Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
tourists.) In Paris, if you heed recommendations of friends or
the suggestions of a restaurant guide, disappointments will
be rare.
It is most important to decide what you want for a particular
meal. Do you want a formal meal in a restaurant or something
light and fast? Do you want a warm welcome and friendly,
casual service? Do you want to sample an innovative dish
at a particular restaurant? Do you want to be guided by a
knowledgeable waiter and sommelier to eating and drinking
à la
française
? Do you want to celebrate a great occasion and
take part in a gastronomic experience that you will always
remember? Or on a particular day, do you just want your meat
cooked to a crisp and some coffee with the main course (no
matter how barbaric it seems to your waiter)? In the case of
the latter, you should stick with restaurants that cater to many
nationalities. In any case, respect each restaurant for what it
is. A small, local bistro will not have refined, gourmet food
and a two-star restaurant may not whip up a hamburger for
your kids (although priding themselves on service, they may
well do so).
Do not be hidebound. Experiment with dishes you have
never heard of and foods not popular in your own country.
France knows what to do with food. Even in restaurants of
haute cuisine, expect to find beautifully prepared dishes made
from inexpensive meats such as tripe, brains or kidneys—all
considered delicacies by the French. After trying them, you
might see why.
Some places advertise
à volonté
, meaning that for a
particular dish, you may eat as much as you want for the
price listed.
Business Hours
Restaurants and bistros open around noon and are busiest
between 1:00 pm and 2:30 pm. They close after lunch
and reopen for dinner. Lunch is a popular meal to eat out
and restaurants are often full. When exploring an elegant
restaurant, think about first trying it at lunch, when the
portions served are smaller and less expensive than at dinner,
but of the same quality. Dinner service starts at 7:30 pm and
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