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Best Places To Eat In Paris Under €20!
Paris is an amazing city to visit, as the home of several beautiful things such as the Eiffel Tower, Art Deco and glorious food.
Millions flock to the City of Love each year.
Beyond the beautiful boulevards and diverse architecture, many travellers search high and low to uncover the best foods in Paris, such as baguettes, steak frites or duck confit.
When we were planning our trip to Paris, we were quite interested to know if we could get a taste of the world famous cuisine without breaking the bank, and the good news is, yes you can!
In this post, we invited a few travel experts to share their findings of the Best Places To Eat In Paris Under €20, so you will be able to enjoy the best foods on your trip and save a bunch of cash to splurge elsewhere!
Let’s Zip Up And Eat!
1. Fric-Frac
Fric-Frac is one of the best value places to eat in Paris, offering laid-back vibes and a menu dedicated to French toasted sandwiches called Croque Monsieur.
As well as the traditional Croque Monsieur of ham and cheese (named The Titi), you’ll find plenty of original flavours on the menu. Depending on your tastes, you can choose from sandwiches filled with marinated chicken, salmon and even a prawn compote. If you’re visiting Paris as a vegetarian or vegan, don’t worry, there’s a couple of delicious menu options for you too!
Each croque on the menu costs between 9.90€ and 14.00€ when you dine in but if you visit for a weekday lunch between 12 pm and 2 pm, you can take advantage of the great-value set menu. For just 11,90€, you’ll get a choice of 3 sandwiches and a drink. Or for 13.50€, you’ll get a sandwich, drink and a dessert or espresso. All prices are slightly cheaper if you opt to take away instead.
There are two branches of Fric-Frac in Paris – the first is by the canal in the 10th arrondissement, while the second is up in Montmartre. Both branches offer the same menu, and it’s possible to dine-in in the funky surroundings or take your meal to go. Whichever you decide to visit, you’ll be left wanting more!
Address (Canal): 79 quai de Valmy, 75010 Paris
Address (Montmartre): 4 rue des 3 frères, 75018 Paris
Anna from Would Be Traveller
2. Hank Burger
Paris is traditionally seen to be a very expensive place to visit and dine.
The powerhouse of the fashion industry and the big fashion brands, have given this city an image of being luxurious.
However, with some digging, you will find some great gems when eating out and they won’t cost you more than E20.
The restaurant is set to give you a feeling of being in an American diner, with a menu full of amazing burgers and pizzas.
However, this gem is totally vegan.
The seating area is kitted out with funky decor to make it feel very messy, but cool in the same way. Its ceiling is low to make it feel like you are all closer together and eating an amazing last meal.
The staff are all amazing and speak English fluently to help those who are shabby with their French.
Their €16 set menu for burger lovers will get you a big burger, a side, a drink and desert.
And for pizza lovers the €15 meal will get your 2 pizza slices, a salad, a drink and a dessert!!
Yes, all that for under €20 in Paris!!!
Address: Various, check on official site
Manpreet from Your Vegan Adventure
3. Pizzeria Popolare
The fifth restaurant of the famous Big Mamma group, Pizzeria Popolare is one of the coolest pizzerias in Paris.
The restaurant itself is stunning, with a chic tavern look made of heavy wooden tables, turquoise metro tiles, an open kitchen, and thousands of alcohol bottles on display. A cool decoration and a very busy and lively ambiance.
Popolare is famous for the quality of its ingredients imported straight from Italy and for their affordable wood fire pizzas. Try the Marinara or the Mammargherita for a true taste of Napoli, or their giant 250g burrata with tomatoes French toast for a cheese overdose.
Located in the heart of Paris (Sentier, 2nd arrondissement), Popolare pizzeria is very popular so expect a bit of a queue before being seated (they don’t take reservations), but don’t give up, as the line moves quickly.
For a complete meal under 20€, try the Marinara, half San Pellegrino and the tiramisu. It doesn’t get more Italian and delicious than that!
Address: 111 Rue Reaumur, 75002 Paris
Emmanuelle from Bonjour Sunset
4. Alizee Creperie Gourmet
In cities like Paris, the sky is the limit but there’s also hope for people visiting on a budget. Crêpes in Paris is always a good idea and it is possible to eat yummy crêpes or galettes (the salty version of crêpes) in quality restaurants for 20€ or less.
Alizée Crêperie Gourmet is a small restaurant located in the Latin Quarter, not far from the iconic Place de la Contrescarpe, proposing some of the best crêpes in Paris.
