9 place Pigalle, 9th (Montmarte/Moulin Rouge)Cooking at Your Home Away from Home
Supermarkets
Instead of staying in a hotel where you’re obligated to dine out, consider renting an apartment for your stay. This option gives you the flexibility to prepare meals in your own kitchen, and experience the fun of shopping at French markets and preparing vegan meals you know are healthy, wholesome, and 100 percent meat-free. Once you’ve shopped for fresh produce at one of Paris’s many outdoor markets (nearly all are closed Mondays), stop into these shops to gather the rest of the ingredients you’ll need to make a fabulously memorable meal.
Picard
The space-age frozen-food store chain found throughout France, offers a surprising number of veg possibilities for those with the means to store and prepare them (French refrigerators are notoriously small, and freezers are even smaller). Photos and prices are displayed above the item stored below in sliding-glassdoor freezers.
Sorbets—The pineapple-passionfruit sorbet by Bonne Maman is particularly good.
Galettes de blé noir—To make traditional savory Breton crepes at home, stuff with avocado, vegan cheese, and sautéed mushrooms.
Bhajis and pakoras—In case you’re too tired to head to the 10th for the fresh stuff.
Vietnamese nems (fried eggless eggrolls)—for making that classic rice-noodle salad called bo bun on the fly.
Sticky rice with coconut—because, why not?
Shop this ubiquitous chain department store/grocery store for its house-brand smoked or herbed tofu (look for it in the refrigerator section in a bright yellow package), grain-based “steaks,” vegan pâtés (in the “bio” aisle), rice cakes, vegan dark chocolate bars, and prefab salads (carrot, beet, tabouli) and other prepared dishes.
Carrefour
One of France’s big grocery store chains is a treasure trove of “bio” (organic) goodies and accidentally vegan treats, like soymilk and other non-dairy milks, hummus, Speculoos cookies and spread, and GMO-free Sojasun brand products like yogurt, pudding, faux ground beef, and others.
Franprix
Another ubiquitous chain of small grocery stores where you can procure necessities like olives, chips, organic wines, canned beans, quinoa (in the “bio” section), and other veg comestibles. Look for dairy-free yogurts and puddings in the dairy case, and a variety of ready-made salads in the refrigerator section.
Health food and wholefood chain stores
This selection of natural food stores will help you get prepared for your next picnic or make-it-at-home meal. The addresses listed are those closest to major tourist attractions, and appear on the arrondissement maps in this book, but don’t represent the full scope of possibilities available in the city. Independent stores are listed in the restaurant section.
Bio c’Bon
This newest organic chain to hit the scene has a growing number of outlets throughout Paris. Look for the big green-and-yellow sign, and pop in for a good selection of bulk items, organic fruit, prefab salads, fake meats, and gluten-free items. Bonus! Open on Sundays until 13.00.
9 place Pigalle, 9th (Montmarte/Moulin Rouge)
26 rue du Renard, 4th (Centre Georges Pompidou)
Biocoop/Le Retour à la Terre
These are true cooperatives with an old-school natural-food-store vibe, which makes sense when you consider they’ve been around for more than 25 years. Here, you’ll discover lots of bulk items, personal-care products, an organic deli case, a bakery section, and fresh produce. Also offers a good section of household items, in case you need to source that all-important corkscrew or can opener.
44 blvd de Grenelle, 15th (Eiffel Tower)
1 rue le Goff/12 rue Malebranche, 5th (Luxembourg Gardens)
The most ubiquitous chain, you’ll find this natural food giant in nearly every arrondissement, sometimes with multiple locations. You want it? They’ve got it, from chestnut milk and vegetarian dog food to smoked tempeh and agave nectar. Vitamins, personal-care products, fresh produce, and fresh-baked breads are available in every store.
84 rue Beaubourg, 3rd (Centre Georges Pompidou, Musée des Arts et Métiers)
94 rue Mouffetard, 5th (rue Mouffetard shopping district)
38 ave de la Motte-Picquet, 7th (Eiffel Tower)
Les Nouveaux Robinson/Bio Génération
The first organic market in the Paris region has expanded into a miniempire of cooperative markets called either Les Nouveaux Robinson or Bio Generation (the former is in the process of acquiring the latter). Vitamins, dried fruit, breads, and vegan dairy products are some of the items you might find at one of these friendly stores.
68-70 rue du Cherche-Midi, 6th (Luxembourg Gardens)
78 boulevard Saint Michel, 6th (Luxembourg Gardens/Latin Quarter)
34 rue d’Aligre, 12th (Marché d’Aligre)
La Vie Claire
One of the last independent natural food chains in Paris (Naturalia is buying them all up), this is a good spot to stock up on smoked tempeh and healthy picnic items. On-site naturopaths to help you with your health-related questions, and both shops listed below have deli counters where you can procure salads, sandwiches, and quiches to go.
