Let’s get together for a vegan potluck picnic at le Jardin du Luxembourg [6ème] on June 14th at 12h00. Vegans and anyone who wants to bring a vegan dish are welcome to get together and celebrate the good weather.

We’ll meet at the grassy area where you can actually sit down on the south-eastern side of the park. There are three lawns there: we’ll be on the middle one.

If you’d like to attend please add a brief comment below: hope to see you there!

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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

For starters it’s all organic, and even heavily biodynamic so there is a lot to choose from. But it is also a haven of vegan delights that are perfect for a day’s picnicking or for loading up the pantry at home. Here are a few of my favorite things at the market.

English Muffins: A small stand run by a French woman and American man offers this breakfast delight whole grain and dairy-free.

The vanilla and chocolate stand: lovely vanilla green tea, vanilla beans, other interesting vanilla derivatives and a variety of robust chocolates.

Mediterranean food: This always-busy stand offers a wide range of hot food like a great paella and always satisfying “galettes de pois chiche” [chick-pea pancakes] that they offer with a selection of sauces. I usually go for the tofu pistou.

Orange Juice: It’s not the cheapest in town but it’s very good and my kids love watching the amazing Willy Wonka-esque machine that makes it.

Seaweed guy: You can buy a wide range of sea vegetables and also he makes some nice spreads.

South American Superfoods stand: Maca, yacón, açerola, cacao nibs and other foods to boost your diet. For sure my favorite stand.

Herb stand: I track down hard-to-find herbs like loveage (livèche) and often enjoy a wheatgrass shot to get the energy to make my way through the hundreds of shoppers.

Jam: From the basics to the fancier fruits the jam man never disappoints and is not at all stingy with his free samples.

Nuts and dried fruit: A great stand which has a wide range of bulk goods.

Vegan pastry stand: I am in shock with delight to be able to eat pastry in Paris each time I stop by here. If you are at the market and see a blonde woman in shock… it’s probably me. Please say bonjour!

Biodynamic stand: My recommendation for the best stand to get your produce is the stand about half way down the market with the Demeter signs and the longest line! The line moves fast, the stall-holders are really nice and it’s worth the wait.

PROS: Everything is organic and it’s not far from the Luxembourg Gardens for a Sunday in the park.

CONS: My kids sometimes have to cover their faces to make it past the smell of the meat, fish and cheese stands. Don’t rule out encountering a pig head.