Vegan
Organic
Raw
Mediterranean
Take-out
Bakery
French
Vegan restaurant featuring refined cuisine for dinner on Friday evenings (reservations recommended). Brunch at weekends. Holds cooking classes on weekdays. Reported closed, Jun 2019.
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Last update on 23 Sep 2020 by jumarino
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229 Reviews
First Review by AnnFromIllinois
OneNightStanzas
Points +127
Love love love love love! - Edit
This is *the* place to go for a fancy, upmarket vegan dinner in Paris.
Read moreMy bloke and I arrived at about 7.50pm, technically ten minutes before their doors were due to open for dinner. We'd been advised to arrive early and we were right! They kindly let us in and seated us early, and within twenty minutes the place was basically full. Get there early or make a reservation, especially on the weekend -- it's popular!
The first thing we noted is that the place is super chic -- lovely clean decor and a great layout. We were seated by a LOVELY friendly, smiley waitress who spoke English really well and asked immediately if we'd prefer the English or French menu. As soon as we were seated we were brought a basket of delicious crusty bread and a jug of chilled water -- both were replenished when we finished them!
For starters we both had salads -- I had the chickpea salad which was very simple, leafy and delicate. Definitely the healthy option I think! It had cranberries in it which I was intrigued by, but it was really delicious. My bloke had the potato salad which looked heavier but also delicious.
For main course we both had the veggie burger -- and so did LITERALLY EVERYONE ELSE in the restaurant! It is obviously quite famous and rightly so -- is is great! The burger is quite soft and squishy but very flavoursome. It is dressed with vegan mayo which I am normally sceptical about, but this stuff was good. Also has vegan cheese on it, plus lots of veggies and salad. It's a HUGE handful and we took great delight in watching how everyone tackled eating it! It comes with yummy moreish fries and a side salad.
By the time we were done we were WAY too full for dessert, in fact we could barely walk back to the Metro station. The place is a little more expensive than your average vegan eatery, BUT I think it's good value for the quality and big portion sizes -- plus the very attentive, lovely service and the little extras like bottomless free sides of bread.
Final note: the toilets are down a tiny, slippery spiral staircase which was a bit hair-raising for me and would be a nightmare for anyone who was in any way infirm, I'm guessing. But they were clean and of a good standard :)
Pros: GREAT food, GREAT service, Everything was awesome
Cons: Difficult-to-access loos (minor detail)
Wine Lover
There was no English menu when I was there which was disappointing (it changes each month but i was there 10 days in to the month).
Read moreBoth times I visited this week I saw a huge variety of dishes being brought out ad very few burgers in fact. The dish I saw most was actually the seitan bourguignon served in a baked pumpkin!
I was also given no bread on either visit.
OneNightStanzas
You should probably write your own review rather than responding to other people's. I definitely loved this restaurant.
Read moreOneNightStanzas
...or did you reply to my review because you're trying to suggest I'm lying?!
Read moreGuest
CLRtraveller
Points +9230
French cuisine vegan-style - Edit
On the menu: warm Vichyssoise €8, filo rolls with “faux gras†and wild mushrooms on salad greens, marinated Portobello burger, Lyonnaise Salad (small €9, large €13), sides of fries or salad for €5.
Read moreI had La Blanquette, traditional French stew with whole braised mushrooms, finely sliced carrots and leeks, roasted pearl onions, fine cream sauce with fresh herbs with brown rice from Camargue region of France, €15. A basket of seedy baguette accompanies the meal.
No alcohol, but you can bring your own bottle.
Tues.-Sat. 8:00 am-11:00 pm. Service compris (gratuity is included in the bill).
Pros: imaginative dishes, enclosed patio
Guest
wuthering
Points +72
Delicious - Edit
There's not a lot more to say. The food was excellent and innovative. It looks very 'trendy' inside, which is really good for a vegan place - modern, minimalist, but not cold. They have about 6 tables in their windowed front, and these were full by 6:30, so do reserve a table, and then there are lots of tables inside the restaurant proper.
Read moreThe menu is only in French, and the waitress may not be able to help you too much. So, make sure your smartphone translator app is on because you don't want to miss a thing. If it's still there when you go, get the Cajun dish. Yummy, and so full of flavour. It's really smart food there. Innovative.
