Not a secret hideaway

I have often heard people visiting Paris wanting to go off the beaten path and find that perfect little restaurant that nobody knows about. From my experience, all paths in a city as big as Paris are beaten, and if nobody knows about a restaurant, it goes out of business really fast. Cities are filled with people, and it's ok to be a tourist. What you really should be looking for is a place that matches your tastes and that you feel comfortable in, tourist crowds or no. That said, it's also good to slip out of your comfort zone from time to time, but that's a subject for another blog post.

Le Champ de Mars is in a very nice residential neighborhood within walking distance of the Eiffel Tower.

This place, the Champ de Mars in the Seventh Arrondissement, is very close to the park of the same name, the Ecole Militaire, and, as you can see, the Eiffel Tower. It's a big place with great sun exposure and a terrific menu that's reasonably priced (or used to be; still, it's not cheap). Even though it's often filled with tourists, the Champ de Mars is an authentic Parisian brasserie/café that serves a robust Parisian crowd, and I've enjoyed many great meals there. The people watching can't be beat.

If anyone has been recently, I'd love to hear what you thought and what it's like these days.