Being mindful of your budget is often a top concern for students; one living expense where you can make savings is on your food. The most economical option is to prepare your own lunch (you can eat in the student lounge, in the courtyard on a sunny day, or in the nearby Luxembourg Gardens). But you’re not always going to have time to plan ahead. For that reason, we have put together a handy list of good value lunch options in Montparnasse and close to Reid Hall.
Supermarkets
French supermarkets generally sell pre-prepared sandwiches, salads and other lunch items at good value prices (approx 3-6€). Here are a few options near campus. There is also an open-air food market held on Boulevard Edgar Quinet on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.
Carrefour City (84 Rue Notre Dame des Champs, 75006 Paris) – The closest market to the school. Be forewarned that, as there are several schools nearby, this supermarket sees a lot of traffic between 12-1:30 pm.
Franprix (50 Rue Notre Dame des Champs, 75006 Paris) – Convenient if you’re coming or going to métro Notre Dame des Champs (line 12), this small shop sells food essentials.
Monop (124-126 Bd Raspail, 75006 Paris) – The express version of France’s higher end supermarket chain Monoprix, here you can get better quality lunch options from sandwiches to quinoa salads.
Naturalia (116 Bd Raspail, 75006 Paris) – A chain of French organic shops, here you can get healthy items to make your own lunch as well as some pre-prepared lunch items.
Takeaway Food
Panini stands (76 and 54 Rue Notre Dame des Champs, 75006 Paris) – Located a very short walk from the exit of the school, these stands cater to local students. The meal deal consists of a hot panini sandwich or a savoury crepe with drink and dessert for 5€.
Joël La Boulangerie (54 Rue Notre Dame des Champs, 75006 Paris) – Located conveniently at the intersection of rue Bréa, Vavin and Notre Dame des Champs, this local bakery has sandwiches, salads, quiches and a variety of baked goods which can be combined in their meal deal (referred to as a menu or formule in French). Approx: 6-10€.
Boulangerie Eric Kayser (87 Rue d’Assas, 75006 Paris) – This branch of a high quality chain of bakeries sells a range of reasonably priced hot and cold lunch menus. Approx: 5-12€, from sandwiches to menus.
Poké Planet (1 Rue Léopold Robert, 75014 Paris) – The poké bowl trend has even made it to Paris. Healthy and tasty, this eatery offers creative bowls from vegan to pescatarian. More information on their website. Approx: 8-12€.
Sushi Gozen (22 Rue Delambre, 75014 Paris) – With both sit-down and take away options, this is a reasonably priced Japanese restaurant close to Reid Hall. Take-away bento boxes are 9€ while in-restaurant lunch menus are 11€. See their website for menus.
Aristotte Bagel Shop (23 Rue Bréa, 75006 Paris) – This little shop makes freshly prepared bagels and sandwiches with customers choosing either off the menu or a custom sandwich. They also serve soup in the winter, hot dogs, and sweet bagel fillings. You can find their menu here. Approx: 6-8€
My Noodles (129 Bd du Montparnasse, 75006 Paris) – This North Chinese noodle place is a good option for a hot and tasty meal. Noodles are freshly made in-house and you can have them sautéed or in soup broth as well as other options. They also have seating, see their menu here. The restaurant can get busy at lunch time, so plan to arrive at noon to get a table quickly. Approx: 10-12€.
Bouillon Chartier Montparnasse (photo courtesy the restaurant’s Facebook page)
Sit Down Restaurants
Sushi Gozen and My Noddles above both have seating. Here are a few other great value options:
Montparnasse crêperies – The Montparnasse area is famous for its crêperies (crêpe houses), concentrated here thanks to the community of Bretons who settled in the area (the Montparnasse train station serves their native Brittany). Not only are crêpes part of the traditions of Montparnasse, they are also good value for money. Rue d’Odessa and rue du Montparnasse (not to be confused with boulevard du Montparnasse), are lined with great crêperies. Josselin is the most famous crêperie, however, it tends to be crowded so if there are no seats there, you can pick another one on these streets – they are all very good! Crêpe etiquette: crêpes are a sit-down meal. First go savoury, then go sweet.
Bouillon Chartier Montparnasse (59 Bd du Montparnasse, 75006 Paris) – Bouillons were born in the late 19th century. Their concept is simple: simple and classic dishes at unbeatably low prices. The historic Chartier Montparnasse has a gorgeous art nouveau decor and a fantastic value menu with main courses starting at 6,50€. If you stick to the cheaper items, you can eat a full three course meal (without drinks) for under 15€. This restaurant has been in operation since 1858, with its fabulous art nouveau decor dating from 1906.
Lucernaire (53 Rue Notre Dame des Champs, 75006 Paris) – This cool multi-purpose theatre-cinéma-book shop-café has a daily lunch special for around 12€. A nice way to mingle with hip, artistic locals!
Anti-Waste Apps
A great way to save on food is to use an anti-waste app like Too Good To Go or Phenix. Both apps have relationships with supermarkets, bakeries and other food purveyors which offer discounts on food which is nearing its expiry date. Sizes are always generous and if you have a little freezer in your apartment, you can even make the goods last a little longer! There are venues on the apps near Montparnasse… so you might also find last minute bargains on it!
Bon appetit!