1. Regis, la soupe populaire. 35, rue Mauconseil, Paris 75001. Metro: Les Halles. Open for lunch and dinner on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Main courses like shepherd’s pie (hachis parmentier in French) and pork stew for €3.60, starters and dessert for €2.80.

2. Au Banquier. 7, rue du Banquier Paris 75013. Metro: Campo Formio. Open for lunch and dinner every day except Monday.

In true canteen style, this restaurant features a special dish every day of the week. Wednesday is paella, Friday-Sunday is couscous. A lunchtime menu at €8.80 will buy you a dish of carottes rapees, a veal chop, and an oriental pastry.

3. Le Self-Grill. 3, place de Clichy, Paris 75008. Metro: Place de Clichy. Open daily from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m.

Students “hang” at this enormous basement canteen, not just because of the cheap prices, but also for the staggering variety of offerings: 30 hors d’oeuvres and mixed salads, 20 main courses, and 20 desserts. Try to go early because it gets crowded after 7:30 p.m.

Elsewhere in the French press, Le Figaro recently published its rankings for the best chocolate eclair in town. The winner:

Chez Carette. 4, place du Trocadero, 75016.

Carette is not a Cheapo café, so we recommend buying your eclairs (€4 each) “to go” from the pastry counter. They are also famous for their macaroons, and in distinction to Laduree (which placed third in the survey), you don’t have to stand in line at Chez Carette!

The post Paris: Best cheap eats; Best chocolate eclair appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Driving south towards Tarbes, gateway to the ski resorts, a great place to stop for lunch is La P’tite Marmite Gasconne in Mielan. La P’tite offers a daily blackboard menu with a plat du jour at €7.50 and an €11 menu with soup, salad plate, main course, wine, cheese or dessert and coffee.

Pull up a table at the non-smoking alcove behind the bar, or, if you prefer to brave the smoke and the thick Gascon accents, seat yourself in the main dining room alongside an aquarium full of tropical fish and scan the local papers for the rugby results with the locals.

The day we visited there was lentil soup followed by half a coquelet served on a bed of vegetables and couscous perfumed with curry.

La P’tite Marmite Gasconne is located at Place du Padouen, Mielan 32170. It is open for lunch Monday through Friday.

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