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London Has Fallen (2016)GoofsShowing all 66 itemsJump to: Character error (8) | Continuity (9) | Errors in geography (9) | Factual errors (18) |Miscellaneous (3) | Incorrectly regarded as goofs (1) | Plot holes (1) | Revealing mistakes (8) |Spoilers (9)Character errorPresident Asher says the UK is America's "oldest and strongest ally". It may be the strongest, but it's not the oldest. The first treaty signed by the USA was a friendship treaty with Morocco who is the US's oldest ally. The Netherlands has one of the longest-standing diplomatic relationships with the United States, and was the first country to recognise the US after it declared independence in 1776. In Addition, France became America's ally almost immediately after America declared independence from Great Britain. The alliance was formalized by a treaty signed in early 1778. Once the US won independence from the Great Britain, the two countries clashed again in 1812, then had various territorial and trade disputes throughout the 19th century. The United States and the United Kingdom became true allies during World War I.98 of 109 found this interesting | Share thisThe Scottish SAS leader introduces himself to Banning as a captain. Later, Banning refers to him as a lieutenant.24 of 27 found this interesting | Share thisAn English reporter announcing the death of the Prime Minister would typically say Post Mortem rather than Autopsy, and he would use the English, not American, pronunciation of the word Scheduled.8 of 8 found this interesting | Share thisIn the final scene, Mike Banning moves the cursor of his MacBook over the delete button but instead of clicking he hits the enter key. On screen we see the delete button being clicked but in actual fact hitting enter on MacOS will always invoke the primary action of a dialog box, in this case, sending the e-mail.10 of 11 found this interesting | Share thisThe so-called terrorists were said to be Pakistani, but the accents were wrong and many of the cultural details were incorrect. For instance, women and men wouldn't be dancing together at the wedding wearing saris. That's an Indian thing, not Pakistani.20 of 26 found this interesting | Share thisWhen Banning shows his position with his hands for the Vice President and the other members inside the Pentagon, with help of the drone and showing that they going to the MI6 safe-house, Alan refers to Mike as Manning, and not Banning.5 of 5 found this interesting | Share thisGerard Butler's native Scottish accent comes out on occasion.13 of 17 found this interesting | Share thisWhen Banning shows his position with his hands for the Vice President and the other members inside the Pentagon, with help of the drone and showing that they going to the MI6 safe-house, VP Alan refers to Mike as Manning, and not Banning.Is this interesting? | Share thisContinuityWhen Banning and Jacobs brief the president, Banning's face has considerable stubble. When he exits the Oval Office a few moments later, he's clean-shaven.13 of 13 found this interesting | Share thisWhen Banning drives Asher to Marine One in London, the car is shot up, and the entire passenger side of the car is covered in bullet holes. In the next scene, as they arrive at Marine One, most of the bullet holes have disappeared.11 of 11 found this interesting | Share thisWhen Mike is fighting 3 terrorists after the lights come back on, the 3rd terrorist is holding and firing an assault rifle, but in the next cut when the terrorist is gunned down he's holding a sub-machine gun.5 of 5 found this interesting | Share thisThe President' call sign is 'Southpaw' (a baseball term for a left handed thrower) and several times it is pointed out that the President is left handed. When Eckhart/President shoots a terrorist for the first time, the pistol is in his right hand. Later in the movie, as Eckhart/Asher continue to use weapons, it is in the right handed mode.4 of 5 found this interesting | Share thisWhen Banning fights three terrorists when the lights come back on, the 3rd gunman's gun changes from a rifle to a sub.2 of 2 found this interesting | Share thisWhen the helicopter has crashed and the President and Agent Banning are standing outside, Agent Banning removes his radio and earpiece and throws them to the ground. Magically, the earpiece is back in the next scene.3 of 4 found this interesting | Share thisThirteen minutes into the movie, Mike says to President Asher, "It's a clusterfuck, sir", and Asher looks up at Mike. In the next shot he looks down at the paper on his desk.4 of 9 found this interesting | Share thisWhen the US President gets to London and gets out from the chopper, the sun changes between shots.1 of 2 found this interesting | Share thisWhen Mike and the SAS team leader first meet, the team leader introduces himself as Will Davis, Captain. However at the near end when they say goodbye to each other, Mike addresses him as Lieutenant.1 of 3 found this interesting | Share thisErrors in geographyMike Banning's wife watches the events in London from her home in the U.S.. The power outlets in their home are European, not the blade type used in the U.S.33 of 34 found this interesting | Share thisThe beginning of the movie mentions a terrorist attack on a hotel in the Philippines, but the footage shown is from the 2002 Bali Bombings. The Indonesian flag is clearly visible.39 of 41 found this interesting | Share thisPresident Asher and Banning enter a Tube station to escape pursuers. It's labeled Charing Cross Station, but it's actually Moorgate.12 of 13 found this interesting | Share thisEach member of the President's cabinet gets on-screen text in the movie, identifying them and their position. Melissa Leo is identified as "Secretary of Defence", with the British spelling of the word. The American spelling is "Defense."20 of 25 found this interesting | Share thisMike says they need to get underground, then walks the president well over a mile above ground to get to Charing Cross Station. Marble Arch, Bond Street, Green Park and Picadilly stations were significantly closer to the crash site in the northeast corner of Hyde Park. Walking to Charing Cross took them close to the U.S. Embassy, which Mike said they should avoid, and towards the area where the initial attacks occurred.14 of 17 found this interesting | Share thisWhen President Asher and Banning run through the streets of London, they run on Regent Street (near Air St), then across Moorgate. The streets are 3 miles apart, and even at a good walking pace the trip would take at least 15 minutes.33 of 45 found this interesting | Share thisStansted Airport isn't in the countryside, and isn't near any lakes or hills.24 of 32 found this interesting | Share thisAfter landing by helicopter, when the President's car leaves Somerset House courtyard, they turn left onto the Strand, and carry on across the next junction, across the A301. This is heading West. In fact St Paul's is East, and no logical route would start by setting off west along the Strand.2 of 3 found this interesting | Share thisIn the opening scene when Mike and the President are going for a run, they are actually running in Battersea Park in London where you can see the roofs of Cyril Mansions and the Castlemaine tower block in the background. However, when Mike gets home still in his running gear, later scenes show that they are still in Washington and haven't gone to London yet.2 of 3 found this interesting | Share thisFactual errorsThe chief of the Metropolitan Police is introduced as "Chief Inspector," and introduces himself with that rank. Chief Inspector is the the fourth-lowest rank in the police force; seven ranks are above that level. The chief's title should be "Commissioner". The uniform depicts the correct insignia on its epaulets.38 of 39 found this interesting | Share thisIn the movie, the two helicopters accompanying Marine One are called Marine Two and Three. In real life, Marine One is the call sign of any US Marine Corps aircraft the President is traveling in. Marine Two is the call sign of any US Marine Corps aircraft carrying the Vice President. Marine Three is not used.48 of 50 found this interesting | Share thisWhen the Prime Minister died the Presidents would not have been the one to go to the funeral, there would not have been enough time for the Secret Service to plan for his protection. Some one else like the Secretary Of State or Vice President would attend in his place.22 of 23 found this interesting | Share thisDuring the short scene that shows all the security preparations around London for the funeral, F/A-18 Hornets fly overhead. The UK does not have those planes. Currently the Royal Air Force uses: Typhoon FGR4, Tornado GR4, and soon the Lightning II (F-35 in the US). Foreign aircraft would not provide such air cover for that kind of event.20 of 21 found this interesting | Share thisMI6 is frequently referred to, however the roles depicted in the film would be covered by MI5, who are responsible for domestic intelligence.16 of 17 found this interesting | Share thisAir Force One is usually a VC-25A, the military version of the civilian 747-200B, with has four engines, two on either side of the wings. The aircraft in this movie has two engines (one on either side) and two extra items on the far end of either wing. In addition, the President always exit the left side of the plane because the plane does not have a right-side door. Furthermore, the call-sign Air Force One does not refer to the plane itself. It is assigned to any Air Force aircraft carrying the President.16 of 18 found this interesting | Share thisThe Stansted tarmac shows runway markings 12/30. Stansted's only runway is 04/22.12 of 13 found this interesting | Share thisAt the twenty minute mark when the German Chancellor is watching the squad of Guardsmen march past in the courtyard of Buckingham Palace, the officer leading the squad is carrying an SA80 rifle. Officers in full dress do not carry SA80s and one doing so would arouse suspicion.11 of 13 found this interesting | Share thisWhen Marine One lands in England, the president is shown exiting the aircraft while the helicopter's blades are still spinning. The president and his entourage are not permitted to enter or exit the aircraft with the blades in motion, not under any circumstances.7 of 8 found this interesting | Share thisThe protection of the heads of state in London is portrayed as being the responsibility of the rank-and-file Metropolitan Police, however in reality this is handled by Counter Terrorism Command (formerly special branch).6 of 7 found this interesting | Share thisWhen President Asher arrives at Westminster Abbey in London, Agent Banning opens the rear door of The President's State motorcade vehicle which he later refers to as "The Beast". It's obvious that the door of the car is only a few inches thick like a typical limousine. In reality, "The Beast" has doors almost 8 inches thick and are made of heavy ballistic armor and bullet proof glass. The actual vehicle is built on a Cadillac Escalade chassis and weighs approximately 18,000 pounds.7 of 9 found this interesting | Share thisWhen Banning drives Asher to Marine One in London, the car is shot up but the bullets don't penetrate the bullet proof