I've been cooking in Paris for years, and I see the same mistakes every week from visitors. Here's how to actually eat well here:

1. You're eating too early. Showing up at 6pm means you're eating alone in an empty restaurant that just turned the lights on. Parisians eat at 8-9pm. That's when the kitchen is alive.

2. The places near the Eiffel Tower aren't real restaurants. They're tourist factories. The best food is always on the quieter streets in the 11th, 10th, or 3rd arrondissements.

3. You're skipping the entrée. In France, "entrée" means starter — not main course. Order it. The starters are often the best thing on the menu.

4. Ask for the formule. Most restaurants have a prix fixe lunch menu (the "formule") that's half the price of dinner and just as good. This is how locals eat out without going broke.

5. Talk to the server. Not for Instagram. Ask them what's fresh today, what the chef is proud of. Parisian servers aren't rude — they just don't perform. But if you show genuine interest in the food, they'll steer you right.

If you want the real thing, come see us at La Kafet. We built this place for people who actually care about the food.