I’d always loved taking a trip to the Raspail Market and visiting the South American superfoods stand was always a high point, so during Summer’s trip back to Paris there was no way I was going to miss out on checking out their restaurant which has been open for a couple of years in the 10th, right by the Canal St Martin and walking distance from Place de la République.

The setting is a small, cozy converted old bar decorated with earthy, rustic touches but in a minimalist way that keeps the space light and open. A large chalkboard takes up the left hand wall, while the right hand side of the restaurant is taken up by a store selling maca, yacumba and the like.

We took one of the small tables, seated comfortably on small barrels while our delightful, English speaking server plied us with free samples and talked us through the exotic delights of Xacolatl Aztec chocolate drinks, Griffe du Chat herbal beverages, Klamath & Cardamom drinks, and also Blinis.

We tried some drinks and the Assiette du Jour. This was an extremely filling, energizing tour de force of South American vegetables, beautifully combined on the plate. For 12€ this is an unbelievable value and left me feeling nourished at every level. Which is not to say that we didn’t have desserts – we certainly did, small and delightful ‘madeleines.’

Every element of dining here was a pleasure and they achieve a high-end dining experience while still being smiley and nice.

This restaurant has earned its place as my favorite in the city. It’s vegan, fresh, creative, and the people seem really excited to serve you their amazing food. If I had only one day in Paris, this would be the place I would eat. (I might get a falafel too…ok, I for sure would… at L’As du Falafel…)

23, rue des Vinaigriers, Paris, 75010

Métro Jacques Bonsergent

Tél : 01 42 01 03 44

http://voy-plantes.com/restaurant/

RAW FOOD. In collaboration with local raw food impressario ARLETTY ABADY, BOB’S will be hosting two events this week: Guest chef ADAM GRAHAM from TREE OF LIFE in Arizona will prepare a RAW THAI DINNER at KITCHEN on saturday night (from 7 PM to 11 PM) and then give a raw “cooking” class at JUICE BAR the next day (18/4 from 11 AM to 2 PM). The dinner is 25 euros and the class is 65. RSVP: g8arletty@yahoo.co.uk

After the lecture in their big sunny yoga room, we moved to their on-site kitchen where we observed the making of Mung dal, veg Sabji, Upama, coconut chutney, endive salad, and halva. It was hard to wait so long, but once all this was prepared we were served a healthy portion. The menu was not vegan and they use ghee in most of the recipes but I was touched that the instructor very kindly used olive oil instead for me. I had to pass on the chutney and halva as they contained dairy.

I had the feeling this yoga studio took their practice and dedication to health very seriously and unlike any studio I’ve ever visited they prepare and serve vegetarian lunch for their students daily. A full meal is 7.50, just soup for 2.50 and they offer really delicious looking Indian vegan cakes for 2.50. I didn’t try these cakes but they looked so good, I’ll have to go back! Not everything is vegan though so you may want to call ahead before stopping by.

(Check their schedule of ongoing cooking classes.)

Centre Sivananda de Yoga Vedanta
140, rue du fbg Saint Martin, 75010
Métro: Gare de L’Est
01 40 26 77 49

Although it is no London, there are plenty of Indian restaurants in Paris. My favorite has to be Krishna Bhavan, located in the Little Jaffna neighborhood between Gare du Nord and La Chapelle which is home to the city’s Tamil population.

It is said that Tamils consider serving food as a service to humanity, and it shows in the warmth of service you get at this 100% vegetarian restaurant. When you tell your server that you need non-dairy food they will try to make anything on their menu vegan for you. Last night our lovely, English-speaking waitress even went out of her way to reemphasize that everything she was serving us was vegan.

And she served us plenty, because the combination of low, low prices and delicious, delicious food is a deadly one. Last night we started with banana pakoras, which were plantain-like and savory. Samosas were next, in a philo-style pastry followed by idlis. I almost never see idlis over here so I had to order them and they were lovely with their curry and chutney accompaniments. The highlight was the finale of masala dosas: massive, deliciously crispy, potato stuffed lentil-flour pancakes. With my cardamom tea, I was very happy.

There is even more good stuff on the menu, although the one on their site is slightly different than the one they are actually serving at the moment. And if you are not in the mood for a restaurant meal, they serve the same food across the street at their take-out branch. Also in Little Jaffna you can explore the various grocery stores, boutiques, veg-friendly restaurants and cd emporiums in the bustling and welcoming community.

Pros: Vegan friendly, cheap and very welcoming
Cons: No beer

Krishna-Bhavan
24, Rue Cail, 75010
Métro: La Chapelle
01 42 05 78 43

Bob’s is a very American kind of juice bar, so if you are feeling good about the USA as of late then you will particularly enjoy being there. They have one communal table and take a very down-to-earth approach to their menu. For the juices, they’ll whip up whatever combo of their delicious fruit and veg that you request. Friday afternoon, I was delighted to enjoy a green juice: spinach, apple and pear and I was even asked if I wanted spirulina (I did!) I got a great feeling of being in a place that really gets what makes food and drink good. This is the only place I’ve visited here in Paris that even gets what ‘Raw’ is: they have raw recipe books, a dehydrator and vitamix and even raw chocolate ‘kisses.’ (Yes, I got some.)

Bob’s is also a wonderful vegetarian spot for lunch (and if you continue north-east from Bob’s you’ll find yourself at the Canal St. Martin a great spot to picnic on a warm day.) Each day Bob’s offers a vegan soup, vegan salad and sometimes vegan sandwich.

To give you an idea the other day the soup was Corn, sweet potato, cumin. Yum! And the salad was Avocado, quinoa, beans, and beets. I saw it and the veggies looked super fresh with greens and grated beets. As they get very little demand for vegan, the muffins are not vegan but the people there are interested in experimenting with vegan recipes and adding some raw creations to their repertoire.

