My mother used to do that when I was a toddler; I used to fill a pan with water, add all the vegetable waste to it, and pretend to be cooking. Decades later, I learned cooking in my boarding school. It started with vegetarian cooking, but later, I also tried my hand at baking.
During the same time, I was learning French in my language class and baking bread in my baking class. I loved my time learning both, and I just expected that I’d get to travel to Paris someday and try some bread and restaurants in Paris.
When I was in Paris to attend KubeCon Paris, I had a list of dishes I wanted to eat. But as you know, things don’t always turn out as expected, especially when you’re with work colleagues. Nonetheless, these are the 11 restaurants I have tried in Paris and all of these are vegetarian food in Paris.
Restaurants in Paris I Tried
Kaslik Traiteur Libanais
The first place I tried, which wasn’t on my list, was Kaslik Traiteur Libanais. A small yet super popular eatery (which I realized later) close to my hotel in Montparnasse. A Lebanese eatery popular for takeaways serves some delicious Lebanese dishes. Though most of it was meat, they had a vegetarian combo that I had for a couple of days.
The veg falafel combo was filling, and I could choose 2-3 varieties of dips and salads, along with Falafels. They gave a couple of complimentary pita breads with the combo, which made it a complete, filling meal. As far as I remember, I paid around 14 euros for it, and for that price, I think it was quite a meal.
Boulangerie
Yes, Boulangerie. Interestingly, that was the name of the bakery that I used to walk by while heading to the KubeCon venue. It was a small bakery but had lots of things. From freshly baked Pain du Chocolat to Croissants, Cakes, and pastries. I remember speaking in French to the lady, “Bonjour Madame, Je veux un Croissant et un Pain du Chocolat,” she understood well! Each cost about 3 euros if I remember correctly, and I fell in love with it! I’m not exaggerating, but the quality and texture of Croissant were perfect.
Another thing that I noticed was that Baguette was more of an evening thing than a morning. People queued at bakeries and bought these long baguettes, which I assume they’d have for dinner.
Carette
Paris is all about Cafes, and one of the best is Carette. A historic Parisian café established in 1927 as a tea room, it is now famous for its picture-perfect location in Place du Trocadéro, with the stunning Eiffel Tower at a stone’s throw away.
Known for exquisite French pastries, particularly their macarons and millefeuilles, and a luxurious hot chocolate. I was here for their breakfast comprising of Hot Chocolate, Croissant and Pain du Chocolat. It was drizzling the day I was here, and it was cold! So the hot chocolate made perfect sense. With a generous serving of cream by the side, I loved both the hot chocolate and the Croissant.
By the time I was leaving, scores of people had queued up outside because the cafe was full. So time your visit here to avoid the crowd.
Cafe Lateral
One of the things peculiar about French cafes is the outdoor seating. For someone from India, eating out isn’t new, but a sit down eatery on the footpath, it took me a while to get used to it. Most cafes have a sit-out where you can have your meal while people walk away past you.
Cafe Lateral is one such cafe located very close to the Arc De Triomphe. It’s a contemporary Parisian bistro offering a modern take on classic French cuisine with a decent number of vegetarian options. I didn’t have any plans to visit; however, because I wanted to pee and it was close to lunch, I decided to pay a visit. I ordered a vegan butternut squash salad along with a home made ginger ale.
The salad came in, and it was my first time eating butternut; it was different and felt like a pumpkin. But it was a good, loaded, and filling salad. The ginger ale was the best I’ve ever had (at least I thought so), and within a few minutes of me taking the first bite, it started raining, and I had to be moved inside.
Overall, it is a good place, but it can get crowded at peak hours due to the shopping frenzy at Champs Elysee and Arc D’Triomphe.
Bachir
I’m always up for an ice cream, irrespective of the weather or temperature. So I researched ice creams in Paris, and one of the most popular ice cream places was Bachir. Famous for its pistachio ice cream with clotted cream, Bachir brings flavors of Lebenan to Paris. Their signature move is dipping the ice cream in crushed pistachios, and I was here to taste it.
They have multiple outlets in the city, and I visited this one in Sacre Coeur. The shop, as expected, was crowded, with people queuing to get an ice cream. There are multiple flavors available, and I opted for their classic Lebanese flavor with Pistachio. It was way too much ice cream; they fit so much of it in such a small cone, and by the time, I started eating it, a lot of it started dripping down, and the Pigeons gathered around me to taste it too!
Overall, a very good ice cream, totally worth the ratings and hype.
East Mamma
While visiting Italy was already on my itnerary, I’d never say no to Italian food. So when a group of people I met in my hostel (yes, I spent a night at a hostel, too) decided to head out, I suggested this place, and everyone agreed. Two Indians, two software engineers, and a Dutch with a PhD in international politics, quite a combo!
We reached East Mamma, and people were already standing outside the place. It was a big place but felt small, because of the people and furnishings. I loved the setup that gave quite an Italian vibe, whether the cutlery or the upholstery.
We ordered a classic Margherita Pizza, a truffle mushroom Pizza, and a serving of Pasta and Coke. The service, I remember, was a little on the slower side, and we had to remind them a couple of times. But the food soon filled our tables and our tummies! The pizza was nicely done; whether it was the crust or the cheese, it was perfect. The Pasta, too, was cooked to perfect and tasted pretty good.
Overall, it is a good place if you’re looking to try Italian food near Paris.
