Viva la recession: Paris on a budget

Photo credit: Urbanite

The Palais-Royal's arcade and gardens are ideal for a free afternoon stroll. Credit: Monique Stringfellow

By Monique Stringfellow

Special to amNewYork

Paris is associated with many things — haute couture, fine cuisine, architectural opulence —but a good deal is not often one of them. Suprisingly, though, Parisians are actually very sensible spenders. So, Paris on a budget is less about cutting corners than doing the city like a Parisian.

What to do

Go to Notre Dame, but skip the overcrowded climb to the top of the tower (for 7.50 euros) and opt instead for a (free!) wander within the main area of the world’s most famous Gothic Cathedral.

Climb the steps of Montmartre’s Sacré Coeur for an unbeatable (and free!) view.

Weather permitting, follow Hemingway’s example and transform the city into a moveable feast. Picnics are the best way to combine sightseeing, people watching (a favorite Parisian pastime) and eating (another fave pastime.) without the high cost of a café meal.The Champ de Mars – the grassy area beneath the Eiffel Tower – is a favorite for local families and the banks of the Seine host a lively social scene on sunny days.

Do some market-hopping at Clignancourt, the city’s largest, at the northern edge of the city. Find art, antiques and vintage clothes. It’s free to look and, should you decide to buy, bargaining is not at all gauche, so go for it.

Where to stay

Located in the cool 20th Arrondisement, the Philippe Starck-designed Mama Shelter is a design snob’s dream. At 79 euros per night, it’s also a steal. Rooms are outfitted with 24-inch iMacs and Kiehl’s supplies the bath products.(www.mamashelter.com)

Where to eat

Parisians are almost as cosmopolitan as New Yorkers when it comes to dining out.

For amazing Cambodian, try Le Cambodge (10 Ave. Richerand) in the un-touristy Canal area.

For couscous, Chez Omar (47 rue de Bretagne) is a Marais standby.

The Belleville neighborhood boasts Vietnamese and Thai restaurants that more than hold their own against New York’s best.

The specialty of Domaine de Lintilllac (20 rue Rousselet) is foie gras. While that would seem to disqualify it for inclusion, it miraculously doesn’t. Entrees like cassoulet and duck confit hover around 10 euros, while a generous amount of top quality foie gras goes for a reasonable 12 euros.

A typical French night out often involves sitting at a local café over a carafe of house wine. Coming from the land of $14 glasses of merlot, the 10-to-12 euro price tag should cast off any lingering doubts about Parisian affordabilité.

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