I agree that eating out is generally cheaper for a meal of better quality - especially if you go for the set menus, which usually have a few choices for each course. Also eating out at lunch time is cheaper, as there is always a cheaper lunchtime menu.
We have found that buying ingredients such as meat is more expensive than in Britain, but often local butchers are no more expensive than the supermarkets. If you are eating in, and are on a budget, it makes sense to buy the cheaper cuts of meat as most French people do, rather than the sirloin steaks, lamb chops and duck breasts - but you are on holiday, so you may want to treat yourself, and even if the meat is more expensive, it will still be cheaper cooking at home for your evening meals than going out.. Try to buy local produce at markets, and you shouldn't go wrong.
We tend to eat out cheaply at lunch time, and then have a light meal in in the evenings.
Wine is very good value - you will find that the house wine in both restaurants and bars are very cheap and high in quality when compared to Britain (and Spain, where house wines are often really rough). Wine is also sold at very reasonable prices for a glass, 1/4 pichet (1/4 of a litre, which is two small glasses), 1/2 pichet etc. One of the most civilised things about France is that you can buy enough wine for one, two or four glasses without the ridiculous mark up you get in the UK for half bottles.
Beer (always lagers) is usually stronger than our standard lagers, and ends up being more expensive - the usual drink size is 1/3 litre I think (just under half a pint) but when you compare prices pint for pint, you pay more in France. But you do end up drinking less of it!
Edited: 13 years ago