1

This question comes up very regularly, eg on the 12th May this year.

2

It depends on what type of food you like but a very popular restaurant in the area would be "Chez Marianne", famous for its delicious Middle Eastern dishes.

2 Rue des Hospitalières, Marais.
Métro: Saint-Paul

3

If you're going to the museums, I'd highly recommend Chez Denise (5 rue Prouvaires). It's in the touristy area, but has delicious, traditional French food (not the schlock they try to pass off on tourists at a lot of "bistros"), decent prices (and big servings), and a good atmosphere. And though I don't drink, I've heard their house wine is very good. Otherwise, I'd steer clear of a lot of the places in that area, they tend to cater to tourists and are therefore overpriced and underwhelming.

In the 3rd there's Au Duc de Montmorency, which is an epicerie that has a kitchen right there in the store, and it features a few dishes every day. Great food and a very cute place, but it's only really open for lunch (I think it closes around 5 or 6, and runs out of food sometimes before that).

If you're getting sick of French food (I did, although I was there for longer), there's a lot of great ethnic food around. The area around the Belleville metro stop (accessible on the 11 line from where you'll be) has a lot of Asian and Middle Eastern restaurants. I'd usually just walk up and down the streets until I found something that grabbed my attention. It's a neat little area anyway, and it's a nice breather from all the monuments and museums.

4

Au Duc de Montmorency is 46 Rue Montmorency, by the way. I should have made that clearer, it's tucked away in a little spot that does not jump out at you, so it's easily missed.

5

The museum pass is very good. There is one you can get for 6 days. It covers many, many choices and is completely unlimited as far as times and number of times you want to visit any given museum. It's very convenient not to have to continually be paying. Also, if you have just a short time you won't be reluctant to pay for the visit. If you find yourself passing by near closing time, you can pop in for a quick visit. We were in Paris for 8 days and with the passes we were able to see Versailles, Musee D'orsay, L'orangerie, Pompidou, Saint Chapelle, and others. There are a few museums not covered, byt not many. Well worth the money in my opinion. 69 Euros. You can purchase it in the airport.

In the Marais, there is a small square called Place du Marche st. catherine. Lots of good local restaurants. It has a neighborhood feel, and we loved watching the life as we ate at an outside table.

6

Thanks, Bigsciota - I'm off to Paris for a few days and I will certainly go to the places you've recommended!