Paris

Tar.Aldarion

Miss Rasmus and myself are going to Paris soon, have any of you guys been there and to the vegetarian restaurants?
Have looked here, http://www.happycow.net/disp_results_address.php?distance=2&maptype=&address=paris&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=Go but would like your advice.
Any suggestions on where to dine from your experiences?(one vegetarian, one vegan, no pasta dishes! :-) )

Anybody been here?
http://www.happycow.net/reviews.php?id=869
Looks good.
Also, any hotels/B&Bs that have such meals? This is more important.



Also, what is seitan steak like or seitan in general?

Thanks.

Peanut

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

...
Anybody been here?
http://www.happycow.net/reviews.php?id=869
Looks good.

I was there a few years ago, it was fantastic. Fairly casual atmosphere but really good food.

Also went to the non-100% veg place, think it might have been "Le Grenier de Notre Dame", wouldn't recommend it at all, not really because it wasn't completely veg., but I just didn't think the food was good.

And Of course, don't miss Maoz Falafel!!!! It's a tiny one, but well worth a visit!

Also, both Maoz and La Victoire Supreme are in very good central locations.

Went to another place as well, pretty sure it was Tien Hiang, kind of out of the way, not bad but wasn't over-awed with it.

Ummm wouldn't really spend too much time trying to find veggie hotel/b&bs in Paris You will get basic continental breakfast anyway, then you're probably better off just going somewhere else for 2nd breakfast/lunch/dinner whatever.

Tar.Aldarion

Thanks for the reply Peanut.
That restaurant you liked moved location and there is now another one in its place with the same menu?! Which one did you go to? In arrondissement 4?
Maoz falafel is some falafal shop is it? The falafal in galways market is supposed to be better than the famous falafal places in paris. ;-)

I think we will stay in an apartment rather than a hotel or B&B, cook for ourselves.
Looking at one in arrondissement 5, 420e for five nights, looks nice.
Paris is pretty expensive though...

Peanut

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

Thanks for the reply Peanut.
That restaurant you liked moved location and there is now another one in its place with the same menu?! Which one did you go to? In arrondissement 4?
Maoz falafel is some falafal shop is it? The falafal in galways market is supposed to be better than the famous falafal places in paris. ;-)

I think we will stay in an apartment rather than a hotel or B&B, cook for ourselves.
Looking at one in arrondissement 5, 420e for five nights, looks nice.
Paris is pretty expensive though...

Wooh first thanks thanks!

Hmm ok didn't realised it moved. I went there before 2007 so it would have been the old place, i.e. the one now in the 4th area. Still, I would give the new place a shot

Apartment is a good idea, it's strange that there seem to be quite a few French vegans/vegetarians, but the eateries don't appear to reflect this as much.

Yeah Maoz is a fafafel chain that started in the Netherlands, they have a number of locations around europe and some further afield. They are vegetarian and nearly all vegan apart from one of the optional dressings or something like that. The one in Paris is a small place in the southside city center, not far from Notre Dame.

Sorry I'm just a bit obsessed about Maoz lol :-p
Yeah there are quite a few falafel places in Paris, but unlike the others, Maoz are entirely veg.

I stayed near Montparnasse the last time, there was a cool 24 hour grocery shop with interesting stuff near the Metro station there.

sweet-rasmus

Good to hear Peanut Will have to print out the details of all these veggie places... can't be missed!

Tar.Aldarion

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

Maoz falafel is some falafal shop is it? The falafal in galways market is supposed to be better than the famous falafal places in paris. ;-)

Bullschiesse.....what sort of person spreads filthy anti Maoz propaganda around the place!

Maoz have thee best falafel ever because of the range of salads that you have to stuff your pita.

Tar.Aldarion

Thanks for the replies everybody. Nice and helpful Peanut.

I was trying to be noice and helpful too...:o

Anywhoo....I've had seitan in a vegan place in NYC and it just ok. I've cooked it myself and it was vile.

My meat loving vegan manfriend at the time loved it though.

