TOP 5 BUDGET FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS IN PARIS! (with pricing and dish recommendations)

Hi you guys, it's Ariel. Welcome back to my YouTube channel. I hope you guys are all doing well. In today's video, you're in luck because I'm gonna be taking you around Paris with me to show you five different restaurants that you simply cannot miss on your next trip to Paris. Of course, we're gonna go through the price range. I'm gonna take you inside the restaurants and I'm also gonna give you some recommendations for what dishes you can order. Starting with our first stop, which is a little restaurant called Comme Un Bouillon in the second arrondissement. Eating at a bouillon is gonna be one of the best ways to enjoy French cuisine because you're gonna get hot, delicious, homemade, traditional French dishes without all the bells and whistles, which makes it so affordable. Eating at a bouillon is definitely gonna be the cheapest French eats that you can find in Paris. And I've definitely already mentioned a couple that I really love, like the Bouillon Pigalle and the Bouillon Chartier. But today I'm gonna be taking you to a bouillon that's kind of a secret. All right, so for our entree, we ordered carottes râpées avec une vinaigrette, a quart de camembert pané with a carafe of sauvignon blanc and of course, du pain. And if you just want free tap water, don't forget a carafe d'eau. Our mains look absolutely delicious. Jean got the bouillon, which is a boeuf tartare and tomme, that's the cheese you see on top, with frites and salade. And I ordered a basic steak frites with a blue cheese sauce. Bon appétit! And for dessert, we are splitting a crumble au pomme with a little spoon of yogurt. It's hot. I think it's good. I'm sure it's good. I have to say that was a delicious meal. I think that's my favorite bouillon in all of Paris, but I thought I would go over the receipt with you guys to give you the exact pricing. So the carottes were 2.90, the camembert was 4.90, both of our mains were 11.90, our dessert was 3.90 and the four glasses of wine that we shared was 11.10. For a grand total of 46 euros and 60 cents for dinner for two. And also as a reminder in France, it's definitely not the norm to leave a tip. If you have really great service, you can leave a euro or two on the table, but it's definitely not something that you add on to the bill at the end. And normally when you receive the payment terminal from the server, you'll just have your total. You won't even have the option to add a tip. Yeah, for two people in the center of Paris, 46.60 isn't a bad deal. Today we're having lunch at a restaurant bistronomique in the 11th arrondissement. And just as a reminder, a restaurant bistronomique is the fusion of gastronomique with French bistro. It's by far my favorite type of French restaurant and definitely something you don't want to miss on your trip to Paris. The restaurant itself is called Blanca and serves an Argentinian inspired cuisine with a French Basque influence. It's family run by two siblings and is named after their grandmother, Blanca Villanueva. The reason we're going here for lunch is because from Monday to Saturday, they have an awesome lunch special where you have an entree and the main for 19.50, which is a deal that I simply cannot resist. Before we lunch though, I thought I would share how I would decide if a restaurant gets to be on my top five or not. Of course it has to be delicious, but it also has to be an exceptional experience for me overall. One where I find myself going back time and time again because it's so good. And it eventually becomes something that I want to recommend to you because I really hope that with my advice and experiences, I can help you have a better time in France. And I feel the exact same way about the online language school, Lingoda, which I've been using since the start of this summer. As some of you might know, after a chaotic trip to Italy with my sister last year, I made my resolution to learn Italian before my next trip to Italy next year. And so this summer I decided to get to work by doing the sprint with Lingoda. This is me on my first day. Ciao, mi chiamo Ariel. And I know zero Italian. This is my first class. And this is me just a few weeks after having started with Lingoda. Mi chiamo Ariel. Sono canadiese. Come stai? Bene, grazie. Molto bene. Ariel, tu da dove vieni? Dove sei? Vivo in Parigi. Vivo e lavoro in Parigi. Come va? Sono stanca. Perché stanca? L'ora è otto di mattina. Now, the reason why Lingoda has worked so well for me is that number one, you can learn anywhere and everywhere. This summer, I was able to learn in Paris, in Canada, in Bordeaux, and even in a forest. Yes, Jean and I are glamping. And yes, I'm still doing Italian lessons from the middle of a forest. The sprint stops for nothing. Lingoda also does all the groundwork for you so you can focus entirely on learning. You don't have to build your own curriculum or figure out what to learn and when. The teachers are passionate about language learning and they make the class so fun. And I also find that the extra learning materials like lesson plans and flashcards that Lingoda provides is really helpful because you can practice on your own time outside of class. You also have three plans to pick