Vegetarians in Paris
Photo by S. Scott
Eating as a vegetarian can be difficult if you aren’t cooking for yourself. You’d think it’s easy, just don’t add meat! However, different countries and cultures are use to different diets, particularly meat-heavy diets which are difficult to change to be accommodating. I kept a journal of what I ate during my May Module trip to Paris, France. Disclaimer, a lot of sweets were consumed between meals, and when there was no other option, as meals. Sweet recommendations will follow at the end, but I will focus on the meals and restaurants that will actually keep you alive and do it well!
Photo by S. Scott
The two main options I would recommend are Naked Vegan Burger and Happiz Pizza. Both are vegan restaurants, so the focus on the meal is flavor in a good meal for vegans and vegetarians. I ate at both places twice and would especially recommend them if you’re missing a well-seasoned meal or if you’re needing something fast that you know is safe. The Chick’n Nuggs (Naked Vegan Burger) were much loved by myself and my non-vegetarian friends.
There were other places to eat which did not focus on a vegan/vegetarian menu but did still have some good options. Art’Lunnch had great vegetarian options, salads and sandwiches without meat. The focaccia caprese sandwich was great. Alexandre, which is a fondue place, had a vegetarian plate and a potato plate; both were delicious with the served fondue. The other vegetarian and I were given our own grilling stone and fondue pot, so our food wouldn’t mix with meat that others were eating. While the options at the ready to order stations were a little difficult to find, there were several nice vegetarian and vegan options at the Bon Marché. The Auberge Notre Dame had multiple vegetarian pastas, as did Le Lutece.
Other places we ate at had vegetarian options, but I have only included the ones that were appetizing. I believe that food should be good, not just available. A few places I found online that I wish I had tried while I was in Paris included Le Potager du Marais, and Hanoi. Le Potager du Marais is a vegan restaurant that focuses on making traditional French dishes vegan, I think this would have been the best for my experience of French culture but keeping true to my diet. Hanoi is a Vietnamese restaurant in Paris that isn’t strictly vegan or vegetarian. However, the options for both of these diets are plentiful in this menu.
As promised, desserts were plentiful. I would recommend A. Lacroix Pâtissier, close to Notre Dame. The raspberry macaron is to die for. If you’re more of a boba tea fiend, Chamie or Wow!Tea are two great options. Amorino is a nice gelato place right off the metro at the Odeon station (close to Naked Burger). If you’re a vegan friend, there are milk free treats at Amorino as well. A nice late-night snack can be found in Petit Ecolier Cookies, which we frequently picked up from the corner store near our hotel. While it was difficult to find options sometimes, I was able to eat while in Paris. It took an extra look at the menu, and sometimes we couldn’t eat at our first-choice restaurant because there was nothing viable. The work was worth it, though, because some of the meals we found were meals I’ll miss until I get to go back.