My 11yr old daughter and I will be in Paris Sept 06.Can anyone suggest a few restaurants in the 7th district where I will not be greeted with a look of horror when I request a bowl of steamed vegies -no butter,or pasta with NOTHING ,for my daughter.I on the other hand will and do eat everything and anything and so would like to keep my options open.Obviously I do not want the exercise to send me broke.Would appreciate all suggestions.
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This is sort of off-topic, but since you are not going to Paris for 10 months, have you considered booking a hotel with a kitchenette? That way you can buy food from the wonderful and plentiful markets and cook for your daughter. Then you can go to restaurants and perhaps order her DESSERT while you have dinner. This will also save $$ and I think it would be fun to take your daughter to the various markets and let her pick out her own food.
This may make things much easier for you, as I have found that some restaurants can be a bit %26quot;cranky%26quot; about special requests.
Just a thought. If you are interested in a place with a kitchenette, post a thread here and ask. There are many of them!
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The 7th arr. is particularly rich with wonderful small French bistrots. I don%26#39;t know how old your daughter is, but you may want to get her a French cookbook with photos and prepare her a little to what to expect. She may like things you%26#39;ve never thought about before. I%26#39;ve read quite some comments here saying how much kids love hot goat cheese, omelettes, not to forget the crêpes, either salted or sweet.
While steamed veggies (with just a little olive oil) are possible to get for a starter (it%26#39;s even very hip, but be prepared that the veggies are slightly undercooked for your taste), you will find it almost impossible to get just a plate of pasta other than if you go to an Italian restaurant. Pasta isn%26#39;t that easy to get in a French restaurant. We are a lot more into potatoes prepared wonderfully and in lots of different recipes. Pasta may come as a side dish with some stewed meat dishes, but not very often.
Lots of places do have children%26#39;s menus that are very affordable, this is especially true for chains such as Le Clément.
In case you%26#39;ll be staying in a hotel, your concierge may have some good suggestions. If you are staying at an appartment, you will discover the wonderful market and shops in the Rue Cler area. Take your daughter there and let her pick her favourites.
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i like 7eme sud a nice little restaurant, cheap, but like coco said to have just pasta with nothing...but they do nice things, salads, plates, pasta etc original ones. you have also l%26#39;esplanade but it%26#39;s not my favourite, more %26#39;trendy%26#39; but less charm. off topic but if you like vodka, go to le toumieux rue de la comete they have dozens of flavours of vodka shots like strawberry, white chocolate, mint, coffee etc etc. it%26#39;s near rue de grenelle where le 7eme sud is.
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Oh, just re-read your post, dancermissa, and see your daughter is 11 years old. So, really, I%26#39;d get her some information about French food. Maybe, she%26#39;s more adventurous than you think...
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Bistro B on Av. Bosquet
La Terrasse, also on Av. Bosquet
I had some great veggies at Altitude 95 AND the most tender baked chicken I have eever eaten.
Cafe du Marche on (near) Rue Cler- I feel they cater to American tastes.
Le Diplomat on Rue Cler.
Don%26#39;t worry--- I am the pickiest eater in the world and I have never starved in France.
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We just returned last night late and stayed in the 7th. Loved this area.
We had two teens and they were fairly selective but we managed to get them to try some things from the Rue Cler open market area such as foie gras.
I do suggest having an apartment with young people...that way you can shop at the markets (which she will love) and buy a roasted chicken, some fresh vegies, even some pasta, some cheese and bread and enjoy a few evenings in after a long day of site seeing.
You can also go to a neat market called Picard...its amazing...frozen foods galore...and all so wonderful. I am not a frozen food person at all, but they had little yummy appetizers, soups, etc. that you can easily make at the apartment.
Then, there are french fries....yum, yum, yum. If you daughter likes them, she will not be dissappointed in Paris or in our neighborhood.
A great brasserie that has a non smoking section (important to me as it can get overwhelming after a while) is Le Bosquet...its so great....you can sit and watch everyone go by and they speak great english and have simple dishes like chicken and vegetables, and ofcourse great fries.
Then there is this great little place called Baguettes de Tradition on Rue. St. Dominque. We had ham and cheese sandwiches with mayo on a fresh baguette everyday for only about 4 euros....and they have bottle Orangina which was a big hit with our teens.
Cafe du Marche is also a good place to have a simple meal at the end of the Rue cler marketplace. They even have club sandwiches and my daughter had a simple pasta there with fresh vegetables mid afternoon one day.
Another place you must go with her is Angelina%26#39;s...its near the Louvre (not in our neighborhood), but assumming you will go to the Louvre and also take a long walk in the Tuleries Garden. Its right across the street on Rue de Rivoli. Its an old tea room that was established in 1903...gorgeous. They make the absolute best hot chocolate in the world...its so wonderful....and the pastries are beautiful...they also have a great salad and other light lunch offerings. We had been told the service was pretentious, but it wasn%26#39;t at all and its a fun thing to do with your daughter.
On most menus, I do remember vegetarian dishes and some pastas that I am sure you could order plain.
You will have no worries about having an opportunity to try new foods...be aware though that the sausage is quite strong...its made of pig intestines and has a distinct smell and taste that was not to our liking at all.
The cheeses are fabulous...the best ever.....go to oliviers %26amp; Co. and get the citus olive oil...its the most flavorful I have ever tried...its a lovely shop on Rue Cler and if you do have an apartment you can by pasta there for your daughter.
Do you have a list of restaurants in the neighborhood you are interested in? I did try a lot of them...so if you want to post again with your list I can certainly tell you what they are like.
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Thanks all.Travelwritter any suggestions would be great .i do not actually have a list of restaurants.Because I was travelling with my daughter I need them to be child friendly.Love to hear from you
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I used to have two picky eaters. When we came to Paris I used the foreign aspect of the country to explain to my kids that here they just don%26#39;t respect picky eaters and special requests are not an option (OK, I lied). They had to find something that they would eat on each menu (most places have roast chicken or steak) and that was that.
I can tell you that after a day or two the survival instinct kicks in and they begin to eat. Yes, it is a pain having grumpy kids the first day or so, but they are grumpy from the jetlag anyway and afterwards you discover that you have a kid who is willing to try some new foods. My daughters tried sea snails (ok), snails (yuck) and discovered a love for ccooked spinach. The best part is this souvenir is free and you%26#39;ll have it forever.
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