (I'm still in the process), so you will probably have to provide them as well:
- After the online application you will receive two documents that you have to print. One must be signed by you, one must be signed by your landlord/ landlady.
- A copy of your birth certificate.
- A copy of your passport.
- Proof of being a student at a French educational institution (in my case a document provided by Sciences Po once I was registered as a student)
- A copy of your European Medical Health Insurance Card. If you are not a European Union citizen you have to provide something else that has to do with your health insurance or the French social security.
- A copy of the rental contract.
- Proof of your earnings in 2011 and 2012. I asked the tax authorities of my birth country to send me an income (tax) statement of 2011 and 2012. This took me 6 weeks, so be prepared that getting the right papers can cost a lot of time.

Good luck!

Making scans and copying in Paris

Need to make scans in order to upload documents for the application for CAF or Imagine R? Or do you want to copy documents? Office Depot is a copy and print shop for consumers (similar shops in Paris sometimes work only with businesses). Office Depot has 20 stores in Paris, so you're sure to find one close to your house. Making scans is easy. Just bring a USB stick and an employee will make the scans for you. You'll be done before you know it.

If you click here you'll see an overview of all the stores in Paris.

Practical information
Price

Around € 5 for 20 scans.  

Website

http://magasins.officedepot.fr/fr/ile-de-france/paris (overview of the 20 stores in Paris)

Museum ''Guimet'', the biggest collection of Asian art in Europe

 

Musée Guimet has one of the largest collections of Asian art outside Asia. Besides impressing you with countless Chinese vases and other masterpieces of porcelain, Musée Guimet will introduce you to art from Mongolia, Myanmar, Afghanistan and other lesser-known cultures.  



The art is put together according to its geographic origins, so you can easily find pieces from your favorite country. On the main floor you will find art from India and Southeast Asia, like Cambodia and Vietnam. On the first floor you will find art from Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nepal, Tibet and Central Asia. The second floor shows art from China, Korea and Japan. The third floor is entirely dedicated to Chinese art. 

A free audio guide is available in the following languages: French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Japanese and Korean. Less than 10% of the objects have a number for the audio guide, but the information given is valuable. 

 

The museum displays 45.000 objects, but because of the earth tones of the walls, the pottery and the decoration ,the museum is never overwhelming.  

 

Practical information
Address

6 Place d'Iéna, 75116 Paris.
Arrondissement
16^th

Time
Three or four hours.
Price

€ 7.50 (regular price for permanent collection)

€ 8 (regular price for temporary expositions)
€ 9.50 (combined ticket, both permanent collection and temporary expositions)
Free entrance for people younger than 18 years old, European citizens who are younger than 26 years old. Reduced tarif for non-European students.
Visiting hours
10.00 - 18.00 (Wednesday till Monday, closed on Tuesday)
Website
http://www.guimet.fr/fr/
Metro
The nearest metro station is Iéna (red circle below).

Public transportation in Paris

When it comes to public transportation in Paris, you have the following options: metro, RER, bus and tram. Keep reading for the best bus lines for sightseeing!

Metro
The metro is the most popular choice in Paris when it comes to public transportation.

• The metro runs daily between 05:30 and 00:30. On saturday nights the metro runs until 02:00 in the morning.
• Every metro line is named after the number and the terminus and has its own color. Remembering the color and direction will help you not to get lost.
• There are several metro maps in each metro station. To transfer from one line to another, follow the orange and white ''correspondance'' sign. If it's a big metro station it may take a few minutes to walk to the other metro line.  
• One metro ticket will take you anywhere as long as you do not go out of the system. Stay underground! Keep your ticket during your trip. Sometimes ticket inspectors stand at the exit of a metro station. If you can't show a valid pass or ticket, you will get a fine.
• Metro stations often host small shops that sell magazines and tobacco. You may also come across musicians. Some musicians even enter a metro to sing or play an instrument with the hope you will give them some money after finishing the song. Beggers are also present at almost every metro station. Some sit with their child or dog.   

RER
The RER is a rapid transit system serving Paris and its suburbs. Within the city, the RER functions like the metro, but it is faster as it has fewer stops.  

• The RER runs from 05:30 until 00:30.
• It's a rail system with 5 lines and it connects the city centre of Paris with the suburbs.
• The RER uses the same tickets as the metro and the bus.  
• When you transfer from the metro to the RER, remember that you have to put your canceled ticket in the automatic gates.  

Bus
The bus can be a good alternative to the metro.

• 60 bus lines operate from 06:30 until 20:30. There are a few bus lines that have an evening service until 00:30. Make sure you check in advance at what time the last bus leaves! Furthermore there are 42 night buses operate between 00:30 and 05:30.
• Be aware that many buses have a different schedule on sundays and holidays. Some may not ride at all.
• You can use metro tickets for the bus as well. Use one ticket within Paris. If you exit the bus to transfer to another one, you can use the same ticket within one hour. The Imagine R pass (for students) and Navigo pass (a monthly subscription) are also valid.
• The bus doesn't stop at all points. If you want to get out, press the red button or the bus driver may not stop.   

