I was asked recently for advice on vegetarian restaurants that were wheelchair friendly. It’s funny, one of my areas of expertise is making web sites accessible, but I never gave much thought to the restaurants I review. Is there a truly accessible restaurant in Paris?
I would likely say there is no such thing. Most Paris restaurants have terrible web sites filled with Flash movies that lock information away from users. Sure, it is possible to make Flash accessible to screen readers, but I wouldn’t expect to much from these. I’ve never seen braille menus in Paris. Most buildings in Paris have at least a small step before entering and the bathrooms are in the basement.
Accessible Restaurant Options in Paris
There is a restaurant that treats everyone as if they were blind. Dans le Noir diners are served in total darkness by people wearing night-vision goggles. Braille menus are available and it’s probably not filled with steps. They even have a vegetarian menu.
Your safest option for a meal and accessible bathroom is probably the foodmall inside the Louvre. It’s not very exciting—in fact its much like the food court in any major American shopping mall. However, there are elevators, easy access from the metro, and certainly a bathroom without steps (I haven’t checked). The food is ok and there is a good variety. It’s a good choice when you want something basic and don’t want to hastle with finding a restaurant with vegetarian options.
You’ll also find restaurants in modern buildings more appropriate. They’ll probably have better sidewalks, fewer steps, and bathrooms that are more wheelchair friendly.
I’ve started going back to my favorite restaurants and looking at how wheelchair friendly they are. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Chez Lili et Marcel has a ramp at the front door instead of a step and their bathroom is on the main level (it is a tight fit though).
Non-Accessible Vegetarian Restaurants
I should point out some popular restaurants that are not going to work with wheelchairs. Potager du Marais is extremely tight and the only option would be sitting outside on their narrow sidewalk. Grenier de Notre-Dame is also a tight restaurant on multi levels in an ancient building.
Most of the restaurants I’ve gone back to have a small step to enter and no wheelchair bathroom access. Life is much easier in Spring and Summer when the tables are brought out to the sidewalk and everyone eats under the setting sun. Please leave a comment on any of the Paris Vegetarian restaurant reviews with your viewpoint on its accessibility. Do you know any good restaurants I should add to an accessible vegetarian restaurant list?
- Dans le Noir
- 51 rue Quincampoix (4°)
- info@danslenoir.fr
- tel: 01 42 77 98 04
- fax: 01 42 77 98 07
- Metro: Les Halles ( ligne 4 et 1 ),
Hôtel de ville ( ligne 1 et 11 )
Etienne Marcel ( ligne 4 )
Rambuteau ( ligne 11 ),
Châtelet-Les Halles (lignes A, B et D)
- Restaurant
Fortunately, it is pretty easy to find a healthy lunch in Paris. Sure there are dozens of bistros, cafes, Turkish fast food, and pizza joints in every part of the city. But keep your eye out for the small soup/salad/pasta shops that deliver great vegetarian food at a reasonable cost.
Gustav’ Good Choice is a small restaurant on Boulevard Pereire in the 17th. The location is central, but there is very little foot traffic in this part of the street. Gustav has to work even harder to keep bodies walking through the door. This hard work is evident in the small details.
The menu is small but well conceived. You have your choice of salad, soup, pasta, or the plate du jour. Fixed price menus may combine these choices with an optional dessert. Today’s choices were a vegetarian vegetable soup, a green salad, pasta with Gorgonzola and bacon, Eggplant Parmesan, and a chicken and rice dish.
The food is prepared in advance and heated upon ordering. This keeps the service quick and friendly. I had the eggplant dish with a fromage blanc and herbs combination for dessert. Gustav’ provides Eric Kayser bread; just one of the details that make this restaurant a step above.
Gustav is wheelchair friendly. There is a very small step to enter. However, there are no outdoor seats and the interior is rather cramped. I don’t know if they have a public bathroom. Most people take the food back to work or home to eat.
Similar Restaurants
Keep an eye out for these small restaurants. You’ll find a great lunch, fresh food, and friendly service.
- Gustav’ Good Choice
- 154 Blvd Pereire (17°)
- 09 63 52 01 72
- gustav-good-choice@orange.fr
- Metro: Pereire, Porte de Champerret
- Lunch restaurant
- Wheelchair Friendly: very small step to enter, cramped interior
- Overall: 4/5
- Location: 3/5
- Taste: 4/5
- Service: 5/5
- Vegetarian Friendly: 4/5
- Vegan Friendly: 3.5/5
- M.E.F. Friendly: 4/5
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The No Stress Cafe received international attention for combining fortune telling, massages, and food in a simple Paris cafe. It sits down the hill from the sin-soaked Pigalle area facing a pleasant terrasse fronted by restaurants.
The cafe has matured over the years. The massage chairs have been replaced with more dining tables and an increased attention towards dining instead of dozing. However you can still get your fortune told and enjoy a no stress dinner.
