Want cheap eats in Paris? Visit the Cafe Banal

[greatauntoftriplets]

LETTER FROM PARIS
Cheap, good meal in Paris? Priceless

Tribune correspondent Tom Hundley finds an ex-con turned restaurateur with a laid-back approach to capitalism. Tribune foreign correspondent Tom Hundley was recently on assignment in Paris
Published December 17, 2003

PARIS -- Cookbook author, bank swindler and bistro owner Philippe Leclerq cares not a jot about Michelin stars.

Leclerq wants patrons of his new eatery in the 13th Arrondissement to sit back, relax, eat, drink, drink some more and--above all--not worry about the bill. That's why every item on his menu is priced at 1.50 euros ($1.83).

Leclerq's pricing philosophy, developed after a recent and expensive evening on the town with some friends, is that the cost of a decent meal should not exceed the hourly minimum wage in France, which varies between 6 and 7 euros.

"For me, it was a political statement, an attempt to improve civil society in this country," said Leclerq, 43, whose leather vest, ample waistline and graying ponytail suggest a laid-back approach to capitalism.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0312170222dec17,1,4088451.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed

[Intelsucks]

1. Almost Hard To Believe - Nothing In Paris Is Cheap

With the exception of London, Paris was the most expensive European city I visited. The euro and the dollar were about 1:1 at that time, so it's about 20% more expensive now than it was then.