Perhaps I made some classic tourist mistake, but when I was in Paris last year I felt like every mid-priced French bistro was extremely mediocre and overpriced. Menus all the same and food did not taste fresh at all. Wine bad too.
Just ask someone who lives there next time, you'll get appropriate feedback. They know "the good places". Actually do that for every major city you're going on vacation to. It works the same everywhere.
How carefully do they cook their pasta? what is their favorite family of cheeses? brand of tahini? etc.
In my experience, when one obsesses about food, one sweats the small things that make a difference, and delights in them. Terroir, in other words.
[1] They even have a website in English! https://www.auberge-pyrenees-cevennes.fr/en/.
http://lesenfantsdumarche.fr (check L’Instagram)
I only have the barest minimum of French, but I can read a menu, and that is generally enough to figure out whether the house is phoning it in or not. I.e., if onion soup or coq a vin figure prominently, next!
The deal with Paris is to GTFO of the tourist areas. Go walk around Belleville, upper Canal St. Martin and neighborhoods like that. Level of civilization (and corner bistros) goes way up.
Yo natives: I'm marking your suggestions on my map, thanks!
Oddly enough you can now get decent Pho (noodles not entirely correct) and Szichuan hot pot (also noodles sorta not correct, but fire, finally!!) and even a Japanese (not entirely sushi) joint, pretty good. Not quite up to California standards (sadly my apex referent).
I love Paris.