glass. Later a motorcyclist runs into the back of the car putting his head through the rear window.9 of 14 found this interesting | Share thisIn real life, when Marine One lands, a Marine always gets off the helicopter first to open the doors for the president. In this movie, two Marines are seen saluting the president while a secret service agent opens the door in a well guarded environment.2 of 2 found this interesting | Share thisThe agent infiltrates Barkawi's daughter's wedding and sends a message to the US military to bomb the place remotely. On the agent's phone he types "Barkawi on sight" and clicks send, but there is no phone number or contact.4 of 6 found this interesting | Share thisThe BMW X5 used to escape the MI6 safe-house is portraying to have diplomatic number plates. However the format is incorrect as these are three numbers either side of the D, not 4 as depicted in the film.1 of 1 found this interesting | Share thisStansted Airport only has one airstrip (04/22). The aircraft portraying the VC-25 is standing at an intersection of two airstrips meaning this scene isn't actually filmed at Stansted.1 of 1 found this interesting | Share thisAlso, when Marine One lands, the president usually comes out after the Marine One crew chief(s) is/are on ground and are saluting. Here, the security details are seen coming down before the president.1 of 1 found this interesting | Share thisDuring the last scene where Banning is second-guessing sending an e-mail, it is shown that he hits the 'enter' key in order to delete the message, however, as the 'send' button is highlighted by default. This would have been the action that would have taken place regardless of where the cursor is placed thus sending the e-mail instead of deleting it.1 of 3 found this interesting | Share thisMiscellaneousAt approximately 00:10:10 into the movie, when the scene cuts to the black and yellow Metropolitan Police helicopter hovering over London, the footage is played in reverse. You can see all the vehicles on the bridge driving backwards, and steam from a rooftop vent flowing back into the building.4 of 5 found this interesting | Share thisAt 42:22, a totally different helicopter is shown. The shape of the downed helicopter resembles the body and design of an SH-3 Sea King, not that of a VH-60 White Hawk.2 of 2 found this interesting | Share thisIn the last shot, when vice president was talking on TV, there was a shot on Banning Macbook laptop and the email App wasn't enabled, then the shot had moved to delete the email via email App.2 of 4 found this interesting | Share thisIncorrectly regarded as goofsAir Force One landed at Heathrow Airport until 2008. It caused such delay and inconvenience that the reception point was moved to Stansted.41 of 43 found this interesting | Share thisPlot holesWhen Banning tells the MI6 agent, Jacqueline "Jax" Marshall to leave the safe house to find out who the mole is, why didn't he send President Asher with her since she had no trouble getting to safety.Is this interesting? | Share thisRevealing mistakesDespite multiple major bombings close by, when the presidential motorcade attempts to get away, some shots show people walking around as if nothing had happened.40 of 41 found this interesting | Share thisThe horizontal stabilizer on the UH-60 Blackhawk deflects down at low air speeds so the rotor downwash doesn't push down too much, pushing the tail down at low speeds. In all of the low speed and hover scenes, the three Marine One UH-60 helicopters have horizontal stabilizers fixed in the horizontal position, which means they are all CG helicopters.26 of 27 found this interesting | Share thisWhen the president steps off of Marine One as he lands in London, the Marine guard saluting him is standing with his feet slightly apart, not in the heels-together position of attention. No Marine assigned to a presidential detail would make a mistake like this.16 of 18 found this interesting | Share thisWhen the agent confirms Barkawi's location, he sends a message without entering a number or choosing a contact. "Type person's name or number" is visible on the top of the phone screen.11 of 12 found this interesting | Share thisAs the president and others speed away from the initial attack, the motorcade strikes an abandoned vehicle sending an attackers flying from the impact. The man spins suspended in mid-air until out of frame, as if he was weightless.5 of 8 found this interesting | Share thisAfter the three helicopters have landed at Somerset House, Banning and Lynne exit Marine One. One of the wheels of the helicopter in the background hovers above the helicopter's shadow, never touching the ground. Marine One has an unnatural high-gloss sheen while landing.5 of 9 found this interesting | Share thisIn the Cabinet Office, during discussion of the British Prime Minister's funeral arrangements, the camera pans around the room while an aide discusses British involvement in international war. A laptop screen has Windows Image Viewer open, and an image of what appears to be two scanned documents. They would usually be read in a document reader, not as a picture/image.3 of 9 found this interesting | Share thisWhen a bomb was planted underneath a car and it exploded, people ran off while the president was gently walking up a stairway. If secret service agents were split everywhere as shown in 18:55, they would have heard the sound and alerted the presidential detail within a second.Is this interesting? | Share thisSpoilersThe goof items below may give away important plot points.Audio/visual unsynchronisedBig Ben's chimes are heard twice. The first time the bells strike the half-hour chimes when the clock shows quarter past the hour. The second time, when one of the towers at Westminster Abbey explodes, the clock strikes quarter past the hour when the time is completely different.15 of 16 found this interesting | Share thisCharacter errorMarine One's pilot is inept at protecting the president during an unprecedented threat. Instead of making a beeline for the airport, he flies east, over St. Paul's Cathedral, where terrorists are known to be operating. After a few minutes in the air, Mike says they'll arrive at Air Force One in ten minutes. In an emergency, Marine One should have been flying at top speed at a high altitude, making the trip in about 7 minutes. When attacked by Stinger missiles, the pilot's evasive maneuvers take the copter back toward where the attacks occurred, instead of away from known enemies.37 of 38 found this interesting | Share thisAt the end of the movie, Banning is about to submit his resignation. After a while he changes his mind, hovers the mouse button over "Cancel", thinks for a second, then and hits the "Return" key, which would send the letter.17 of 26 found this interesting | Share thisContinuityToward the end of the film, when Mike is back home with Leah and their new baby, the shots alternate between closeups of Leah rubbing the baby's head and a wide shot of Leah. The closeups show a hand with long, painted fingernails, while the wide shots show her nails cut and unpainted.4 of 5 found this interesting | Share thisErrors in geographyJust before the missile hits it, Marine One flies over Whitehall Place, and doesn't make any turns before it crashes in a park. St. James Park is just west of Whitehall Place. According to the satellite imagery in the White House bunker, the copter crashed in Hyde Park, about 1.5 miles to the northwest.4 of 6 found this interesting | Share thisFactual errorsThe Prime Minister of Japan is stuck in traffic on the Chelsea Bridge, ultimately causing him to get caught up in the explosions. As a head of government, he should have had a motorcade with police clearing the way, just like other world leaders depicted in the film.69 of 69 found this interesting | Share thisThe President of France is shown sitting in his private boat by the River Thames. In real life, security protocols would not have allowed him to be so vulnerable.53 of 53 found this interesting | Share thisIncorrectly regarded as goofsThe enemy hideout is discovered because of the power it took from the national grid when it was supposed to be deserted. When the soldiers arrive, the whole set-up is powered by generators; in fact their first objective is to knock out the main generator. Earlier in the movie, it was revealed that the terrorists cut power to all of London, explaining the need for a generator as well as a back-up.22 of 23 found this interesting | Share thisPlot holesIt is unlikely that an MI6 'Safe House' would have a skylight through which entry could be made by an intruder.

Q. Are there graduates of medical schools (MDs and comparable) who are unable to get into a residency program? If so, what happens to them?A. A few articles of interest:Understand Your Odds of Getting into ResidencyShortage of residency slots may have chilling effect on next generation of physiciansOptions Exist for Med Students Without Residency Matches (usnews.com)Medical Students Match Day (statnews.com)Unmatched Graduate: “Med Schools to Blame”Foreign medical graduates get a raw deal. Here's why.Understand Your Odds of Getting into ResidencyMARCH 08, 2017 Heidi Moawad, MDIn recent years, we have all been hearing more and more in the medical community about doctors who are not able to successfully get into a residency training program in the United States. Physicians in this predicament are in a difficult jam, unable to proceed with a career they have spent so much time and money working toward, while at the same time, unable to get work in most other desirable professions, which also require years of specialized education and internships.Many aspiring physicians wonder about the numbers behind this bleak situation and what it means for them. If you have been unable to match so far – or if you are apprehensive that you may have a low chance of matching – the statistics behind this problem can help you gain some insight into your chances of getting into an accredited residency program.MATCH PROGRAM FACTSThe National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) itself, which is the organization that matches physician applicants to U.S. residency training programs, provides a uniform process for all applicants, with consistent application deadlines and scheduled announcements of match results.According to the most recent NRMP results from 2016, there were more than 35,000 applicants for approximately 27,000 PGY1 positions. The gap between applicants and positions is the reason that there are so many medical school graduates who are not able to work as doctors. Of these applicants, about 20,000 are graduates of U.S. medical schools, and the remainder of physician applicants are International Medical School graduates.While there are certainly a substantial number of physicians who do not match in a residency spot, there were more available positions for PGY1 spots this past year than ever before. But, the number of applicants for the 2016 match reached an all-time high. The number of U.S. allopathic medical school and osteopathic medical school applicants was only about 20,000, which is substantially fewer than the number of residency positions available. And, it turns out that most (more than 95 percent) U.S. graduates did match in a