Brasserie Balzar (near St Michel/Sorbonne)

It's fashionable to talk about how this place used to be good, but i think it's still good. We went for a simple dinner on our last night, and it reminded me why i've been going for 20 years. Simple, perfect roast chicken, escargots, glass of red, tarte tatin - what's not to love? i might not go every single trip, but I won't stop going!

Robe and Palette (near Pompidou)

Great little place with Burgundy angle, have been for both dinner and lunch and equally good. Very casual, no reservations, just go and try to get a table. The food for lunch includes big charcuterie platters on thick wooden planks, very old school and super selection of meats and savory cured veggies and such. Wine list is nothing special, just table wine really, but nicely chosen so goes fine with the level of food.

perfect resto for the night between big fancy meals in Paris, or for lunch ahead of or after a Pompidou visit.

Le Meurice

Went back to this 3 star Michelin near Tuileries for first time since 2006, when we ate here on our first night in Paris. Boy it was good then. Still excellent, though as with a lot of these fine dining superstars there was a lack of spontenaity that takes some of hte fun out of it.

Great wines, great food, though maybe a little much on the foam - when will this foam thing be over? - and we ended up skipping out on the final dessert course, as it was just too much time for a jet-lagged crew.

At the end of the day, for a massive price tag and a 3 star experience, I'd rather do something a little less formal, though for a splurge when in the mood for somethign formal, it's fantastic.

Vavin cafe near Luxembourg

Simple cafe, what sets it apart for a coffee or a beer outside is the location on an intersection of several secondary streets. You get lots of street life, both pedestrian and car/bike, but not the constant growl of traffic that you get from a lot of other outdoor spots. Great place to read the paper and kick back.

Bedford Arms (pub near St Sulpice)

Great little pub with room for < 50 people after dinner, right in the heart of the St Sulpice area party scene, nice spot for a Guinness.

Racine

A casual place along the lines of the Robe and Palette. Food was good though not inspired. We sat in the room at the back with a group, which on the one hand was great as we could be loud and not worry about it, but on the other hand felt a little disassociated from the rest of the place. Also had an American waiter, which took away from the whole thing a little bit.

I would give it another try to see what eating in the main dining room was like. it did come pretty highly recommended.

Fumoir (next to Louvre to east)

Only stopped in here for a drink before dinner, but it's a good scene with a big bar for a before-dinner stop. Lively, not touristy, or at least didn't seem it, and wasn't so packed on a Thursday night as to be uncomfortable. Probably not great with a big group, but for 3-4 people looking for a couch and a beer, it fits the bill. Would be good after a couple hours late afternoon at Louvre too.

Chez Camille (Marais)

This is a perfect lunch stop when shopping the Marais, located just a few blocks from Place des Vosges. Classic menu for lunchtime bistro, from steak frites to beef tartare but also solid salad line up. Big enough that it's not too tough to get a seat. Food is right up the middle, not fancy but everything we had was good including a couple pasta dishes - group of 6 so we had a good sample. Recommend the duck confit and the terrine/pate charcuterie plate.