Chez Lili et Marcel is the sister restaurant to Chez Prosper and Cafe Panis. Both are popular restaurants that serve classic French cuisine. The portions are large, the staff is friendly, and the value is great.
Chez Lili et Marcel is located next to Metro: Quai de la Gare, a stone’s throw to the Seine. It’s a very convenient location in the 13th arrindissemont. Unlike Chez Prosper, Lili et Marcel is quiet, comfortable, and you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy your meal.
Vegetarian options
To quote Henry Ford: you have a great choice of meals. There’s the salad Marceillaise and the salad Marceillaise. Yes, there’s really only one vegetarian dish and no vegan dishes. However, this salad is wonderful.
It features a layer of greens, tomatoes and cucumbers. On top is a layer of sauteed potatoes and then a tartine with thinly sliced pears, honey, and cheese. It’s a hearty meal for about 12 euros.
I visit Lili et Marcel often. It’s a great place to meet friends when you actually want to hear each other. Parking is fairly easy to find at night. It’s great for your meat eating friends, but not so great for your vegan friends.
- Chez Lili et Marcel
- 1, Quai d’Austerlitz (13°)
- 08 26 10 09 17
- Metro: Quai de la Gare
- French Restaurant
- Overall: 3.5/5
- Location: 4/5
- Taste: 4/5
- Service: 5/5
- Vegetarian Friendly: 2/5
- Vegan Friendly: 1/5
- M.E.F. Friendly: 5/5
Paris is full of surprises. There are little gems around every corner. The Parisian Sweet Bar in the 12th arrondissement is an example. You’ll also find small museums, art galleries, pocket sized parks, and chunks of ancient history.
This leads me to Gout Zen. I stumbled across this restaurant while leaving an unfamiliar metro exit (Bibliotheque). The street is subterranean, with car-filled bridges above, towering buildings, old stone steps to new areas, and a green beacon of light and energy.
Gout Zen is a restaurant, cafe, and organic market all wrapped into one. It reminds me of the No Stress Cafe, near Place de Pigalle. There’s more to just eating at Gout Zen. You can rent a heated wrap for your tired shoulders at 1 Euro for 15 minutes, use free wireless, and purchase some organic food and supplies. It’s a friendly cafe that is bright and comfortable.
I had the vegetable bruschetta at 6 euros. Although a tad salty, I enjoyed the snack and used the wireless until my laptop battery died. The cafe also features some interesting vegan alternatives. I’m dying to try the faux steak au poivre. The fixed price menus range from 8 to 15 euros and include a variety of vegetarian and vegan options.
Finding Gout Zen is a bit tricky. Take the Rue Du Chevaleret exit if you are coming from the metro line 14 or RER C. You can also reach it by climbing down the steps on Rue de Tolbiac, Rue Thomas Mann, and Rue des Grands Moulins. I’d suggest using the Rue de Tolbiac steps.
- Gout Zen
- 54, Rue du Chevalaret (13°)
- 01 45 86 26 23
- contact@goutzen.fr
- Metro: Bibliotheque
- Restaurant and Epicerie
- Free Wireless
- Overall: 4/5
- Location: 3/5
- Taste: 4/5
- Service: 5/5
- Vegetarian Friendly: 5/5
- Vegan Friendly: 5/5
- M.E.F. Friendly: 3/5
They say that location is everything. This small cafe in the Bercy neighborhood would make a killing in more popular areas. It’s a charming cafe operated by people that are passionate about the food and service they provide.
It’s conveniently located for those walking to Bercy Village, Parc de Bercy, or the Cour St. Emillion metro (#14). It’s tucked into the side of an anonymous building and looks toward the elevated train tracks and Notre Dame de la Nativité de Bercy
I stop by to get my morning coffee and love the selection of salads, soups, smoothies, and lunch items. It’s a shame I don’t work nearby to enjoy their lunch time offerings. Of course, this really isn’t much of an excuse. They have pre-packaged lunches just waiting for you to pickup on the way to work.
