Ah, Paris, the city of lights, romance, great fashion and yes, food! While France is best known for their cream and butter laden foods, I am so happy to report that it is becoming a fast growing destination for fabulous vegan food. One of my favorite dishes in all of Europe is one I had in the heart of Paris! Join “moi” on a culinary adventure, won’t you!
First of all, let’s get the touristy tips out of the way:
- Using a service like airbnb or roomorama will help you save money and allow you to stay in the heart of the city. Staying in home-like accommodations put your in great neighborhoods near metro stations and cool places to eat, drink and shop, away from the tourist stuff. Being a local for a little while is a great way to experience the city.
- Be sure to check websites for places you would like to visit before you plan your trip. Many tourist destinations close for a day or 2 a week and in fact, most of the month of August, many places are closed for summer holiday. You don’t want to miss out on all the places you want to see and/or eat!
- If you’re traveling sans an international phone, Wifi (weefee in france) is available at most places. Just be sure to ask ; )
- Seeing the city on foot is absolutely dazzling. In fact, if you’re up for it, you can see most of the outdoor attractions in 1 day. But do yourself a favor and wear comfortable shoes and split it up if you can. My top 10 must visits are:
- Eiffel Tower – Duh! Make sure you get in line with enough time to ride up
- Notre Dame -Very pretty to take shots from the Love Lock bridge!
- The Louvre – Takes a whole day – old art
- Musee d’Orsay – Great for a half day – modern impressionists
- Arc de Triomphe – Be sure to climb to the top!
- Champs-Elysee – Shopping, dining and beauty
- Sacre Coeur – Beautiful and a great view of the city!
- Catacombs – Way cool
- Pere Lachaise Cemetery – Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf and many more are here
- Napoleon’s Tomb – A cool place for photos and a lavish resting place to visit
- Honorable mention – Moulin Rouge – The Montmarte area is cool and it’s worth the photo op in front of the famed locale
Okeedokee, now, the food!
Newly opened by a wonderful gal and her vegan mom, Gentle Gourmet is chic and delicious. Serving breakfast through dinner and a fabulous brunch on the weekends, GG is the perfect place to dine with non-veggies. It’s classy, cool and fantastic. I died and went to heaven with their homemade french toast with whipped cream and chocolate. OMG! Located in the Bastille neighborhood, make it a must stop on your list.
Just a stones throw from the Pompideu you will find Le Potager du Marais. A quaint and cute eatery, it’s 100% vegan and 100% amazing! Their homemade vegan cheeses absolutely blew my mind! And the vegan cheese melted over my incredible french onion soup still stays fresh in my mind as it is divine. Dining with non-vegan friends, they were blown away with the diverse flavors and portions of the meals. Every dish was just fabulous and I implore you to make it there as soon as you can!
For a quick sandwich, salad or yummy dessert on the go, be sure to pop in to Vegan Folies. A super vegan, eco-friendly and local business, their options are fresh and seasonal. In fact they are so green, they don’t have to-go utensils as they encourage people to bring their own! Their cheesecakes and cupcakes are terrific and worth a stop in for goodies on the go!
If you’re looking to do some cooking in your hotel room or flat, the best place to stock up on great organic, gluten free and vegan groceries is at Un Monde Vegan Market. Stocked with everything you need, along with the best European vegan imports (German vegan cheese!), you might spend most of your souvenir budget just trying all the great foreign goodies we don’t get back home.
That’s just a taste of what’s available in Paris! More to come next week! Au revoir!
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