Restaurants with many a la carte options

[bakerboyz]

I have been frustrated looking for restaurants in that it seems that a lot of the highly recommended restaurants (Spring, Les Papilles, etc) are basically serving a menu of whatever the chef is cooking on a particular day with very few choices. I would be fine with that but my wife and daughter are picky eaters and need a lot of choices in order to find items they like. Are there highly recommended Bistros, Brasseries or other restaurants that give you many choices between beef, chicken, shellfish, etc? I am a little reluctant to come to Paris without reservations and just walking around the streets looking at menus and deciding without knowing anything about a restaurant. It seems that L'Ami Jean does offer a fair amount of choice so that may be one pick for us. Also considering a lunch at Le Cinq.

[Parigi]

Another restaurant that has relatively more ALC to choose from and which you would not be ashamed patronizing is Le Café des Musées.
Yesterday I counted 7 main dishes, including the day's special.
The setting is a picture-perfect bistro, right in the middle of the Marais.

[dauphine]

I've found Alec Lobrano's book very helpful when seeking the kind of restaurant you describe.

[Steve]

Your crew would probably love l'Ambassade d'Auvergne.

http://www.ambassade-auvergne.com/int...

[PhilD]

You should not have a problem as it is only the minority of places that don't do ALC, and even those with set menus may have a number of set menus to choose from. The few that have very narrowly based set meals tend to be fairly special and it is easy to discount these if you wish.

Le Cinq has a very good ALC menu however be warned the starters cost from €90+ each and mains are going to be €120+ so the ALC meal will probably head over €800 for three quite easily.

[Parigi]

Yes all the good bistros have a very short menu which they change nearly every day, because the chefs are creative and only go with the freshest in-season ingredients.

Your frustration is not with the restaurants but with the fact that you are stuck with dining with picky eaters.

Beides the 2 restaurants you named, Dans Les Landes and Chez Casimir also have a longish menus. Longish mean about 5 choices per course.
Otherwise your choice is to eat in mediocre brasseries or eat separately. Is the latter an option? If so, your possibility of enjoyment increases exponentially.

[bakerboyz]

Parigi, You are very right, my frustration is that I am stuck with picky eaters but I love them and they are my picky eaters so I will suffer the consequences and dine with them. I love my food but I also love their company. I think I will make reservations at Le Cinq for lunch and L'Ami Jean for lunch or dinner. I will also look at your recommendations. They do like crepes and bread and cheese and wine and croissants and chocolate and I am sure that they might like a croque monsieur so we can also load up on that a bit, too. Thank you.