residency program.However, there are hundreds of U.S. medical school graduates who do not match each year. U.S. medical students who were not recent graduates had a significantly lower match rate than recent graduates, for various reasons. And American students who graduated from international medical schools did not fare as well as American students who graduated from U.S. medical schools, with a slightly higher match rate than non-U.S. citizen International Medical School graduates, which was little more than 50 percent in 2016.LARGER NUMBER OF APPLICANTSThere has been a larger number of applicants than ever before because most of the applicant groups are growing. There are slightly more U.S. allopathic medical school graduates, more U.S. citizen International Medical School graduates and more Osteopathic medical school graduates, which adds up to more applicants. And, there are more non-U.S. International Medical School graduates applying for residency spots as well. Despite all of the negativity about the medical field, there are still huge numbers of people who want to work as physicians, particularly in the United States, where most doctors perceive the system to be relatively fair, uncorrupt and of high quality.Interestingly, there are also many non-U.S. International Medical School graduates who do not even apply for the match because they have not passed USMLE tests, have scored low on the examinations or have other concerns that make it impractical to apply. And a large number of non-U.S. International Medical School graduates apply for residency, but receive no interviews, and thus do not have the option to proceed with ranking programs in the match.DO YOU HAVE TO MATCH TO WORK AS A DOCTOR?While you can take USMLE parts 1 and 2, and there are special circumstances that allow for you to take USMLE part 3, each state has its own requirements for medical licensing. At least one to two years of residency or internship training is typically required in order to obtain a medical license. If you want to work as a clinical physician, it is best to try to get a position through the match, or shortly after the match during the so-called scrambling period if you do not match. In fact, there are even instances in which physicians become ill or leave training programs, opening unexpected slots that need to be urgently filled at any time during the year.Physicians who want non-clinical work can succeed without residency training, but residency training even helps open the non-clinical route to better options. Therefore it is worthwhile to continue in the process, even accepting a position in a less desirable specialty, whether your aspiration is patient care or non-clinical work.There are options for doctors who do not have residency training, however. To get the most updated information, visit Careers for Physicians Without Residency, which is regularly updated with more opportunities.Shortage of residency slots may have chilling effect on next generation of physiciansBY BRUCE KOEPPEN, M.D. — 01/22/16 11:00 AM ESTMost people are aware of America's looming physician shortage, but the shortage of residency slots for medical school graduates has received less attention.In order to practice medicine in this country, graduates of allopathic (MD) and osteopathic (DO) medical schools must complete a residency training program. In recent years the number of MD and DO graduates has increased by more than 23 percent in an effort by schools to address the country's growing physician shortage, which the American Association of Medical Colleges estimates will approach 90,000 too few physicians by 2025.While the number of medical school graduates is increasing, the number of residency training positions has not kept pace. If this imbalance is not addressed, the number of American MD and DO graduates will exceed the number of first-year residency positions, which by some estimates could occur as soon as 2017. When this happens, young physicians-who dedicated years to the pursuit of a medical education and incurred significant debt doing so-will not be able to practice medicine, and the physician shortage will persist.Part of the problem stems from the funding mechanism for Graduate Medical Education (GME). Medicare covers the majority of the cost teaching hospitals spend on training medical residents, but the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 capped the number of residency slots the federal government would fund. The shortfall-what is not covered by the Federal government-is paid for by the hospitals where residents train. While it is possible to increase the number of residents they train, to do so, hospitals must fund the entire cost of those training positions.Though patient care has shifted its emphasis to wellness and prevention, the current reimbursement system has not yet caught up. It is still based on the number of procedures performed, incentivizing hospitals to fund additional residencies in revenue-producing specialties instead of primary care.Adding to the problem, are for-profit schools that pay hospitals for medical student residency training spots-an incentive for some cash-strapped hospitals-something that is a growing concern among medical school deans. Residency slots that are taken by trainees from non-accredited schools reduce the number of slots available to trainees from accredited allopathic and osteopathic schools.Some of these non-accredited for-profit schools train as many as 1000 students a year without clinical facilities or full time faculty. According to a 2013 Bloomberg Markets investigation, many students who attend these schools incur tremendous debt and fail to complete the programs; many of those who complete the programs are unable to find a residency.The shortage of residency slots is also affecting graduates of accredited programs. Last year, more than 500 graduates from US allopathic medical schools were unable to obtain a residency training position. As more students graduate from medical school in the coming years, this number will only increase.We need to find ways to address the shortfall. There are several solutions being considered.The Foreign Medical School Accountability Fairness Act, a bi-partisan bill from the House and the Senate that would protect taxpayers and students, eliminates an exemption that entitles certain foreign medical schools to US Department of Education Title IV funding without meeting minimum requirements. The bill would ensure that 60 percent of enrollees in medical schools outside the US and Canada must be non-US citizens or permanent residents and have at least a 75 percent pass rate on the US Medical Licensing Exam.Other pending legislation includes the Training Tomorrow's Doctors Today Act, which would add 15,000 new residency training positions over the next five years; and the Resident Physicians Shortage Reduction Act of 2015, which aims to protect against the rapid shortfall of primary care physicians.The Affordable Care Act's $230 million Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program is designed to train primary care physicians mostly in non-hospital settings, which is exactly where the majority of primary medicine is practiced. Moreover, many of these new training programs serve underserved communities. These residency programs do not rely on Medicare funding, but must be self-supporting by 2017.These efforts all have merit, but the wheels are turning slowly and the clock is ticking. Training physicians doesn't happen overnight. Our lawmakers need to move quickly for the sake of patients and the physicians who have invested so much time and effort into learning how to care for them.Koeppen is founding dean of the Frank H. Netter School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University.Options Exist for Med Students Without Residency Matches (usnews.com)Few days are as important as Match Day for a medical school student.Dozens of videos on YouTube show students crying tears of joy and hugging classmates as they finally learn, this year on March 15, where they will spend the next three to seven years doing their residency. This day marks the unofficial end of medical school and the beginning of a career as a doctor.[Learn about recent changes in the matching process for residents.]On the Monday of Match Week, students learn if they were matched with a residency program. This year there were approximately 40,000 registrants. Unmatched students – this month, 963 registrants were unmatched, according to the National Resident Matching Program – are automatically entered into the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program, a one-week process that allows them to apply for unfilled residency positions.Residency offers through SOAP "continue through Friday of Match Week, and that process has been very efficient," says Hal Jenson, president-designate of the National Resident Matching Program.Before SOAP was created, students went through a similar process called "the scramble." But even with coordinated, last-minute efforts to place students, some still find themselves without a residency.After not matching in anesthesiology in 2010 and then failing to find a residency program through the scramble, one aspiring physician spent a year teaching anatomy, physiology and microbiology at a technical school until the next match."I still wanted to do anesthesiology, but I left it open to other fields as well. It sort of becomes a you-take-what-you-get type of deal," says the now second-year resident, who asked not to be identified. He settled for internal medicine."Initially you are disheartened, but what can you do about it? Either you sulk, or you fix it and figure out another situation," he says.[Find out how medical residency work hours can vary.]Experts say there are typically two reasons students don't match. They apply for highly competitive residencies, such as dermatology or radiology, even though their medical school performance makes them unlikely candidates for those slots, or they place too few schools on their ranking list, which they give to the National Resident Matching Program.While unmatched students can take alternative routes to residency, many in the medical field agree it's best to avoid the situation outright. One way is to rank several residency programs at which a student has interviewed."I tell medical students they should always put at least five places," says Stephen Klasko, dean of the University of South Florida Health's Morsani College of Medicine. He encourages students, particularly those who didn't initially match, to expand the number of hospitals they are willing to go within their chosen specialty, or consider choosing a different specialty.Lynn Buckvar-Keltz, associate dean for student affairs at the NYU School of Medicine, says grades and exam scores matter when applying for residency, but those aren't the only factors."Being an engaged, enthusiastic member of the clinical teams during the clinical clerkship is an important part of the student's medical school experience and therefore their residency application as well."