Originally Posted by
Christopher
And I'd add that if you're going to be there still on new year's eve and you want to dine somewhere even ordinarily good, you'd be well advised to book. The restaurants are open, but Paris and its tourists like to eat out on that evening!
Yes, and also note that many restaurants will be serving a special menu on New Year's eve - likely a set menu at a higher price than you would normally pay and there will be live entertainment etc. If you don't want this, the best bet would be smaller neighborhood places, but even there I'd reserve a table.
Some restaurants will be closed during the entire period - last year when we were there Chez Georges (the one on Rue du Mail) was closed the entire week, much to our dismay.
New Year's day itself will also be very quiet, although some museums will be open, I think we went to the Branly, which was both open and quite crowded. Check websites before you start out.