On a similar note, in nearly every boulangerie (bakery) you can buy sandwiches for about 3 euros. These are made up of half-length baguettes filled with various things including ham and cheese, lettuce, vegetables, salami, tomatoes, etc. There are sometimes several varieties available, made up in advance. You often see Parisians walking down the street eating one of these sandwiches.

Looking for mineral water to keep in your room or take along for a picnic? Forget the familiar brands like Vittel and Evian; the best buy in the capital beverage-wise has to be 1.5-liter bottles of "Cristaline" mineral water, €0.18 in the supermarket or €0.50 in the ubiquitous tiny neighborhood grocery stores (even at that elevated price, it's still a bargain).

The prix fixe option is a good suggestion, but if you get out of the more heavily touristed areas into the working-class neighborhoods you can find great prices even à la carte. Last week a friend and I ate at Chez Gladines, a tiny Basque-influenced restaurant not far from the Place d'Italie, and each had a plate with a large Basque omelette with salad, wine, and coffee for €10,50 apiece. Some of the neighboring restaurants also had very reasonable prices.