[Follow a day in the life of a medical intern.]If an aspiring physician is unmatched, there are a few options.Students can contact their medical school and ask for a transitional slot, which mimics the fourth year of school, or seek a research fellowship."If they do a transitional year or a research fellowship, they can then become more competitive in one of those specialties or they can decide to match in family medicine or general internal medicine where it's easier to get a slot," says Klasko.Obtaining another degree could also increase a student's chances of matching in the next cycle, Klasko says."Now all of a sudden I'm a pretty cool candidate," he says. "It doesn't look like I'm somebody who failed. I'm somebody who decided to get a master's in public health or an MBA. Now I'm a differentiated candidate."Searching for a medical school? Get our complete rankings of Best Medical Schools.Corrected 4/10/13: A previous version of this article misstated the name of the National Resident Matching Program.Tags: doctors, education, graduate schools, medical school, studentsDelece Smith-Barrow is an education reporter at U.S. News, covering college admissions; she previously wrote about graduate schools.POLITICSMedical Students Match Day (statnews.com)Looming question for medical students: Will they be shut out of advanced training? By MELISSA BAILEY MARCH 17, 2016Dr. Heidi Schmidt looks on while a nurse takes the vitals of a patient in a medical clinic at the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry in Indianapolis.They’re about to graduate from medical school with an MD to their names, but hundreds of students across the US learned this week that they haven’t advanced to the next step of training — and will not be allowed to practice medicine.Most medical students found out Friday where they’re headed for their residency, where they’ll work alongside licensed doctors, gradually gaining more responsibility. But each year, a sizable group learns shortly before the official “Match Day” that they’ve been shut out of this training.This year, for instance, more than 29,000 applicants got placed in a first-year residency through the main matching process. But 8,640 did not — a number that includes international applicants and aspiring physicians who graduated from medical schools in recent years, as well as current fourth-year students.That mismatch has prompted a policy debate: Should the rural and urban clinics that struggle to find doctors be allowed to scoop up unmatched graduates so their talents don’t go to waste? Or would it be dangerous to put them in front of patients without a traditional residency, which typically lasts at least three years?Missouri, Kansas, and Arkansas have passed laws to allow unmatched graduates to work in medically underserved areas without doing a residency.Otherwise, “a lot end up wasting all of their education, because there is no place for them in the health care delivery system without having a residency,” said Dr. Edmond Cabbabe, a plastic surgeon in St. Louis who conceived of the Missouri law.Passed in 2014, but not yet implemented, the law will create an “assistant physician” license for these newly minted doctors, who will work with a collaborating physician. That physician will have to directly supervise the new doctors for at least a month before they can see patients on their own. One impetus for the law: Nearly all of Missouri’s 101 rural counties face a shortage of primary care providers.Arkansas this year approved new rules allowing recent medical school graduates with ties to the state to work as a “graduate registered physician” before residency. Kansas, too, created a special license; it’s restricted to graduates of the University of Kansas School of Medicine who strike out in the match process, and it allows them to work, under supervision, for just two years. At that point, they’re expected to move on to a residency.Related Story:Medical students demand an end to pricey exam testing patient care skillsWhile supporters hail such laws as a groundbreaking solution, the medical establishment has frowned on them.The Association of American Medical Colleges “is concerned by efforts that would bypass the experiences necessary for physicians to provide safe and effective patient care independently,” said Tannaz Rasouli, AAMC’s senior director of government relations.The American Medical Association also came out against such programs. Instead, it has called on government, insurance payers, and foundations to pitch in money to create more residency spots.So far, no one is practicing medicine under any of those new regulations.But they could help MDs like Dr. Heidi Schmidt, a Juilliard-trained opera singer and entrepreneur who graduated from American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine on the island of St. Maarten. She received honors in clinical coursework, but struggled with standardized tests and had to make multiple attempts to pass two national board exams.Residency programs often see multiple board exam attempts and degrees from foreign medical schools as red flags when evaluating candidates.Schmidt, who also has master’s degrees in public health, music, and pharmaceutical science, has the title “doctor,” but her options are limited. Without at least one year of postgraduate residency, she can’t practice medicine in the United States. To work as a nurse or a physician assistant, she’d have to go back to school and get a different degree.To stay in medicine, she volunteers in Indianapolis at Gennesaret Free Clinics for the homeless and working poor. She sees patients, but she said a licensed physician must sign off on all her work. Schmidt said she can’t get paid until she becomes a licensed physician. And she longs to treat patients on her own.“My dream has always been to be a physician for the poor,” she said.Dr. Heidi Schmidt at the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry in Indianapolis, Ind. After not being matched with a residency, Schmidt’s plans of becoming a licensed doctor are on hold, so she volunteers at a medical clinic there.LUCAS CARTER FOR STATSeniors in traditional (non-osteopathic) US medical schools have better odds than those from foreign schools: Their match rate has hovered around 94 percent. But that still means 1,130 didn’t get a residency in the main match this year.That news can be a shock. As a senior at the University of Virginia medical school last year, Dr. Daniel Harris applied to 67 general surgery residencies and landed eight interviews at residency programs. On the Monday before Match Day, he got an email letting him know that none had accepted him.Harris said he was in disbelief, but he didn’t have time to process that feeling. He had just two hours to decide which programs he would apply to through the Supplemental Offer and Acceptance Program, or SOAP, which helps unmatched applicants find open spots.Harris picked 20 programs and hit “submit.”“I maybe started crying at that point,” he said. “There was nothing more I could do.”Harris got lucky: He was one of 599 US medical school seniors who scooped up unfilled spots through SOAP last year. Other types of applicants — for instance, those from foreign schools — grabbed another 400-plus spots.That still left hundreds of seniors at US medical schools, and thousands from international schools, halted in their quest to practice medicine in the United States.Were they weeded out for good reason? That’s open for debate. Surely, some were ill-prepared. Others may have been unlucky or just played their cards wrong when picking which residencies to apply for.The most common reason for not matching is poor scores on national board exams, according to a 2005 survey by the AAMC. Other reasons include: applying to a specialty that’s too competitive for the applicant’s academic standing; poor interviewing or interpersonal skills; and having to take a board exam multiple times to pass.Some people in this situation, like Dr. Nick Milligan, decide not to pursue a medical license. Milligan graduated from St. George’s University School of Medicine, on the Caribbean island of Grenada, in 2014. He said he was disappointed not to match with a residency, but he ended up happily employed at Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine in California, where he has used his medical training to build a diabetes education program.Medical school grads face a staggering $183,000 in debt, on median, but they can seek relief, as Milligan does, from federal programs that limit monthly loan payments to 10 percent of income.Most graduates of US medical schools don’t give up on becoming a licensed doctor if they don’t match, said Geoffrey Young, AAMC’s senior director for student affairs and programs. They often spend a year doing research, or complete a fifth year of medical school, then apply to the match the following year.Related Story:An urgent call for diversity in medicine, ‘the profession I love’More than 99 percent of US medical school graduates do end up practicing medicine within six years of graduation, Young and coauthors found in a study published in JAMA.The new state laws might offer some of the unmatched students another route to a medical career.Missouri is expected to open enrollment for its assistant physician license this fall. Because it has the least restrictive rules, it may face a flood of applicants from around the country.Schmidt could be one of them.If Missouri opens the door for her to treat patients, she said, “I’d pack up and move in a second.”Update: The story has been updated to include statistics about the matching program for this year.Unmatched Graduate: “Med Schools to Blame”by SkepticalScalpel | Oct 17, 2016 | 30 commentsSkeptial Scalpel (click to view)The following was submitted as a series of comments on my Physician’s Weekly post about Missouri’s new law allowing medical school graduates who did not match into residency positions to work under supervision. The comments have been edited for length and clarity:I am a 38-year-old US medical graduate who has attempted to match 3 times with no success. I decided not to throw the money away again this cycle. I have half a million dollars in educational loans. I would exchange my situation with any non-US-IMG because they probably don’t have massive loans. I have seen kids coming fresh from India with no loans who match in their first attempts because they score high enough on USMLE to separate themselves from people like me.Based on USMLE scores, the matching system is fair to a lot of us. What fails US grads is the educational loan structure that allows us to borrow without any accountability of medical schools that are benefiting most. If medical schools are going to produce doctors who cannot match after genuine attempts, the schools should be blamed. They have standards that require students to pass each course in order to graduate. If they believe a student is not good enough to become a doctor, they shouldn’t graduate the student. Students would benefit more if the medical schools could determine which med students won’t be good doctors earlier on and dismiss them. Then the students will not pile up so much debt.Some graduates find that their training is not good enough to become a physician. It’s a scam. Why do medical schools get a free ride on this? Everyone who has completed medical school successfully with passing scores on USMLE Step 1 and 2 should be allowed to use that acquired knowledge. Why