Paris Is for Croissant Lovers—Even When You Skip the Butter

There was a time when dining in Paris as a vegan was pretty much limited to salade (salad), pain (bread), and assorted légumes (vegetables). Fast forward to 2025 and voilà: the Ville Lumière (City of Light) is not only more veg-friendly than ever, but in addition to its architecture, history, and culture—including the recently rebuilt and reopened Notre-Dame Cathedral—enticing and varied plant-based offerings are becoming a major draw for tourists visiting this bustling capital city that is arguably the gastronomic epicenter of the world.

Want a veganized version of foie gras? Check. French onion soup, beef bourguignon, and quiche Lorraine? Check, check, and check. And what about buttery, flaky croissants and the vegan staple pommes frites (French fries)? Oui and oui, since, for the latter, more and more kitchens in non-vegan restaurants now have separate fryolators for deep-frying animal-free products.

“The vegan scene in Paris is still evolving, but I’m really happy with what I’m seeing,” says Franck Adandé, founder of Vegan Tourist Paris. Adandé leads food tours and has created a tourist map of 85 plant-based venues, sold in veg-friendly businesses throughout the city. “Aside from restaurants, you are seeing more stores that sell plant-based alternatives, like vegan cheeses, meats, and fish.”

It would take weeks for a visitor to get to every vegan café and restaurant in Paris, but should you have this historic, romantic city on your travel list this year, these are just a few spots helping to rewrite the rules of French cuisine, sans beurre, that you won’t want to miss.

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Breathe | @wenkang_shan

Breathe

This Japanese-influenced restaurant is often referred to as a vegan sushi bar, but it’s so much more. The beautifully decorated, light-filled space sets the stage for a special meal, which includes the “discovery formula,” a sampling of eight of the most popular, seasonal menu items: edamame with smoked salt, panko de seitan, Japanese eggplant nigiri, roasted carrot and tempeh, tamago nigiri, celery wasabi, grilled leek, and topi-sate (roasted Jerusalem artichoke and roasted hazelnut stuffing, crispy seitan and satay sauce). Diners have the option of getting the sampler offering with a cocktail or sake pairing. Japanese street food and creative cocktails and mocktails are also on the menu, but be sure to save room for the impressive variety of flavored gourmet mochi on the dessert menu.

Le Potager de Charlotte

Le Potager de Charlotte

If you’re seeking fine dining that is innovatively presented and celebrates locally sourced ingredients, look no further. Opened in 2015 by two brothers driven to elevate the plant-based dining scene in Paris, this inviting eatery with warm green aesthetics—a nod to its eco-forward philosophy—is a plant-based gem in the city. Everything from the chickpea and rice pancake (with cashew cream, greens, chives and France’s own fruity Espelette pepper) to the sweet potato purée (with tamari cream, roasted broccoli, smoked tofu, radish, and sesame-roasted hazelnuts) to the decadent roasted pear and chestnut cream dessert (chestnut yogurt, almond-buckwheat granola, chestnut caramel, kiwi and blackberry) is inspired and next-level delicious.

Le Potager du Marais

Le Potager du Marais

Some call this the most “French” vegan restaurant in Paris, since many of its menu offerings are plant-based versions of classic dishes like savory crepes, pâté (made from mushrooms), beef bourguignon (made from seitan), and French onion soup. This unassuming and comfortable eatery also offers flavorful daily specials such as the eight-vegetable stroganoff made with pea protein and served with pommes de terre dauphinoise (creamy scalloped potatoes). On the dessert side, it doesn’t get much more French, or more tantalizing, than mousse au chocolat and crème brulee aux abricots.

Wild and the Moon

Wild and the Moon

This organic café—with seven locations in Paris—is a plant-based paradise for health- and environmentally conscious patrons, with smoothies, freshly pressed juices, salads, sandwiches, protein bowls, and desserts. There is also a well-stocked refrigerator for healthy on-the-go fare. Don’t skip the humble granola bowl with housemade granola, glazed almonds, apples, blueberries, grapes, and homemade yogurt (made from rice cream and soy)—it’s out of this world.

