Paris_ City Guide (Lonely Planet, 7th Edition) - Lonely Planet [139]
A list of fruits and vegetables from the region reads like a map of the RER: asperges d’Argenteuil (Argenteuil asparagus), carottes de Crécy (Crécy carrots), cerises de Montmorency (Montmorency cherries), fraises de Palaiseau (Palaiseau strawberries), pétales de roses de Provins (Provins rose petals, used to make jam), tomates de Montlhéry (Montlhéry tomatoes), champignons de Paris (Paris mushrooms, grown for – not in – the capital) and so on. A dish served à la parisienne (in the Parisian style) is a combination of vegetables along with potato balls that have been sautéed in butter, glazed in meat drippings and sprinkled with parsley.
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Bistro
A bistro (sometimes written bistrot) is not clearly defined in Paris. It can be simply a pub or bar serving snacks and light pub meals, or a fully fledged restaurant.
Brasserie
Unlike the vast majority of restaurants in Paris, brasseries – which can look very much like cafés – serve full meals from morning till 11pm or even later. The featured dishes almost always include choucroute and sausages because the brasserie, which actually means ‘brewery’ in French, originated in Alsace. Most Parisians go to a brasserie as much for the lively atmosphere and the convenience as for the food.
Buffet
A buffet (or buvette) is a kiosk usually found at train stations and airports selling drinks, filled baguettes and snacks.
Café
Cafés are an important focal point for social life in Paris, and sitting in a café to read, write, talk with friends or just daydream is an integral part of many people’s daily life here. Many Parisians see café-sitting – like shopping at outdoor markets – as a way of keeping in touch with their neighbourhood and maximising their chances of running into friends and acquaintances.
The main focus here, of course, is coffee, and only basic food is available at most cafés. Common options include a baguette filled with Camembert or pâté with cornichons (gherkins), a croque-monsieur (grilled ham and cheese sandwich) or a croque-madame (a croque-monsieur topped with a fried egg).
Three factors determine how much you’ll pay in a café: where the café is located, where you are sitting within the café, and what time of day it is. Progressively more expensive tariffs apply at the comptoir or zinc (counter or bar), in the salle (inside seating area) and on the terrasse (pavement terrace), the best vantage point from which to see and be seen. A café on a major boulevard, such as blvd du Montparnasse or the av des Champs-Élysées, will charge considerably more than a place that fronts a quiet side street in the 3e. The price of drinks usually goes up after 8pm.
Ordering a cup of coffee (or anything else, for that matter) earns you the right to occupy the seat for as long as you like. You will never feel pressured to order something else.
You usually run a tab at a café and pay the addition (bill or check) right before you leave. However, if your waiter is going off duty, you may be asked to settle at the end of his or her shift.
Cafétéria
Paris has several chains of cafétérias (cafeteria restaurants), including Flunch, that offer a decent and cheap (menus €6.50 to €8) selection of dishes that you can see before ordering, a factor that can make life easier if you’re travelling with kids.
Crêperie
Crêperies (sometimes seen as galetteries) specialise in crêpes, ultrathin pancakes cooked on a flat surface and then folded or rolled over a filling. Sometimes the word crêpe is used to refer only to sweet crepes made with farine de froment (wheat flour), whereas a savoury crepe, more accurately a galette, is made with farine de sarrasin (buckwheat flour), and filled with cheese, mushrooms, eggs and the like.
Restaurant
The restaurant comes in many guises and price ranges in Paris