not let those who have demonstrated they can work under supervision get job?What fails US grads is the educational loan structure that allows us to borrow without any accountability of medical schools that are benefiting most.When I try to get a nonclinical job, they read my resume and tell me I am overqualified for the position. I have tried to hide my MD degree and use only my Bachelor of Science degree (biology) in order to get a job. But they tell me I don’t have experience, and the big gap between my undergrad education and my current situation cannot be explained. Some employers have asked me if I spent the time in jail.I applied to PA schools last year and had no success. Some of my rejection letters said as a medical doctor, I am not a good fit for PA career. Some PA programs wanted me to go back to college again to take pre-med courses.Besides medicine I have no other skills I can use to make a living. I am broke. I refuse to become homeless. Last month I applied and qualified for food stamps. Next week I am starting a $10.15/hour job as a UPS package handler while I am looking for other better opportunities.Each year about 5% of US graduates do not match to a residency and have nowhere to go. There are many reasons we did not match—most commonly because of academics. If I were a program director, I would interview the best applicants and rank them accordingly. I just believe unmatched doctors must be given other opportunities to make use of their acquired knowledge instead wasting it in a warehouse or a grocery store.If fresh college grads with 2 years in PA school can become providers under a licensed physician why can’t someone who made it through med school in 4 years function at the same level? Having an MD degree without a residency is like having a felony record. No one will give you a job. Having an MD degree without a residency dooms you to struggle in life. I wish I didn’t have the heavy weight of the MD degree on my back.I hope marginal pre-med students will read my story and make a rational decision before applying to medical school. Med schools want to fill their classes because they know the more students they have, the more money they will make. As they collect your tuition, they will tell you they are nonprofit institutions.No med schools will tell pre-med students the drawbacks such as the scarcity of postgraduate training as med school class sizes increased 30% since 2000. Most schools only publish lists of students who matched successfully and fail to mention those who don’t match. Pre-med students should be told what happens to all graduates of each med school.My story may not be relevant to pre-meds who have demonstrated great potential in medicine (GPA, MCAT, and motivation). The problem is some med schools can’t fill their classes with 100% smart kids. What they do instead is lower their standards to get more students to fill the class. Why? Because they want to make money and are not held accountable.If they can’t recruit students who can become licensed physicians in the US, the classes should be left unfilled. What is point of educating someone and giving him a piece of paper that can’t be used? These institutions should be held accountable for tuition and fees if a medical graduate attempts to match to complete his training but failed. This will force them to dismiss academically or professionally unfit students from medical schools before they accrue massive loans.I don’t see how the schools could ever be forced to do what the writer wants.Skeptical Scalpel is a retired surgeon and was a surgical department chairman and residency program director for many years. He is board-certified in general surgery and a surgical sub-specialty and has re-certified in both several times. For the last six years, he has been blogging at SkepticalScalpel.blogspot.com and tweeting as @SkepticScalpel. His blog has had more than 2,500,000 page views, and he has over 15,500 followers on Twitter.Foreign medical graduates get a raw deal. Here's why.ERIC BEAM, MD | EDUCATION | MAY 23, 2016On my recent tour of residency programs, I had the pleasure of meeting many foreign medical graduates (a.k.a. FMGs; not to be confused with international medical graduates, who are U.S. citizens who go abroad for medical school).Almost uniformly, they struck me as confident, mature and articulate. Many were older than me, some by as much as 10 or 15 years. Most had extensive research experience, and a few had even completed residency already in another country and were here to take a shot at becoming a U.S.-licensed physician, which would require them to do it all over again. To an outsider, they would appear as competitive candidates for programs that aspire to produce first-class doctors. But I did not envy their plight. In our conversations, one thing became clear: Whereas I was hoping to match into one of my top-choice programs, they were hoping to match, period. And, in 2016, only 50 percent did.FMGs get a raw deal. With the exception of Canada, we don’t recognize international medical training as meeting our quality standards; thus, doctors licensed to practice in their home countries must start at square one if they want to work here. Before they even apply to residency, FMGs need a stamp of approval from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). Only about half succeed in getting certified.One major hurdle, apart from the written exams, is the USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills test, which requires a high-stakes demonstration of English proficiency and a costly trip to one of the five U.S. cities where it’s offered. (Interestingly, from 1998 to 2004 this test was called the Clinical Skills Assessment, and only FMGs were required to take it.) It’s virtually impossible for a FMG to start residency directly after finishing medical school. They’re often encouraged to do a few years of research to pad their résumé, or to do a rotation or two at a U.S. hospital. This adds up to a lot of time, money and effort spent on an endeavor that is far from a sure thing.All of this is not to say that we shouldn’t have a rigorous screening process for who we allow to train and practice here. We should, and we do. But we must acknowledge that the deck is stacked firmly against FMGs. Imagine you’re a program director comparing two applicants side-by-side, one a U.S. medical graduate and the other a FMG. If, on paper, the two appear to have equivalent qualifications, there’s a good chance the FMG worked harder and sacrificed more to get there. That is an achievement worthy of recognition.But these days it’s become something of a badge of honor for residency programs to exclude FMGs from their rosters, and historically they have served as “fillers” for residency spots that remain vacant after U.S. students have matched. In 1995, the Council on Graduate Medical Education, an advisory body tasked with making recommendations to the Department of Health and Human Services, singled out FMGs in their annual report and proposed cutting federal funding for their training by 75 percent in an effort to reverse course on an impending “physician surplus” (oh, the irony). They walked back this recommendation in a subsequent report due to anticipated “legal complexities,” but even their less controversial plan carried the same aim: to severely restrict FMGs from entering the physician workforce.I have heard two arguments for keeping FMGs out. The first is that their training is substandard. While I’m sure this applies to some cases, it is certainly not a universal truth. Is it really so hard to believe that a student whose education happens outside of a glittering first-world multi-million-dollar medical complex could learn the same principles of biomedical sciences as a student in this country? Is that student not examined as rigorously, mentored as thoughtfully, challenged as intensively, as one of ours?The second argument against FMGs is the so-called “brain drain” theory; that taking FMGs will siphon much-needed talent from poorer countries where doctors are scarce. I take particular issue with this one. All people, no matter their provenance, should be allowed to use their gifts to better their own lives, especially if that means escaping poverty or conflict.And let’s be honest: When a program director rejects a FMG, is he really thinking about the physician supply in Pakistan? What if we applied the same logic within our borders? If a medical student in physician-poor Arkansas graduates at the top of her class, with all the attendant publications and honors to her name, and wants to train at Massachusetts General Hospital, we don’t say, “No, you have to stay, Arkansas needs you.” We let her go as far as her talent and ambition will take her. Will Arkansas suffer? Minimally, perhaps, but they’ll be OK.The U.S. prides itself on having the best doctors in the world, so why not bolster our ranks by welcoming some of the best students the world has to offer? It’s curious that diversity is championed in medical school and residency admissions, just not this kind of diversity. Our knee-jerk aversion to FMGs seems to be the last true sanctioned form of admissions discrimination. First, we must ask ourselves if we want our admissions process to be truly merit-based. If the answer is yes, then it’s time to start recognizing merit even when it comes from outside our borders.Eric Beam is an internal medicine resident who blogs at the Long White Coat.Image credit: Shutterstock.com

To Dine Alone in Parisedited on 11/24 and a new restaurant added.photo:early evening alone in Paris“We should look for someone to eat and drink with before looking for something to eat and drink, for dining alone is leading the life of a lion or wolf.” -EpicurusThe day is over, the evening begins, and you find yourself alone and without plans. The need for sustenance lurks just beyond the horizon. What to do? Go home, to your hotel room, and order room service. Or discretely smuggle in some clandestine takeaway. Eat it in front of your laptop or the television, maybe curled up on the bed with a book. Go to a bar that serves snacks and, amid the television and noisy crowd, feel as much a part of the group as anybody else. Pull out your tablet and on the internet navigate to one of the growing number of sites that can connect you with other people for dining companionship.In New York, the temptation of takeaway is sometimes embarrassingly hard to resist. In much of Spain, find a good bar or two with tapas, and your evening plans are made. In Italy, wander the streets until you find a lively looking place, and basta! you are no longer dining alone.But in Paris, it is a bit more complicated.Many of the room service options are either unappealing or surprisingly nonexistant. Or breathtakingly expensive if not being reimbursed by a generous client. For takeaway, apart from sidewalk crêpes and "Turkish" Doner kebab (both to be avoided when possible) there are not a lot of other choices. The once ubiquitous traiteur is become harder to find (pushed out by competition from fast food) and even Hediard has recently turned the savory counter over to all-desserts. If you don't speak French, the web-generated meet-up might be more than you feel up to after a long day. Parisians, in the right circumstances, can be very friendly despite our reputation. Still, we value our privacy. If you go to a formal restaurant and dine alone, you will most likely be exactly that; alone. In most places, dining is much quieter than in London or New York, so you need to be comfortable with that.