Lunch is where the bargains are: look for the "formule"

Many French restaurants serve a fixed-price lunch on weekdays, usually written on a chalkboard as "formule" or "menu du jour": two courses, sometimes three, for far less than the same kitchen charges at dinner. Service runs from about noon to 2 p.m. and many kitchens close in between, so arrive by 1:30. It's how locals eat well on a budget, and it's often the chef's freshest food.