Claire de Circourt has discovered scenic routes by bus that cross Paris’s picturesque neighborhoods. If you have a free afternoon, catch one of the following buses: 

Line 27 Gare St-Lazare / Porte d’Ivry-Claude Regaud
Highlights: Chinatown, Place d’Italie, Jardin du Luxembourg, Saint-Michel.

Line 38 Gare du Nord / Porte d’Orleans
Highlights: Notre Dame, Latin Quarter, Pompidou, Gare de l’Est.

Line 63 Porte de la Muette / Gare de Lyon
Highlights: Trocadéro, boulevard St-Germain, Odéon, Gare d’Austerlitz.

Line 68 Place de Clichy / Châtillon-Montrouge
Highlights: Opéra, Musée d’Orsay, Rue de Bac, southern Paris.

Line 95 Porte de Montmartre / Porte de Vanves
Highlights: Montmartre, Louvre, Saint-Germain, Montparnasse.

I have found a few more bus lines that are good choices for sightseeing: 20, 21, 24, 47, 73 and 82. 

Tram
Paris and the inner suburbs are served by four tram lines:

Line T1 connects Saint-Denis to Noisy-le-Sec, parallel to the Paris northern city limit.
Line T2 connects Pont de Bezons with Porte de Versailles via La Défense.
Line T3 is divided into two sections called T3a and T3b.
- T3a connects Boulevard Victor – Pont du Garigliano RER station in the western part of the XV^e arrondissement with Porte de Vincennes metro station in the XII^e arrondissement.
- T3b connects Porte de Vincennes with Porte de la Chapelle in the XVIII^e arrondissement.
Line T4 connects Bondy RER station with Aulnay-sous-Bois station.

With the T+ ticket you can travel by tram.

The best baguette of Paris. A must-eat!

The Prix de la Meilleure Baguette is the dream of every Parisian baker. Who doesn't want to sell the best baguette of Paris? A few years ago, Au 140 in the charming neighborhood Belleville won this prestigious price. Every day, many locals stand line in front of the small bakery to buy a baguette.

I'm also a fan of their pastries.
They sell delicious versions of éclairs for a fair price.  




Practical information
Address
140 Rue de Belleville, 75020 Paris

Arrondissement
20^th   
Price

€ 0.85 for one price-winning baguette. 

Website

http://www.au140.com/
Metro
The nearest metro station is Jourdain (see red circle below).

Finding a (English-speaking) doctor in Paris

Sciences Po requires a medical certificate that proofs you're healthy for students who want to take sports classes. That's why I had to find a doctor in Paris. There are thousands of general practitioners in Paris, but it was extremely difficult to find an affordable doctor that works for an office where they speak English as well.

The system for general practitioners in France is confusing. A GP is either conventionné or not. A médecin généraliste non-conventionné is like a private doctor and he charges you accordingly. He can charge whatever he wants, so don't be surprised if you have to pay € 70 for a short consult. And don't expect your health insurance company to reimburse this money, because these doctors often don't have an agreement with health insurance companies!

You're more likely to get a reimbursement from your health insurance company if you visit a médecin généraliste conventionné. The prices charged by such a GP are fixed. He or she agreed to charge according to a convention (agreement) between the French state and health insurance companies to make sure affordable medical care is available to people. A consult of a GP conventionné should cost € 23. In some cases you may have to pay more, depending on the treatment and the medicines you need. Always make sure you call the office of a GP in advance and ask how much a consult costs! 

To make it even more confusing, some GP's in France are only partly conventionné. I made an appointment with a GP who advertised herself as a conventionné doctor, but she asked € 40 for a consult to give me the medical certificate! A few phone calls later, I found a medical centre with English-speaking staff where I could get the medical certificate for € 23. I saved € 17! For the address of this medical centre, see below.

The last information I would like to give you is that unfortunately most English-speaking doctors in Paris are private. They're special (not many French people speak English well, let alone speak English fluently), so I understand that they want to get paid extra for their language skills. For students or other people with a limited budget, this is a pity. The lists of English-speaking doctors that the American and Canadian embassies provide are therefore not very helpful. Most of them are private doctors. 

Practical information
Address

Centre Médical et Dentaire Opéra

31 Rue de Caumartin, 75009 Paris

Phone number: +33 1 44 51 68 28. When you call the office you can choose between information in French or English and the man who answered the phone was able to speak both languages.

Arrondissement
9^th
Price

€ 23 for a consult. 

Website

http://www.cmopera.fr/
Metro
The nearest metro station is Havre-Caumartin or Opéra (red circle below).

 

Non-French speakers: getting internet and television in your apartment

UPDATE! It's possible to get a contract with only internet, but in that case the fastest internet you'll have is 8 MB. For most people that's slow. Click here for more information.