(A long list of specific restaurants for each category follows the strategies section this answer).Strategies for having a successful solo dining experienceSometimes, dining while letting your mind wander is ideal. No reading, or conversation. But how to remain relaxed and engaged, without being bored or lonely? Let the restaurant itself entertain you. Restaurants with open kitchens and counter-seating with a view seem tailor-made for the solo diner. And if that doesn't appeal to you, there's been a lot more good Japanese or Japanese-French fusion Izakaya (Tapas-like) style places opening recently. (Of the Sushi-conveyer type place there are none that can be suggested with anything more than a lukewarm recommendation).An open kitchen. This one at Bocuse's EST in LyonThe city of lights has been famous for the easiest answer to the solo dining conundrum for a very, very long time. Can Can, anyone? And the Moulin Rouge is by no means your only choice There are still quite a number of entertainment curiosities that serve dinner and can amuse the solitary guest. From almost family-friendly to better-not-use-a-corporate-card racier options, particularly NSFW if your company looks through the itemized billing on your card.Other than that, it comes down to: Either damn Epicurus and embrace dining alone, or find an option that makes you feel less so. There are some good possibilities for both.If you don't want to feel alone in the vast wastes of a formal dining roomLose yourself in the bustle of one of the large classic brasseries of Paris. In the anonymity of the crowd you are neither alone nor dining with anyone else. These places, some famous for a century or more, started out as breweries (what brasserie means) that served food to go along with their beer. They catered primarily to people coming alone. They still do. You will not be a conspicuous, self-conscious solo diner in one. Sadly, they have mostly been bought by large food industry giants and the quality isn't what it was a generation ago. But a few are still ok.Why not try a place where you are likely to meet other people in the same situation? Go to a bar where you can eat. There used to be just a few in town, die-hard expat bars, but now in the cocktail scene these places are multiplying. Probably additionally fueled by the French take on the Italian Aperativo trend, the Cocktail/Apéritif Dinatoire. Search for this latter term on your favorite yelp-like site to find last minute happenings.A bar, not in Paris. I just like the picture of the bar in Campeche better.In Vino Veritas: Like the cocktail and expat bar, the wine bar is a great option for eating solo. There is often conversation around the bar, often with other anglophones. When bored, have a nice conversation with your wine about its terroir, provenance and the weather last year in the vineyard. I do. But then I am probably certifiable.Photo: Appearance wine bar. Tasting terrace at Bermejos Winery LanzaroteThere is no need to eat alone at all, if you want company. In Germany approaching a table in a big crowded restaurant and asking if you can Zusitzen is not unusual. Pretty uncommon in France. But we have a surprising number of table d'hôtes; tables in a restaurant that are not reserved and shared communally by the guests.Or go underground. The Hidden Kitchen may have gone public by opening Verjus, but there are still unofficial restaurants out there. People running a place from their home kitchens. Small groups, usually mixed nationalities and you are usually immediately part of a dinner party.Very small neighborhood cafe-restaurants often have a regular clientele that live alone and take many of their meals there. (Sort of serving the same function as a diner in the states. If you sit yourself with regulars in a diner and chat with them and the waitress you feel at home instantly). These places were once jewels in the French culinary crown. Small family-run. The owner would go out to Rungis (the paris professional food market) before dawn to get the best and cheapest, freshest ingredients for the day. The wines would include affordable bottles of older vintages that the family bought from their friends the vintner every year on their summer holiday. No more. Industrial food distribution. Canned and a frozen ingredients. Tax changes in the 90's on wine. The venerable Café Parisien has suffered. Some are still ok, some have been reinvented. (Martijn Sjoorda's very good suggestions belong to this group). A few still have that neighborhood feel and serve great-value, solid, real, if often stodgy fare.Fresh ingredients like these Cepes/Porcini are what French cuisine should be aboutCasual places that serve French comfort-food or regional specialties tend to be much more relaxed than your average French hostelry. And often livelier. These kind of places bring out the friendly inner-child in some Parisians and acquaintances are often struck up during dinner. Take your time over the meal, make sure you have at least a starter and a main, and with a few glasses of wine, you will find yourself fitting in.The foods of Auvergne and the Southwest were the staple of the dine-alone single working man's diet of Postwar Paris. It was good solid peasant fare that stayed with you (like Sausage and Aligot, the blend of cheese, garlic and potatoes which becomes a deep-craving food when winter sets in). A majority of cafés were at one time owned by people from the southwest. (One used to refer to the Auvergne Mafia meaning that subtly bonded group of the police and their small restaurant owner confreres. Though people don't behave like Phillipe Noiret in Les Ripoux anymore It will tell you more about the normal Parisian eating options than Babette's Feast). Now Southwestern fare is generally more a regional speciality food.Noiret and L'hermitte are cops who spend much of their time in Paris restosNo mention of French comfort food can be made without saying something about meat. Meat has a very special place in our hearts here. Big pieces of beef. Not ever bien-cuit (well done), seldom à point (medium), usually saignant (rare). Or--with a surprisingly look of pure savage carnivorousness and delight on the face of your slight 5 foot tall blond dinner companion as she says--"Bleu!"(well, Blue. just introduce the meat to the fire but don't let them get intimate). It is funny, we call the English Les Rosbifs (roastbeefs) for historical reasons. But we are much more obsessed with a, well, "bonne viande" than anybody but Argentinian gauchos. There are not many steakhouses in the Anglo-American sense, but places that specialize in meat may cause our native residents to let their hair down more than anyplace else. There are meat restaurants where people have been known to extemporaneously sing Georges Brassens songs together with total strangers. (Another aside on meat. You might not like it. Americans tend to value tenderness above all in meat. American beef is often aged differently and longer than French beef, which produces big differences in flavor. The French tend to value certain flavors over tenderness and like beef to have a certain heft. Eating it rare means it still isn't too tough. Try French meat rarer than you like your steaks in the States and you might like it better).Try a real Crêperie Bretonne for eating savory buckwheat galettes from Brittany, slathered in salted butter, washed down with earthenware jars of hard cider, at an unfinished wooden table. Toast the owners and your neighbors with "Yermat!" (Cheers, Santé, Slainte in Breton). If you can find the appetite, follow your "Complète" (ham, cheese, and egg) with a sweet crêpe stuffed with real salted-butter caramel. "Usually one of the cheapest ways to have a sit-down meal in town as well. There are lots of these places, particularly concentrated down by Montparnasse where the trains from Brittany arrive. Some are very good, some not so. Everyone has their favorite. I like the ones with cheesy Breton names and decors.My generally favorite creperieFondue Savoyarde may be the ultimate winter dish. Scooping out mouthfuls on bread from a big bubbling bowl of molten cheese and wine. The flame under the pot keeps you warm. Washing it down with a bottle of Chignin Bergeron. Some restaurants will only serve this dish for two people, some will sit you at a communal table. If there's a minimum, have the Raclette instead. A kind of piece-by-piece queso fondido. Or just order a Fondue for two and don't finish it. It will still be a reasonably priced meal. The quality of these places his up and down like with the crêpes. Most are just ok. You can look on Yelp to find one near you. When a perfectly balanced Fondue is made with the right wine, and a balance of, say, Cantal, Beaufort and Gruyere it is truly memorable. Fondue is probably second only to meat in producing a convivial atmosphere.Pizza is a subject, like religion or politics, that must be approached with caution. To say you like many kinds of Pizza will generally shock a New Yorker or a Neapolitan. And both are equally sure the other is seriously misguided on the subject. But Pizza is a good option for dining alone here, so, as the saying goes, "I look forward to your letters".Most pies in Paris will be unappealing to the various American, Canadian and Italian palates. Each country or region bends the recipe towards their own ingredients and tastes. Some become unique culinary artifacts. The Perfect Slice on Mulberry in Little Italy or in Brooklyn. The Crunchy smoky pies from coal-fired ovens on Long Island. An intoxicating surfeit of thick satiating crust and cheese at Giordano's in Chicago. The instant Proustian recollection at each whiff of a thin crust in Spaccanapoli. Unforgettable raised Foccacia-like wedges topped wit cheese and sausage in Milano. The yeasty comforting pizza bianca served at dawn by the docks in La Spezia. The rolled, stuffed pierogi-pizza of Dubrovnik. In Paris, alas, the local adaptation just doesn't do it for me. As a teenager eating in Normandy, I liked the fluffy pastry dough with melted French Emmenthal cheese they served in the local pizzerias. But Pizza? In Paris it isn't as bad as that. But much of the Pizza has crust neither crisp nor yeasty, very little tomato and a lot of industrial French cheese. And they seem to have this twisted compulsion to put an egg on top. But Pizza is a dish some of us crave when alone. A big plate of a pizza is a great companion to a book at the dinner table.If these strategies and suggestions don't work or appeal maybe we can find some more. Otherwise skip to the end of the list below for another option and more information.Bon Appétit!