Pros: Delicious food, Good prices, Central location
Guest
cookiemonster
Points +1173
We Tried... - Edit
We tried to eat here but left and went elsewhere. The service was horrible, which I normally don't care so much about, but the prices are high. It feels weird to be fixing to drop 30€ for the privilege of being ignored. We could have dealt with that except for the fact that they didn't have any food! The menu is tiny, 4 main dishes + a special. The thing is, half of those are made of portobello mushrooms, which they were out of. Effectively there were two things we could order : seitan or raw lasagna. If the inexperienced waiter had told us that when we arrived, it would have been ok, but it was 45 minutes after we arrived and over 10 minutes after we had ordered other dishes before he did. It's ok to run out of food but we were the first dinner customers and they were out of half the menu. You'd think the wait staff would be aware of that.
Read moreCons:
Guest
Georgina
Points +353
Excellent food and experience - Edit
Like a previous reviewer, I went having read the website information and expected to be able to have a snack - coffee and croissant, probably - and arranged to meet friends there. However, on arrival we were told it was the full 28euro brunch only (it was a Sunday). We were squeezed in though despite not having made a reservation - our mistake, I didn't realise it would be so popular.
Read moreWhilst disappointed that the information hadn't been clear, we ended up happy with our error as the food was amazing! All six courses were divine, especially the cheesecake, and having my first ever vegan croissant was a treat. My non-vegan friends loved it too.
Pros: Truly excellent food, Great atmosphere, not rushed, Good location
Guest
runnerdave
Points +86
Very tasty, classy and well priced - Edit
This is a gem of a vegan restaurant. The interior is modern and contemporary. On the menu a well balanced selection of dishes marrying classic burgers with a little more adventurous tastes, all prepared with care.
Read moreI would particularly recommend the delicious huge sandwiches available at lunch time. On the menu, the Portobello burger is also succulent. Add to that one of the home made dessert and you won't regret the visit. The orange tart on a frangipane basis was to die for.
Pros: Original and well executed menu, Cosy and modern atmosphere, Great choice of sandwiches and take away
Cons: A bit noisy in the outer section, No alcohol served
Guest
carolinedenonlambert
Points +20
NIce food. - Edit
Food: It is always great to go to a place that has a fully vegan menu; so a totally vegan restaurant is always going to score reasonably high for me. The menu here was quite good. The food was reasonably priced for Paris - expensive for anywhere else. The food was reasonably creative, but a little bit on the plain side. There were meals with cheese and cream substitutes which looked interesting, but I didn't actually try them. I think that they also sold these dairy alternatives in the restaurant.
Read moreFor starters I had an artichoke dish, which was nice. My friend had a lentil and quinoa salad, which was a bit bland and lacking in vegetables. As she is the fussier eater we swapped because she didn't like hers. For the main course I had a mushroom burger - which turned out to be a big mushroom in a bun and a little bit disappointing. My friend had a tofu and potato masala and although it tasted good it was slightly under seasoned.
The puddings looked great, but I can never manage three courses.
I also had a lovely vegan hot chocolate. My friend ordered a spiced one, but could't taste the spices.
Ambiance and location:
This is an elegant and smart restaurant. We sat in the conservatory overlooking the canal, which was really nice. I liked the location by the canal. It was worth going a little outside of the very central Paris area - and it is only walking distance from the Marais area and a few minutes from the Bastille metro station
Service:
The service was poor. We wondered if it was because we aren't French or were dressed too casually, even though I speak French very well. When we arrived the waiter immediately said that we couldn't stay long because there was a party in two hours time! He limited our choices of where to sit, although I did like the conservatory where we were eventually placed. He then took ages to serve us. We weren't asked about drinks, as usually happens in England. We did order hot chocolates though - but had to remind them about them and they came between the main course and starter. They excused this rather curtly by saying they had been preparing them and when they did come they were warm rather than hot. The main meal, like the starter and drinks, took ages to come. The salad was missing from my meal. We were not offered carafes of water like other tables with French diners, I had to ask for them. It took ages again to grab their attention for the bill and to get their attention so that we could pay.
Pros: All vegan menu., Smart modern decor., location by the canal.
Cons: Slow service
Guest
comahony
Points +336
Wonderful service and great menu - Edit
My husband (non-vegan) and I (vegan) stopped by at about 3pm. We weren't yet hungry for dinner so opted for dessert. I'm so sorry we didn't make it back for dinner! The desserts were so wonderful, esp. the chocolate/vanilla cake. The owner and chef were there and so nice and helpful. Next trip to Paris will definitely include the Gentle Gourmet.