85 blvd Haussmann, 8th (Printemps and Galleries Lafayette)
76-80 rue Saint-Honoré, 1st (Louvre/Les Halles)
Paris Paysanne’s quick & dirty guide to
Paris Markets
by Emily Dilling Poulain
photo by Kristen Beddard
Whenever I visit a new city, one of my first stops is the local market. These hubs of activity offer insight into the culture and kitchens of the city you are visiting. Unlike typical tourist destinations, open-air markets provide an authentic opportunity to see how locals live and participate in the excitement of both the everyday and extraordinary experience of buying food.
Paris markets are perfect places to check out seasonal produce, grab a quick snack, or stock up on everything you need to make a great vegetarian meal. Since 2010, my website Paris Paysanne (www.parispaysanne.com) has provided guidance on where to find the best in locally grown and independently produced fruits and vegetables at Paris markets. Whether you’re a fan of all-organic, super-local, or uncommon vegetable varieties, Paris has just the market for you. Here are a few of my favorite spots to shop:
Marché couvert des Enfants Rouges
3rd arrondissement indoor market
39 rue de Bretagne, 75003
Métro: Filles du Calvaire
Tu-W 9.00-20.00, Th-Sa 9:00-23.00, Su 9.00-15.00
Many of Paris’s covered markets seem to have lost their luster or fallen into a state of disuse. Luckily this is not the case with the Marché des Enfants Rouges where you will find aisles lined with lunch counters offering organic and vegetarian meal options. Visit the friendly Alain and have him prepare the southern specialty socca, a chickpea-based crêpe that is both vegan and gluten free and absolutely delicious when topped with some fresh ground pepper.
Marché Saxe-Breteuil
7th arrondissement street market
avenue de Saxe, 75007
Métro: Ségur
Th 07.00-14.30 and Sa 07.00-15.00
Located in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, this postcard-perfect market is well worth checking out. Independent farmers come out to sell freshly picked produce on the weekend. I always visit the Le Trepied stand for a large selection of heirloom varieties that change with the season. The vendors here are friendly and always ready to share suggestions for simple vegetarian recipes.
Marché Cours de Vincennes
12th arrondissement street market
cours de Vincennes-in between bd. Picpus and rue Arnold Netter
Métro: Picpus
W 07.00-14.30 and Sa 07.00-15.00
While it may be a bit off the beaten path, Marché Cours de Vincennes deserves a visit if you’re a hardcore locavore. Here you will find a half-dozen vendors from the Île-de-France region. At these stands, you will find produce that was harvested that morning and travelled less than 25 miles to make it to the market.
Marché Biologique des Batignolles
17th arrondissement street market
34 boulevard des Batignolles
Métro: Place de Clichy or Rome
Saturdays 08.00-13.30
This market is one of the three organic markets in Paris. All the vendors here are certified organic, and a handful of them have farms near Paris. Be sure to stop by Hermione Boehrer’s stand for a wheatgrass shot, then sniff out a vegan, gluten-free chickpea galette served fresh off the griddle.
Marché couvert Batignolles
17th arrondissement indoor market
96 bis rue Lemercier, 75017
Métro: Brochant
Tu-F 9.00-13.00 and 15.30-20.00, Sa 9.00-20.00, Su 9.00-14.00
Another covered (indoor) market that has been resuscitated thanks to the recently opened My Kitch’n (pg. 184), an all organic vegan restaurant and smoothie bar. Founder Jennifer Eric has put together a detoxifying menu of morning smoothies, hearty vegan lunches, and dairy-free desserts. I suggest starting your day with the Green Machine smoothie which will give you the energy you need to explore the city.
by Terresa Murphy of La Cucina di Terresa
Terresa is a culinary goddess / vegetarian cooking instructor / natural wine specialist.
I’ve been teaching vegetarian cuisine in Paris and around the world for many a year, cooking it almost forever. Following the seasons, I’m always thinking of how to prepare vegetables so as not to alter their original nature, simply coaxing out their subtle savor with a bit of garlic, a pinch of lemon zest, a sprinkle of fresh thyme.
In a certain sense you could say I “undress” vegetables, and that’s where natural wine—or “naked” wine as some call it—comes in. Vegetable dishes cry out for a naked wine: mineral echoing mineral, earthy tones and fresh acidity, an undercurrent of terroir, all resonating in a subtle balance that simply sings with vegetables.
One day, in 2007, I drove up a tiny road in the Loire Valley, stopped in front of a humble barn of sorts, got out, and entered Joel Courtault’s chai (wine cellar). That first sip of his natural wine was, well, life altering.
I have since become close to many natural winemakers, who, like Joel, are exuberantly passionate about their métier. They are all alchemists of a sort who craft beautiful wines that sing on the palate.
It’s a humble recipe: they start with grapes grown organically and biodynamically on small domaines. After hand-picking the grapes at harvest, the winemakers skillfully accompany them as they ferment and “become” wine. No chaptalization (the adding of sugar), no foreign yeasts, no fining or filtration (which means none of the egg, fish, or other animal byproducts that are often used in industrial processes), and little or no sulfites added. For the purists, sulfites are strictly off the table. They leave the grapes to their own natural process, simply escorting them on their voyage. And they then offer to us what I might just call “the drink of the goddesses—and gods.”