Aujourd’hui Demain

Aujourd’hui Demain

This vegan gift shop, grocery store, fashion boutique, and restaurant is perfect for one-stop shopping—and a great hangout/dining spot for plant-based food enthusiasts. Its signature Croque-Monsieur Forever (made with plant-based ham, cheese, béchamel, garlic-sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions, and a sprinkle of chives, served on homemade brioche) seems almost too authentic. And the Tofu Tikka Masala Skewers—tofu breaded with malted yeast, tikka masala sauce, roasted cashew nuts with chili flakes, and spring onions—is a filling starter that will make you wonder if you can finish your main. Aujourd’hui Demain is small and very popular, so be sure to make reservations.

Faubourg Daimant

Faubourg Daimant

This upscale restaurant, with a lovely glass-covered terrace, serves creative French-inspired food where the sauces take center stage. The glazed carrots with tonic-carrot barbecue sauce, beechwood smoked salt, housemade almond ricotta, and black sesame cream dazzles with a fusion of flavors. The thinly sliced celeriac carpaccio with sesame and rice vinegar sauce, white balsamic vinegar jelly, roasted sesame with yuzu, and crispy nori is a true masterpiece, even if you don’t think you like celeriac. Faubourg Daimant, which translated means “house of pleasures,” most definitely lives up to its name.

Jah Jah By Le Tricycle

Jah Jah By Le Tricycle

Reggae and other Caribbean music being piped through the sound system sets the tone for this funky, brightly colored vegan restaurant that serves fusion bowls, stews, burgers, and other food influenced by Afro-Caribbean cuisine. Specialties include mafe, a savory West African peanut stew, and spinach callaloo with okra, a popular Caribbean dish. The attieke tempeh and vegan jerk chicken are crowd favorites, and be sure to try the fresh juices and smoothies, as well as the Dr. Dre hot dog served with guacamole, salsa, coriander, and crispy onions.

Boneshaker Donuts

Boneshaker Donuts

Pastry chef Amanda Bankert, Parisienne by way of Washington, DC, uses American and French culinary techniques in making fresh doughnuts and pastries for what she says is a primarily non-vegan crowd. “A good doughnut is a good doughnut,” she says matter-of-factly. “Good” would be an understatement, as her artisanal creations are, says one customer, “works of art.” Popular offerings include the Pop Crown (a salted caramel glazed doughnut topped with a crown of housemade toffee popcorn), the Aunt Yuki (a pumpkin pastry cream filling and caramelized sugar topping), and the Fluffernutter (a peanut butter pastry cream filling dipped in a marshmallow glaze and topped with salted peanut brittle.

Hôtel HOY

Hôtel HOY

Tracking down vegan and environmentally sustainable accommodations can be a bit of a challenge, but the true plant-based traveler will find refuge in Hôtel HOY in the 9th arrondissement. Replete with exclusively vegan culinary offerings and cruelty-free amenities including linens, toiletries, and décor, Hôtel HOY (which stands for House of Yoga) is an oasis off of the busy Boulevard de Clichy that includes a yoga studio and an on-site florist. The rooms are eco-friendly, comfortable, and spacious. The hotel’s restaurant, Mesa—a gastronomical delight—should not be missed. 

Mesa

Mesa

This restaurant and bar has a rustic, chic vibe that is warm, inviting, and sets the stage for a delicious meal. Order à la carte, or enjoy a sampling of items with the five-course menu (wine pairing optional). Highlights include a tasty roasted onion tostada with cashew cream and dill, a seasonal crudité served with a flavorful cashew herb dip, and caponata tacos with crispy chickpeas. Be sure to save room for sweet miso caramel cheesecake with cornflake cream.

VG Pâtisserie

VG Pâtisserie

No trip to Paris is complete without a few sweet staples—think croissants, pain au chocolats, and macarons. And lucky for those in The City of Love, this vegan bakery has all of those decidedly French delights and then some, including flan, tarts, cakes, madeleines, brioche, and cruffins (croissant-muffin hybrids). The hazelnut cake is superb, as is the oversized macaron with a light, fluffy cream. A display case that runs almost the length of the bistro is filled with a tantalizing array of sweets (and some savory offerings, like veggie-topped pizza) that make this a totally Instagram-worthy destination. The fact that the offerings taste as good as they look seems almost impossible, but thankfully for sweet tooths everywhere, VG delivers.