Read morePros: romantic, spacious, delicious
Guest
lachat
Points +298
Yummy breakfast! - Edit
We had breakfast twice and dinner once at this great vegan restaurant. The food was perfect, the staff very friendly. We also took away sandwiches which were amazing (traditional "ham&cheese" baguette). It's a relaxing place, the service was slow but it was on a weekend where half of the staff was away and we were explained the waiting time beforehand, so very well organised.
Read moreAdvise to book.
Pros: Vegan croissants&desserts, Amazing sandwiches, Friendly atmosphere
Cons: Slow service
Guest
Mariannes
Points +90
Awesome food and kind service - Edit
My boyfriend and I went there twice last summer and both times, the food was absolutely delish! Still crave their polenta dish yum!
Read moreGuest
herbivore07
Points +36
Don't miss it while in Paris - Edit
We went here three times on a recent trip to Paris: once just for coffee and croissants (it was amazing to finally have a vegan version of cafe au lait, not to mention incredible croissants!), once for dinner, and once for lunch. For lunch the Paris-Bastille sandwich was so good I'm still craving it. And for dessert we had pain au chocolat fresh out of the oven. I was in heaven finally getting to partake in French food done vegan style! We also had lovely service. The atmosphere isn't as cozy as I'd love to see in a Paris bistro, but it's nice. But that's a small complaint with such delicious food. Definitely don't miss it!
Read moreGuest
runsten
Points +249
great first impression but second time... - Edit
Great place with great food, but slow service sometimes even though very friendly staff. You must visit this vegan restaurant in Paris, probably one of the best and apparently they have breakfast in the mornings.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on Thursday July 05, 2012
Pros: atmosphere - no? kind of boring, ?
Cons: service slow and unprofessional, tasteless boring food for a high price, no wine!!!
runsten
I came here again on my vacation in Paris last week. Great disappointment. Expansive and tasteless food. I will defintely remove it from my top 10 list! 32 euro for a starter and a main course? There are to my knowledge at least 5 other much cheaper restaurants which serves high quality food, which you would expect in this restaurant too.
Read moreGuest
Notre-Dame
Points +94
Disappointing - Edit
I was very disappointed with this restaurant. It is beautiful, clean, comfortable and the menu is very mouth-watering! But we must be very patient to be served, and everyone has not had his orders at the same time. It is not very professional. They do not serve wine, when we are supposed to be in a French restaurant.
Read moreThere are dreams on paper, but the reality is not up to the expectations. I felt like eating industrial mockmeats, not homemade seitan. The desserts are too simple, too sweet, without creativity. It's pretty pretentious for a result without personality.This is not the level that can be expected, especially as the prices are a bit expensive.
Pros: Good Vive, Friendly Staff, Nice Portions
Cons: Bit expensive, Slow Service, Pretentious
Guest
veganchocaddict
Points +35
Brunch too expensive; website misleading - Edit
There is nothing I can see on the website to prepare you for the price of the Gentle Gourmet brunch. I went there hoping to try a vegan croissant or pain au chocolat (2 euros, according to the website, which is entirely reasonable). Brunch was a whopping, close to incredible, 28 euros, with no option to order from the menu. We didn't stay. Be warned.
Read morePros: Vegan croissants sound delicious
Cons: Expensive, Misleading website, Really expensive
Domainedebrocfontaine
Hello,
Read moreOn Sundays, and since we opened, we only do brunch on Sunday mornings although croissant and other take-out food is always possible according to availability. No restaurant can offer a relaxed, totally open brunch and regular menu at the same time for obvious logistical reasons. 28 euros for an all you can eat brunch in Paris is the normal price for brunch and if you add it up it is actually a deal unless you are just not hungry. Our food is prepared fresh every day , is all vegan, almost entirely organic, is seasonal and highly into fair trade - sounds like a deal to me!
veganchocaddict
I think you should at least put the price on the website.
Read moreWe walked around for quite some time after leaving and didn't see any brunches at more than 18 euros. Also, while you may not be able to offer a regular menu alongside a brunch, it should be possible to have a pastry and a drink (which takes very little preparation). Many vegan brunch places here in Berlin offer that. Brunches are priced at between 9 and 12 euros here, for comparison. Finally, 28 euros is a fairly extravagant dinner meal in my book. In any case, your response has not made me any more likely to visit gentle gourmet when I am next in Paris. There are plenty of other places which are vegan and do not charge such outrageous prices.
