Paris is not a cheap city for residents or tourists, but there are ways to visit and get by on a shoestring budget.
There is so much to see and do that the trick to saving money is to focus; on one visit to Paris, I ate very well but explored the city on foot rather than spending money on museums. On my next trip, I ate cheap baguettes for dinner and spent my entire remaining budget on chocolate (most delicious week of my life, those flights to Paris were one of the best purchases I’ve ever made).
If it’s your first (or only) trip to Paris it can be tempting to try and do everything, but spreading yourself thin will only lead to a tiring, frustrating experience. Stay mellow, throw away your careful itinerary and follow your heart… and your mouth.
Here are five of the best budget eats in Paris, delicious regardless of the price:
1. Breizh Café
This fantastic crêperie in the hip and swanky Marais serves hearty buckwheat crepes for lunch and dinner, as well as more delicate dessert crepes. The prices are moderate to cheap, and the crepes are miles better than anything you could buy from a street stall. The owner is from Brittany in northern France, and make sure to try the dry Brittany cider served in tiny pottery bowls.
2. Falafel in Marais
The Marais district, in walking distance of Notre Dame, is also home to Paris’s old Jewish quarter and boasts some of the best falafel available anywhere. This is one of the most touristy areas in the whole of France and the chances are you will visit here too. Make your way to the Rue de Rosiers, where a number of hole-in-the-wall falafel places vie for your attention – L’As du Fallafel is the most famous, so grab your lunch here and find a spot to sit and chow down. Make sure to ask for a napkin.
3. Markets
Food markets are everywhere in Paris, and they make for some of the best meals and people watching about. Stroll through the market, taking in the sights and smells of fresh fish, colourful fruit and vegetables, piles of warm bread and crackling rotisserie chicken. Grab a small chicken and some bread, buy a cheap bottle of wine at the supermarket and have a feast. Head out around sunset and you’ll see many Parisians sitting on bridges over the Seine, eating bread and drinking wine – bring your market meal and join them!
4. Coffee
Cafés are one of Paris’s most charming features – they are just like they look in pictures, and sitting in a café with a coffee and a book is one of life’s great pleasures. When your feet get sore from wandering museums and strolling the city, pop into the cutest café you can find and order a coffee. They only cost about two euros, and you can sit in the café as long as you like. If you’re really feeling the budgetary pinch and are more interested in the caffeine than sitting to relax, you’ll pay roughly half the price if you drink at the counter.
5. Treat Yourself
Make sure you don’t leave Paris without trying some of the famous chocolate, pastries or ice cream. Sure, they may be indulgences, but they are cheap – a few divine melt-in-the-mouth chocolates and pralines at La Maison du Chocolat will cost you pocket change, and an ice cream at Berthillon next to the Notre Dame (called the best ice cream and sorbet in the world by many) will only set you back a few euros. Try the cherry sorbet or salty caramel ice cream and your mouth will never be the same. You might also like to view this article I wrote about the best places to eat truffles in Paris.
View more recommendations on my Paris travel guide.
