What I Ate in Paris… Aka Cheap Eats in Paris:

Paris is a dream come true for your inner foodie. They have some of the most amazing restaurants, best trained chefs, and delectable eats that you will find anywhere in the world. And most of it comes with a hefty price tag. Don’t worry though! There are cheap eats in Paris!

Believe it or not, we forgot to take pictures of most of our meals. To keep our costs down and the food quality high, we mainly stuck to the boulangeries and patisseries. You can get delicious baguettes stuffed with meats, cheeses, and veggies and scrumptious sweet treats this way without draining your bank account. Another tip is to load up on unusual snacks at the grocery store.

Below we have listed some of our favorite cheap eats in Paris, at least the ones we remember to take a picture of.

Click on the titles for links to the blog posts.

Pistachio and Chocolate Pastry

Boulangerie Versavel / Around €2,00

I sadly didn’t find this delectable treat until my very last morning in Paris. It is like a pain aux raisin, but instead of raisins, it is loaded with a pistachio filling and chocolate chips. The one I got was fresh out of the oven (we were at the bakery right when it opened), so it was still warm, and the pastry was light and flaky. Yum!

Cheap Eats in Paris: Mozzarella and tomato baguette

Cheap Eats in Paris: Comptoirs Richard jasmine green tea and berry dessert

Sandwich, Tea, & Dessert

Eric Kayser / €8,50

When looking for cheap eats in Paris, you really can’t do much better than the lunch deal at Eric Kayser. It is one of the best bargains in the city. Sure it is a chain, but it is delicious! For under €10 you can get a baguette sandwich, a drink, and a dessert. We opted for a perfectly toasted baguette filled with melted mozzarella and fresh tomatoes for our sandwich. Dessert was a scrumptious cake covered with a sweet berry compote. And, for our drink, I ordered a pot of hot tea since it was cold and dreary outside and because I had a cold. It was a simple jasmine green tea, but it was some of the best tea I’ve ever had. (Read: must try Comptoirs Richard tea) What made it even better was it came in its own cute little tea pot and was served with a tiny sugary treat on the saucer. So adorable!

Pain aux Raisins

Boulangerie Saint Louis

On our way to Notre Dame, we were hungry for breakfast, so the sweet aromas wafting out of Boulangerie Saint Louis lured us in. It was warm and flaky, and the outside had a nice slight crunch while the inside was tender and moist with a filling of sweet goodness and bursts of raisins. So much better than a croissant.

Pastry & Chocolat Chaud

Angelina / Around €10 for both to-go

Angelina is a must for hot chocolate in Paris. It isn’t the cheapest around, but it’s arguably the best. Pair it with pain au chocolat and you will be in heaven. Don’t be put off by the lines and the over-priced menu. Just walk past the line and to the pastry counter in the side room. The to-go prices are a little cheaper, and you can take your treats to the nearby gardens for an a lovely little stroll.

Crepe d’Jour

L’Avant Comptoir / €12 for 2 crepes

Hidden in the entranceway to a tiny wine bar is a crepe stand. Nisheet ordered the “Crepe d’jour” which came with artichoke, cheese, arugula, tomatoes, and ham. It was absolutely scrumptious. I got a cheese and mushroom crepe, but I was less than wowed. To be fair, my French home-stay mother made the best cheese and mushroom crepe ever. They all fail in comparison to hers.

Macarons

Gerard Mulot

Choosing just one macaron each was terribly hard since my mouth watered to taste each and every one. In the end, I don’t even remember which flavor I got, but I do remember it was delightful with a slight crunch on the outside and a chewy interior.

Falafel Wrap with Eggplant

Chez H’Anna / €5,50

I bet you don’t think of falafel wraps when you think of Paris. But Chez H’Anna in le Marais serves one up for a steal. Get it to go, and they will wrap it in a paper cone so you can eat while strolling around this trendy area. And, don’t forget to have them top it with eggplant for an extra flavor boost.

ap Eats in Paris: Macarons at Pierre Herme

More Macarons

Pierre Herme / €1,50 each

I didn’t get the light crunch I was expecting when I bit into this little treat sent from the gods, but the flavor combos were out-of-this world. Don’t expect the standard chocolate or vanilla flavors, and if they do have those skip them anyway and try something unique. It’ll be worth it.

Cafe

Any cafe / Around €2

Tempted to order a cappuccino at a cute little outside table at the cafe? If you just need a pick-me-up, don’t do it! You’ll be disappointed in the taste and cost of that cappuccino. Paris isn’t exactly known for good coffee drinks, and they’ll charge you way too much for that seat. Instead, order a cafe at the inside counter. It is cheaper, it’s better, and it’s how the locals do it.

Snacks Part 1

Monoprix (Grocery Store) / €13,00

When I travel, I generally replace some meals with local snacks from the grocery store. It’s cheap, it’s fun, and we get to try new food. Our first haul from Monoprix included wine, lemon tarts, bread, chocolate, paprika chips, cranberry and pepper cheese, and baby kiwi. The best part of this snack haul was the little lemon tarts. They were surprisingly delightful! The cheese was strange…

Snacks Part 2

Monoprix (Grocery Store) / €20,00

Haul #2 from Monoprix included goat cheese, caramel candies, more lemon tarts, butter cookies, dinosaur-shaped puffed corn, and fresh figs. Let me tell you, figs, cheese, and bread make for an awesome dinner. And then butter cookies for dessert? Yum! The curious dinosaur snack was delicious too with a ketchup flavoring coating the outside of dinosaur shaped corn puffs.