Lunches in Paris 

During our 6-day stay in Paris the first week of May 2015, my daughter Linda and I discovered two restaurants we especially liked. 

• One of them we visited twice: Les Philosophes (28 rue Vieille du Temple, Paris; phone +33 1 48 87 49 64, cafeine.com/philosophes), located at the beginning of the Marais district, on the Right Bank.

The recommendation for the place came from a friend in New York, whose favorite simple lunch in Paris was their ham-on-baguette sandwich and their tarte Tatin. A nice bonus — Les Philosophes was inexpensive, even when we ordered à la carte.

One day, our 3-course “special” there cost €36 (near $40) for two, including a fabulous celery soup and dessert. We preferred this gorgeous multitude-of-veggies plate over the special we got on our second visit for €37: one cheese tarte with potatoes and sides of fresh peas and spinach, plus one chicken curry.

The bill for the latter actually turned out to be €45 because, instead of having the tiramisu, part of the special, I substituted a big slice of cheesecake. When I eyed a slice earlier on its way to another table, I knew it was going to be the best one I’d ever eaten, and it was — all high and light and jiggly, with a hint of lemon flavor.

Located on a corner and with outside seating, the place was “jumping,” always crowded with people and servers coming and going — a fun milieu for people-watching.

• Another inexpensive neighborhood restaurant we happened upon was La Sarrasine (12 rue du Bellay, Paris; phone +33 1 43 25 79 59), located toward the northwestern tip of Île Saint-Louis.

We had a simple 3-course lunch for €15 each. The entrée that day was lasagne. La Sarrasine’s specialty is crepes, both the substantial warm ones and the dessert kind. There were very few tables, and most of the patrons seemed to be locals.

MARILYN HILL

Portland, OR