French President's Mother at an Affordable French Restaurant… 🍷🐌🇫

Today was my first time trying French cuisine since arriving in France 🥖✨. To avoid any mishaps, I followed a Xiaohongshu (xhs) recommendation and chose Le Petit Bouillon Pharamond—a wallet-friendly gem! 💰👌 When we arrived, the restaurant was packed 🧑🍳🔥. It was raining 🌧️, so sitting outside wasn’t ideal. The manager said we’d wait 20+ minutes for an indoor table… but luckily, we were first in line! 🙌 (The lunch crowd behind us grew FAST 😅). Drama alert 🚨: While the manager stepped out for a smoke 🚬, an elderly couple snagged an empty table. I thought, “Let them have it, they’re seniors!” 👵👴… but the French diners behind us immediately ratted them out 😱! The manager politely booted the couple (we felt so guilty 😬). Lesson learned: French folks don’t sugarcoat! 🗣️💥 Once seated, we ordered snails 🐌, steak 🥩, duck with mashed potatoes 🦆🥔, and white wine 🍷. Snail Struggle 😖: I nearly Googled “How to Eat Escargot” when our sweet elderly neighbors (👵👴👵👴) rescued us! They taught us snail-extraction skills 🍴✨, chatted about French dining etiquette, and even asked where we’re from 🌍. As they left, one whispered: “The lady next to you was the French President’s mother.” 🫨😱 CUE MIND EXPLOSION 💥! I Googled—IT WAS TRUE! ✅🇫🇷 Total bill? €37.10 for 1 starter, 2 mains, and wine 🤑👏 under €20/person! Visiting France? 🇫🇷✈️ Try this place—you might meet a presidential VIP! 👑 And don’t miss the nearby mall 🛍️ or the Opera House/Galeries Lafayette just 1 metro stop away 🚇 #FranceTravelGoals #ParisEats #BudgetFriendlyLuxury #SnailGate