from. Lingoda Flex, Teams, and Sprint all offer different levels of structured learning. I really can't recommend Lingoda enough. I really found that Lingoda is the only method that's made me see progress, that gives me confidence, and that keeps me consistent. So if you wanna learn with me, remember to click the link in the description below to start your own language learning journey. And you can use my code ARIEL25 to save 20 euros and claim up to 20 free private classes when you sign up. If, like me, learning a new language is on your to-do list this year, don't put it off any longer and learn a new language with Lingoda. ♪♪♪ All right, so for entrees, we have the croquettes de jambon. This was off of the lunch menu, but it looks so good. Jean got the escabeche de langue. And I got the crème de légumes with fromage de feta and huile d'herbe. I am drooling over these mains. Jean got a mijotée de bœuf au vin rouge. And I got la dorade à la plancha avec des légumes de saison. And, oh my gosh, the bread is so good. This one is like a warm cornbread. So yummy. Bon appétit. And for desserts, we have a glace banane fait maison. All right, time for our receipt debrief. The sparkling water that we had, which we filled like four or five times, was 3 euros. Our entree and main for both of us was 19.50 each. We also ordered those croquettes on top of our entrees, which was 12 euros. And both of our desserts were 6 euros each for a grand total of 66 euros on the dot. And honestly, for the quality of food, the amazing service, and the very chic atmosphere that was well worth it, I cannot recommend Blanca enough. It really is one of the best restaurants, I think, that you'll try in Paris. And I really hope that this video has inspired you to try a restaurant bistronomique if you haven't already. I do think it's the most accessible way to enjoy the really elevated level of cuisine that you can find in France. We'll see you next for brunch. Good morning. Today we're brunching at a little place called Montant Patisserie that I discovered three years ago when I was walking through the Marais. I was on my way to the Marché des Enfants Rouges and I was really not looking for a treat, but when I walked by their window, I saw the most beautiful pastries of my whole life. It was quite a long time ago, but the image of these vivid, fresh, seasonal citruses on these delicate pastries is just so vivid in my mind even today. And so I walked in and I was immediately enchanted by the flowers and the colors and the fruits and the porcelain. And I remember thinking to myself, how is there not a lineup out the door and around the corner? Now I will take you into the actual Montant bakery later this afternoon, but right now we're on our way to their tea room called the Secret Garden for their Sunday brunch. And if brunch isn't your thing, not to worry. They do serve lunch in the afternoons as well as tea time throughout the day. So you really can pop in at any moment to enjoy one of their treats and a hot drink. All right. So they do have a preset brunch menu for 45 euros, which is what we're having. And we've already been served our freshly pressed orange juice with a heart of butter, homemade apricot jam and pastries. We have a pain au chocolat and a croissant. Jean is already into the apricot jam and we both ordered hot chocolates. Next, we have a feuillete de fromage and I ordered a baby bun à la ventrache de thon and Jean ordered a baby bun au chorizo. Our mains have arrived. They look so colorful. Jean got the brouillade d'oeufs avec jambon au truffe. And I got the avocado bun au saumon fumé and I think there's a poached egg on the inside as well. And finally, dessert. I have a glace fait maison à la pistache with strawberries and Jean has a tarte au chocolat. Bon appétit! Hi! All right, so the bill check for this one is gonna be pretty simple. It was a set menu for 45 euros each and overall, it was honestly really nice. I think the terrace itself is very quiet. It's peaceful. It's green. There's lots of flowers. And so that was great, but also the food was really gourmet. I think that there's this perception when you go and have brunch at a place that's very Instagram-friendly and aesthetic, the food isn't gonna match the quality of the pictures, but in this case, it really was really delicious. Honestly, a great morning. And the bakery as well was very cute. You had their sablés. You had all the tarts. We didn't pick anything up because honestly, I'm so full from brunch. It was so much food, but we will be back. So yeah, we'll see you guys next for dinner. The number one complaint that I literally get all the time from people who visit France is that after a couple of really great meals out, they are so sick of meats and carbs and they're just craving some vegetables. So keep this next restaurant in mind when you're craving those veggies. La Cantine de Sème is a cozy vegetarian restaurant located in the 9th, just below Montmartre. They serve really delicious and hearty bowls, sandwiches, and hot meals. You wanna watch out though. It's a very small restaurant, so it's important that you book in advance. First up, we have our entree. We ordered a bourrecque to share. All right, so we have our mains, which looks so beautiful. I cannot wait to dig in. Jean has a gratinée de bergine, and I have a quinoa bowl, and we have some pitas to share. We also ordered some teas. Jean has a mint tea, and I have a tea with Lebanese flowers. And finally, dessert. I got a chocolate cake with apricots and pistachio. You can see the green on the other side. And Jean, very basic, got a fondant au chocolat. Bon appétit. Okay, before we get to the bill check, I just wanna say that the food tasted even better than it looked. It was honestly delicious. It was warm. It was filling. I walked into that restaurant feeling exhausted, and now I'm like all energized. So it probably didn't be good to eat so many veggies. The total bill was 60 euros. It was 15 euros for each dish, both desserts, both teas. It was all five euros each, and our entree was 10. 