Alert – Top five budget-friendly tips to eat like a local in Paris

Steak frites, escargot, croissants, and vin.

Paris’ food scene has so much to offer, but TikTok influencers and tourist hotspots have now made it impossible for visitors to find authentic cheap eats.

While instagrammable cafes and fairy-lit streets are certainly picturesque, food in tourist trap areas around the Champs-Elysee and Notre Dame is often overpriced and average at best.

But have no fear – has found the best tips to avoid the tourist traps so you can eat like a Parisian.

TikTok influencers have made the prettiest places go viral – not those offering authentic Parisian cuisine.

1. If you want to eat like a local, avoid places surrounded by selfie sticks and vlogging TikTokkers 

The more Parisians you see eating inside a place, the better!

Cafe de Flore and La Maison Rose, for example, both went viral for their cutesy exteriors and expensive hot chocolates with cream.

has found the best tips to avoid the tourist traps so you can eat like a Parisian

Cafe de Flore (pictured above) went viral for its cutesy exteriors and expensive hot chocolates with cream but it’s pricey

But a hot chocolate with cream at Cafe de Flore will set you back €11.50/£9.61, and the queues are often out the door.

Try the quiet and cosy Maison Fleuret Paris instead – it’s just around the block and is set in an old bookstore.

Or, for traditional French bistro food, try Bouillon Pigalle in the 18th arrondissement instead. They offer French onion soup, escargot, and creme brulee for very affordable prices of around €10-15/£8.35-£12.53.

2. Walk at least 10 minutes from a landmark to eat

After a day marching around the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and the Champs-Elysee, it is easy to drop at the first restaurant you see.

But cafes and restaurants located next door to these tourist hotspots are the worst for overpriced and disappointing food.

If you can see the Eiffel Tower from your table, then it’s probably not a good sign.

Walking just 10-15 minutes off the beaten path can get you to some incredible authentic eateries.

For traditional French bistro food, try Bouillon Pigalle (pictured above) in the 18th arrondissement instead. They offer French onion soup, escargot, and creme brulee for very affordable prices

Instead of stopping outside in busy squares where waiters vye to get you seated quickly, walk 10 minutes from the Eiffel Tower to Rue Cler for amazing bistros that Parisians frequent.

3. Look out for large menus in English and reviews all from Brits

A telltale sign that you’re at a tourist trap will be places with large menus translated into English, and Google reviews all from Brits and Americans.

Be sure to dine at places with 3-4 mains on offer, as they are more likely to be homemade and have quality ingredients.

Seasonal dining is also important to Parisian culture – if restaurants have an unlimited menu all year round, then they’re catering for the masses and not for delicate French palates.

Places that offer a crowded menu of foods from all over France rather than one region, such as fondue, crepes, and raclette, are unlikely to be good at cooking all.

Specialised restaurants in crepes, for example, will often only serve crepes and ice cream.

4. Go to Paris’ 17th century covered market

Try dining at covered markets as a highbrow, but still affordable, alternative. Le Marche Couvert des Enfants Rouges is pictured above

The student traveller knows that supermarkets are your wallet’s best friend while on holiday.

But for those wanting to blend in with sophisticated Parisians, try dining at covered markets as a highbrow, but still affordable, alternative.

Le Marché Couvert des Enfants Rouges is the oldest food market in Paris and was opened in 1615, making it pretty much the most authentic taste of Paris you can get.

The wide variety of food on offer means there is a price point for everyone, and a cuisine for everyone too, with stalls selling Moroccan, Lebanese, Italian, and Japanese food alongside traditional French produce.

5. Try these Parisian-approved recommendations

spoke to real Parisians to get their authentic and budget-friendly recommendations.

The Cafe du Commerce emerged as a top choice among locals.

Commerce’s art deco interior has been preserved from when the restaurant first opened in the 1920s, and diners will have to look up to spot the discreet sign above the rue du Commerce to enter this low-key Parisian gem.

The Cafe du Commerce (pictured above) is a top choice among locals

And once inside you can enjoy iconic French dishes like onion soup, snails, and steak frites for around just €20-€30/£16.71-£25.

For outdoor summer dining where you can enjoy a cigarette after dinner like a Parisian, head to Elià in the 11th arrondissement for great Greek street food at reasonable prices. Lunch and dinner bites are all around 10 euros.

For a sweet treat, head to the Canal Saint Martin and go to Du Pain et des Idées cafe and bakery for a delicious baked good for €5/£4.18 or less.

Their pastries are fresh daily, and you can takeaway or dine outside while enjoying a cafe au lait and soaking up the Parisian atmosphere.