As recently as a decade ago, the prospect of finding delicious, let alone decent, vegetarian or vegan dining options in the French capital was truly grim. Aside from a few restaurants that had served a loyal clientele since the 1970s– and mostly offered bland, predictable fare that hadn’t been updated much since then– the Parisian food scene was anything but veggie-friendly.
But all that’s radically changed in recent years, much to my surprise. These days, it’s not too difficult to either book a table at a good vegetarian or vegan table in the capital that offers entirely meat-free or plant-based menu options, or find something good to eat at restaurants that cater well to vegetarians. It’s even becoming much easier to find decent, entirely vegan places to eat out in Paris.
Keep reading for what I consider to be some of the best vegetarian restaurants in Paris, based on my own dining experiences. It’s far from comprehensive to start, but I’ll aim to expand this list as time goes on and I try more places. And please do feel free to write to me if you’ve had an experience you’d like to share or a restaurant you’d like me to try out and potentially add to this list.
Bon appetit!
Le Potager de Charlotte: Plant-Based Delights
This cheerful restaurant between Paris’ Montmartre and Grands Boulevards districts won me over for its intensely flavorful, creative plant-based dishes, centered around organic and (often) gluten-free ingredients sourced primarily from local farmer’s markets.
Opened by David and Adrien Valentin in 2015, the restaurant was named after their mother, Charlotte. The familial, homey vibe at Le Potager is also resolutely modern, with an airy, bright dining space dominated by light wood and comfortable seating.
Try signature dishes such as the rice and chickpea galettes (pictured above) with cashew cream, arugula and pumpkin seeds, enormous and flavor-packed salads, homemade soups, fresh-pressed juices and smoothies, and a tempting vegan dessert menu that includes treats such as chocolate mousse. There’s also a copious brunch served every weekend.
For more on what makes this table stand out from many of the others in the “Paris veggie ecosystem”, see my full review of Le Potager de Charlotte.
Getting There & Practical Info
Le Potager now has two locations: one at 12 Rue Louise-Émilie de la Tour d’Auvergne, 75009 (9th arrondissement), Metro Cadet, Anvers or Saint-Georges; and in the 17th arrondissement further west of the city, at 21 Rue Rennequin (Metro Porte Maillot).
So Nat: A Fresh Cantine for Veggie & Vegan Lunch
This perpetually-packed, trendy cantine at the far end of the Rue des Martyrs (a foodie destination in its own right) is a popular spot among locals and office workers looking for something fresh and healthy on their lunch breaks.
The casual restaurant is especially prized for its large, gourmet buddha bowls, packed with vegetables but also with flavor and texture. One example from the recent menu is a “Clockwork Orange” (Orange Mécanique) bowl with pearl barley, tofu balls, shitake mushrooms, garlic-roasted pumpkin, red cabbage marinated with orange, yakitori mushrooms, chives, black sesame, and miso vinaigrette with white grape juice.
Starters include pita sandwiches, freshly made soups and juices.
Creative (and gourmet) recent dessert options include cheescake with hibiscus, iced cinnamon buns with chopped pistachio, and iced blueberry cake topped with fresh blueberries. Most desserts are vegan at So Nat.
Getting There & Contact Info
- Address: 5 Rue Bourdaloue, 75009
- Metro: Notre-Dame-de-Lorette
- Visit the official website
Bodhi Vegan: For Asian-Style Dishes
For anyone who’s explored cosmopolitan Belleville district, the sheer number of excellent Vietnamese Pho restaurants and tables specialized in other Asian cuisines– from Sichuan to Thai– can be overwhelming. Of course, vegetarians and vegans can have a hard time finding something suitable at these otherwise superb cantines and restaurants, which can be frustrating.
Enter Bodhi Vegan, a Vietnamese-style restaurant at the edge of the Canal St-Martin that offers all the flavor and umami joy of specialties such as rice pancakes, wontons, nems, and enormous noodle soups– with zero animal proteins.
The cantine is intimate but not typically overcrowded. Grab a table there to feast on house specialties including Tom Yum coconut soup with mock shrimp and vegetables, Vietnamese ravioli with plant-based shredded meat, Vietnamese-style crepes with plant-based shrimp and vegetables, and enormous bowls of vegan Pho.
The desserts are also excellent, and include choices such as cheesecake, carrot cake, chocolate cake, and sticky rice with taro, coconut milk and peanuts.
Getting There & Contact Info
The restaurant in situated between the Belleville and Goncourt neighborhoods/Metro stops in the 10th arrondissement.
