You may be wondering why I’m focusing this post on Saint Michel, a specifically small area of Paris, rather than a specific restaurant. It’s mainly because you will undoubtedly end up in if you’re going sightseeing but may struggle to find vegetarian options! Saint Michel is located in the historic Latin Quarter, where Sorbonne students and literary legends alike used to hang out, and it’s a two-minute walk from the Notre Dame too. It’s also packed full of restaurants, but as with a lot of restaurants and particularly French cuisine, their menus feature a lot of meat, so you may struggle to find a vegetarian option. Here’s my quick guide to help out!
My first restaurant recommendation, and the one pictured, is Frogburger. While they don’t specialise in vegetarian food, they do offer a vegetarian halloumi burger which is just delicious! This food of course is not very healthy, nor are those delicious crispy chips, but it may just be the best place to go if you’re with other people who don’t share your vegetarianism. On top of that, the burger falls under the fixed price menu, and they serve Cawston Press drinks, which are a lesser evil when faced with other soft drinks such as Coca Cola. The rhubarb and apple flavour is really refreshing!
Another great place to go is Maoz, a completely vegetarian eatery just round the corner. They specialise in falafels and have an unlimited salad bar that offers some great Middle Eastern treats (this may be a good place to go for vegan food too, so long as you’re careful!). The one downside to the place is the lack of seating, but if you’re looking for something to grab and go, this is definitely the place.
My third option is Le Paradis du Fruit. This is a really beautiful chain-restaurant that specialises in fancy dishes featuring fresh fruit and vegetables (but is not solely plant-based, nor vegetarian or vegan). I’ve only ever visited for dessert – and oh my gosh they are magical – but I have seen a few great veggie options on their menu.
The backup options that I would also recommend are plain or vegetarian pizzas in the few pizzerias in the area, or a crepe or panini with cheese or egg. While these aren’t great options health-wise, I think we’ve all been in a situation where these backups have been a life-saver! Hopefully with this guide though, you’ll be okay for food. I’ll also be posting a blog on a vegan burger restaurant soon so look out for that!
