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The ultimate food trail (by rail) across France and Paris will leave you hungry for more, and fortunately for the frugal traveller, you don’t need to remortgage the house to do it, writes Stephen Emms Growing up in London, I’ve been travelling on the Eurostar regularly since it launched exactly 30 years ago. Realising I hadn’t visited Paris for years, this spring I decided to make it the starting point of a rail trip south to a trio of famed foodie cities: Bordeaux , San Sebastian and Bilbao . With limited funds, however, my aim was to hunt out well-priced lunch menus, tasty street food stalls, happy hours and, in Spain , the tasty tapas known as pintxos.

Incidentally, European rail tickets are surprisingly good value if booked up front — although it’s essential to reserve a seat otherwise you’ll be standing. How to dine in Paris without blowing the budget Sure, my partner and I were in town only overnight, but we were determined to eat well without totally breaking the bank — not an easy task in the pricey French capital . Lunchtime is when most bargains prevail, especially midweek, with many restaurants offering a plat du jour or menu du jour.



Thankfully, it was a Thursday, enabling us, fresh off the high-speed train, to eat spontaneously at chef Maximilian Wollek’s Michelin-recommended Bistrot Instinct (€25/NZ$44 for two courses at lunchtime). In its airy mezzanine area, we devoured starters of herring with cauliflower and corn velouté with chorizo, bef.

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