Their menu is stacked with vegetarian and vegan options inspired by seasonal fruits and vegetables. Here’s a sample of their menu:(as of Feb. 2008)
- Carrot salad with coriander and dressing
- Lentil salad with red onions and coriander
- Vegetable plate with zucchini, eggplant, leeks, and fennel
- 4 different vegetarian/vegan pasta dishes: Vegetarian, Mushroom, 3 cheese, and tomato/pimento
- Brie, arugula, and walnut sandwich
- Seasonal market vegetable soup and tarts
- Fruit salad with mint syrup
- Fruit smoothies
- Fresh fruit
- Teas, coffee, water, and more
Lunches range from approx. 4-7 Euros. It’s affordable, friendly, and an oasis of vegetarian options in this neighborhood.
- Parisian Sweet Bar
- 10 rue de Dijon, Paris 75012
- Metro: Cour St-Emillion
- 01 44 73 40 44
- parisiansweetbar@9business.fr
- Hours: 8h-18h Monday to Friday
- Overall: 4.5/5
- Vegetarian Options: 5/5
- Vegan Options: 5/5
- Value: 5/5
- Location: 3/5
Maoz is more than a tiny falafel stand on the edge of a Greek/Mediterranean restaurant row. It’s more than a place to grab a cheap, tasty bite in Paris. Maoz is a cult of food personality. Its loyal fans practically plan their vacations around this stand’s availability. Lucky for Paris, there’s one in a great location.
Maoz was started by a couple spending their sabbatical in Amsterdam. They decided to open a small restaurant with an Israeli theme. This stand took off and they’ve expanded around Europe and are beginning to land in the United States.
Not far away from Maoz is Rue de Rossiers, the Falafel Alley in the Marais. The food is arguably the same quality and value.
What makes Maoz different?
It’s on the Left Bank, closer to the universities. More uniquely, Maoz offers a “salad bar” for you to customize your sandwhich instead of getting one prepared for you.
Maoz is very close to another vegetarian classic, Le Grenier de Notre-Dame. Maoz is cheaper, faster, and more fun. But you can’t eat Falafel every time…
- Maoz Paris
- 8 rue Xavier Privas, 75005
- Metro: Saint-Michel, Cite, Cluny - La Sarbonne
- 01 43 26 36 00
- Overall: 5/5
- Vegetarian Options: 5/5
- Vegan Options: 5/5
- Value: 5/5
- Location: 5/5
This tiny restaurant hidden in the 17th arrindismont plays to the local lunch crowd. Just look for the small facade painted in an odd purplish hue with a line of anxious people out the door. There will equally be a stream of people leaving with bulging paper bags.
Cocoon is not your typical Parisian restaurant. It’s a throwback to the old cafeteria diners. Their menu is as small as their floorplan. You’ll walk in and see a display case of freshly made soups, drinks, and desserts. Grab what you like and make your way to the counter. There you will be greated by a friendly saladier who builds a unique salad to your desires. They also offer sandwhiches but everyone I saw had soup and salad.
To continue the small theme of this restaurant, your Meat Eating Friends can choose between tuna and tuna for their salads. Yes, this is a Vegetarian restaurant and that makes me happy. What’s even better? It’s cheap and just around the corner from my office.
Proximity is actually important for Cocoon as they have virtually no space to stay and eat. It’s also not easy to find. You’ll want to visit this place if you work or live in the 17th arrindissmont.
For lunch today, I had a very flavorful lentil soup, a small salad, perrier, and fromage blanc with raspberry confiture. This soup menu is 8,50 euros, tasted great, and is much healthier than most of the places in the area. Cocoon is open for lunch but don’t get there late. I arrived after 2 one day and they had already been cleaned out.
- Cocoon
- 3, rue Galvani (17°)
- 01.45.72.59.12
- Pereirre
- Fast and healthy
- Overall: 4.5/5
- Location: 3/5 stars
- Taste: 4.5/5
- Service: 4.5/5
- Vegetarian Friendly: 5/5
- Vegan Friendly: 5/5
- M.E.F. Friendly: 1/5
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