La Fontaine de Mars
129, rue St Dominique
75007 – Paris
TEL 0147054644
Open 7 Days a Week
Web: www.fontainedemars.com
Founded in 1908, and hands down my favorite restaurant in Paris, La Fontaine de Mars offers a traditional French menu with a fresh and relaxed twist. Superb service, not “fancy” but the food and service are so good you feel sure it is an occasion when you eat there. Dishes can include Blanquette de Veau, Sole Meuniere, Cassoulet, not “lite” offerings, but beautifully prepared and a terrific wine list. There is seating downstairs and upstairs – I prefer downstairs within view of the kitchen, where you can watch the busy staff at work.

**

Le Timbre
3 rue Sainte-Beuve
75006 Paris
TEL 0145491040
Closed Sundays & Mondays
www.restaurantletimbre.com
Just off Blvd Montparnasse and not far from the Luxembourg Gardens is this very small postage stamp of a restaurant serving traditional French dishes but with a modern twist. Tiny, so do make reservations and know that it is run by the chef and one waitress -- but everything seems to arrive on time and run like clockwork.

**

Le Martel
3 rue Martel
75010 Paris
TEL: 01-47-70-67-56
Metro: Chateau d'Eau
Closed Sundays
Loved this half French / half Morrocan restaurant, in a wonderfully diverse neighborhood. Fodor's says "Of the scads of neighborhood couscous joints in Paris, a few have become fashionable thanks to their host's magnetic personality and their stylish setting– and this converted bistro ranks among the more recent of that set. It's crowded, but the clientele of fashion designers, photographers, models, and media folk is as cool as it gets in this up-and-coming quartier. Everyone digs in to a mix of French standbys (such as artichokes with vinaigrette) and more exotic fare like lamb tagine with almonds, prunes, and dried apricots."

**

Restaurant Casa-Bini
36, rue Grégoire de Tour
75006 Paris
TEL: 01 46 34 05 60
Near Metro Odeon, on a tiny side street, they are closed Sundays, but otherwise open for lunch and dinner. An informal but pretty setting, Italian food -- primarily pasta, salads, a terrific anti-pasti plate, and many varieties of carpaccio. This is a regular spot for us, and we love the straight forward, fresh, clean food. No heavy sauces.

**

La Rotisserie du Beaujolais
19, quai de la Tournelle
75005 - closed Mondays
Tel: 01 43 54 17 47
Busy rotisserie next to the Tour d'Argent (actually, they are owned by the Tour d'Argent). You can't beat their roast chicken and some of the best French fries in Paris. Also, worth trying are the eggs poached in wine and served with a wine sauce. Almost always filled up, so be sure to reserve. Great for a Sunday afternoon lunch.

**

YEN
22, rue St. Benoit
75006, Paris
TEL: 01-45-44-11-18
Another alternative to usual French restaurants during your stay, this newer restaurant run entirely by a Japanese staff is something of a find. In a simple and modern setting, we started our meal with a raw tuna and avocado salad, as well as with an unusual delicious eggplant & miso dish (the eggplant is quickly deep fried in olive oil and then eaten with a spoon, something like eggplant custard). We then had a stewed pork and grapefruit main dish (again, delicious), as well as a broiled salmon which was reliable. The restaurant first started as an elegant noodle shop, so we finished the main dishes by having cold and hot soba noodles with the lightest tempura on the side (perfect). The dessert list is impressive – a variety of cakes and the mandatory green tea ice cream.

**

Le Restaurant du Palais Royal
110 Galerie de Valois
(inside the main garden courtyard of the Palais Royal)
75001, Paris
Tel: 01-40 20 00 27
Located in the historic and beautiful Palais Royal garden courtyard, this elegant but reasonably priced indoor/outdoor (as weather allows) restaurant is frequented mostly by people from the neighborhood. One of the most beautiful settings in Paris. Be sure to make a reservation, and in the late spring and summer, request a table outside. You can't beat the setting. They are a little more pricey than my other recommendations.

**

Le Palanquin
12, rue Princesse
75006, Paris (closed Sundays)
Tel: 01-43-29-77-66
If you're tired of meat dishes, this Vietnamese restaurant serves very good and reasonably priced vegetarian dishes. They have meat dishes also. We loved the soupe Hanoienne -- and have eaten here dozens of times over the years. It's a great favorite of our friend Odile Hellier who owns the bookshop a few doors down the street.

**

Macéo
15, rue des Petits-Champs
75001, Paris
Tel: 01-42-97-53-85
Located just north of the Palais Royal, this restaurant is just a few doors away from their other restaurant, Willi's Wine Bar. Macéo's is the only exception on this list regarding price and formality. This is perhaps my favorite place to go, at least once each visit. They are medium-to-expensively priced and they have a fantastic wine list. Their knowledgeable wine steward will help you order, if you like. One other convenient and interesting touch: they serve a full, delicious vegetarian menu every night in addition to their meat dishes. So, everyone's happy. They treat their vegetarian menu very seriously and you will be able to order things you never thought to find on a vegetarian menu. The atmosphere is relaxed but it is more formal, so it's a great place to go when dressed up. A special night out. Reservation a must.