I understand I can be somewhat dramatic at times, but my blog isn’t just a place to share factual information in a calm and level manner. The food reviews on here would be nowhere near as enticing without my verbose posturing and over-the-top declarations of love for newly-discovered vegan eats.
My hope is this enthusiasm appears balanced and you can tell that when I say something is fabulous, it really means I think it is fabulous. I know I can be taken by positive histrionics when I love something, but I am also capable of dishing the dirt when I feel a product or restaurant isn’t up to scratch. This honesty hopefully makes me believable.
With that in mind, I would like to introduce you to the best vegan restaurant I have experienced in Europe.
Gentle Gourmet started life as a vegan bed and breakfast, but has recently morphed into a world-class eatery situated in the heart of Paris. The smartly-decorated restaurant sits opposite Canal Saint-Martin on the Boulevard de la Bastille, just a short saunter from the Seine. The picturesque location is a perfect match for the quality food being served inside.
Full marks for location and decor aside, the true reason why Gentle Gourmet stands head and shoulders above its European peers is certainly the food on offer. A brief run down of our meal reads like my dreams come to life.
My group devoured the stunning Beignets de fromage végétal. These vegan cheese bites were battered, deep fried and served on fresh slices of pear. It stands as one of the best starters I have eaten anywhere.
The rest of the meal kept to this high standard. Every single dish was scrumptious and every single morsel was scooped up.
The house-made baguettes were of exceptional quality and my sister adored her roasted vegetable and broad bean hummus sandwich served with fries and salad. We actually came back the following day to pick more sandwiches up to go. The bread was that outstanding.
Josh sided with the portobello burger, once again served with salad and fries. I asked him to give me a description of his order for this review and his response was, “Stunning.” His eyes glossed over and he drifted off into his delicious food memories just at the mention of the meal.
My food choices included a crunchy salad featuring portobello slivers and croutons. The salad was the perfect combination of fresh and savoury. Of course it didn’t get in the way of the chocolate crêpe I devoured. Or the stunning almond croissant, which was honestly one of the nicest pastries I have ever eaten.
On top of all of this, Gentle Gourmet is staffed by some of the friendliest people I have seen in the service industry. Even the owner took a few minutes out of her day to chat to us about the food. The entire experience was special.
So it is settled. FGV votes Gentle Gourmet as best vegan eatery in Europe.
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Friendly service? This must be a first.. usually it runs from indifferent to positively hostile! If I’m ever in Paris again I’ll check this one out.
What?! Better than 222?! Better than Manna?! Wowee 😛
I adore 222 but this place is on another level. I haven’t eaten in Manna so I can’t compare.
You HAVE to go to Manna. I know you don’t know me but I will track you down and drag you there myself if I have to (would also provide me with the perfect excuse to go back… it has been too long).
I must admit I was biting my bottom lip while reading this article! (I may have even been drooling slightly at the photos.)
Just in time before I´m going to France 🙂 I should check them out^^
Merci beaucoup!! The entire restaurant staff is blushing because of your compliments!!!
You and all of your staff deserve every kind word xx
I was living in Paris last year and this place opened just as I was leaving for England. I managed to get there though and had a nice meal. I wouldn’t have said it was hugely memorable though..perhaps I chose badly- I preferred many other Paris veg spots. There was a really cute dog there though which I definitely remember!
I must admit as I was reading and looking at the pictures I was thinking a Sandwich and Chips hardly merits the word gormet… but I didn’t try it. Maybe it was the relief at finding anything decent in France for vegans 🙂
I still dream about those beignets. We also had their pain-au-chocolat the following morning which were every bit as delicious. Everything was stunning but for me the stand-out items were the croissants and the pain-au-chocolat… since I went vegan about 13 years ago I haven’t had these. Thank you Gentle Gourmet!!