2009 June | Vegetarian Experiences in Paris

Monthly Archive for June, 2009

Viva la Pizza!

Published

on June 22, 2009

. 3 Comments

I’m a big fan of pizza in Paris. In fact, I keep getting bigger and bigger and bigger… if you know what I mean.

It’s not that I enjoy eating pizza, which I do, but you can count of finding a vegetarian meal at any pizza place. Even vegans can request a pizza sans fromage. This is especially true when I’m outside Paris and looking for a bite to eat.

Yesterday I was shopping at a vide grenier with my friend Victoria and her son Tristan. We started looking for some shelter and lunch when the rain changed from an annoying drizzle to an official parade of rain drops. The first bistro we popped into specialized in fish. As we all know, fish restaurants typically have the worst vegetarian options. So we left and voila, Viva La Pizza was next door and calling our names.

Viva La Pizza

First off, the ambiance. This is a simple restaurant, comfortable, no music, no frills, and friendly service. More importantly, their menu is filled with inventive pizza choices. They have 8 vegetarian pizza options! There’s another 5 or 6 that could become vegetarian by requesting no bacon (lardons).

Victoria had the vegetarian pizza, Tristan had one with ham, and I had the white pizza with créme fraîche, chevre, mozzarella, and HONEY! Yes, honey! They also have a great sounding Greek pizza.

The honey pizza was an unusual flavor combo. I think it would have been better with some walnuts, but I did enjoy it. It was actually fairly light tasting and not too sweet.

Viva La Pizza was also affordable, most of their pizzas are less than 10euros. So to recap, you’ve got a simple, comfortable pizzeria with loads of vegetarian options for a reasonable cost. I call that a winner. Viva La Pizza!

Viva la Pizza: 52 Boulevard Arago (13°); Metro: Denfert-Rochereau; 01 43 36 95 62

Overall: 4/5
Vegetarian Options: 5/5
Vegan Options: 3/5
Value: 4/5
Location: 3.5/5
Service: 4/5

Le Bistro du Peintre in Paris

Published

Ted

on June 21, 2009

in 11th Arrindissement, bistro, French cuisine, Meat Eating Friends, popular and restaurant

. 0 Comments

Behind the Bastille is an area that is a little rough around the edges. It’s filled with restaurants, bars, and late-night activity. Le Bistro du Peintre sits on the edge of this section.

I stopped here during a chilly, rainy summer evening. The outdoor seating has a nice heater and lighting for a comfortable place to enjoy a meal and a book. Luckily they also had a couple vegetarian options.

While I was in the mood for a salad, their eggplant lasagna sounded like a better choice. The lasagna comes in a small terrine with layers of eggplant and sauce. It’s not your traditional lasagna with gobs of sauce and cheese. This is a lighter version with a slightly spicy sauce.

This also came with a mozzarella and tomato salad and rustic bread. The salad was nice, but had some crunchy bits that made me wonder if the lettuce was washed completely. It had a healthy portion of fresh mozzarella and a sampling of tapenade for flavor.

Comfort + Food

As I mentioned earlier, their outdoor seating area was quite comfortable. I pulled out my French history book and enjoyed reading for over an hour while watching the rain come down in heavy sheets. Evenings are special in Paris during the summer. A hearty meal, a good book, and a comfortable chair are what Paris memories are made of.

Your Meat Eating Friends will be Happy

Le Bistro du Peintre also has a good reputation for the standard meat-based bistro dishes, such as tartar, duck confit, and marrow bones. So this is also a good choice if you are dining with a bunch of meat eating friends.

Le Bistro du Peintre: 16, av Ledru-Rollin (11°); Metro: Ledru-Rollin, Bastille; 01 47 00 34 39

Overall: 3/5
Taste: 4/5
Vegetarian Options: 3/5
Vegan Options: 1/5
Meat Eating Friends: 5/5
Value: 4/5
Location: 3.5/5

Les Cinq Saveurs d’Anada – Organic, Vegetarian in Paris

Published

Ted

on June 9, 2009

in 5th Arrindissement, French cuisine, organic, restaurant, Vegan Friendly, vegetarian-friendly and wheelchair friendly

. 1 Comment

Les Cinq Saveurs d’Anada may be the perfect restaurant for you in Paris. Are you looking for vegan, vegetarian, and/or macrobiotic restaurant in an area surrounded by hostels, theaters, and one of the best outdoor markets in the city? Voila, here’s your answer.

