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.
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.
- Overall: 5/5
- Location: 5/5
- Taste: 5/5
- Service: 4/5
- Vegetarian Friendly: 3/5
- Vegan Friendly: 1/5
- M.E.F. Friendly: 5/5
I’ve mentioned my love for Paris markets many times. While the weekly farmers’ markets are always worth visiting; I especially enjoy the special markets for produce and items from around the country.
There’s a Marché des Producteurs de Pays scheduled for May 22 and 23 in the 12th arr. It’s conveniently located between metros Daumesnil and Dugommier.
Keep an eye out for socks and blankets from angora sheep, dandelion wine, sheep’s milk soap, regional cheese and cookies, and buy a hunk of bread from the 3 feet wide circles.
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I just noticed that La Victoire Suprême du Cœur has changed owners. This news came courtesy of the blog Vegan Paris. The restaurant has changed names and now features non-vegetarian items. Fortunately, they still have the same kitchen staff, so there should still be some good options for vegetarian diners.
Report From Vegan Paris
But sadly, it seems that the restaurant couldn’t go on without us and just a couple of months after we left they have transformed into the Foie Gras-friendly “Le Passage Obligé”
There is one bright side: the new restaurant is run by the same “équipe,” who were always fairly well informed about what ‘vegan’ means, and the menu is clearly labelled with several vegetarian and vegan options. Also, they have vegan desserts.
Paris loses a Vegan restaurant: La Victoire Suprême du Cœur becomes Le Passage Obligé
La Victoire was a high-end vegetarian restaurant in the Marais district. I’d been there a few times and enjoyed the variety of dishes.
Organic
is a dirty word in Paris. Not that they are against organic produce as we know it. No, “organic” brings to mind roadkill and other rotting objects. Instead, the French use the term Biologique. BIOart is a restaurant that specializes in using only biologique ingredients in their cuisine.
I must admit I’ve passed this restaurant many, many times while heading home. It’s a bit cold on the outside, but supposedly very nice and comforting on the inside; where it really matters.
This was the first certified organic restaurant in France. The food is also locally produced and dishes are seasonal. You’ll find a wide variety of dishes for vegetarians and vegans. It’s a bit pricey, so save this for one of those special dinners on your vacation.
Travel and Leisure magazine featured BIOart in an eco-travel article:
A new addition to the city’s booming 13th Arrondissement, BioArt **** (dinner for two $100) serves an all-organic menu—risotto topped with shaved truffles; a terrine of diver scallops—in a design-forward space overlooking the Seine.
Eco-Friendly Guide to Paris, London and Stockholm
I have not visited this restaurant yet, so I cannot give a review.
- BIOart
- 1, quie Francoise-Mauriac (13°)
- Metro: Bibliotech Francoise Mitterand
- 01 45 85 66 88/dd>
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