Tar.Aldarion

I didn't mean to imply that you were not being helpful!


Must try some of that Seitan...

Macha

Best place for falafal in Paris is in the Marais, the Jewish quarter. The street is Rue des Rosiers, Metro: St Paul or Rambuteau. Now they're all closed on either Friday, Sat or Sun...I can't remember which one..

I don't know if you've ever been to Paris before but the map book 'Paris Practique' is really useful. You can pick it up in most kiosks in Paris. And 'Pariscope' will tell you what's happening.

As for supermarkets, the French version of Lidl is called ED (pronounced 'Uh-day' in case you're asking for locations). Then there are others like Franprix and Monoprix that are like Tesco or Dunnes. Really though, the best thing is to find a local market near you. I don't know if you speak French but here is a list:

http://www.paris.fr/portail/marches_parisiens/Portal.lut?page_id=5675&document_type_id=5&document_id=10926&portlet_id=12148

And of course Paris is still full of boulangeries and other specialist stores.

*Sigh* I'm all jealous now..

sweet-rasmus

Thankyou taconnol!!!! That is a wonderful heap of information We want to rent an appartment, so knowing the shop names/types is an invaluable piece of information. I have a fair bit of French so I should be able to handle the language, just about.

You're a star

Macha

Ah you're welcome. I lived in Paris for a year so ask away.

Tar.Aldarion

Thanks for the info taconnol! I'd give you thanks but my ability to give it was taken away.

All booked now. Staying in arrondissement 5.

Are ye back yet guys?
What is the low down?

Peanut

Yeah waiting for the Maoz converts!!!

Maybe they decided not to come back... I know I wouldn't mind spending a few weeks there with the little coffees and boulangeries yum.

sweet-rasmus

lol! we aren't going til june been trying to book an appartment... i hate to say it but these booking companies are real dodge.

Peanut

Have you looked on craigslist?
http://paris.en.craigslist.org/vac/

Maybe try to find a property owner you can deal directly with instead of going through a company.

Tar.Aldarion

Haven't looked tehre but too late now, paying a lot of money. :P

Peanut

Ah it'll be worth it though

Tar.Aldarion

Only because of the company

sweet-rasmus

So, we snuck away and left the forum to its own devices for a few days

Having the apartment was brilliant. Plus there was a fantastic store only a few doors down where we could pick up cornflakes, pasta, sauce, potatoes etc. So cereal for breakfast was perfect.

There is this healthfood store food chain; naturalia, which i didn't realise, is everywhere full of soya/rice/almond milks and some very interesting gourmet grill seitan too plenty of vegetables and fruit, as well as you general healthfood stuff. For anyone interested, they have shops located: http://www.naturalia.fr/entreprise/nos_magasins.asp One plus would be to bring a dictionary to check out the ingredients in the soya/fake meat products there. I could swear that one soy range was not even veggie, listing salmon as the ingredient. Who would eat soy when not veggie, as a fake meat, I do not know

We ate out for lunch - visited La Victoire Supreme du coeur three times! victoire menu.jpg. Read that and drool. <<sorry it's sideways; couldn't figure that out!>>

Le Potager du Marais is another fantastic veggie and vegan restaurant. All of the desserts available were vegan. A delight to my ears! Only thirteen tables for two there (I've heard reports of people complaining about booking, but there was pleny of space when we got there around midday). Both restaurants are pricey, but it was great to be able to eat out, with great choice and not have to worry about how to check if it was at actually veggie.

I have to admit that our luggage for the long journey home contained about 5 packs of seitan grill which we picked up in Naturalia I couldn't not get one for my vegan friend viggi-tea!!

I was quite nervous about food options in Paris before the trip. But heck, there was nothing to worry about! Any vegans/veggies thinking of going - don't let food options put you off

Tar.Aldarion

What she said.
Thanks for the replies, very helpful, restaurants were fantastic as was paris.
Food in general is very cheap there and so is alcohol. It is expensive to drink in a pub though.
The French people were very helpful and tried to accomodate our bad french.
We also got a belgian waffle maker, success!