Vegan
Japanese
Macrobiotic
Organic
Beer/Wine
Asian
Bakery
A vegan institution in France since 1986, le Grand Appetit offers "the ideal macrobiotic plate" balanced to promote good health through natural food. Famous for its vegan norimaki and miso all made from the best Japonese organic ingredients, and SOS homemade desserts. FEB 2018 REPORTED SHUT BY HAPPYCOW AMBASSADOR.
50 Reviews
First Review by siggy
Anasmokra
Points +41
Nice Vegan Place - Edit
Food is delicious, cozy atmosphere and friendly stuff who speaks English.
Read moreGuest
Muuuuu
Points +3271
macrobiotic - Edit
the place is not meant to be a fancy restaurant, it's a cheap cantine serving healthy, macrobiotic, food. Somewhat old school (one of the oldest vegetarian places in Paris)
Read morePros: not expensive
Guest
ELANANYC
Points +16
Good, pure organic simple food, unpretentious and cheap - Edit
No fuss, old macrobiotic style with japonese influence, vegan food.
Read moreFirst quality organic ingredients.
The owner was trained in JAPAN in the 1980's by Mrs OSAWA herself.
Very pleasant he speaks well English.
Easy going the money is in the food not in decoration or service.
Also food is made upon order and brought to your table.
No microwave.
Very reasonnable in price for the quality.
A good place to have our stomach and intestine have a rest our trip.
We recommand.
Pros: food quality, Healthy, Pleasant staff
Cons: Menu a bit messy to understand
Guest
Maia Rose
Points +185
A great macrobiotic find - Edit
We stumbled upon this earthy, hippyish (in a good way) place and were delighted with the food and service.
Read moreWe choose the 'big plate' which was, on this day, lentils and polenta with lots of veggies, including some fermented and some seaweed.
It was delicious.
Cost was €14.50 (small plate which is either the lentils or polenta plus the veggies is €12.50.
The staff were lovely and helpful, even looking up Google to translate a few words we couldn't quite get.
It was a relaxed and welcoming vibe.
Pros: Fresh, Wholesome, Tasty
Cons: Don't make their own juices
Guest
ZannaStar
Points +176
Great if it's what you like - Edit
I visited in November 2014 with my Mum. Personally, I loved the food - I got a big plate of interesting, healthy food, fresh and flavoursome. My Mum wasn't so keen. She doesn't really like rice so it's a good thing she has no intention of following a macrobiotic diet. I like clunky places with rough and ready seating, help yourself to water etc, but some music would have been nice, and when we went in the evening nobody else was around. The folks weren't particularly friendly, so that put us off a bit. The millet based chocolate dessert I had was fabulous and different but an acquired taste I think.
Read morePros: healthy, handy - very near Bastille, moderate pricing
Cons: atmosphere somewhat lacking
Guest
AlexKej
Points +48
Okay place - Edit
I am not fully satisfied with this place. The prizes were not all that cheap and the portion could be bigger to be filling. Especially since the dish was quite boring - nothing I couldn't easily prepare by myself. At least I was sure it was healthy and fresh. The atmosphere of the place was bothering me - no music or life there. And the workers could not speak engish so another customer had to explain me how to serve myself.
Read morePros: Healthy and fresh food
Cons: Boring place without energy, Small portion , Boring food
Guest
jon active
Points +3072
old school macrobiotic vegans! - Edit
So we're on a crazy vegan diet that is close to macrobiotic veganism and so this place was a must try. It reminds me of the health food industry of 25 years ago, untouched by Wholefoods, Lovin Hut, or seemingly the urge to be commercially successful! Mismatched tables and chairs and photos of flowers and insects on the walls and old hippies behind the counter! The food is as one might expect, unfancy but wonderfully functional, healthy and simple. The pate was good and the sushi not bad. You get a choice of two mix plates or a couple of other dishes. There were about 5 desserts all sugar free, yipes! :) The apple tart was lovely though its a shame there was no creme option to go with it. The old geezer who served us had passable English and was friendly. We stayed past the closing time without any hassle and would certainly go back here ... la prochaine fois!