Guest
SamanthaCheryl
Points +85
cute place - Edit
So, the decor is super cute, the place is nice and the waitress was friendly. I ordered le fume burger; it was a lot of bread and had a heavy mayo type sauce. The salad was just lettuce and the fries were frozen deep fried fries. Yes, it was vegetarian but I expected it to be a bit more healthy and impressive. The taste was decent.
Read morePros: atmosphere, location
Domainedebrocfontaine
Hi there, Thank you for visiting us. I thought it important to mention that our fries are fresh and not frozen, our buns are made by France's most awarded organic baker with a recipe he made exclusively for us. Even our creamy "mayo" is entirely home-made - just like almost everything found in the restaurant!
Read moreGuest
ksushone
Points +43
Paris is not vegan - Edit
It's really very difficult to find any vegetarian place in Paris. Especially when you are looking for vegan or even raw place.
Read moreGentle Gourmet Cafe was quite good, vegan (!), but not gourmet.
Pros: friendly staff, vegan in non vegan Paris
Cons: a long wait, not gourmet
Domainedebrocfontaine
Hello! The word Gourmet in our gentle Gourmet name actually refers to the people who come to our cafe. A gourmet is a person who likes good food that is well prepared, whether it be simple or fancy and a gentle gourmet refers to all our guests who eat "gently" that is respectfully by refraining from food that comes from other beings. Hope your time in Paris was fun! Deborah owner of the Gentle Gourmet and president of the Paris Vegan Day festival
Read moreZmeika
gentlegourmetcafe, do not mistake people!!!
Read moreA Gourmet is a Connoisseur of fine food. That's it. Nothing to do with a gentle way of eating.
Do you have a home made bread? Or smth really special apart from calling your food organic? I didn't taste anything organic and I payed a lot for a tasteless burger and raw lasagna.
Guest
mononoke
Points +88
vegan paris - Edit
on our 3 day in paris we went to the gentle gourmet cafe. we ordered two different kind of burger menus and one starter, "faux fois gras with mushrooms", which we share.
Read morethe food was good but not gourmet. the starter was cold and more like a mushroom dumpling which is okay but we expected more.
we didnt like the furnishing but the staff was really nice but a little bit slow.
Pros: friendly staff
Cons: furnishing
Guest
gracep
Points +96
So good - Edit
I wrote a huge review with details of just how great this restaurant is. Then the stupid site timed out and erased it all. It was over 2,000 characters long and had so much information about my experience with this great restaurant. Because of that, I'll just say this: this restaurant is the best of any vegan place I've been to in Paris. The food is fresh, innovative, artistic, and delicious. The staff can speak English and are helpful, accommodating, and friendly. I want to go back and so far it's the only Parisian vegan place I can say that about with certainty. Give it a try. You ti
Read morePros: Nice staff, BEST FOOD, Convenient location
Guest
Saddler
Points +149
Great....for Paris - Edit
My wife, who is vegan, and I had dinner there on a Saturday evening in November. Trade was brisk but the place was never quite full. Almost all those present were English speaking, which perhaps indicates, as ever in Paris, that most vegetarians are tourists. The cafe is smart and had a pleasant atmosphere. The staff were helpful, very friendly and they spoke English very well, when required. The menu had genuine choice without being too long to make one suspicious and, since we knew they did not serve alcohol, we took our own wine, which actually made the meal much cheaper than if we had had to buy a bottle there. I think our bill 62 euros, which for Paris is not bad for two, three-course meals.
Read moreSo, there is a lot to be pleased about. On the down side, we did not feel that the food was "gourmet" as many of the other reviewers felt. In our book, burger and chips (french fries) are not gourmet; two of the choices on the menu were versions of that dish. Not that there is much better elsewhere in Paris and the food was by no means bad (the desserts were excellent) but it is just that the experience could be so much better with relatively little extra effort. They have a wonderful place; now let's have some real innovation in the cooking.
Overall then, the Gentle Gourmet is highly recommended if you are in Paris; you will not find anything better. And if the owners are reading - just push the menu a little harder.
Pros: Everything vegan, Atmosphere, Service
Cons: Food not so exciting
Guest
JDH
Points +105
Yummy Yummy - Edit
Excellent gourmet style food.
