Paris is notoriously slotted as one of Europe’s most expensive cities…cue internal sob from study abroad college students buying 2 euro bottles of wine from Monoprix. But even among the extensive list of expensive restaurants scattered around the city, there are incredible cheap eats for under 10 euro that perhaps even rival the three starred Michelin restaurants.
1. Ham, cheese and egg crêpe from La Droguerie
Right out of a little blue storefront window located in the heart of the Marais is seriously the best savory, cheap crêpe in Paris. It arrives hot and crispy, with a layer of melted, crusty cheese spikes sticking out. (6€)
2. Chocolate and pistachio escargot from Du Pain et Des Idées
Known especially for its bread pain des amis (bread of friends), which is served at restaurants across the city, the numerous flavors of escargot—named for it’s spiral snail-like shape—shouldn’t be overlooked. Pro-tip: ask for a warm one off the tray in the back. (4.50€)
3. Sandwiches from Chez Alain Miam Miam
It’s hard to miss Chez Alain in the Marché des Enfants Rouges where a line weaving through the stalls forms during lunch hour at the oldest covered market in Paris. Pick exactly what you want on the sandwich and cheeky Alain builds you the most incredible and enormous sandwich you will ever eat. If watching him grate cheese from a huge wheel of comté doesn’t make you drool, I’m not sure what will. (7€)
4. Baos from Boutique Yam’Tcha
A storefront window a couple of blocks south of Les Halles, the shop steams buns to take away with flavors like comté and sweet onion, basque pork and eggplant, and spicy shiitake and vegetables. (3-4€ per bao)
5. Coffee from Coutume Café
A big standout among the cafés contributing to the coffee revolution in Paris, the modern café considers itself a coffee laboratory. Everything’s roasted in-house, with beans ranging from Ethiopian to Costa Rican. (~4€ per cup)
6. Paris Brest from Pâtisserie des Rêves
Ranked the absolute best Paris Brest in the city, the outside is chou pastry—think profiterole texture—with praline cream piped inside. You can’t go wrong with anything from this shop. After all, it is named the pastry shop of dreams for a reason. Other excellent contenders include the Saint-Honoré, mille-feuille and tarte tatin. (6€)
7. Bagels from Bob’s Bake Shop
Good bagels are hard to come by in Paris—they’re usually squishy, soft, tiny and served with the absolute antithesis of a schmear of cream cheese. But these are gloriously reminiscent of New York bagels. (~4€ per sandwich)
8. Sorbet or ice cream from Berthillon
Steps away from the Seine on the Ile Saint-Louis, the magical ice cream temple Berthillon draws locals and tourists alike to sample over 70 flavors ranging from salted caramel to raspberry rose to cacao whiskey. (3€ for one scoop)
9. Falafel from L’As du Fallafel
The king of falafel in Paris with a line out the door to prove it. The pita sandwich comes stuffed with the works. (6€)
10. Macarons from Pierre Hermé
Hermé’s macarons rival those of the infamous Ladurée, using the finest ingredients and succeeding in the most incredible presentation. (2.20€ per macaron)
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