(If you want to know by what criteria the restaurants SHOULD have been selected, but probably weren't, you should see my post:What factors do you consider important in where you choose to dine?)The list:The Dinner as entertainment and IzakayaBraisenville NEW ADDED 11/24/2013Address: 36 Rue Condorcet 75009Nearest transport: Metro AnversHours: Lunch and dinner Mon-Fri Dinner Sat closed Sunday+33 9 50 91 21 74Not really an open kitchen but a countertop semicircular bar where you can see the bustle of the kitchen in back. Small plates place in the center of emerging uber-hip Pigalle dotted with mediocre spots that are all the rage. The place looks so hip it can't be good. But it is. Very. Small plates, from grilled vegetables to Black angus beef. The sea bass is fantastic. Almost every plate has a char-grilled element, hence the name, Braise, as in grill. Ate there again last night, decided it was still a great place and good for this list. So added on 11/24/2013Uberhip looking Braisenville is very goodL'Atelier de Joël Robuchon133 Champs-Élysées75008 Paris, France+33 1 47 23 75 75Le monde de Joël Robuchon‎Not sure I even like these places, but they will entertain a solo diner who wants to spend the money.Antoine de Montmartre7/7 Mon-Fri 18H00 À 23H00 Sat 12H00 À 23H00, Sun 12H00 - 15H00 and 18H00 in 23H00.102 TER, RUE LEPIC.75018 PARIS MONTMARTRE102 ter, rue Lepic. 75018 Paris MontmartreThe Michelin-starred, convivial hardworking Mauritian chef Antoine Heerah created this place with its bar-stools, and open kitchen to showcase products he finds around the world that he reworks into tapas-like-portions. His Japanese second runs the place. The Wagyu-Kobe Beef Prosciutto is worth a trip.Guilo Guilo8 Rue Garreau75018 Paris, France+33 1 42 54 23 92‚­‚¸‚ľŠ„–B@Ž}˜DŽ}˜D guiloguiloSit at the counter at watch your kaiseki menu be prepared in the kitchen in front of you, chat with the other diners. They frequently do some charming culinary puns like the Japanese Beef Bourginon.La Dame de Pic20 Rue du Louvre75001 Paris, France+33 1 42 60 40 40La Dame de Pic : le restaurant parisien d’Anne-Sophie Pic, rue du Louvre à Paris dans le 1er arrondissement, propose une cuisine raffinée et créative dans une atmosphère sereine et élégante.‎Open kitchen at the newish place from Anne-Sophie Pic, the grande dame of culinary dynasty from Valence. I have not yet personally tried and it is very expensive. But it looks great and her food from her other restaurant is the work a genius.PinxoAddress: 9 rue d’Alger, 75001Nearest transport: Tuileries (1)Hours: Lunch and dinner, Monday-Friday; open Saturday for dinner onlyReservations: Book a few days in advanceTelephone: 01 40 20 72 00Asian-French fusion bistro or 2nd restaurant from one of the world's great chefs; Alain Dutournier of Carré des Feullantes. We've tried lots of "2nd" places, most of them just trade on the name and hype but aren't good. This is the real thing. One of the places we usually bring guests from out of town. Countertop seating facing the open kitchen.Gyoza Bar56 passage des Panoramas 75002 Paris01.44.82.00.6212h00-14h30 and 18h30-23h:00Concept unique et original au coeur de Paris, Le gyoza est un plat emblématique de la culture japonaiseSit at the wood bar, drink beer or champagne and eat gyoza. Thats it. Only gyoza. And they are great.Lengué31 Rue de la Parcheminerie75005 Paris, France+33 1 46 33 75 10Wonderful food, great atmosphere. sit on a high perched stool. Small plates Japanese tapas. A STELLAR collection of great french wine from old vintages at ROCK BOTTOM prices. The owner is a what I call un ami du vin. If the wine isn't good, you can't send it back, but who cares? If you can afford it try a 20 year old Margaux for 150 yo-yos a bottle that went for 1200 at auction last week. Or maybe for 50 something you've seen in a wine shop for 120.Dessert at LenguéIzakaya Issé45 Rue de Richelieu75001 Paris, France+33 1 42 96 26 60Just a great, tiny, friendly casual Japanese tapas place. Great selection of sakes. Good for single diners.Bar à vinsVerjus Wine barAddress: 47 rue de Montpensier, 75001Nearest transport: Pyramides (7, 14)Hours: Monday-Friday, 6pm-11pm; closed Saturday and SundayReservations: not acceptedTelephone: 01 42 97 54 40Cool little wine bar opened last year by a young American couple (they used to run a famous underground restaurant) who do good franco-american fusion tapas. Popular expat hangout. Great location hidden behind the palais royal.Lavinia wine shop restaurantAddress: 3, boulevard de la Madeleine, 75001Nearest transport: Opera/MadelaineHours: Monday-Saturday 12:00-15:00 for full lunch 15:00-20:00 for cheeses, charcuterie and snacksReservations: a few hours before for lunch, unnecessary after 15h00Telephone: 01 42 97 20 27The largest and one of the best wine shops in town has a restaurant on the second floor. Very good food. Great paté, cheese, etc. Good wine list but you can also choose anything you like in the store and drink it at the table for the takeaway price. Probably stick to a half bottle if you are alone, but then maybe it has been a long day.shttp://www.lavinia.fr/LaviniaFR/restaurante.aspxO ChateauAddress: 68 rue Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 75001Nearest transport: Les Halles (4)Hours: Monday-Saturday, 4 p.m.-midnight (2 a.m. Friday and Saturday); closed SundayReservations: Reservations accepted only for parties of six or moreTelephone: 01 44 73 97 80Average price for lunch: 20-34€Average price for dinner: 35-49€The largest of the new style wine bars, 40 wines by the glass, big expat hang out, snacks at the barBakkusAddress: 97 rue du Cherche-Midi, 75006 ParisNearest transport: DurocHours: 12 - 23:00 Monday-SaturdayReservations: Usually not necessaryTél. : 01 42 22 19 18New wine bar with a full menu. Very typical of the current Paris restaurant scene, High tables and stools, casual.Bars with foodW Lounge – W Paris - OpéraAddress: 4 rue Meyerbeer, 75009 ParisHours: 7/7 10h00 - 2h00Nearest Transport: Opera/Chaussée D'Antin/Havre CaumartinReservations: Come earlyTelephone: 01 77 48 94 94Bars in W hotels are usually pretty hip, maybe too much so, but the new one here has one tremendous advantage; the staff. These people are the generally the friendliest and most professional we've seen in Paris hotel bars. (The heated bar terrace is a great place for a slow-tapas-cum-snack meal with a cocktail then a bottle of wine. Spanish chef Sergi Arola of the higher-end restaurant upstairs in the hotel created a nice well-rounded bar menu: Chorizo, Patanegra, ham or cheese croquettes, mini spanish pizzas, other authentic tapas, and some international hotel fare salads, club sandwiches.)Not the W's Tapas, mine. Just trying to liven up the pageCandelaria52 rue de Saintonge75003 Paris01 42 74 41 28CandelariaHave some rare edible tacos in Paris at the back room bar of this place or go next door for empanadas.CLASICO ARGENTINO56 Rue de Saintonge,75003 Paris, France ‎+33 1 44 61 00 56Clasico ArgentinoIn the middle of the fast-growing cool district the upper Marais surrounded by bars is a great place to stop for empanadas between drinks.Marie Celest1, Rue Commines, 75003 Paris, FranceToday 6:00 pm - 2:00 amle mary celesteCall or email for a reservationFrom the same cool people as Candelaria one of the hottest dining cocktail spots of the moment. Changing menuLe Black Dog26 Rue des Lombards75004 Paris, France+33 1 42 71 22 27In Metal We Trust‎Call for a table or hang out at the bar waiting to eat a steak in back. You won't feel alone for one second.Carr's Irish Pub & RestaurantAddress: 1 rue du Mont-Thabor, 75001Nearest transport: Concorde/Louvre RivoliHours: 7/7 12:00-00:30Reservations: unnecessaryTelephone: 01 42 60 60 26Page on Carrs-parisOne of the oldest Irish pubs in Paris. The kind of place of which there aren't many left even in Eire. Expats, tourists, locals, a good mix. Perfect for an aperitif or after dinner drink. Music sometimes. Good place to meet people, ask questions of locals. Also has a full kitchen, Irish Stew anyone?Corcoran's Pub110, Boulevard de Clichy75018 ParisAnd several more locationsCORCORAN�S TRADITIONAL IRISH PUB ::::::...................................passable burgers, fish and chips, pub food in these lively chain of cookie-cutter Irish-themed pubs.The BombardierAddress: 2 place du Pantheon, 75005Nearest transport: Pantheon/Maubert/LuxembourgHours: 7/7 12:30-2:00Reservations: unnecessarySmall uncovered terrace where smoking is allowedOne of the few remaining English pubs with real ale, a few tables outside right by the pantheon in the middle of the latin quarter. Expat hangout. Pub Grub.Southwest/AuvergnatThe Ambassade D'Auvergne has seen much better daysIf you can stomach the ok Chez Papa's chain food (I can't), the atmosphere will serve.Chez Papa, restaurants de cuisine du Sud-Ouest à ParisChantairelle17 Rue Laplace75005 Paris, France+33 1 46 33 18 59ChantAirelle 17, rue Laplace 75005 Paris. France. Tel 01 46 33 18 59. Ouvert tous les jours sauf samedi midi, dimanche et lundi soir. Restaurant chanterelle ParisOnce a showcase of the promotional board for its region, still a really charming place. Beautiful garden in back for outdoor dining weather permitting. Good wines. Try the oeufs poches au four me d'ambert (poached eggs in blue cheese sauce), the smoked trout, maybethe best stuffed cabbage in Paris or the cheesy truffade. And have the made to order apple and armagnac taste for dessert.CreperiesTi Jos30 Rue Delambre75014 Paris, France+33 1 43 22 57 69Restaurant Crêperie Paris 14 MontparnasseOne of the oldest and most typical, a great pub in the basement for after dinnerTy Breiz52 Boulevard de Vaugirard75015 Paris, France+33 1 43 20 83 72Page on WwwAnother of the cult-authentic places, always crowded.Creperie Framboise7 Rue de Ponthieu, 75008 Paris01 74 64 02 79Crêperie FramboiseFor a modern take on the experience, to replace the recently departed La Compagnie de Bretagne in my address bookFondueMy favorite has sadly closed to be replaced by a hipster cocktail-inspired place.Page on WwwBut if you want a REAL authentic fondue it would be worth the trip out to the suburbs to their new restaurantLe Chalet Savoyard58 rue de Charonne75011 Paris01 48 05 13 13Restaurant Savoyard Le Chalet Savoyardis pretty good. Authentic and reasonable.Pizzathese are all Italian styles of Pizza. I've never had good NYC or Chicago style here. Be careful with Italian places in Paris. So many "Italian"-labeled places are run by people from other mediterranean cultures who haven't a clue about authenticity. They should be delighting us with their own culinary specialties. (There are surprisingly few really good couscous places around, much better to make your own when you get home)Pizza Chic13, rue de Mézières75006 Paris01 45 48 30 38Pizza ChicVery good standard italian thin pizza in a nice elegant atmosphere. Some good antipasti and choice of winesGrazie91 Boulevard Beaumarchais75003 Paris, France+33 1 42 78 11 96Ristorante Grazie - Benvenuto‎A more casual, livelier and louder cocktail-themed offering from the Pizza Chic people.La Pizzetta Piu Grande62 Rue Caulaincourt75018 Paris01 46 06 29 83Authentic Italian thin Pizza, an uneven but sometimes good calzone. Occasionally a great Vitello Tonato as a started. Some good wines. Nice modern atmosphereDa Mimmo39 Boulevard de Magenta, 75010 Paris, France ‎+33 1 42 06 44 47Contact, mail, plan d'accès, parking, restaurant italien, trattoria, pizza,mimmoReally old-fashioned, traditional authentic Trattoria with Pizza andDa Franco et Giacomo115 avenue Jean Jaurès75019 Paris01 42 00 04 77First time I ate here there was a table of really-well dressed people who looked out of place. Italian