The restaurant sits at the top of rue Mouffetard, one of my favorite spots in the city. It’s cheerful interior and ample servings make this a great option in the Left Bank.

As happens too often, I came across this restaurant after already eating a nice meal. So I cannot give a personal review. However, I looked at what people were eating and it looked great.

Les Cinq Saveurs d’Anada: 72, rue du Cardinal Lemoine (5°); Metro: Cardinal Lemoine, Place Monge; 01 43 29 58 54; Wheelchair Friendly: The restaurant has a small step to enter but is otherwise wheelchair friendly. I don’t know if the restroom is downstairs or not.

Beirut Down Town – Affordable Lebanese Food in Paris

Published

Ted

on June 7, 2009

in 5th Arrindissement, Ethnic, Lebanese, Mediteranean, Vegan Friendly and vegetarian-friendly

. 0 Comments

Behind the Institut du Monde Arabe sits Beirut Down Town, a small restaurant with rough stone walls and a set of simple tables. The front of the restaurant is dominated by a display case filled with hummus, tabouli, and assorted dishes ready for take out. It’s roomy interior is great for large groups.

Lebanese cuisine is filled with vegetarian options and Beirut Down Town’s Assiette Vegetarienne features 7 items for the reasonable price of 11.50 euros. It includes hummus, tabouli, labneh, 2 feuilletes (turnovers) of spinach and cheese, falafel, stuffed grape leaves, and pita bread. It’s a nice variety of dishes for dinner. They also offer a variety of vegetarian sandwiches and plates.

I was looking for something different and this seemed like the perfect place for dinner.

I have to say that I was underwhelmed by the food. It didn’t taste as fresh as I would have liked. I felt like some of the items were pre-packaged or made for the previous day’s lunch time rush (I visited it on a Saturday evening).

However, I have to give them benefit of doubt. The asbestos removal construction across the street had made the nearby restaurants seem like ghost towns. I was the only one in Beirut Down Town.

Student Dining

Beirut Down Town is next to the University of Paris and probably does great business during the week when students are hungry. The portions are large, there’s a nice variety of dishes, and the location is convenient.

I don’t know if I would go back again, but I would suggest it for people in the area looking for something other than another cheese sandwich.

Beirut Down Town: 30 rue des Fosses St. Bernard (5°); Metro: Cardinal Lemoine, Jussieu; 01 43 29 98 86; Wheelchair Friendly: The entrance is tight, but the rest of the restaurant is roomy

Overall: 3/5
Taste: 3/5
Vegetarian Options: 4/5
Vegan Options: 4/5
Value: 4/5
Location: 3.5/5

The Best Miso Soup in Paris

Published

Ted

on June 6, 2009

in 2nd Arrindissement, Asian, Ethnic, organic, popular, restaurant, salad, soup, Vegan Friendly and vegetarian-friendly

. 2 Comments

You’ll find a small collection of Asian restaurants between the Opera and the Tuilleries. Centered around rue Sainte-Anne, the neighborhood has become a magnet for Asian tourists. You’ll find pho, sushi, noodles, and soup restaurants that range from the quick and cheap to trendy and bustling.

Taisho Ken – Miso Soup Bar

In the center is a small Japanese miso soup restaurant that I’ve been finding myself eating at more and more. It’s a simple place with an open kitchen, large pots of boiling miso broth, and a friendly, bustling atmosphere. This is a simple place that may remind you more of a roadside diner than a French bistro.

Miso soup normally brings to mind a small bowl of broth with a few small chunks of tofu floating amongst green herbs. I was greatly surprised when I ordered the vegetarian soup bowl and was presented with a Texas sized spoon and a big bowl of broth with fresh vegetables and noodles. This is a meal by itself, you won’t need any rice or dumplings.

Paris is a great place to have a big lunch with friends and a simple dinner of soup or salad. I’ve added this place to my list of regular stops. It’s especially nice on a cold rainy night when the windows fog up and you are surrounded by the smell of the broth.

Taisho Ken: 40 rue Sainte-Anne (2°); Metro: Pyramides, Opera; 01 42 61 11 59; Wheelchair Friendly: It’s a small, tight restaurant with a small step to enter

Overall: 4/5
Vegetarian Options: 3/5
Vegan Options: 3/5
Value: 4/5
Location: 3.5/5