Hi fellow Locosters,
As I know many of the members on here regularly travel to the continent, I thought I would ask for some advice on eating out in France.

We are travelling for a family holiday, 2 adults and our teenage son.
To try and negate operation Stack, we are travelling down from Durham on Friday and stopping overnight with some relatives close to Ashford.
We cross on Saturday, to Dunkirk, and head for an overnight stay in a very nice looking French version of a "Premier Inn", close to Arras.
On Sunday we head to Paris, where we have rented a city centre apartment for 3 nights. Finally we head back north to Lille, where we have rented another apartment for 3 more nights.
We then head home next Saturday, hopefully with only the 3 of us still in the car.

We are all looking forward to sampling as much French cuisine as we can manage, but we have been warned about the prices.
We would much rather eat in nice fresh food / café type places, rather than fast food outlets.
Any advice on enjoying as much of the local food and delicacies, in a "locost" as possible fashion would be gratefully appreciated.

We are planning to do the museums and galleries in Paris, and the battle fields and War Graves from Lille. But any pointers to motor related attractions we could have a glimpse at would also be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Jon
<< hopefully we will need some of these >>

Avoid the flashy looking places, go for the back street boozers. You don't get a great deal of choice but the 'Plat du jour' and 'Menu du jour' are usually surprisingly good and really cheap. Last time in Limoges we paid 30 euros (just over £20) for 2 x 4 course 'Menu du jours' (including the biggest fromage course you're likely to see!!), 2 pints and a huge carafe of vin rouge!!

For lunch go into the big hypermarket elephant type places, get a good one and it will have a really nice buffet eating area, €5 a head.

For tea in the villages go where the locals are sitting outside, be warned garlic and still kicking may crop up along with offal.

It's also not unknown for the English written menu to be more expensive.

[Edited on 6/8/15 by mark chandler]

Watch what the locals do and learn from them. There is sometimes the tendency to over charge tourist too. If you like your meat only just dead then your ok. I like mine well done and have been told in a restaurant in Paris that is impossible. There is a McDonalds in in the Champs elysees, so you needn't starve! If you go into the military museum DO NOT mention Waterloo or Wellington, they still got the hump over that one. In Notre Dam there was a coloured chap who reckons he's Quasimodo, personally I had my doubts. There is tons to see and it is great, but a driving trip there is not for me. I used to fly to beauvais and bus it to Paris and stay in the cheapest backstreet hotels and it was great. The rooms were a bit 'Allo Allo' and I had view across the roof tops of Paris. Felt like WW2 sort of atmosphere. Travelling around Paris is easy and the Metro is cheap very good. I'm so envious

Be adventurous and visit a bakery or Boulanger, get some fresh croissants or paint-au-chocolat or ...
Combined with a jar of jam from the supermarché ...
Very locost ^^ and if your French is up to it easily the best breakfast/lunch.
For dinner, you could go cheap and safe visit a 'poivre rouge' ... the French equivalent of Taybarns ^^
But I would recommend a cosy anonymous little local restaurant...
Most pubs will not serve food unlike in the UK, a 'Brasserie' will.

Some great advice so far.

Boulangerie, for bread and croissant, get there early ish for lovely fresh produce. You can also make a great cheap packed lunch of ham or cheese croissant think sandwich and pastries. If you have not had one befor I recommend trying almond croissants for breakfast.

The plate of the day 'Plat du jour' and menu of the day 'Menu du jour' are usually good well priced options. Best prices will be found in placed a little distance from tourist spots, look for a good contingent of locals sat down taking there time.

very cleshayed but meals are events and not to be rushed.

Worth remembering the main meal in France is at lunch time, French lunch time is normally 12 till 2 when a plat du jour is nomally cheapest. Mum and dad restaurants in the sticks are probably where you'll get the best true French grub at the best price with normally 1/4 litre of wine per person included, but you'll get what your given on a plat du jour.
All else fails look out for Flunch's normally near hypermarkets you pay for the meat or fish (normally a fiver or so) and help yourself to the veggies included in the price.
Cheers,
Bob

As before, a few roads away from the main tourist areas you get better prices and often better food (just like London really).

If you're renting then definitely pop into the bakeries first thing in the morning for some fresh baguette etc.

Try experimenting in the restaurants too. I had a regional offal dish recently that I found horrendous but you only live once so don't let the risks put you off! Don't take steak all the time, try things you've never heard of and you'll be rewarded, general standards of food are very good.

Thanks Guys,
I just knew this would be the place to ask for some honest advice. I will be taking all of the above on board.

Plus, a good mate who travels to the continent every week has insisted we try "escargot" !
I am well up for that, but not sure about JR, unless they can be had in bread-comes (?).

Thanks again
Jon

John


https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relais_Routiers&prev=search



In a nutshell, the French truck divers network of restaurants where they can park & eat at good value attracts the "Les Routiers" sign.

http://www.relais-routiers.com/Relais_Routiers_index.asp


Remember the French dont do greasy spoons, so from my mate who lived & worked all over France (He used to drive a google camera car), they used Les Routiers as it was excellent value, and they are everywhere.


Search the map, theres thousands of them


http://www.relais-routiers.com/Relais_Routiers_index.asp



Enjoy your trip

Would agree with everything said so far, I would just add that people frequently complain about the French being "bolshy" towards the Brits & waiters being surly & ignoring them - would have to say we've never experienced this with dozens of trips to France, but it does seem to make a big difference if you at least make some attempt to speak the language, even if it's "deux bierres si'l vous plait" rather than "two beers please".

We've had some fantastic treatment in off the beaten track places where they treat you like visiting royalty! Hope you have a great trip!

I have always found eating out in France a rather dubious affair. Their idea of a well done steak is about medium rare over here. However their supermarkets are fantastic and its only in the last few years that british supermarkets have somewhere caught up. Some of my fondest memories are of having slap-up meals cooked on large bbqs in French campsites.

Seemingly no matter how small the town/village there will be a local butchers, a local bakery and a local cakeshop. Patisserie I think the cake shops are called. Do Not miss these, they are normally sublime.

quote:

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Originally posted by Irony
I have always found eating out in France a rather dubious affair. Their idea of a well done steak is about medium rare over here. However their supermarkets are fantastic and its only in the last few years that british supermarkets have somewhere caught up. Some of my fondest memories are of having slap-up meals cooked on large bbqs in French campsites.

Seemingly no matter how small the town/village there will be a local butchers, a local bakery and a local cakeshop. Patisserie I think the cake shops are called. Do Not miss these, they are normally sublime.

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