Chef Dean to the Rescue
I’ve mentioned my favorite chef in Paris, Jacques. What I may not have mentioned enough was his partner and sous chef Dean. The two of them created a menu that kept the No Stress Cafe from becoming a one line joke, “hey did you hear about the cafe with back rubs near Pigalle…”. Jacques has moved on to other restaurants and Dean is now the chef of the No Stress Cafe.
I can tell you from experience that Dean is a masterful chef. He has an international approach from his Asian heritage and years of cooking in Paris. His menu at No Stress is a fusion of Mediterranean, French, and Asian recipes.
Vegetarian Options
The standard menu features several vegetarian and vegan options.
However, you can also request the Tapas menu to be vegetarian. This is what I had the other night and it was excellent! Dean gave me a bit extra but you can expect an assortment of tempura, pickled vegetables, lasagna, and other seasonal vegetables.
Dean also makes a killer bowl of vegetarian french onion soup. He uses white wine instead of stock and it blows away the french onion soup at Potager du Marais. It’s not on the menu, but he’ll make it the soup of the day if you make your reservation a few days in advance. Tell them Ted sent you.
Eating at No Stress cafe reminded me of sharing a dinner at chez Jacques and Dean. Ample portions of food from around the globe served family style with great affection.
- No Stress Cafe
- 24 rue Clauzel (9°)
- 01 48 78 00 27
- Metro: Pigalle, St. Georges
- Cafe
- Overall: 4.5/5
- Location: 3/5
- Taste: 5/5
- Service: 5/5
- Vegetarian Friendly: 5/5
- Vegan Friendly: 4/5
- M.E.F. Friendly: 5/5
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I’ve been in California for the past month. i’ll be returning to Paris on Thursday. it’s been a great trip and I’m looking forward to returning. Especially with lots of cheque dejeuner tickets waiting for me in the Paris office.
I’ve also been working on a new site: Insider Food. It’s a regional food search engine. I’ll post more about that later.
This is a wonderful tomato soup at Bistro Jeanty in Yountville, CA. Yountville is one of the towns in Napa Valley and has become the center of gourmet restaurants for the area. You can purchase the recipe for about 3 euros, or download it from their web site: Bistro Jeanty Tomato Soup (.pdf)
Fall is in the air and tourists to Paris can’t help but think about what to bring back as gifts for the holidays. Paris has no shortage on shopping; but where could you find something a bit more unique than an Eiffel Tower key chain or Mona Lisa t-shirt?
Markets
You’ll find a great variety of locally produced and manufactured items at the daily markets. Here are some of the better options:
- Bastille market on Sunday: You’ll find not only food but hand crafts from around France, North Africa, and other regions. Just go to metro: Bastille, you can’t miss it from about 9 a.m. to about 2 p.m. for the best choices
- Visit one of the Marchés des Producteurs de Pays . These markets are filled with vendors from around the country. You can purchase wine and spirits directly from the producers, honey, wax, and wool items. Personally, I love the socks. They are great gifts for your friends with diabetes. You can also taste fresh made Aligot, a mixture of potatoes and regional stringy cheese, which is hard to find. Here are some upcoming events:
- November 22-23, Boulevard de Reuilly, 12th arrondissement (metro Daumesnil).
- December 5-7, St. Paul village court. This is a bit harder to find. Take the St. Paul metro and go behind the St. Paul church.
- Honey and Confiture: Nothing brings back local taste than regional honey and preserves. David Lebovitz has a great article about Honey in Paris. For confiture, check out your local markets, the Marchés des Producteurs de Pays, and also stop by a nice fromagerie to see if they offer a confiture de la maison. I buy my coffee and confiture from Pascal Guiraud, in the 12th Arrondissement on Blvd de Reuilly.
Macarons: It’s hard to go wrong with a great box of macarons from Pierre Hermé or Ladurée.- Flea Markets: Everyone has heard about the famous Paris Marché aux Puce. It’s enormous and sits in the north border of the city. Frankly, it’s overpriced and you could spend all day looking and not buy anything.
However, there are several smaller flea markets that are more promising. I personally prefer the one at Porte de Vanves. It is every Saturday and Sunday from about 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.. Dress warmly for the winter shopping, some areas are always in the shade and it can get chilly. Look for inexpensive art (etchings and prints), glassware, jewelry, and household items.
You’ll find your best bargains at a Vide Grenier (community garage sale). Keep an eye out for fliers around the city for the local sale. They are not always available.
This is just a short list of places to get gifts for friends and coworkers before heading home. Look for the locally produced and regional cuisines wherever you travel. They’ll be more memorable than the standard souvenirs.
- Pascal Guiraud – Torréfacteur
- 21, boulevard de Reuilly (12°)
- 01 43 43 93 27
- Metro: Daumesnil, Dugommier
- Coffee, Tea, Confiture, and Fine Groceries
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