Bob’s is run by Marc Grossman: he is also the author of two cookbooks  - I paged through his smoothie book and it looked like there were plenty of vegan concoctions. If like me you read somewhere that they have a raw buffet on Sun. it is no longer taking place. Currently wheatgrass is not available but they’ve got what they need to grow their own. So look for that in the future. A lot of the produce they use is organic, but not all. However, if you want to have an organic-only juice, they can whip one up for you.

From their website you can link to their Facebook page which if full of info, photos and a fun video. You can become a fan. I did! 

Bob’s Juice Bar

15, rue Lucien Sampaix, 75010

Métro: Jacques Bonsergent

09  50 06 36 18

Here in France the awning will say ‘vegetarian restaurant’ but they might serve fish because they are macrobiotic. I’m going to include those restaurants here, even though a fish is never going to be a vegetable. There are also many places that offer vegan food even though they are not vegetarian restaurants. They aren’t on this list, but you’ll find plenty about them elsewhere on this blog.

Restaurants come and go and their hours can be unreliable so I recommend calling first before you get your heart set on it.

Enjoy!

[Updated: March 28, 2009]

Saveurs Végét’Halles

41, Rue des Bourdonnais, Paris 75001

Métro: Chatelet or Les Halles

01 40 41 93 95

This restaurant is so close to being vegan with only one non-vegan item on the menu: the lasagne. Situated in the former location of La Victoire Suprême du Coeur. Great crispy fried tofu. Plenty of vegan desserts. Review

Le Potager du Marais

22, Rue Rambuteau, Paris 75003

Métro: Rambuteau

01 42 74 24 66

Organic, with all-day long service. Small, cozy and charming: my favorite ambience. Gets busy weekend evenings, so call for a reservation.

Le Végétarien

65, rue du Faubourg Poissonnière, Paris 75003

Métro: Poissonnière

06 60 97 16 12

Recently opened restaurant. Looking forward to trying it out.

Le Grand Appétit

9, Rue la Cerisaie, Paris 75004

Métro: Bastille

01 40 27 04 95

All vegan restaurant. It’s very macrobiotic and hippy: get ready for a no frills experience (i.e. you’ll be setting your own table.) I love it, though, because it is vegan and they have a great grocery store next door.

La Victoire Suprême du Coeur

27-31, rue du Bourg Tibourg, Paris 75004

Métro: Hôtel de Ville

01 40 41 95 03

This restaurant has gone all vegan! Run by devotees of Sri Chinmoy. They’ve also recently introduced a wine list. The Sunday lunch buffet is very popular. The location is lovely, great for people watching and I go there often because it’s on my little street. Review

Les Cinq Saveurs d’Ananda

72, Rue Cardinal-Lemoine, Paris 75005

Métro: Place Monge

01 43 29 58 54

Great macrobiotic plates. Very friendly staff and in a charming part of the Latin Quarter.

Le Grenier de Notre-Dame

18, Rue de la Bûcherie, Paris 75005

Métro: Saint-Michel

01 43 29 98 29

or

Rue des Deux-Ponts, Paris 75004

Métro: Pont Marie

Welcoming, macrobiotic oriented, Paris institution. Review

Maoz Vegetarian

8, Rue Xavier Privas, Paris 75005

Métro: Saint Michel

01 43 26 36 00

Small falafel place. Close to vegan except for a few cheesy items and the mayonnaise in the coleslaw. No gross schwarmas here! Order at the counter, fight for one of the three tables or walk to the Seine with your sandwich.

Guen Mai

6, Rue Cardinale, Paris 75006

Métro: Saint-Germain-des-Prés

01 43 26 03 24

That means brown rice in Japanese, you know. Macrobiotic. They have a counter service as well as seated dining. Tucked right behind St.-Germain-des-Prés and I love their sidewalk café tables.

Pousse-Pousse

7, rue Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, 75009

Métro: Notre-Dame-de-Lorette

01 53 16 10 81

World-class raw cuisine in the heart of Paris in a small and friendly location. I love this place with all my heart. Review

Bob’s Juice Bar

15, Rue Lucien Sampaix, Paris 75010

Métro: Jacques Bonsergent

09 50 06 36 18

A lovely juice bar that even does green juices. A vegan salad and soup everyday. The best juice bar in town. Review

Krishna Bhavan

24, Rue Cail, Paris 75010

Métro: Gare du Nord or La Chapelle

01 42 05 78 43

Sounthern Indian/Sri Lankan, very vegan friendly with great prices. Review

Tien Hiang

92, Rue du Chemin Vert, Paris 75011

Métro: Voltaire

01 43 55 83 88

Buddhist restaurant. Very vegan. Casual and chinese. Unfortunately, they use MSG, but you can ask them to hold it.

Green Garden

20, Rue Nationale, Paris 75013

Métro: Porte d’Ivry

01 45 82 99 54

Another Buddhist Chinese restaurant with a big menu. It’s really good and right in Chinatown. Review

Aquarius

40, Rue Gergovie, 75014 Paris

Métro: Pernety

01 45 41 36 88

I have never been here, because I have read there’s basically nothing for vegans. Please add a comment if I am wrong.

Joy in Food

2, Rue Truffaut, Paris 75017

Métro: Place Clichy

01 43 87 96 79

Lively hole in the wall. Open for lunch week days only. A vegan option available for each course.

Au Grain de Folie

24, Rue la Vieuville, Paris 75018

Métro: Abesses

01 42 58 15 57

A trippy little nook of a place with helpful service and standard macrobiotic fare. Review