slingshot2000
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posted on 6/8/15 at 04:42 PM |
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Locost eating out / dining in France
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 >>
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Nickp
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posted on 6/8/15 at 05:12 PM |
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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!!
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mark chandler
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posted on 6/8/15 at 05:33 PM |
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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]
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benchmark51
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posted on 6/8/15 at 06:02 PM |
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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
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drt
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posted on 6/8/15 at 06:14 PM |
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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.
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ceebmoj
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posted on 6/8/15 at 06:54 PM |
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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.
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splitrivet
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posted on 6/8/15 at 06:55 PM |
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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
I used to be a Werewolf but I'm alright nowwoooooooooooooo
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ravingfool
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posted on 6/8/15 at 07:04 PM |
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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.
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slingshot2000
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posted on 6/8/15 at 09:43 PM |
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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
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T66
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posted on 7/8/15 at 04:18 AM |
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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
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russbost
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posted on 7/8/15 at 12:32 PM |
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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!
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Irony
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posted on 7/8/15 at 01:51 PM |
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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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ravingfool
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posted on 7/8/15 at 04:09 PM |
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quote: 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.
If you like your steak well done, do try and let the French educate you a little. English 'well done' is generally considered ruined but
if you really want that then it shouldn't be a problem but you might have to send it back for a bit more cooking a couple of times!
I take my steak medium rare in the UK but that equates to medium in France which is pretty normal for most French people. Tatar (raw minced meat) is a
special and not an everyday dish for them and in fact many French I know don't have a taste for it (and not do I).
Apart from Tatar their approach to steak is really not too different to us, they just use a different scale. Once you know that you shouldn't
have any problems.
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