Le Soleil d’Or
After a tiring day at the Louvre, I decided to walk further along the Seine and explore the area. I saw the famous shops along the walkway, a lot of them selling souvenirs and paintings along with a lot of collectibles.
A traditional French boulangerie-pâtisserie offering classic French bread and pastries, Le Soleil d’Or has multiple branches in Paris, and the one I visited was very close to Notre Dame. For once, I decided to sit inside as it was too windy outside.
The place was almost full, with lots of people at the bar counter. I went in for a Burrata Spaghetti Pasta along with a coke. They also have quite a few vegetarian options. The order, again, took a little while, but the wait was worth it. The Pasta made in Alio olio sauce was served with a dollop of burrata cheese and it was heavenly. It did feel less salty, so I had to add that and parmesan cheese over it to make it suit my taste.
Overall, a good place for a meal, especially when you’re around Notre Dame.
Laduree
Paris = Macaroons. I’ve had macaroons so many times here in India. The first time was when folks from Tata Motors gifted me one during the Tata Hexa lunch in Hyderabad. Since then, I’ve had them from different places, so when I was in Paris, I had to try it at supposedly the mecca of Macaroons.
Laduree is a luxury French bakery and sweets maker founded in 1862. World-renowned for creating the double-decker macaron. I wanted to eat at their outlet at Champs Elysee, but there was a waiting time of close to an hour. So I packed some macaroons and put them in my room.
I’m not a baker, but these macaroons were pretty good. The cream was nice and fresh, and so was the macaroon itself. And yes, as the place is a luxury place, the pricing was luxurious, too. I remember paying almost 40 euros for five pieces of macaroons I brought home for my parents to taste.
Cafe Angelina
Founded in 1903, Angelina is an elegant tea house famous for its African hot chocolate (“L’Africain”) and Mont-Blanc dessert. Again, the city has multiple outlets, including one in the Louvre and the Palace of Versailles. I visited the outlet at the Palace of Versailles, and it was super crowded, and there was waiting.
And going by their must-try items, I ordered a Mont Blanc, a vanilla pineapple mousse, and a hot chocolate. The Mont Blanc, frankly, was disappointing. It was just cream-covered with chocolate strands, and it wasn’t anything out of the world. The other dessert was much better than this. The hot chocolate was well good and suited the weather.
I should have tried other things there, hoping to try them in the future if I ever get a chance to visit Paris again.
Indian Restaurants in Paris
I remember taking a vow not to eat Indian food when I travel internationally, the reality is different. It was only when I traveled out that I realized that bland food makes you want to eat Indian just to wake up your taste buds. So, during my stay in Paris, I had Indian food twice, once with work colleagues and once on my own. Here are the Indian restaurants I dined at in Paris.
Mumbai Lounge
A popular Indian eatery run by a person from Mumbai, this was located right across the Porte de Versailles Exhibition grounds, which was the venue for Kubecon Paris. After a hectic day at the conference, many of us decided to eat Indian food and headed here. The restaurant had good Indian and Parisian vibes, with a bar counter in one section and a Ganesh statue in the other.
Talking about the food, we had some pakodas to start with. Followed by Paneer and mixed veg curry, rice, and dal. The food took its time to come while we discussed software and life. The Pakodas were surprisingly nice, thanks to the accompanying chutney as well. The rotis were different but good, as were the Paneer and mixed veg curry. It tasted very close to a typical Indian restaurant.
Overall, a good place if you want to have Indian food in Paris.
Chez Raja (temporarily closed now)
I’ll never forget the situation in which I was at Chez Raja. I had opted for the Seine River Cruise, and only after a few minutes into it I realized I had forgotten my jacket. With just my team India jersey, I battled the ice-cold winds and was frozen when we were back.
Nothing could help me apart from Indian food. I quickly googled, and the closest place was Chez Raja; it was rated good, and I started walking to the place. Again, it was too windy and freezing cold. Soon I was at the hotel, and there were already a few people there.
I faced this awkward situation when I was first sitting at a table in front of the restaurant, but the owner came and asked me to take a corner table that was near the kitchen. I don’t know the reason behind this considering there were empty tables there.
Anyway, I went ahead and ordered a couple of rotis and Palak Paneer. While the person said he was from Delhi, I felt he was Pakistani because of the way the chef and he were talking. This was the best Palak Paneer I’ve had. Maybe it was cold, and I wanted something comforting, but this was outstanding. More than paneer, I thought they used regular cheese in Palak gravy. Whatever it was, it was delicious!
When I checked last, the restaurant was temporarily closed.
Truly a Foodie’s Paradise
These 10 restaurants in Paris gave me a taste of what the city truly offers – from traditional French cafés to Lebanese treats and comforting Indian food. While I couldn’t try everything on my original list (Paris has thousands of restaurants after all!), each place I visited added something special to my experience.
Whether it was battling the cold with hot chocolate at Carette, sharing pizzas with newfound friends at East Mamma, or finding comfort in familiar Indian flavors at Chez Raja, these meals became more than just food – they became memories of my time in Paris.
What I loved most was how each place, whether planned or discovered by chance, showed me a different side of Paris’s food scene. From luxury patisseries to small neighborhood bakeries, from street-side cafés to busy restaurants, each meal told its own story. And isn’t that what traveling is all about?
That’s about it for this post. Feel free to reach out to me for any assistance. Drop your thoughts in the comments below, tweet to me at @Atulmaharaj, DM on Atulmaharaj on Instagram, or Get In Touch.