Autumn in Paris + Vegan Food

Andrea
Sep 9, 2024
4 min read

Updated: Sep 25

A few weeks ago my husband decided last minute to book us a trip to Paris! Tickets and accommodation were booked on the Wednesday and by Saturday we were boarding the plane to Paris Orly Airport.

Life has been very busy lately. Apart from my 9 - 5 and the usual life admin, all my spare time is used to work on a big project with a client of mine. It is a very exciting project and I am so blessed to be part of it, but this little trip came just at the right time. I few days away from my laptop and my home office was good to refresh the mind.

THE MAIN REASON

The main reason for this very short notice trip: After days of my husband spending hours on the Rugby World cup ticket website he finally found 2 tickets to the Semi Finals: France vs South Africa.

And what an experience it was. The atmosphere was insane and the passion of the fans is real.

As our AirBnB didn't have the right channels to watch other Rugby matches, we had to find places that showed them. From a quite little Moroccan café to an overcrowded Irish pub, it certainly was an entertaining night out.

Ok, enough talk about Rugby.

JE T'AIME PARIS

I love Paris...the architecture, the food and the beautiful sights. I've been to Paris a few times, including with a close friend and also with my parents. Each time we stayed in a different location, each with it's own charm.

A memory that always makes me laugh is walking through the city using the map in a travel guide, only finding later it had a few pages missing! Pages next to each other were maps of different locations, thanks to the missing pages. Now, I am known for being bad with directions and reading maps, but at least this made me feel a bit better that my sense of direction was not completely to blame. Saying all of that, we did find some wonderful places following an incomplete map.

I recommend going out, getting a bit lost, finding some live music and good food.

ACCOMODATION LOCATION

On our last trip we rented a cute studio in the 2nd Arr. which we find is a great location to stay in. It's definitely my favourite location we have stayed in Paris thus far. Close to the Louvre, the Jardin des Tuileries, the river Seine, close to metro stations and not to far from Le Centre Pompidou, just to name a few. I would highly recommend that location. Search Paris 2nd Arr. in google to see where it is.

As this post is mostly about the food, here is a sweet and short list of

THINGS TO SEE & DO

The Louvre Museum
The Eiffel Tower
Notre-Dame Cathedral
Arc de Triomphe
Basilique de Sacre-Coeur
Jardin du Luxebourg
Musee d'Orsay
The Centre Pompidou
Take a cruise down the Seine River
Explore the Latin Quarter

GETTING AROUND IN PARIS

Our personal preference is by foot. You will see a lot more and it makes it fun exploring different areas.

Rent a bike, which is a great way to get around.

I also recommend a river cruise. Many people like thee hop on - hop off Seine Cruise. You can buy a pass.

The hop on - hop off bus is also very popular.

The buses and metro are also really good options. They are cheaper and it's easy to follow the metro maps. I recommend buying a multiple day pass for good value.

LET'S TALK FOOD

Even though you can find really good vegan food, there are not many restaurants that have vegan food. I did have to do research to make sure I would find food in the different areas we would explore that day.

BUT FIRST, COFFEE AND PASTRIES

A decaf oat latte accompanied by a flaky, sweet pastry is perfection!

As you might know, Paris is well known for it's pastries and breads. Thankfully there are a few really good vegan bakeries so you don't have to feel like you are missing out.

LAND AND MONKEYS

They have bakeries in five different locations in Paris and are a fully vegan bakery/ coffee shop that offers a selection of both savoury and sweet. Sandwiches, bread, cakes and pastries. It was so good, we went back the following day to try a few more. Their pastries are delightful! They only have a few tables inside and outside, but even so worth visiting even if it's just to take it to-go.

I have a bit of a soft spot for cinnamon buns, so that was the first pastry I tried. All the pastries we tried were exceptional.

Great for breakfast or brunch.

AUJOURD'HUI DEMAIN

The is another plant-based café. Although I don't know if I should call it a café, as it's also a vegan concept store and a boutique, where you can find anything from sustainable clothing and accessories to fresh produce and interesting vegan alternative foods.

The Café has a very interesting menu, such as smoothies, burgers and vegan "lobster" rolls, mac&cheese, pancakes, ramen, salad bowls, sweet breakfast bowls, cocktails and wines. And a wonderful cakes and pastries.... just to name a few.

Great for brunches or lunches

WILD & MOON

A bit like a Pret a Manger, this vegan restaurant/cafe has multiple locations in Paris and serve delicious, mostly healthy food. From smoothie bowls to sandwiches, cold pressed juices and sweet treats. Perfect when you are on the go and are looking for something quick, but still keeping it healthy.

THE FRIENDLY KITCHEN

This highly rated vegan restaurant is chic and serves pretty dishes They menu is interesting (good interesting) and offer al a carte, set menus or 6 course tasting menus (with the option of wine pairing), with dishes such as Iranian herb cakes, plum and heirloom tomato gazpacho and vegan cheese boards.