Among the many wonderful grape varietals nurtured by natural winemakers in the Loire Valley are Sauvignon, Menu Pineau (Arbois), Chenin, Romorantin, Chardonnay, Melon de Bourgogne, Grolleau, Gamay, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Pineau d’Aunis, and Cot (Malbec). Coupled with seasonal vegetable dishes, you’ll tune into each wine’s spicy earthiness, daring mineral tones, tangy acidity, gentle fruit, floating notes of sea and flint.
In Paris, you can sip and shop for natural wines at these bars à vins and cavistes (which are marked on the arrondissement maps):
Le Garde Robe
Wine bar
41 Rue de l’Arbre Sec, 1st
Versant Vins
Wine shop
at Marché des Enfants Rouges, 39 Rue de Bretagne, 3rd
Facebook Versant Vins
Septime La Cave
Wine shop and bar
3 rue Basfroi, 11th (also a restaurant nearby pg.19)
Crus et Découvertes
Wine shop
7 rue Paul Bert, 11th
Le Siffleur de Ballons
Wine bar & shop
34 Rue de Cîteaux, 12th
Facebook Le Siffleur de Ballons
Cave des Papilles
Wine shop
35 rue Daguerre, 14th
Le Chapeau Melon
Wine shop (day) & restaurant
92 Rue Rebeval, 19th
Terresa offers “A Day with a Natural Winemaker” excursions—organic vegetarian cooking class included—in the verdant Loire Valley, where guests get to experience the vineyards, cellars, and kitchens of natural winemakers. To learn more, see pages 44, 144, 215 and visit www.lacucinaditerresa.com
Vegan shoes, cosmetics, and more
Paris, so far, has only one 100-percent vegan store (Un Monde Vegan in the 3rd), and it should be on every visitor’s travel agenda. But if you have visions of non-leather heels or fashion-forward cruelty-free handbags in your head, you’ll want to circle some of the addresses below.
Good Guys Shoes
Beautifully constructed, fashion-forward vegan shoes designed in Paris, produced in Portugal, and sold in boutiques throughout the French capital. Look for them at stores like Citadium, Wait, Democratie, and Colette.
3rd
Un Monde Vegan
64 rue Notre Dame de Nazareth see page 67
Paris’s first vegan storefront is like the Holy Grail of vegan goodness. Any packaged vegan comestible you could ever hope for is here, including cheeses, meats, pâtés, condiments, and candy bars. It’s not all convenience foods, though. There are also vegan leather shoes and belts, but the look is very specific (dark and masculine). A good place to pick up vegan dog treats and even cosmetics.
4th
Lush Cosmetics and Spa
18 rue Vieille du Temple
www.lush.fr
The Lush cosmetics and bodycare line is mostly vegan and 100-percent vegetarian, and at their Paris spa, you can be on the receiving end of pampering pedicures, relaxing massages, and feel-good facials.
Thrift-store central
rue de la Verrerie between rue des Archives and rue Vieille du Temple
Freepstar, Vintage Bar, and Kilo Shop are just a few of the great spots for scoring sartorial treasures in the Marais. Venture further out and discover even more secondhand boutiques.
10th
Carmen Ragosta
See restaurant listing pg.132
This friendly boutique in the Canal Saint-Martin neighborhood is Paris’s primary distributor of stylish, vegan Melissa shoes. Plenty of choices for men and women, and worth a stop just to meet Pippo, the adorable shop dog.
Non-leather shoe heaven #1
rue du Faubourg du Temple between blvd Jules Ferry and ave Parmentier
If you don’t mind a Made in China label on the bottom of your shoe, you’ll probably like browsing among the cheap ballerines, boots, and sandals at the many shoe stores on this stretch of the 10th.
13th
Boutique Sagane
64 ave d’Italie, 13th
M 14.00-19.30, Tu-Sa 10.30-19.30, Su closed
www.boutique-sagane.fr
facebook.com/Boutique.Sagane
In January 2014, Paris ushered in a first: An all-vegan purse-and-handbag shop! The ethical vegan owners proudly vend 100-percent synthetic, eco-friendly bags in loads of lovely colors and contemporary styles ranging from casual to super swanky. Besides bags, Boutique Sagane is also a great spot to pick up that Parisian necessity, the parapluie. All of their umbrellas are lightweight and come with a one-year guarantee.
17th
Non-leather shoe heaven #2
Avenue de Clichy between rue Brochant and ave de Saint-Ouen
Loads of cheap shoes-and-clothing stores to be found in this corner of Paris. Look for faux leather shoes, imitation fur and leather jackets, and trendy clothing at the many boutiques lining both sides of the street.
18th
Le Marché Aux Puces Saint-Ouen
Between Porte Saint-Ouen and Porte de Clignancourt
This flea market is the closest thing Paris has to London’s Camden Market, and getting lost in the back alleys is half the fun. Vintage lovers should make a dash for Chez Sara (Passage Lecuyer), an incredible store full of perfectly preserved vintage dresses, hats, shoes, and more, from the late-1800s to the 1970s. Falbalas (stand 284-285 inside the market’s Marché Dauphine) is another treasure trove of vintage garments.