Suggestions please: Near Étienne Marcel station, Paris

[yaddayadda]

We will be visiting Paris March 2009 and I was hoping to get some suggestions for places to eat around our vacation apartment near the Étienne Marcel station, 3em Arrondissement.

(Any food shopping / patisserie / etc. suggestions would be nice, too.)
Thanks to all CHers in advance!

[leejay]

I would take all suggestions, pro and con, with a grain of salt. You are going to Paris to explore and enjoy. We go often and rent an apartment on rue Marie Stuart just off rue Montorgueil. We ate at a bistro on rue Marie Stuart on our last visit. It was great. The food and service were wonderful. Alas, it is gone. Walk around, look at the posted menus (required by French law), peek inside. Does the place look lively or dead? We find that a much better clue to quality than anything else. Try checking our rue Montorgueil, passage du Grand Cerf, and other nearby streets on YouTube. Bon chance!

[yaddayadda]

Thanks leejay.
Better late than never, I suppose.
I'll keep all this in mind when next there.

[yaddayadda]

L'Ojilou on rue Tiquetonne was great. Nice entrecote, and a good vibe.

Dar Wafa on rue Mandar offered great Moroccan, and a lot of it -- we couldn't finish all our couscous or tajins. (But saved some room for their excellent mint tea.)

[Laidback]

An interesting shop for cooks is G. Detou on Tiquetonne just west of the E. M. metro and about an equal distance to the east is an old standard restaurant famous for their aligot, l'Ambassade d'Auvergne on Grenier St. Lazare.

[vielleanglaise]

I've always found Le Tambours on the rue de Montmarte fun. Also, you have the THIRD best eclairs in all of Pairs at Stohrer on the rue Montorgueil. You're not too far away from Le Grand Colbert, the beautiful brasserie (but not part of the Flo chain, so reasonably good food) on the rue Vivienne.

[yaddayadda]

Stohrer was a treat, for sure. The other patisseries in the neighbourhood did a good job, too. We frequented Paul (a chain, it appears) for their baguettes and the morning hit of cafe. However, Collet disappointed, I'm not sure why.

Speaking of patisseries, I highly recommend Pain de Sucre, 14 rue Rambuteau in the Marais (near rue du Temple). These guys know their stuff and are doing an excellent job.

[souphie]

One of the best fancy Chinese in Paris is Vong, rue de la Grande Truanderie. Don't miss their Peking Duck if you have a hundred euro for it.

[Hop]

You've landed in my favorite neighborhood in Paris.
If you have a kitchen in your rental be sure to allow for a few meals at
home, sourced from the abundance on rue Montorgueil. Don't miss
La Palais du Fruits and the cheese shop just a few steps past rue Grenata.

Restaurants in the neighborhood are mostly locals and include:

La Crepe Dentelle (Breton Crepes)
10, Rue Léopold Bellan,
Paris 75002
(just off of the market street rue Montorgueil)

also try:
Café Noir,
65, Rue Montmartre (Métro: Sentier or Bourse),
[phone].

Not too far is the Place des Victoires, where
Willi's Wine Bar still reigns.

Willie’s Wine Bar (casual elegance – great wines)
13 rue des Petits Champs
Paris - 75001

Have fun.
You can't go too wrong.

[yaddayadda]

Cafe Noir is fun.

Also: We ate at Le Cochon à l'Oreille just south of here on Rue Montmatre. It was like going back in time. Nice place, cozy, good standard dishes (don't expect anything spectacular). Really nice waiter. Highly recommended as a local eatery.

[jock]

Some of the best food shopping is right there on Rue Montorgueil. The bio-marche Les Enfants Rouge is also nearby with two very nice restaurants - l'Estaminet (lunch) and Enfants Rouge is very good for dinner.

[Oakglen]

It has been a while (an understatement), but you may want to check out Pierrot and La Grill Montorgueil. At least the prix-fixe prices are low, as I recall.

[yaddayadda]

Tried La Grill Montorgueil, Oakglen, and I'm very sorry I did. This one is a true tourist trap, no imagination, every dish was or seemed microwaved. Even the entrecote was bleh, and what's with the "frites"? Just warmed-over (sorry: re-microwaved) hash brown potatoes.

To everyone else: avoid at all costs!

[Oakglen]

I forgot to mention Pharamond which is also quite near; but it too is popular with the tourist crowd. You will need to put on your walking shoes if you want fine cuisine; Willie's and Maceo would be a good start. Sorry about LGM; did you check out the menu at Pierrot?

[Delucacheesemonger]

Thought Pharamond lost all of its ummmph about five years ago, used to go there for it's famous tripe, then on every occasion walking by was empty, lunch and dinner. Has it gotten back some of it's luster? You are two blocks from Chez Denise just on the other side of Les Halles, walk right by the head statue and straight across to Rue Prouvaire.