Read moreAte twice here on recent trip and they didn't disappoint either time. Wonderful salads and crepes.
Try the hot chocolate too.
Pros: Excellent food , Decent service, Hot chocolate
Cons: No booze
Guest
Phoegan12
Points +59
Perfect birthday - Edit
Went for borthday breakfast- had chpcolate & strawbery crepes with cream which was yum, then a beautiful fruit salad with figs, apples grapes, cranberrys, orange, & bought a vegan crossiant from their pattisserie - i was the first buyer, bit into it & tastebuds sang it had chocolate on the inside & melted in your mouth & i felt healthIer eating it without all the cholestrol, butter, eggs etc invading it-( the wash is usually done with egg white in non vegan but the cafe have them specially made with a sugar wash. Went back at 10:30pm thst night & had a subway type roll which was delicious & tucked into a chocolate tart which i enjoyed thoroughly. Really nice cafe, waiter & chef speaks english, friendly, but bit expensive although good value.
Read morePros: Wonderful food good quality, Nice interior, Friendly staff
Cons: Abit expensive
Guest
Veggiebrookie
Points +48
vegan gourmet at it's best! - Edit
This place is wonderful. Fantastic service. Fantastic food - could hardly even tell it was vegan! Not super healthy but not unhealthy at all. There was an English menu and the staff were extremely helpful. Dessert was beautiful too! moderately priced - big portions so its worth it. easy to find. Just go there if you're in Paris
Read morePros: Delicious food, Great service
Cons: bit noisy when very busy
Guest
mumpletheterrible
Points +16
Amazing Vegan Bistro - Edit
The gentleman who served us was super friendly and the food was amazing.
Read moreGuest
Senkenberg
Points +105
Top Class - Edit
Went here in early September. This was the best meal, in the nicest locale, of our stay in Paris. The feel of the place is up-market - a good choice to impress your date or to go with colleagues. The food was absolutely excellent - in particular my starter which was a salad with some kind of Breton themed vegan cheese balls deep fried in a cider batter - amazing!. Main course was tasty and sophisticated; my sweet was pancakes with fruit and whipped cream - pancake texture could perhaps have been a fraction lighter, but still lovely - and all 100% vegan. It's also BYOB. There's a bistro section of the menu for lighter meals, including the mushroom burger, but my advice would be to try something more interesting than a burger when you have the chance. All in all well worthwhile and it will be the 1st place we go back to next time we are in Paris.
Read morePros: Ambience, Classy Food
Cons: None
Guest
RafaelCardoso
Points +38
Awesome! - Edit
I went there not expecting much from this restaurant, by what I had read in other reviews. But when I got there, it was amazing to me. I hadn`t made a reservation (because I didn`t know that was necessary) and I arrived 10 minutes before the kitchen closing time.. and even then, they let me in. And with a very attentive and kind service!
Read moreAbout the food, it was delicious, divine. I ate a vegan burger with mushroons, a very varied salad and French fries.
I was in a hurry at the moment, so, to dessert I did not pay much attention to the rest of the menu, which was huge. Thus, I ended up just asking an ice cream. I said to the waiter "This one. Chocolate ice cream. One ball". And he brought to me an enormous and delicious ice cream with much more then one ball, and with raspberry sauce and cherries over it. It was fantastic! The best place I ever ate in Paris.
I strongly recommend it for everyone, to go to at least once.
Pros: Lovely food, kind service, good price for the place
Cons: really, nothing
Guest
ruzette
Points +220
excellent ! - Edit
An excellent and fine vegan restaurant in Paris.
Read moreI had the three course menu and it was all delicious. The fake-cheese bouchées were very smooth and tasty. Very good texture ! I had then a polenta and grilled-veggies, and the desert was simply amazing : a creme brulée, with cherry purée and spices.
The waiter was very kind and the decoration of the restaurant is quite elegant.
A very good impression ! We'll go back surely !
Pros: excellent food, organic products, friendly staff
Guest
maweni
Points +35
Outstanding Gourmet Experience!!! - Edit
The food and ambiance are excellent at this restaurant! There is a lot of variety to the menu and the quality of the food is superb! Best food experience in Paris! The slightly expensive pricing is well worth it!
Read morePros: Outstanding Food, Excellent Vegan Gourmet Cuisine, Great location
Guest
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