Any suggestions on where to eat dinner that won%26#39;t take 2-3 hours? We will be in Paris for a week and don%26#39;t think we will want to spend every night in restaurants for that long. Also, are lunches quicker?
Thanks.
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Except in the fanciest restaurants, or if you were to order a 7-course tasting menu with wine, dinner will not take 2-3 hours.
Waiters in Paris know that Americans are used to having one course delivered after the other, and proceed accordingly.
Lunch is definitely quicker, especially in a cafe if you%26#39;re having only a salad, sandwich, etc.
Service is generally slower everywhere - there aren%26#39;t as many servers. In a small restaurant, there may be only one person. Or, there be only one person servicing an entire outdoor area. Sometimes, it seems to take forever to get/pay the check, as they seem to do that only when they have nothing else to do.
If you%26#39;re in a hurry at lunch time, it%26#39;s best to have cash rather than pay with a credit card.
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A dinner party at some friends house might take 2, 3, 6 hours, but in a restaurant it takes whatever time you wanted to take, depending if you choose a dish that takes more or less time, but you are in a vacation, relaxing, surely there%26#39;s no need to eat %26quot;the american style%26quot;, in 30 minutes. I think you were misleaded by another misconception about the french...
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There are many fast food restaurants and food stands in Paris that should be able to satisfy your need for a quick meal. Alternatively you could order less food or eat more quickly.
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Cougwife,
Dinner certainly won%26#39;t take 2 or 3 hours - unless you want it to.
However, don%26#39;t expect to rush in and out. My advice is to enjoy the %26quot;French way%26quot; of doing things. Don%26#39;t rush, take your time, and enjoy.
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I suggest you do it the other way round: spend more time on your lunch (normally lunch-menus are also cheaper, and of equally good quality as the dinner menus). Make it a 3-4 course-2-hour event with wine and coffee and cognac. Loooong lazy terrace stay, people watching, baguette munching (dipped in the remaining gravy on your plate.....), wine sipping, postcard writing, relaxing, loosening your belt a bit to let your tummy breathe......
HEAVEN !!!!
=o)
Dinner can be a crêpe or a sandwich or a quiche/tarte from a delicatessen - eaten in your hotel room. Freshen up - and go out for a night cap and some more people watching in the soft summer night......
OHHHHH, I CAN%26#39;T WAIT !!!!!!!!!!!
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Thank you all for your clarification! Is it also true that you will be charged more if you eat outside or is this also a myth?
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In a cafe, there are often separate price lists for table service versus ordering and standing at the bar. You%26#39;ll see a price list posted near the bar.
But, the prices are the same inside/outside.
Some places, even cafes, have different menus for inside and outside, or even different sections.
Last September, I returned to a restaurant where I didn%26#39;t see something I%26#39;d enjoyed there before on the menu. When I inquired, I was directed to a table in another section and handed a different menu!
Some places have really appealing three-course (appetizer, main course, dessert) menus (prix fixe) - often with a considerable savings versus ordering the same items a la carte. We cannot do 3-course lunch and 3-course dinner the same day, and have learned to resist 3-courses at lunch if we have a dinner reservation.
Ordering coffee after a meal can add half an hour or more to your stay. To me, the coffee is not nearly as good in the restaurants as in the cafes, so I no longer order after dinner, rather have it later at a cafe. Prices are lower in a cafe as well.
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One other point about the amount of time it takes to eat and get your check etc. -- you almost never will have a check brought to you until you specifically ask for it, as rushing you would be %26quot;rude%26quot; (which most waiters aren%26#39;t, they are just generally harried and also sometimes a little impatient). To get your check, just make the %26quot;squiggling%26quot; gesture that looks like writing in the air.
And I agree with the above, take it slow and enjoy it (if nothing else, it%26#39;s a great time to people watch -- I recall on my first trip being rather bemused at the dogs that were carried in large handbags, sat or slept unde the tables, and generally were so well behaved that it was startling to realize they were there).
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As far as I know, the prices are not the same inside or outside, they%26#39;re usually more expensive outside, and that%26#39;s a common practice all around Europe, it%26#39;s not a myth. Many cafe owners have their %26quot;outside%26quot; facilities on public sidewalks and they have to pay a license to use that space, thus spending more money and that%26#39;s why it%26#39;s more expensive, sometimes (tourist traps) much more expensive. On the bright side, many places, including some notoriously expensive and famous cafes, have significantly lower prices if you eat or drink at the counter.
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If you are in a hurry, do not expect the waiter to know and just bring your bill. Most likely, they will not bring you bill until you ask for it. When you want to ask for your check properly, just politely say to the waiter %26quot;l%26#39;addition, s%26#39;il vous plait.%26quot;
If you want quick lunches, grab a falafel or a tartine from a bakery.
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