Most spots offer good quality meals that can range from elegantly opulent to casual and homey. The trick to finding a good one is to stay away from major tourists sites and head to place that look busy. These are some good bistros and casual restaurants:

Bistro Mazarin, 42 rue Mazarin, (33) 01-43-29-99-01, is a great little bistro in the 5th that is popular with locals. Prices and food are both great and the bistro also has outdoor seating.

Chez Prune, 36 rue Beaurepaire, (33)01-42-49-89-19, overlooks canal Saint Martin and attracts a boho-artsy clientele with its well-priced food and drink—a small pitcher of wine costs €6. For late-night eating, try the excellent charcuterie plate. Dinner for two, €50.

Le Petite Marguery, 9 Boulevard Port Royal, (33)01-43-31-58-59, will seduce with its shimmery deco interior and traditional French cooking. Three course lunch menu €26, three course dinner menu €30.

Le Réconfort, 37 rue de Poitou, (33) 01-49-96-09-60, is in the heart of the Marais and a perfect first stop in a night on the town with its sexy red-walled dining room and traditional Provençal cuisine. Dinner for two, €65, Lunch menu is a deal at €14.

Restaurant Cousin Cousine, 25 rue Mouffetard, (33)01-47-07-73-83, is a casual crêperie and a typically Breton dinner for two with a pichet du cidre (a quarter liter of cider) will cost around €30.

Ambassade d’Auvergne, near the Centre Georges Pompidou, features the rustic cuisine of the Auvergne region of southern France. Try the house specialty, Country Sausage & Aligot (melted Laguiole cheese with mashed potatoes) or the terrines – duck, rabbit or whatever is in season. For dessert, order the chocolate mousse and they will bring you a giant bowl of the stuff – take as much as you want.
22 rue du Grenier-St. Lazare, (33)01-42-72-31-22, website

Prix fixe lunch menus are also the most affordable way to taste the work of Paris’ finest chefs. Yves Camdeborde's newest venture, Le Comptoir (9 Carrefour de l’Odéon, (33) 01-43-29-12-05) in the 6^th Arr., offers a €30 lunch menu and the chance to sample his artisanal goodies, from homemade pates to suckling pig.

Benoit (20 rue St. Martin, (33) 01-42-72-25-76, website) is a Parisian classic around the corner from the Hotel De Ville that opened in 1912. In danger of closing, it was taken over by renowned chef Alain Ducasse in 2005. With the world-famous name came predictable price hike, so if you want to enjoy the classic surroundings, stop by at lunch for the three-course €38 prix fixe.