- Address: 23 Av. Claude Vellefaux, 75010
- Metro: Colonel Fabien or Belleville
- Visit the official website to see menus & more
Macéo: For Gastronomic French Dining
This prestigious French restaurant behind the opulent Palais-Royal doesn’t at first instinct seem like a good candidate for a vegetarian-friendly lunch or dinner. Yet, as I was surprised to learn when I dined there, the cuisine at Macéo is geared very much around fresh, seasonal vegetables– and some of the creative dishes from Chef Nathan Pascual are vegetarian.
Non meat-eaters will find several a la carte choices on the extensive menu, and the seasonal menus for lunch and dinner invariably include an option for vegetarians. There are also usually vegan options, but you might want to contact the restaurant ahead of time to ask whether this is the case, since the menus change seasonally.
Dishes spotted on recent menus at Macéo include red-lentil dhal with Indian spices, green asparagus from Provence seasoned with citrus vinaigrette and ginger cream, and a variety of beautifully presented, delicately flavored pastas with vegetables.
The wine list is extensive and includes organic and biodynamic offerings, so don’t hesitate to ask about appropriate pairings. This is a popular restaurant for dinner in particular, so make sure to book in advance.
Getting There & Practical Info
Macéo is nestled in a street right behind the Palais-Royal in the 1st arrondissement, also known as the Louvre-Tuileries district.
- Address: 15 Rue des Petits Champs, 75001
- Metro: Bourse or Pyramides
- Visit the official website and read my full review
Veggie Tasty: For Casual Vegan Lunch or Dinner
Veggie Tasty is a classic vegetarian and vegan cantine that’s friendly, laid-back and inexpensive– ideal for a quick lunch between exploring the sights near the Opéra Garnier and its surrounds.
Inside the sparing but cheerful dining room, tuck into a variety of vegan wraps, salads, soups, “gourmet bowls”, and freshly squeezed juices. The concept is to create your own sandwich/wrap or salad at the bar, composed from six vegan “bases” and your choice of “veggie balls”. All ingredients are locally sourced and most are organic.
Desserts include tempting choices such as chocolate brownies with chopped almonds.
This place is quite popular at lunchtime, so do your best to arrive relatively early to get a table. It’s open for dinner as well, which is rather unusual for vegetarian “cantines”– and a big plus, in my book.
Getting There & Contact Info
Veggie Tasty is located between the “Grands Boulevards” area and Gare du Nord, close to attractions such as the Grevin Wax Museum, the historic shopping arcades of Paris and the Opéra Garnier. It might also make an ideal lunch spot if you’re about to hop on the Eurostar at Gare du Nord (or have just arrived and find yourself in need of lunch).
- Address: 78 Rue La Fayette, 75009 Paris (9th arrondissement)
- Metro: Poissonière, Gare de L’Est or Le Peletier
- Visit the official Facebook page
Breizh Café (for Breton-style Crepes)
Last but certainly not least, my favorite place in the capital for Breton-style savory crepes (galettes) is also vegetarian-friendly, though it’s not an exclusively veggie or plant-based table. The brainchild of founder and chef Bertrand Larcher, Breizh has a veritable empire that extends throughout Paris, Cancale in Brittany and all the way to Tokyo.
{Related: The Best Creperies in Paris}
It’s not hard to see why: fresh, painstakingly sourced ingredients go into all the restaurant’s menu items, from savory galettes to sweet crepes and traditional ciders. Vegetarians should try savory options such as the “Sicilian Galette” with fresh mozarrella, basil and tomato, a spinach galette with a sunny-side-up-egg and grated cheese, or creative, maki-style buckwheat rolls with fresh vegetables and cheeses.
Breizh isn’t especially suited to strict vegans– but as mentioned below, their café and cocktail bar in the Montorgueil district is well worth a night out.
Getting There & Practical Information:
Breizh Café has several locations around Paris, including in the Marais, Montmartre, the Rue Montorgueil area (the latter with a wonderful cider and cocktail bar downstairs) and the Canal Saint-Martin Area.
See the official website for locations, current menu items, contact details and more.
More Veggie & Vegan-Friendly Dining Options in Paris
Still hungry? Also see my guide to the best street food in Paris and the best falafel in Paris, both of which mention several more casual vegetarian and vegan dining options in the capital. And as I mentioned earlier in the post, I’ll work to expand this list as I review other restaurants in the coming months.
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What about gluten-free options no one hardly ever does an article about this . There are a lot of celiacs and gluten intolerant people out there with very few options some one should do a piece about gluten free choices and places. We want to enjoy our time there as well without being sick all the time.
Hello, thanks for reading and commenting. In fact, the vast majority of vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Paris do in fact offer many gluten-free options as staples on their menus– including the creperie I recommend in the list, which serves buckwheat pancakes.
Hope that helps! Bon appetit.