There’s a small vegetarian restaurant hidden on a street filled with fur shops. Was this a form of rebellion? Perhaps an uprising against the fur establishment? Or merely a bright spot on a street devoted to dead animals?
Le Végétarien is a small restaurant geared towards healthy breakfast and lunch. You’ll find an assortment of salads, soups, and vegetables.
Continue reading ‘Le Végétarien’
How can you go wrong with a pizza joint that proudly boasts its connection to John Water’s movie Pink Flamingos? 
Not to mention the old school punk music, ala Ramones, on the speakers. Did I mention the VW bus parked on the street as an alternate dining table? Oh, and they have some great, inventive vegetarian pizzas.
Pink Flamingo is all that and more.
Continue reading ‘Pink Flamingo – Pizza with a funky twist’
How long will you be in France? A day, week, or month? Will you have enough time to experience the best aspects of French cuisine? Maybe, if you visit Pain, Vin, Fromages, a small restaurant in the Marais district of Paris. The name says it all, you’ll find great bread and a wide assortment of French cheeses and wines.
I haven’t had the opportunity to eat here yet, but I’ve walked by and it looked very good. Of course, I’m a bit jaded. I have two major vices: bread and cheese. So this restaurant hit a soft spot.
The menu
Their menu is simple and well thought out. The items, not surprisingly, fall into three categories: bread, wine, and cheese. Each item, from the bread sticks to the 50 varieties of cheese, is carefully chosen and paired with wine by Vincent Durand, the resident oenologist.
Vegans are not going to find a lot of choices at this restaurant. But lacto vegetarians should love the extensive cheese selections, tartines, and most importantly the fondues.
Pain, Vin, Fromages is conveniently located near the Centre Pompidou in the Marais. It’s only open for dinner.
- Pain, vin, fromages restaurant
- 3, Rue Geoffroy-l’Angevin, 75004 Paris (4°)
- 01 42 74 07 52
- painvinfromage@neuf.fr
- Open everyday from 7 p.m. to 11.30 p.m.
- Metro: Rambuteau
- Wine bar
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Boring tagine in MoroccoMorocco is a favorite destination for many Parisians. It’s warm, exotic, and French is a secondary language for most people. Moroccan food is also highly appreciated for its spices, tagines, and couscous. Ask a Parisian about Morocco and a smile appears as they remember one of the many little joys of visiting the country.
It’s possible to get vegetarian food in Marrakech. Most restaurants will sell a vegetable tagine. However, I found them to be quite boring. Perhaps I needed to visit better restaurants.
Earth Cafe
You can imagine my delight when walking through the market and spotted some hand made signs for “Earth Cafe” a vegan restaurant. I had to find this place and enjoy a good meal, it did not disappoint.
The first thing you see as you step down into this cafe is the open kitchen, a beaming chef will greet you with pride as you enter her domain. As you pass the kitchen the restaurant opens vertically. What seems like a small space grows to several floors with an open space in the center.
The menu
I was surprised to see the menu lacked tagines and couscous. How very non-Moroccan! How very refreshing after dealing with some rather banal versions found in other places.
Instead you’ll find a creative assortment of dishes that span the North African and Mediterranean flavor spectrum. My meal had a variety of vegetables wrapped in filo dough, baked and placed on the plate with mango sauce. It was delicious and very filling.
Earth Cafe also features some yummy smoothies that will hit the spot on a warm African afternoon. The friendly hosts speak French and English. The waiter even walked with me through the souks to find a hammam.
You’ll owe it to yourself to visit Earth Cafe when visiting Marrakech. You’ll get great food, great service, and a jovial, peaceful environment. The flavors are so great that your meat eating friends will also enjoy the meal.
- Cafe Earth
- Arset Sakia, Marrakech, Morocco
- earthcafemarrakech@yahoo.com
- Hours: 11am-late
- Vegetarian Restaurant
- Accessibility: The restaurant is not accessible to wheelchairs.
You’ll feel like you’ve gone back in time when stepping into Chez Paul. This popular restaurant near the Bastille is filled with vintage elements that deliver a homey, comfortable atmosphere. The food is also elegant, comfortable cuisine.
Delicious French Cuisine
Chez Paul serves solid, traditional French cuisine. As such, you’ll find many more meat options than vegetarian. There’s not much on the menu for the vegans. It’s a shame, as the food is really amazing.
I visited Chez Paul on a Friday night. A reservation is highly recommended, as this is a popular restaurant in a popular dining area. I started with the cream of asparagus soup, which was amazing. It was silky and very satisfying. Frankly, I could have stopped at just the soup and died a happy man. Chez Paul features a special vegetable soup every night, so hopefully you’ll be arrive on asparagus night.
Following the soup, my friend Bob and I had the vegetable lasagna and salad. The lasagna was good and cheesy, but didn’t match the asparagus soups flavor quality. Finishing the night, I had the house specialty dessert: pears poached in a spiced wine with ice cream. This was also an amazing dish.
To summarize: Chez Paul is a fantastic, vintage restaurant in a hip section of Paris. The food is amazing, but the vegetarian selections are limited. The vegan options are even fewer. It’s a fabulous place to visit with friends.
Address and Ratings
- Chez Paul
- 13, Rue de Charonne, 75011 Paris (11°)
- 08 99 23 09 70
- Metro: Ledru-Rollin
- French Restaurant
- Accessibility: Only a portion of the restaurant is wheelchair accessible. Restrooms are not accessible.
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