10 out of 10, I recommend. I guess you could say that I've saved the best for last because today we're gonna be lunching at a Michelin starred restaurant. And don't get me wrong, I've said it many times that a restaurant bistronomique is by far my favorite type of French restaurant, just because I think it's the best value for your money. But there is no denying that enjoying a meal at a restaurant gastronomique or a starred restaurant is gonna be a very special moment that I think everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime. When you do enjoy a meal at a restaurant gastronomique or a restaurant étoilé, it's gonna be a very elegant, refined, procedural culinary experience. And it really is just something that is very unique. Even to this day, I can remember my very first time going to a restaurant gastronomique. It was five years ago. And I still feel that first excitement and awe when the waiter was bringing out our amuse-bouche and the apéritif. The problem is, is that especially in Paris, there are a lot of scams. Restaurants that are gonna charge an arm and a leg for a very subpar experience that are especially targeted towards tourists in Paris. It's very true as well that once a restaurant does receive a star, they're gonna triple their prices and it becomes increasingly difficult to find one of their set menus under a couple hundred euros. The restaurant that I'm taking you today, L'Ours, is not one of those scams. And it is definitely worth it if you're willing to take the metro to Vincennes. So I think it comes as no surprise that our lunch at the Michelin-starred restaurant was the most expensive meal we've had so far. And so I wanna talk about the price, I wanna talk about the experience and why I think it's worth it for a special occasion. The total bill was about 200 euros, so we had our three-course set menus each that were 70 euros. Our glasses of wine were 18 euros each and our carafe d'eau was 10 euros. I also had a coffee at the end, which was five euros. And Jean and I picked the three-course set menu, but you also had a menu that had five courses and seven courses as well. The higher you go in courses, the longer your meal is. I remember one time we did, I think a six-course set menu and it took about four hours. So for us, three courses for lunch was perfect. But what I wanna mention is no matter how many courses you select, you'll always have the amuse-bouche that comes before your first course and the mignardise that come after your final course. So no matter what menu you pick, you will have that. And what I think makes a restaurant gastronomique or a restaurant étoilé so different and so special is the extra care that goes into not just the food and the preparation, but just the experience overall. And I'll give you guys a couple examples. Number one, when we were seated, the hostess pulled out our chair, allowed us to sit, and then helped us into the spot, into our table. When I asked where the washroom was, I had our server actually take me to the washroom and open the door for me. So very attentive. When we ordered our wine, we didn't have it served by the waiter like you would normally in a regular restaurant. We had the sommelier actually come over to our table, explain all of the notes of the wine, where it was from, how it was made, stuff like that. So it's these small things, it's these small things that together make you feel like you're cared for, make you feel like you're really having a very luxury experience. It's why I think that it's so great for special occasions. Jean and I went for our year and a half anniversary. So it was a bit of a special occasion and it's just a nice moment to enjoy with each other, just a nice moment enjoying excellent cuisine. And yeah, it's not something that we do often, for sure not, because it is still very pricey, but it's definitely something that I enjoy doing time to time. And I think if you're gonna fly all the way to Paris, then you might as well have your own special moment in a starred restaurant. But yeah, I think that brings us to the end of today's video. I hope you guys enjoyed coming to all these different restaurants with us. I hope I give you some new spots to try on your next trip to Paris. A huge thank you to Lingoda for sponsoring this video. I'll leave all their information linked down below. And also a huge thank you to Jean who filmed the entirety of this video with me. Thank you to you guys as well for watching today's video. I hope you have a great week and I'll see you in the next one. Bye-bye.