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).

 

Restaurant ''Pirosmani''

Restaurant ''Pirosmani'' is an authentic Georgian restaurant in the fifth arrondissement with a mid-priced menu. The delicious Georgian cuisine attracts expats and students from the post-Soviet states and even French locals. 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

People who are not from the Middle East or the former Soviet Union will be happily surprised by the taste of Georgian food. It is probably different from anything they have eaten before. The flavors will delight them.

 

There are many Georgian dishes worth trying.
I advice people to try khachapuri first. This is the Georgian version of cheese pizza.
 

Vegetarians will love nigvziani badrijani, eggplant filled with a mixture of spinach and walnuts, decorated with pomegranate.
People who prefer a meat dish should order khinkali, a dumpling with spiced meat inside. When a group of Georgian friends choose this dish they like to bet who can eat khinkali without spilling the sauce.

 

Georgia is one of the oldest wine producing regions of the world. Wine connoisseurs know they should travel to Georgia to find exclusive wines that can compete with French wine. People who like red wine should go for Saperavi. People who prefer white wine will most likely enjoy Tsinandali. Keep in mind that Georgian wines often contain more alcohol than non-Georgian people are used to, so becoming tipsy is inevitable. Especially if you visit the restaurant with a Georgian friend, who will love to treat you to another glass, and one more after that one...

Practical information
Address
6 Rue Boutebrie, 75005 Paris.

Arrondissement
5th
Price
Two people who share the dishes mentioned above will spend approximately € 35.
Metro
The nearest metro station is Cluny- La Sorbonne (red circle below).