We will be in Normandy, Amboise, and Paris in late May/Early June. We do not eat meat, but will occasionally eat fish. We are not vegan, so dairy is okay. Does anyone have suggestions for restaurants in any of these areas?
Posted by
Long Beach, Ca, usa
3066 posts
Patty,
I have no specific suggestions, but I have found that, all over France, vegetarian meals can be found. Most restaurants in France have some fish on their menus, as well as some type of pasta or polenta dish. If you eat eggs, quiches are good. If no eggs, you will still find something just about everywhere. Paris, especially has hundreds of cafes, bistros and restaurants, even "to go" type places, with foods of every culture, many of which serve only vegetarian fare. In Normandy (where specifically? The DDay beach landing area?) seafood and shellfish are abundant. Have no fear. You woin't go hungry.
Type "vegetarian restaurants" in the search bar above. Then filter for travel forum, and then filter for 6 months or less, or one year or less. Some threads will have specific places mentioned.
Posted by
Florida (previously California)
4376 posts
In Paris, you might be interested in Persil Restaurant in the 11th. The menu is entirely pescatarian and vegetarian. Someone told me recently that it might be closed but I am mentioning it because if it is still open, it could be a great choice. Another option in Paris is Maceo near Palais Royal. If you are willing to go to a vegan spot, take a look at Le Potager de Charlotte and Le Potager du Marais. There are a couple of vegetarian choices on the menu at Brutus — I go to the one in Le Marais but I assume that the other locations have the same menu.
Posted by
France Southwest - Occitanie
3695 posts
If your only concern is that you'll only find restaurants serving meat, don't worry, that’s just not a thing in France, or it's extremely rare. Normandy is famous for its cream-based cuisine, specialty cheeses, fresh fish and seafood along the coast (and cider).
No matter where you are in France, you won't have any trouble finding a place to eat, which means there are literally thousands of suggestions.
Posted by
Paris
7856 posts
If you are OK with the occasional fish dish, you will not have problems in these regions. As a pescetarian myself, the problematic regions are the inland southwest (Gers, Périgord, etc.), Auvergne (pure hell if you don't eat meat and don't self-cater), and sometimes Savoie.
Posted by
126 posts
I find eating out as a vegan in France is very difficult, but being vegetarian is easy, and if you eat fish even rarely (as I do), you will not have any problems. A couple of suggestions in Paris, where of course there are so many options you don't really need suggestions!
Not vegetarian, but always has a Menu Végétal, and very good: Chefs à Table, rue Trousseau in the 11ème. We went at lunch for a more reasonable price (30 € menu) - for me, dinner is too expensive (neighborhood of 60 € for the menu). This is serious French food so I appreciated that they had a creative vegetarian menu.
Another place that I think I ate in a few years ago is Soya, 19 rue de la Pierre Levée, also 11ème. Strictly veg. I thought the food was excellent.
The 11ème is pretty trendy but not super touristy so can be a good bet for restaurants but that will depend on where you stay.
One other note - the market in Amboise, particularly on Friday, is spectacular. Even if you aren't self-catering, it's enjoyable just to see the offerings.
Posted by
Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, USA
16944 posts
I'm mostly plant-based at home but have added in fish and eggs while traveling. I avoid dairy so that is a bit more difficult. The reason I added in fish and eggs is that I realized as a vegan I was being a PIA when meeting friends for meals, lol. I'd rather spend time with the friends than not!
Even in very "meaty" restaurants there is usually something I can eat, even if it is just an omelette. BTW, salads in Paris are usually giant. Often restaurants will have a vegan salad or one with smoked salmon. I did notice after Covid the choices diminished overall so most restaurants have one dish that can be vegan but more choices that are vegetarian.
I don't have specific restaurants in any of those locations but I spend a good amount of time in Paris. I was there for 3 weeks last Fall and will be there for a few weeks coming up. I find good food at almost any of the restaurants in the neighborhood of my hotels.
Where are you staying? If you narrow that down for us maybe people will have specifics for the area.