For Free - Paris - page 109

Where to Eat
Bistro (or bistrot ) A small neighbourhood restaurant that serves French standards (duck
confit, steak-frites ). The setting is usually casual; if you're looking for a traditional French
meal, a bistro is the place to start. Don't expect haute-cuisine service; most simply do not
have the staff to cater to a diner's every whim.
Brasserie Much like a cafe except it serves full meals, drinks and coffee from morning until
11pm or later. Typical fare includes choucroute (sauerkraut) and sausages.
Cafe Many visitors will naturally gravitate towards cafes (which become bars around 5pm)
because of the alluring ambiance and buzzy sun-kissed terraces. Meals are inexpensive, but
remember they often consist of industrially prepared food that's simply reheated, so stick to
the drinks.
Crêperie A quintessentially Parisian snack is the street crêpe made to order, slathered with
Nutella and folded up in a triangular wedge. Crêpes can be so much more than this,
however, as a trip to any authentic crêperie will reveal. Savoury crêpes, known as galettes ,
are made with buckwheat flour; dessert crêpes are made with white flour - usually you or-
der one of each accompanied by a bowl of cider.
Gastronomic Pierre Gagnaire, Alain Passard, Pascal Barbot…Paris has one of the highest
concentrations of culinary magicians in the world. Designed to amaze your every sense,
many of these restaurants are once-in-a-lifetime destinations - even for Parisians - so do
your homework and make sure you reserve well in advance.
Market Fantastic places to wander: here you'll find all the French culinary specialities in
the same place, in addition to meals and snacks cooked on site. At last count there were 82
food markets in the city. Most are open twice weekly from 8.30am to 1pm, though covered
markets keep general shop hours, reopening around 4pm.
Neobistro Generally small and relatively informal, these are run by young, talented chefs
who aren't afraid to experiment and push the envelope. The focus is on market-driven
cuisine, hence choices are often limited to one or two dishes per course.
Wine bar/cave à manger The focus is on sampling wine; the style of cuisine, while often
excellent, can be wildly different. Some places serve nothing more than plates of cheese and
charcuterie (saucisson, pâté) ; others are full-on gastronomic destinations with a talented
chef running the kitchen.