Having internet in my Parisian studio was crucial for me, so it was an unhappy surprise when it turned out there was no internet, especially since the landlady had said there was internet. She truly thought there was internet. The previous tenant had never mentioned to her that she couldn't connect.

My next mission was to get an internet connection as fast as possible. I found out that the Orange store at Champs-Elysées has English-speaking employees. Even the technician that was sent to my studio to install internet spoke English. The only thing I didn't like about Orange was that I couldn't get a contract for only internet. I had to get a contract that included internet, television and a fixed phone line. And I don't even have a television in my room, let alone a fixed phone! In the Netherlands you can easily get a contract for only internet. Well, France is not the Netherlands...

Until now I have not found a French telecommunications company where you can get only internet. Because of that, I advice expats and international students to go to Orange. At least you'll be able to explain your problems and wishes in English. Within one or two weeks you'll have the internet connection of your dreams and 200 television channels to choose from. You won't have to miss E!'s Keeping Up With The Kardashians! or National Geographic's The Incredible Dr. Pol (He's Dutch, like me. Did you know?), just because you live in France now. Furthermore you can end the contract whenever you want.

Good luck!  

Practical information
Address

125 Avenue des Champs Élysées, 75008 Paris

Arrondissement
8^th
Price

€ 40 per month for the fastest internet connection that's currently available, 200 television channels and a fixed phone line. There are also cheaper options.

Website

http://lafibre.orange.fr/ 
Metro
The nearest metro station is George V (red circle below).

   

Fun Fact 5

According to French law, no building in Paris can be higher than six floors. The reason for this is that the French believe that everyone has the right to enjoy sunshine.

The most delicious crêpe in Paris

As a native of the Netherlands, the country where you can find the biggest pancakes you will ever see in your life, and as a girl who loves chocolate, I had to try the kind of pancake that the French like to eat the most. A crêpe is thinner than Dutch pancakes and the French like to put Nutella chocolate spread on it. (The Dutch prefer either cheese and ham or traditional syrup or apple, raisins and cinnamon under a cover of white powder sugar.)

I must say I’m a fan of the crêpe! The best crêpe I ate was so hot that the Nutella melted instantly. I had to take small bites in order to avoid burning my tongue. After this amazing first experience, I thought that any small crêperie on the street that sells a crêpe with Nutella for € 3.50 would satisfy my love for thin pancakes with melting hot Nutella. I’m sorry to inform you that this is not the case. You would think that it’s not too hard to put some pancake mix in a pan that is specially designed for making cêpes, to wait until the crêpe is ready and to serve it to the customer. Well, for some street-selling crêperies this was too hard. Twice I got a pancake that was taken out of the pan too early, so the dough was a bit raw.

Therefore I advice you to go the street-selling crêperie that you can find on the right of the Moulin Rouge. If you stand in front of the Moulin Rouge, go to the right and the crêperie in the first street on your left (Rue Lepic, at the corner of the street, close to metro station Blanche) is where you should buy a crêpe.  

Practical information
Address
At the corner of Rue Lepic, on the right of the Moulin Rouge, 75018 Paris

Arrondissement

18th

Price

€3.50 for one pancake with Nutella chocolate spread.
Metro
The nearest metro station is Blanche (red circle below).    

Cheap, but good restaurants in Paris

One of the things I love about living in Paris is the endless choice of good restaurants. Often you can dine out for a reasonable price. It takes time and effort to find an affordable restaurant that serves delicious food, but reading this blog item will save you time, so go and invite your friends for dinner!

If you want to eat traditional French food, take the metro to Saint Michel and walk in less than a minute to Rue de la Harpe. This street is a short walk from the famous Notre Dame and in the middle of the Quartier Latin, known for its student life. Here you will find restaurants that serve authentic French food for a price that at first will make you think that there is a fly in the ointment. Several restaurants offer a three-course meal for only € 10. Drinks are not included in the price. Here are examples of three-course meals that cost € 10:

French grated onion soup, duck with orange sauce and potatoes, chocolate mousse.

Salad of tomatoes and mozzarella, grilled chicken with fresh French fries, apple pie.

French mussels, fish with French butter sauce, vanilla ice cream with hot chocolate sauce.

 

Most restaurants around Rue de la Harpe offer three-course meals for € 12 and € 16 as well. If you pay a little bit more you'll have more choice or you can choose more expensive dishes, like rabbit.

 

If you don’t like traditional French food, try one of the following cuisines that can be found in the same neighborhood: Spanish, Italian, Georgian (read my blog item on this restaurant), Chinese, Thai, Lebanese etc.

 

Bon appétit!  

 

Practical information
Address
Rue de la Harpe, 75005 Paris

Arrondissement

5th

Price

€10 for a three-course meal. Drinks are not included in the price.
Metro
The nearest metro station is Saint Michel (red circle below).