Paris Montparnasse

Le Troquet, 21 rue François Bonvin (☎01 45 66 89 00), This place is worth budgeting for; if you have to eat at sweaty kebab take-out spots for a week, or even two weeks, to afford this, just do it. The food is simply sublime, and the prices are extremely reasonable given the quality. Original recipes developed under the supervision of master chef Christian Ethebest have their origins in traditional Basque cuisine, specifically from the Béarn region. Unlike some other super-gourmet restaurants you may have indulged in, the portions here are hearty. We recommend the caviar d'aubergine or the Basque charcuterie platter, which are both to die for. For main courses, go with the joue de cochon in red-wine sauce. The desserts are beyond tasty too. Menus change every three weeks, but the aforementioned items tend to make frequent comebacks. The service here is super professional and friendly. Could be tough for handicapped, since the dining room is very small and tightly packed. Expect long waits Sevres Lecourbe, off of Boulevard Garibaldi. Dinner formule €32. Tasting plate €40.50. Wine €23-77.50 per bottle. Midi entrée, plat or plat-dessert combo €26. Tu-Sa 12:30-2pm and 7:30-11pm. Takes credit cards. Serves alcohol.
Le Dix Vins, 57 rue Falguiere (☎01 43 20 91 77), Located on a side street uphill on Bld. Pasteur from the Metro stop, Le Dix Vins serves terrific traditional French cuisine at a reasonable price. This is undoubtedly a fine dining experience. In 2010, the restaurant won a prize from the prestigious Confrerie Gastronomique de la Marmite d'Or for its cuisine. Located on a quiet street, the restaurant's front windows open up on warm days, and air wafts through the two tightly packed dining rooms. The food is divine, but the when we visited the chef told us to write down a few recommendations. For starters, try the artichoke hearts with foie de veau, then order the filets de rougets à la Normande for your first course. For dessert, the chef proposes the tartin de poires with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The menu switches up periodically, but don't hesitate to ask the gregarious waiter for more suggestions. Technically wheelchair accessible, but it could be a bit tricky space-wise. Pasteur. Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.
Tandoori, 10 rue de l'Arrivée (☎45 48 46 72), A trip to Tandoori will leave you incredibly full and mildly amused. The tablecloths and carafes are curry-stained, and the dining room has a funky, musky smell to it, which, unfortunately smells nothing like curry. We advise sitting outside if the weather permits. The beer selections are quite limited to the comically generically-titled bierre indienne (€6). The food, however, is pretty good. Despite some grossly over-buttered (and nearly inedible) naan, the meat and vegetables were tasty and rich. The lunch formule of entrée-plat or plat-dessert is priced very reasonably (€10 M-F, €12 Sa). There's a nice selection of vegetarian options. Montparnasse Bienvenue. Entrees €6-20, Plats €10-20, Desserts €6-8. Drinks €6-8. M-Sa noon-2:30pm and 7-11pm. Takes credit cards. Serves alcohol.
Atelier Aubrac, 51 Bld. Garibaldi (☎01 45 66 96 78; www.atelieraubrac.com/fr), Located a convenient stones' throw away from the Sevres-Lecourbe Metro stop on Boulevard Beaugirard, Atelier Aubrac is undoubtedly one of the cheapest high-quality restaurants in Paris. A newcomer to the Parisian fine dining scene, the restaurant serves up traditional meat-heavy French cuisine; what sets it apart is that all the meat comes from the mountainous region of Auvergne. Card holding PETA members should be aware that this is not an animal rights-conscious establishment—on its Facebook page, the restaurant posts photos of animals that were sacrificed for customers' enjoyment. Plats du jour rotate, but certain staples always grace the menu. The icy fresh tomato, mozzarella, basil, and pesto appetizer cleans out your palate for the main course, and the chicken in foie gras sauce with rice is fantastic. Finish it off with a bowl of fromage blanc aux fruits rouges. If he has the time, the owner will clarify the menu, especially if Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access. Serves alcohol.
Aux Roi du Café, 59 rue Lecource 01 47 34 48 50 Au Roi du Café is a cheap neighborhood hotspot and perfect for drinks or a casual, delicious meal. Service can be a bit slow at peak meal times, and certain glasses could stand, shall we say, a bit more time in the dishwasher. But plenty of locals dine, drink and suck down their fair share of cigarettes here, and you can definitely see why. Cocktails are served with a delicious and complimentary tasting plate of fresh marinated olives. The salads are copious, and the vegetables are very fresh. Simple, tasty, fresh, and well-presented French café fare. The drinks are reasonably priced (cocktails €7, beers €4-8), especially during happy hour (cocktails, pints €5) Takes credit cards. Serves alcohol.
Samaya, 21 Bld. de Grenelle 01 53 95 03 81 Just finished up at the Eiffel Tower or need to fuel up for the long line? Walk down to Samaya for a tasty, heaping serving of homemade Lebanese food. Take-out and eat-in options are available. The owner doubles as the only waiter, so while service certainly isn't slow, it can have some momentary lags. The dining room is very spacious, a definite rarity in Paris. Plates are garnished with a fresh salad. Meat is tasty and much less fatty than the options you'll find in other Mediterranean food spots. Samaya's a winner through and through. Handicapped-accessible. Takes credit cards.
Le Filippo, 54 rue Cambronne 01 43 06 19 73 Located a short walk away from the Cambronne Metro stop, Le Filippo provides a reasonably priced bougie Italian food and a pleasant dining experience, if you can stand the brisk service smaller parties tend to get. The pasta dishes come in highly generous servings (pasta with pesto €12), which makes sense if you're on a budget. If you're not, choose from classic Italian fare and wines. Takes credit cards. Serves alcohol.
Ty Breiz, 52 Bld. de Vaugirard 01 43 20 83 72 (www.tybreizcreperieparis.fr), The menu boasts that this creperie was elected the “best crepe” in Paris. This is certainly a lofty claim, and while it's impossible to choose amongst all of Paris' delicious crepes, Ty Breiz has got to be up there. Ty Breiz serves up Breton crepes, and reinforces its down-home image with clogs and dark wooden walls. The crepes are deliciously well-buttered; for salty crepes, go with the filling La Savoyarde (€11.10), while for sweet crepes try the chocolate specialité maison, a crepe graced by the house's delicious dark chocolate concoction (€6.50). Takes credit cards. Wheelchair access.