Informal lunch suggestions,Friday in Ile St. Louis / Quartier Latin area, Sunday in the Pere Lachaise / Musee des Egouts area

[pauliface]

My trip to Paris is just around the corner!
Evening dining is all taken care of.

My friend and I drew up our itinerary this weekend; we pack in a lot of sightseeing in the day, and will not want to dawdle too long over lunch.

But that doesn't mean it should not be pleasant and delicious.

Anybody have suggestions for lunch either of these two days:

Friday -- we will be at the Louvre in the morning (I know, not enough time!) and the Latin Quarter in the afternoon (Institut de Monde Arabe and Musee National du Moyen Age).
Any good suggestions?

Sunday -- we'll be visiting Pere Lachaise cemetary and the Musee des Egouts (sewers). Where to lunch amid all that death and pestilence?

Also: Anybody have opinions on La Closerie des Lilas ? It's been recommended to me...

Thanks!

pauli.

[mangeur]

Mama Shelter is a possibility for your Sunday lunch. http://www.mamashelter.com/eat

[souphie]

For friday, any of the following are good: Chez Denise, Chez la vieille, Chez Georges rue du Mail, Macéo, Willy's wine bar, l'AOC rue des Fossés Saint Bernard, Chez René bd Saint Germain, La rotisserie du Beaujolais, le Pré Verre, Balzar (in particular if you're somewhat late after your Louvre morning), Christophe rue Descartes. Some would add le Petit Pontoise and Itinéraires, maybe le Dauphin.

La closerie is a lovely place, very Parisian, very typical. Food is decent, prices are high, people are watching and being watched.

[Dodo]

No idea HOW you will squeeze the Louvre, the IMA and the Cluny into one day.
Just make sure you have a ticket (time slot) in hand for the IMA. Due to the current special exhibit (Arts de l'Islam), lines can be endless.

Agree with what was said about La Closerie. A lovely place.

[Parigi]

I third La Closerie the bar.

[pauliface]

Thank you for the tip about the IMA.
Aso for how to squeeze all this in, well, [a] my friend tends to make very packed itineraries, we may not get to everything, I mean, I *may* want to stop and walk down some street on the spur of the moment., and [b] we've both been to the Louvre several times before; this is not the grand tour, we may just be focusing on a a few choice sections. But even so, yes, it is a bit ridiculous...

[pauliface]

Souphie, thank you for that wonderful list. I will print it out and research on the plane.

Now: Would you choose La Closerie or L'auberge Bressanne. I know they are different types of places, but still, give me your gut-level preference....

[souphie]

I'm a food guy. I think about it all the time, and I will always prefer good food in a sad place (Christophe being a case in point) to a people watching place with food that does not interfere with the social theater . Also, I like cream, meat juices, cheese soufflé, crispy fresh bread and good butter and I don't think good good has to be light and subtle (though I don't mind when it is). So for me, it would be l'Auberge Bressane. But it also depends on who I would be with and what I think they would like. Also, they're not quite in the same part of town, so practicality should be factored in as well.

[pauliface]

Thank you. You have answered my question perfectly.
We will be going to L'Augerge Bressane.
The plan remains unchanged.