And when I say small I mean it because there’s only space for 4 or 6 tables so bookings are compulsory, especially on weekends.
The restaurant only proposes set menus (17,90 €) for lunch but at night it is possible to get a crêpe or a galette plus a glass of wine also for this price.
At Alizée Crêperie Gourmet, crêpes and galettes are creative and succulent plus they are all gluten-free. I definitely recommend this place!
Address: 5 Rue du Pot de Fer, 75005 Paris
Elisa from World in Paris
5. Le Petit Cler
Very near to the Eiffel tower, you will find one of the most famous market streets in Paris: Rue Cler. It is a pedestrian street filled with small bistros as well as wine and cheese shops, butchers, bakeries and all the merchants selling everything you would ever need for your Parisian picnic –including the flowers!
In between your browsing on this charming street, make sure you stop for a meal at one of the cafes. I recommend le Petit Cler, an old-fashioned small bistro serving up good food at great prices, complete with a terrace so that you can watch the shoppers mill about on Rue Cler.
Le Petit Cler has a small menu, but it is delicious. I recommend the chicken salad, which you can get for under 15 euros. The meat a la plancha is an excellent choice too, with chicken and steak options available. This meal comes with a baked potato and salad and is a hearty meal for 14 – 16 euros.
Le Petit Cler is known for their berthillon ice cream and for under 5 euros it is still within the budget! However, my chicken dinner was so filling and the promise of pastries on Rue Cler were so tempting, that I regrettably declined the dessert.
If you are not able to travel to the City of Love, find some Foods From Around the World to cook in your own kitchen. You can make some French dishes until you are able to book your ticket to experience the authentic cuisine on your own.
Address: 29 rue Cler, 75007 Paris France
Michelle from Moyer Memoirs
6. Les Fauves Restaurant
This recommendation comes from us, as we show you one of our favourite restaurants in Paris. Les Fauves is a nice little cozy restaurant located near the Montparnasse metro, being a few minutes walk away from main exit.
The ambience is awesome and you can be assured of excellent wait staff who are well versed in English. If you are unsure of what to eat, seek their advice, or simply go for the set lunch menu, which is priced at an affordable €17. That gets you an entree, a dish of the day and you will end with a delightful dessert. Take note though, this is only for lunch during the weekdays.
While the menu is not extensive, the selection on offer is varied and very attractive. Typical French food presented in a modern style with excellent taste to boot, it’s hard to find any fault with this restaurant.
We love the authentic decor too, very casual yet classy. We sampled the steak tartare while we were there, but it seems that it is no longer found on its menu. If you are keen, we suggest you check it with the service staff before placing your order. It is well worth a try.
The truth is, you will find it hard to keep within budget, but certainly deserving of your time and money.
Address: 33 boulevard Edgar Quinet, 75014 Paris
Logistics before visiting Paris
Stay connected
Before you travel, make sure to pre-book a mobile router so that you can get access to the internet easily with WiFi. The router can be shared by a few friends, making it super budget friendly.
Save on currency exchange rates
Stop paying exorbitant rates forever! Make use of TransferWise debit card to get the best rates across the globe. You can also use it to transfer money worldwide for cheap.
Find cheap flights.
Air tickets are usually the bulk of your expenses. Set up an alert and snag cheap fares with Skyscanner.
Find the best accommodation.
Book a place ahead of time to get good rates. Booking.com has transparent fees and excellent rates.
Handy travel guide.
For the old school kid in you, get a travel guide book and get lost exploring the city.
Photos.
Your mobile phone can do a pretty good job, but if you need an upgrade, we recommend the Sony A6000 (US) (International)
Travel insurance.
You don’t need us to teach you to be a responsible adult, do you? Get a quote here.
Planned for you activities in Paris.
Need a guide to show you and your group around? Lots of operators here to choose from here. You know who they are and how they are reviewed.
More resources to help you.
All other useful travel resources we use when we book our trips.
Do you have a favourite restaurant in Paris?
There are so many excellent places to eat in Paris, but hopefully this short list of the best food in Paris under 20 can help you to choose some budget friendly yet superb ones.
What about you? Do you have a restaurant to recommend too? Leave a comment down below if you do!
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Further reading:
- Nice France Travel Guide
- Paris Travel Guide
- 10 of the Cheapest Places to Visit in Europe
- Complete Travel Packing Checklist for Europe or International Destinations!
- 50 Travel Tips and Hacks Every Traveller Needs to Know! Save Time and Money On Your Next Trip!
- Housecarers Review: Can You Really Travel And Stay For Free?