Real Paris, Cheap – How Broke Parisians Eat and Drink Well

Frequenting Parisian hotspots can be tricky in today’s economic climate. After paying for the plane and the hotel, baguettes and water may be all that travelers can afford. Parisian students, recent grads and job seekers know the tricks to having fun in their city on a tight budget. Forget overpriced clubs and restaurants on the Champs d’Elysee, most residents prefer to eat and drink in their favorite quartier of Paris.

How do broke Parisians enjoy their city? First they eat inexpensive filling food, like crepes oozing with gruyere cheese, ham slices and egg for 3 Euros. Then they spend the afternoon lounging over a 2.50 Euro café or a 3 Euro French beer in a chic modern industrial bar. They might try one of many restaurants featuring “menus,” meaning appetizer, entrée and dessert, for under 15 Euros. The following are some of their favorite haunts.

Rue Oberkampf – Urban Paris Art Scene on a Dime

Stretching from the metro stations Parmentier to Menilmontant, rue Oberkampf is lined with chic cafes where Parisian bobos, ultra-hip French urbanites, sip Ti-punch and listen to electronic world music. Aspiring poets and musicians rub elbows with Parisian artistic elite, while pretending not to notice. Local acts play on Friday and Saturday nights with cover charges that are less than 10 Euros.

Thrifty Frenchmen fill up on inexpensive ham and cheese or chicken salad sandwiches available on every corner of rue Oberkampf, and then settle into an outdoor café’s terrace. Sipping late afternoon drinks called aperitifs, patrons stay well into the evening. Although very tempting, they steer clear of cocktails which cost around 10 Euros, preferring beer on tap, called a “pression,” which costs around 3 Euros.

Place de la Bastille – Cheap & Gritty Paris Nightlife

Spiraling out from the Northwest corner of Place de la Bastille, rue de la Roquette is a gritty delight. Short on food, this street is long on bars open long after the last metro. Budget minded Parisians browse second hand stores and alternative bookstores, before indulging in cheap Chinese food such as entrée and drink for 6 Euros.

Forking off to the right is rue de Lappe. This cobblestoned pedestrian only street is filled with raucous bars open weeknights as well as weekends. After dark, frugal English expats drink half pints of Guinness served by authentic Irish lassies. French flock to this neighborhood after work as well for discounted drinks during Happy Hour. They sip Cuban rum in Havana style or to two step in the French interpretation of an American bar.

Rue Mouffetard – Inexpensive and Romantic Paris on Sundays

Nestled behind the Pantheon, Rue Mouffetard is one of the rare districts in Paris open on Sunday afternoons, when most French are having lunch with their families and friends. Take the metro to Place Monge and experience one of Paris’ famous outdoor markets, or stroll down the winding cobblestone street feasting on inexpensive vendors’ falafel, gelato or kebab sandwiches.

Try authentic French dining at any one of Rue Mouffetard’s cheap, French restaurants serving fondues and steak frites. Other ethnicities such as Greek, Russian and Italian are also represented. None have five star ratings, but patrons don’t leave hungry, thirsty or broke. Eiffel tower key chains are available, since tourist flock to this well known neighborhood, but the quality, diversity and price of the restaurants attract foreigners and natives alike.