Vegetarian ∧ Vegan Restaurants in Paris: Where to Eat

Intro ...

In the Sunday edition of my free Paris Discoveries Newsletter, I answer reader questions about Paris travel. Recently, readers have asked whether it makes sense to move from one Parisian neighborhood and hotel to another when time permits.

This article is part of the Paris Discoveries Q&A Archive and brings together my answers based on my own experiences with staying in multiple neighborhoods on longer trips.

You'll find advice about whether splitting your stay is worth doing, how to choose best-for-you neighborhood combinations, hotel suggestions for several popular areas, and.

I've lightly edited, expanded, and updated my original answers, included a few practical tips for making the move from one hotel to another easier, and added photos to make this a more complete Paris travel resource.

Top photo: View of Paris rooftops & Eiffel Tower from La Fondation's rooftop bar, (c) Paris Discovery Guide

Paris Discovery Guide is a reader-supported publication. If you purchase through our links, PDG may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Merci for your support!

Does Paris Have Any Vegetarian Restaurants?

Kalimera, a Greek food kiosk with several vegan and vegetarian choices at Ground Control

Denni's Question:

My husband and I are visiting Paris from 2 May to 9 May this year, staying at Citadines La Clef Louvre Paris. It has a small kitchen, microwave etc as we are plant-based and heard that plant-based food is hard to find in Paris restaurants.

We thought we may do a market walking tour to see if that shows us places where we can buy food from.

However, would love to know if there are any vegetarian places at all in Paris or any other advice.

Susan's Answer:

La Clef Louvre is in an awesome location, so close to the Louvre and also the beautiful Palais Royal Garden. I often stay in that same neighborhood.

Doing a market tour is a great idea. All of them, I believe, involve food tastings, typically include non-plant-based selections such as cheese. If you want a purely vegan-only experience, the tour that I would recommend this highly-rated new Vegan Food Tour in the Canal Saint-Martin area in East Paris.

I haven't been on the tour yet myself but plan to go the next time I'm in Paris. Based on the 5-star reviews it's been getting, I added it to my Paris Food Tours article - take a look and see what you think. You also might want to consider this Marais food tour, as it includes a visit to Marché des Enfants Rouges, a wonderful covered market in the Upper Marais (3rd arrondissement).

Vegan restaurants did used to be challenging to find in Paris since traditional French cuisine is often meat- or fish-centric, not to speak of all the cheese and charcuterie, but there's been a big change during the past decade. A number of vegan-only cafes and bakeries have opened. Many non-vegan restaurants have started adding a couple of vegan options, although vegetarian dishes are more common.

Here's a short list of vegan restaurants in Paris where I've enjoyed meals (I do not follow a vegan diet, but I like a lot of vegan food), while others have been recommended by friends whose taste I trust:

Le Potager du Marais - Rue Saint-Paul, in the Marais, 4th arrondissement near the Seine River - mostly 100% vegan, along with some vegetarian choices
Ground Control - An entertainment space known for its food hall near Gare de Lyon Train Station, 12th arr - most of the food stalls offer several vegetarian and vegan options
Tigermilk - Several locations in Paris - I've been to the one in the Sentier neighborhood in the 2nd arr a couple of times - Mexican-inspired food, very small menu with a few vegan options - better for lunch or a snack than dinner
Le Potager de Charlotte - Couple of locations - 9th arr, 17th arr - very good
Mesa at the HOY Hotel in the 9th - quite good and also a nice wine list
Theory - Upper Marais, 3rd arr - sooo good - great burgers; I haven't tried the bowls but my friend ordered an Asian-flavored one that looked amazing
Boneshaker - 2nd arrondissement, Sentier neighborhood, near Rue de Nil - Bakery - most (maybe all?) items are vegan - the brownies are fantastic
Le Grenier de Notre Dame - Latin Quarter (5th arr) near Notre Dame - Very good - about half vegan, half vegetarian when I was there
Le Comptoir des Petit Champs - 1st arr, 5 minute walk from Le Clef Louvre - this is one of my favorite places for dinner in the neighborhood - usually 1 vegan entree and 1 main dish (plat) on the menu but check before going because it changes often - make reservations a couple days in advance, at least for dinner
L'As du Fallafel - Rue des Rosiers, Marais, 4th arr - Not strictly vegan, but their falafel (pita wrap), is, plus it's totally delicious
Maslow - Near La Clef Louvre - Quai de la Megisserie; also on Rue de Picardie in the Upper Marais - 3rd - about half vegan, half vegetarian - really delicious
Kubri - 11th arr, Oberkampf - Lebanese; really delicious; some vegan options; check the menu before going because I think it changes often
Tram 130 - 11th arr, Oberkampf - Vietnamese, several vegan options

Do Paris Restaurants Typically Offer a Vegetarian Option?

Carleen's Question:

My daughter and I are planning a trip to Paris in mid-October, and are staying at a hotel in the 1st arrondissement. I'm vegetarian and was wondering if Paris restaurants often have a vegetarian option?

Susan's Suggestions

Any time I'm in Paris for longer than 8-9 days, I do love to split my time among two or more different neighborhoods because each one is so different. I did this on my most recent trip, and stayed four different areas over the course of a month - Montmartre, Saint-Germain, the Latin Quarter, and the 1st arrondissement.

So I'm very happy to suggest hotels for you. Since you didn't mention a specific nightly budget, I'm including a range of options within each neighborhood.

Based on your interests and the neighborhoods you're targeting, here are my suggestions:

In some parts of the city, such as East Paris, it's hard to find a restaurant without vegetarian options. The 1st arrondissement is a little more traditional, but there are plenty of places where you can find outstanding vegetarian choices. Here are some of my own favorites:

I'd probably start with Maslow (14 Quai de la Mégisserie, by the Seine River), which is one of the city's most famous vegetarian restaurants, a reputation that it fully deserves. Their menu also includes a few gluten-free options. They use a small plates format; in my experience, 2 per person is about right, especially if you want to get dessert (which I recommend). Flavors are from around the world, but the cuisine is fundamentally French, and they make everything in house. They also have another location at 32 Rue Picardie in the Haut Marais (3rd arr).

Another one of my favorites is Maceo (15 Rue des Petits Champs), just north of Palais Royal Garden. This is a small-ish winebar-turned-bistro with a market-focused menu. There are almost 2 or 3 vegetarian options for the first course as well as for the main course, and some of the desserts. I always enjoy the food here - it would be hard, I think, to make a wrong choice.

A few block to the west but still in the 1st, Diamont Saint-Honoré (24 Place du Marché Saint-Honoré) is quite good, and has a lovely terrace for outdoor dining. In my experience, the first and main courses here are terrific, but the desserts, not so much - it's better to head to the nearest ice cream place and get sorbet.

Finally, a splurgier option is La Halle aux Grains on the 3rd floor at the Pinault Collection (contemporary art gallery; 2 Rue de Viarmes - near Les Halles). In addition to tasting menus (avoid these, as there's not, as far as I'm aware, a vegetarian option), there's a short a la carte menu which includes a delicious-sounding vegetarian option for both the first and main courses, and all desserts are vegetarian. I haven't had a meal here - just the afternoon "savory and sweet" tea service, which was fantastic, and I'll definitely book lunch or dinner for my next trip. Make reservations perhaps a few days in advance.

Happy dining!