Ah Paris..’the city of love;’ and obviously there is a lot to love about Paris. The cobbled streets, trendy boutiques, effortless Parisian chic that strolls past you, the bicycles, the dogs, the Seine, the impressive buildings, the cute balconies of apartment buildings, the flower markets but for me what tops the list has to be the food.
Now before I go any further, let me reiterate that I don’t particularly rate savoury French cuisine. Certainly as a vegan it’s generally a ‘no go’ anyway since much of it is based on meat, cheese and butter. Many years ago I tried escargot and frogs legs as one does when they are in Paris for the first time but I had no desire to repeat that experience. However when it comes to Parisian sweets? Well, that’s a whole other story.
Firstly, I must say that I have the outmost respect for any person who can remain vegan when on holiday, particularly abroad. It is true that some places are easier than others. For example when I was in Vietnam in late 2019 I found it surprisingly easy to eat delicious authentic Vietnamese food without animal products. But Paris presented many more challenges.
For one, my weakness in general has always been pastries & macarons. I will always seek out vegan versions whenever possible but as I realised quite quickly in Paris, this was not really possible. My good friend Meshell once told me ‘if you have to break the vegan diet break it for butter’ and this has become a bit of a mantra for me. Side Note: Meshell loves butter so much she has admitted to eating it on its own! Yep. That girl really loves butter and her figure is still awesome so I take what she says pretty seriously. #respect 🙌
Before I go any further I do want to say that of course it is possible to have a wonderful time in Paris while staying true to your vegan morals. But you have to be willing to not eat or live as the French do. If you’re happy to stick to other worldly cuisines & forgo the famous baguette for lunch or Pain au Chocolat for breakie then you will eat very well indeed as Paris has loads of options from acai bowls to Asian fare to middle eastern falafels and hummus. Plus, at least frites are vegan right?!
But for me, part of the fun of being in Paris is to go to a patisserie first thing in the morning and sit out on the pavement watching the world go by with croissant in hand. And what croissants they have! The selection is never ending and the taste is to die for. I don’t think I have ever had an ordinary pastry in Paris, let alone a bad one! And what about lunch?! How can you resist strolling along with a fresh Brie, lettuce and tomato baguette? And the crepes…so many crepes! For me, it’s not just a food experience but a Parisian experience as I feel like I’m really walking in their shoes and ‘living as the French do.’
Coffee on the other hand was a challenge. I don’t particularly like the coffee in Paris. The only chance you’re going to get a decent size flat white with oat milk is to go to one of the hipster establishments where the menu is in English and no one ordering there is over 25 years old. Luckily I found such a place in the beautiful Monmartre district called KB Coffee Roasters. Two flat whites set me back 10 euros and took about 20 minutes to make but it was well worth it. I’m happy to break the vegan pact for a bit of cheese or butter but milk? No sir-ee. I don’t like the taste of it in my coffee anymore.
So if you fancy a long weekend in Paris and you’re a flexi vegan like myself I can highly recommend the Parisian food experience. I have taken a box of macarons home with me & once they are eaten that’s it, no more animal products for me. (Well, for the time being at least…who knows what the next holiday will bring?!)