dining companions assured me it was Marcello Mastroianni. It certainly looked like him. Hmm, what is he doing in this out of the way little dive? Now it looks like I've been eating here for over twenty years and the only times i have been disappointed is when they were training new pizzaiolos. This is the only place in town, and one of the few I know outside of Italy, to do the special kind of pizza you find in only in rare restaurants (I've only seen them in the north, in Lombardy and the Piedmont). Often confused with Sicilian pizza. Or American. Completely different. The wine list isn't so good anymore, but you can make do. They take good care of single diners. And They do a salad of carpaccio, mozzarella, lettuce, vegetbles and sautéed mushrooms that balances out the pizza perfectly.Pizza di Loretta62 Rue Rodier75009 Paris, France+33 1 48 78 42 56Pizza di LorettaOne of a growing number of Roman pizza-al-taglio-style places popping up around the city. But this one is very good. And they some good wines and antipasti which is unusual in these pizza-by-the-slice places. Casual, relaxed but very good in the middle of fashionably hip SoPi (South Pigalle).Table D'HôtesThe Pain Quotidien chain has many of themBienvenue à notre table commune.andChemin Des Vignes/ La Guingette d'IssyAddress: 113 Bis Avenue Verdun, Issy-les-MoulineauxNearest Transport: Tram T2 Les Moulineaux RER IssyHours: Monday-Friday Lunch and Dinner, Saturday DinnerReservations: The day beforeTelephone: 01 46 38 11 66Huge uncovered terrace in season, fireside table d'hotes dining in winter. ‎Very good traditional food with a Burgundian influence, great wine list, dine in a vineyard in the city.UndergroundThe only ones I know of right now are called la Table de Cybele and Guinee pigs supper club But as they are underground they change all the time.Spectacles and curiositiesLe Cercle SuedoisSwedish Club (Svenska Klubben)242 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris, France ‎+33 1 42 60 76 67If it is wenesday, there is weekly Jazz entertainment, usually with swedish food to accompany . Check out the program in French,Svenska Klubben | Cercle Suédois | Paris | ProgrammeLe Petit Journal MontparnasseAddress: 13 rue du Commandant Mouchotte, 75014Nearest transport: Gare Montparnasse/GaîtéHours: 7/7 07:00-02:00Telephone: 01 43 21 56 70Small uncovered terrace where smoking is allowedOne of the better remaining jazz clubs in town. ok cafe food, better for aperitif on the Terrace around 19:00. Walked by recently, haven't been in years, but it still looks as fun as ever.Nos Ancestres les gauloisTHE FEAST | Nos AncetresCheesy, funny, touristy join the Ancient Gaul themed buffet party and you will not be alone. You may wish you were.The shows, from mild to extra spicyMoulin RougeMoulin Rouge® Official websiteLe LidoCabaret Lido Paris - site officiel - 01 40 76 56 10 - Champs Elysees - Bluebell Girls - LidoNouvelle EveCABARET LA NOUVELLE EVE PARISParadis LatinCabaret Paradis Latin ParisCrazy HorseCabaret Parisien, le Crazy Horse propose des spectacles sur Paris.Neighborhood style places and bistrosLes Pipos2 Rue de l'École Polytechnique75005 Paris, France+33 1 43 54 11 40Bar à vins - Les PiposJoin the party over dinner. Usually crowded, friendly, sometimes there is music. French bistro farePaul Bert75011 Paris, France+33 1 43 72 24 01The Paul Bert is more a reinvented bistro. Cooking of the Bistronomy movement The wine list extensive you will hear a little more english than french. Sometimes hard to book but usually solo diner friendlyAux Crus de BourgogneLa MarlotteAddress: 55 rue du Cherche-Midi, 75006 ParisNearest transport: Sevres Babylone, Saint GermainHours: Monday-Saturday 12h - 14h30 and 19h30 - 22h30Reservations: Usually not necessary but it might be good to call a few hours beforeTel : 01 45 48 86 79 - [email protected] uncovered terraceGood Traditional french fare, almost a parody of a french bistro, red-checked table cloths, etc, Green bean and Mozerrala salad is a nice starter... good Irish sourced meat, some good bargains on the wine listChez MarianneAddress: 2 rue Hospitalières St Gervais, 75004Nearest Transport: Saint-Paul/Pont Marie/Hôtel de VilleHours: Mon-Sun 12 pm - 10:30 pmReservations: You can wait in line for a table and always get one, reserve if you don't want to waitTelephone: 01 42 72 18 86Small uncovered terraceFor a change of pace: The queen of the marais medieval jewish quarter's restaurants. Cheap, cheerful and quite an experience. Middle-Eastern. Mostly Sephardic food, falafel, hummus, tarama, fried eggplant, salads,etc. Proverbs and sayings painted across the windows. You try four, five, or six item and accompany with one of the bargain-basement wine. Cute scenic stone terrace overlooking the church. Falafel sandwiches are available for takeaway.Le Restaurant du ComptoirAddress: 34 rue Montmartre, 75001Nearest transport: Les Halles, Etienne MarcelHours: 12h-23:00 Monday-SaturdayReservations: Usually not necessaryTelephone: 01 42 33 31 32Small uncovered terraceGreat spot for casual dining or lunchsmall shop selling French culinary specialties (paté, cheese, wine etc) that also serves a daily menu at a few outdoor tables. They recently opened a small enclosed restaurant space next door. This area is just north of Les Halles, Zola's "Stomach of Paris" the old market hall demolished and moved to the suburbs a generation ago. But right around this restaurant is whatever is left of the old food center. If you like Professional Kitchen and Food stores, or just like to look at one of the world Mecca's of gastronomy you can check out the astounding old fashioned emporium of De Hillerin (Accueil : E.DEHILLERIN), the smaller but precise Mora (MORA, le spécialiste des ustensiles de cuisine, boulangerie, patisserie, coutellerie, taillanderie) and the very chic La Bovida:(La bovida)A La Cloche D'Or (unsure of summer holiday closing, usually open before most other restaurants or doesn't close)Address: 3 rue Mansart , 75009 - ParisNearest transport: Pigalle/Blanche/Place de ClichyHours: Monday-Saturday 1930 - 4:00 (all night) Closed SundayReservations: Luchtime for dinner or the day beforeTelephone: 01 48 74 48 88 [email protected] Sardi's of France, traditional french fare, good wine list of old vintages at bargain prices, the walls are covered with autographed pictures of all of the French theatre community who eat here after the show. The spectacle here is people watching and late night dining.Chez Les Anges (Usually closes for a month in summer)Address: 54 boulevard de la tour Maubourg, 75007Nearest transport: La Tour-MaubourgHours: Monday-Friday 12H - 14H30 and 19H00 - 22H30Reservations: Luchtime for dinner or the day beforeTelephone: 01 47 05 89 86 [email protected] uncovered terrace where smoking is allowedGo sit at the counter and enjoy the people watching. Typical 7th arrondissement crowd, few tourists. Very good wine list. The 35 euro menu is one of the most elegant and best values around. The 40 even more so with first rate amuses bouche, appetizer, main and 2 desserts.MeatMeat cooking prep in an open kitchenEcurie2 Rue Làplace75005 Paris, France+33 1 46 33 68 49This is also for when your budget is in trouble. Just the cheapest friendliest charcoal grilled meat in town. If the clients aren't students, they will those of us who have been eating there since we were. Blue cheese salad, aioli and pain poilane, a steak and bottle of St. JosephLa Maison de L'Aubrac37 Rue Marbeuf75008 Paris, France+33 1 43 59 05 14Restaurant Maison de l'Aubrac‎One the biggest, most casual loudest old steak houses in town. Very good wine list.Boucherie Roulière24 Rue des Canettes75006 Paris, France+33 1 43 26 25 70Restaurant owned a by a family of ranchers as a venue to show off the quality of their meat. They succeed.Le Gavroche19 Rue Saint-Marc75002 Paris, France+33 1 42 96 89 70Convivial, loud classic place for a cote de boeuf (Think sort of French prime rib on the bone). Haven't been for years though I was once a regular. Have heard it has got good again. At one time it had a fabulous wine list.Some BrasseriesBrasserie ThoumieuxAddress: 79, Rue Saint-Dominique, 75007 ParisNearest transport: La Tour-Maubourg/ InvalidesHours: 7/7 lunch and dinnerReservations: Luchtime for dinner or the day beforeTelephone: 01 47 05 49 75No TerraceTHIERRY COSTES - ThoumieuxDespite the maddening website, the crowded, close-spaced tables and the hype, this is one of the best of the large brasserie-style restaurants in town. The culinary superstar Jean-François Piège took over this old hotel-restaurant in 2009 and with Costes support tastefully redecorated keeping the soul of the place in tact. He shows he can do a great traditional parisian cafe food with some modern touches in the Brasserie while upstairs in his much more expensive eponymous restaurant he shows off his gastronomical fireworks. It can get loud and very busy, but the service is surprisingly efficient and friendly. Some affordable bottles of good wines on the list.Restaurant Flottes et Flottes O'TREMENTAddress: 2 rue Cambon 75001 ParisNearest transport: Concorde Louvre RivoliHours: 7/7 12h00-24:00 or a bit laterReservations: usually unecessaryTelephone: 01 42 60 80 89Small TerracePage on WwwTraditional brasserie that still has some higher-end products, (belotta ham, truffles) but has old-fashioned fare done competently (onion soup, sausage with Aligot, etc) and a reasonable wine list with a good range of choices. Service can be hit-and-miss. Clientele a mix of tourists, suburbanites coming in to the city and VIP's. Maybe less a brasserie but too big a place for me to think of as a bistro.le Terminus Nord12 Boulevard de Denain75010 Paris, France+33 1 42 80 20 00Brasserie mythique Paris 10, Gare du NordOne of several candidates for the best brasserie now owned by the Flo group. Right across the street from the Gare du Nord. Hence the name. A little art deco, a little nouveauCuisine et décor alsaciens, Paris 10Le Wepler14 Place de Clichy75018 Paris, France+33 1 45 22 53 29Brasserie WeplerOnce Henry Miller's favorite restaurant. The quality goes up and down over the years, but bring a copy of Anais Nin, have some oysters and really lament the fact that you are alone.Le Dôme Café108 Boulevard du Montparnasse75014 Paris, France+33 1 43 35 25 81Go for the decor and the seafood. It can get pricey.If none of this works for now is the time to start:Embracing eating aloneNow for those of you that have the temerity to naysay such a reliable guide as Epicurus and seek out your inner totemic Wolf or Lion: You should eat in anyplace that is good and damn the consequences. There lots of places to look for them. You can ask me. Or better yet Julien VachéAnd Paris, my intrepid, solitary and contented diner, is your oyster. Or your Soufflé de Poulet de Bresse. Really whatever you like.Mr. Saunders has some good thoughts on the subject.The Tyranny of Company: How to Dine Alone in ParisAnd apart from a strong recommendation for Michelin Bibendum winnersYou can look here to pick your poisonParis by MouthorParis restaurants and cafés – Time Out Parisor in french onlyGuide FOODING® des restaurants de styleorResto / Bars sur ParisAnd for those who made it all the way to the end of this answer: your bonus, my favorite picture of the Eiffel Tower by night: