Being vegetarian anywhere requires extra effort and planning when it comes to dining out. Being a vegetarian in a place that eats pigeon, adores offal, and extols a head to tail philosophy (that is, Paris) requires Napoleonic strategizing.

At least it used to. In recent years, the dining scene in the City of Light has been opening up to alternative styles and menus, making it easier than ever to go veg (although you can still expect the occasional eye-roll from a waiter who simply doesn’t understand les végétariens). But whether you chalk it up to Anglo and ethnic infiltration, acceptance of new ingredients and spices, or simple ennui with traditional French cooking, it’s a great time to embrace your inner green goddess and take this meat-eating city by storm. Here are four delicious strategies to help.

Merce and the Muse (Julien Hausherr)

Strategy 1: Eat a big lunch

When Rose Carrarini (who’s British) and her French husband Jean-Charles opened Rose Bakery in 2002, their focus on fresh market salads—think: grilled tofu and tomatoes, and artichokes mixed with millet and chickpeas—was shockingly different from the staple of steak frites that many Parisians ate for lunch. Ten years and two additional outposts later, it’s hard to imagine Paris without Rose’s organic market salads, fresh quiches and famous carrot and pound cakes.

Similarly, when Marc Grossman opened Bob’s Juice Bar in 2006, the smoothies and bagel sandwiches the native New Yorker served up were wildly novel. Since then Grossman has not only spawned another café, Bob’s Kitchen, which serves additional goodies like pancakes and muesli, but a whole wave of casual cantines have followed suit. Hypercool concept stores Merci and Colette both have veg-friendly subterranean eateries; take-out lunch spots like Lemoni and Cojean always offer beautiful soups, sandwiches and salads; and lovely little cafes and bakeries such as SuperNature, Merce and the Muse, Tartes Kluger and Bread and Roses all offer outstanding veg fare.

Chez Omar (Roboppy)

Strategy 2: Eat ethnic

Another way to sate yourself without a bite of bifteck is by taking advantage of Paris’ ethnic restaurants. In the first arrondissement, Rue Saint-Anne is an oasis of Japanese dining options including hearty udon soups (try Kunitoraya or Higuma) and “okonomiyaki,” Japanese pancakes made of flour, grated yam, water or dashi, eggs and shredded cabbage. Or you can get stuffed on Indian lentils and curries (Saravanna Bhavan, Krishna Bhavan) and Moroccan couscous and tagines (Chez Omar). Decent pizza (Pizza Chic, La Briciola), and Italian (Caffe dei Cioppi, Olio Pane Vino) abounds and, with last year’s arrival of Candelaria, Mexican is firmly on the ethnic eating map of Paris.

Higuma (Laurie Illan)

Strategy 3: Call ahead

Since one of the great allures of Paris is its culinary heritage, it’s a shame not to make it to a neighborhood bistro, brasserie or café for a French classic. And while I’ve never heard anyone complain about a nice chevre chaud salad, accompanied by incomparable baguette and maybe a side of frites, such a meal becomes predictable and defeats the whole purpose and delight of eating out in Paris.

The trick is to call ahead to a restaurant and alert the chef that a vegetarian will be dining there. So long as they have the advance notice and proper ingredients, most chefs are all too happy to flex their kitchen prowess. Rino and La Gazetta are two great options to begin.

Amy Thomas – Tartes Kluger Paris

Strategy 4: Forage

Of course one of the biggest pleasures in Paris is going to the outdoor markets, where any self-respecting vegetarian will be beside herself. Everything from the apples and figs to asparagus and salsify will leave you wondering why all the other produce you’ve ever eaten in your life doesn’t taste as delicious.

And then there’s the dairy. Eating yogurt, eggs and cheese in Paris is revelatory because they’re so much purer and more flavorful than the industrialized, pasteurized versions we’re used to in the States. Grab some fresh fruit, a hunk of cheese and a baguette from the boulangerie, and don’t forget the chocolate, and even the most ardent omnivore would agree: you’ve got yourself one of the most divinely created meals on earth.

Carin Olsson

Related Links:

• Shopping for local produce in Paris - Phyllis Flick tells all
• Voy Alimento is a vegan resto off of the Canal St Martin
• For a shopping lunch break, check out the Galeries Lafayette’s organic cantine

Written by Amy Thomas for the HiP Paris Blog. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in London, Paris, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.

In a few days, I’ll be sipping wine at un petit café in the Marais, just in time, we all hope, for the weather to finally swing toward Spring. There’s too much to squeeze into this 3-week trip.

Besides visiting Verjus and Au Passage bien sur, I hope to dine at Septime and Bistro Volnay. Perhaps I’ll splurge on a meal at L’hôtel Thoumieux. Though, the best part of being in my own Paris pied-a-terre is stocking up at the Marche des Enfants Rouge for home-cooked dishes that always seem to taste better in Paris.

Merci concept store (Liquidx)

While I hope to buy something special at Merci (a girl can dream), I’ll definitely pop into Les Mauvaises Graines, an urban garden concept store in Montmartre, and will likely fall in love with a handcrafted souvenir at Le Petite Atelier de Paris.

On one of my weekends abroad, I’m jetting to Copenhagen. Being a New England girl, I suppose I’m a sucker for the cold weather. I’m also eager to visit what’s hailed as the best restaurant in the world and after several odd-hour phone calls to Denmark, lucked out with a reservation at Noma. We’ll see if Copenhagen food stacks up to Paris culinaria.

Septime (Lindsey Tramuta)

More than anything though, I simply want to find my favorite spots near my Marais flat. I hope to take my daily espresso at Merce and the Muse, lunch at Glou and unwind with an evening wine at La Perle. I promise to only visit Jacques Genin’s fabulous boutique once or twice if, and only if, I take a few strolls around the Square du Temple.

What will you do on your next visit to Paris? Please send all ideas my way, including your favorite croissant spot, because, there can never be too many croissant shop visits when in the city of pastries. Au revoir!

Cannelés (Leedav)

Related Links:

• For a fresh taste on traditional French pastries, check out this Japanese-influenced Patisserie
• Maybe Maggie should add this Parisian Hot Dog to her list while she’s there…
• … and check out this natural-meats-and-wines bistro by the Canal Saint Martin

Written by Maggie Battista for the HiP Paris Blog. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in London, Paris, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.

When I popped home to the UK in November, London was already in full festive swing with Christmas trees, festive songs and neon lights galore. Sent back with a Cadbury’s chocolate advent calendar adorned with an oversized Santa, I was ready to start the Christmas season with a bang.

Making Magique

Yet once back home across the pond, I realized Paris hadn’t joined in on the fun yet. I was ready to start in on my advent calendar and temperatures were plunging, but where were all those tell tale signs that our favorite mid-winter festival was fast approaching?

This set me thinking. What exactly is a Parisian Christmas? What happens in the cold windy days leading up to the big event? I set out on a mission to discover the seasonal delights that France’s most romantic city had to offer.

Little Brown Pen

Shopping

Although the Christmas shopping frenzy begins relatively late in Paris (thankfully, shops only step into gear at the end of November), once it gets going, it really gets going. Stores go all out with light shows and designer-crafted window displays – always tasteful, bien sur. First stop? Paris’s iconic department stores. Whilst London has toy-filled Hamleys and elegant Harrods, Paris showcases its trademark sophistication with Les Galleries Lafayette and the neighbouring Printemps, where Karl Lagerfeld’s touch marks this year’s displays: think Chanel-clad rock ‘n’ roll dolls strumming their electric guitars and 20m Christmas trees.

Conclusion: a little slow off the starting blocks, but Paris comes through in true style.
Printemps: 64, bd Haussmann, metro Havre Chaumartin
Galleries Lafayette: 40, bd Haussmann, metro Chausee d’Antin – Fayette

Little Brown Pen

Markets
December in Paris wouldn’t be complete without a good dose of Christmas markets. The stalls clustered along the Champs Elysees are beautifully situated (one of the most luxurious streets in the world all lit up with golden lights – what more could you want!) with the roaring traffic detracting only a little from the romantic scene. I highly recommended warming up with some mulled wine, nibbling on roasted chestnuts (a French Christmas favorite) and finishing it all off with a chocolate dipped apple.

Conclusion: Christmas markets are a key Parisian Christmas ingredient. They may not be big or overly original, but they are brimming with seasonal good cheer (with a little help from the steaming vin chaud).
November 19 – January 2, 2012, Avenue des Champs-Elysées to the Place de la Concorde ( Metro Champs Elysées-Clemenceau or Concorde)
For a full list of Paris’ neighborhood Christmas Markets, click here

Carams

More Christmassy excitement

What else does Paris have store for Christmas-lovers? Having diligently wandered the streets, I’ve definitely had my festive fix for 2011.  My highlights include:

-    The illuminated Ferris Wheel at the Place de la Concorde
-    The elegant lights in the cobbled rue Montorgueil
-    The giant Christmas tree outside Notre Dame cathedral
-    The temporary ice skating at Hotel de Ville
Although Christmas cheer may hit the French capital a little late, Parisians certainly know how to do the festive run-up with taste. If we’ve missed anything, please drop us a comment with your favourite Paris Christmas moments below!
Wherever you are this Christmas, I wish you all a joyeux Noël!

Stop by the Corner

Related Links:

• The NY Times has some great tips on what to do in Paris on Christmas Day
• Here’s a funny post on the French love for fake Christmas trees… truly inexplicable. 
• Paris By Mouth has a great list of restaurant recommendations open for Christmas in Paris

Written by Victoria Wall for the HiP Paris Blog. Looking for a fabulous vacation rental in Paris, Provence, or Tuscany? Check out Haven in Paris.

Photo by Erica Berman

Parisian Market Shopping

Although supermarkets, big and small, abound in Paris, most natives make it a point to buy their fresh produce from the colorful, bustling Marchés that dot Parisian neighborhoods. Long considered the centers of city life, nothing beats the satisfaction of returning to your apartment with a cartful of fragrant produce and a head-full of neighborhood gossip. With that in mind, here are few tips for navigating the oft-intimidating foodie meccas…

•    It’s more than worth it to make it out early enough to snag the day’s freshest picks. Most produce markets open around 9 or 10, and you can bet the freshest fish will be gone by 11.

•    It’s a good idea to do a quick walk-through before you start purchasing in order to get familiar with the offerings. Most stands will appear indistinguishable – yards and yards of contiguous vegetable stands, for example – but each often has a loyal following for whatever it does best, so a little detective work can pay off.

•    Unless you have a particular meal in mind, feel free to ask the vendor what he recommends – you’ll find most are more than willing to chat and, if prompted, are happy to point you to the choicest picks. A little charm and you might even walk away with a couple extra shrimp!

•    When it’s your turn to order, especially at cheese or olive stands, feel free to ask for a quick taste of your top choices before going with your final pick. And in order to guarantee you don’t have to walk away from a beautiful Tome de Brebis, be sure to bring enough cash.

•    A few stands may have credit card machines, but markets mostly operate on a cash-only basis.

•    Although you’ll see almost everything you need to stock your kitchen for gourmet feasts, markets are generally best for specialty foods, meat, fish, vegetables, cheese and fruit. You’ll mainly want to stick to your neighborhood boulangerie for bread and to supermarkets for non-perishables.

•    A few must-sees to start you off: The chic Raspail market in the 6th features exclusively organic produce. The legendary (part covered, part open-air) Marché d’Aligre in the 12th has everything from antique books to Halal butchers to artisan cheese mongers. For rare finds, try the famed St Ouen flea market. The covered Marché des Enfants Rouges in the 3rd, the oldest market in Paris with its variety of sit-down “traiteurs”, is also not to miss.

•    A few helpful links:

o Excellent list of all Paris markets with address, hours, and Metro stop

o   A list of food markets & hours – by arrondissment
o   List of Paris’ Flea Markets

o Article from the Guardian describing some different Paris markets (Fleur et Oiseaux, Marhce rue Dejean,     Marche Richard Lenoir, Montreuil Flea market, and more

o    Info on rue Cler Market, Saxe-Breteuil Market, Marcher de Grenelle, and the Marche Ave President Wilson