Read morePros: moderate price, Healthy pure food., Sugar free desserts!
Cons: Limited menu options
Guest
JonJon
Points +20741
Macrobiotic food - Edit
I had a lunch here but won't try it again. I know macrobiotic food (which is basic and healthy) and the one offered in this restaurant was consistent with its principle but it really lacks originality. I can really do the same home, that limits the interest to go in a restaurant. I believe that this place is only interesting for people looking for macrobiotic stuff who have not the time to prepare their lunch at home. Otherwise, you will be disappointed. The food is not bad, is 100% vegan but really basic. The place in itself looks also a bit depressing, which doesn't help to appreciate your food. Old colours, no decoration, it is a simple place with tables and seats.
Read morePros: healthy, moderate prices, friendly staff
Cons: very basic
Guest
Ichliebedackel
Points +53
Cute, a bit clumsy, but worth it - Edit
Don't just show up here and hope that this restaurant is open. Since it is owner-operated, the opening hours are less than convenient for tourists, but reasonable (they open at exactly 12:00 and not a minute earlier), check the internet before going to this place, which is essentially located around the corner from the Bastille..
Read moreThe owner is a charming older gentleman who pretty much expects his customers to put on their thinking caps and to find their way around the place. The place is a mixture of self-service and waiter-oriented service. What does that mean? Well, in France, you generally are seated restaurants, but at "Grand Appétit" you sit yourself. You go to the counter to order your food. The staff serves your food at your table. You have to pick up your own silverware, napkin and tea towards the center of the restaurant.
Novelty: All main courses are served on paper plates that are disposed of at the end of the meal (I don't get that, but that's what they do). Soups and drinks are served on reusable kitchenware. Go figure.
The food was good; not great, but good. They pretty much serve original creations that have a Euro-Japanese bend to them. They taste good, albeit the restaurant tends to be a bit stingy on the sauces. I tried the soup (carrot-vegetable) and was impressed. The main course (called the "big platter" = grande assiette) had 7 different things to try, most of which were raw plant things like shredded carrots. It also included a battered, deep-fried sushi-like creation. Interesting.
There is one great thing in the restaurant that I've previously only seen in the backwaters of India: they have a sink, soap and towels in the restaurant, so that the patrons can wash their hands before eating. That is a really nice touch, especially if you have arrived having touched things in the nasty, dirty, yucky Métro..
Would I go back to this restaurant again? Definitely. For those reading this review who don't speak French: The owner of the place speaks English fluently and is happy to do so.
Why do I give the food a "good, but not great" grade? To be honest, I'm thrilled that there is one more vegan institution in Paris. The French are slow adopters, when it comes to challenging century-old culinary traditions. So, I want to be gentle, fair and helpful to this restaurant. If veganism were "normal" in French society, I would be much harsher (a bit bland, and too gently spiced). There is room for improvement.
Pros: Totally vegan, Sink available for hand-washing in room, Convenient
Guest
Richme
Points +40
Ok food - Edit
We tried the soups and they were just fine. The service on the other hand was terrible. We didn't feel welcome there. The people catering us seemed so lifeless and bored. Totally uninterested in their customers. No joy at all. For an example: looking down and playing with their cellphone while saying goodbye.. I mean, seriously? The toilette was a joke as well, just a hole in the floor. There was no atmosphere in the restaurant, no music, felt really boring.
Read moreGuest
Barbara Primo
Points +202
I go there once a week... - Edit
...and I love it!
Read moreIt' a great place to eat in Paris, well done, macrobiotic recipes, good for health and not expensive.
If you don't know macrobiotic you can find it strange, perhaps, but here food is real food, chosen with care, organic, seasonal and balanced to be good for body and mind.
It's a very simple restaurant, quiet, comfortable, a lot of room, not narrow as in others parisian restaurants.
If you are fine or if you have some health problems here you can eat very good food.
Pros: Organic ingredients, Health food, Quiet place
Guest
EndikaW.Bush
Points +162
Nice meal - Edit
It's marked as cheap and i disagree. Anyway, the place is cozy, familiar and with very pleasant staff. The sushi is not bad but could be improved maybe adding some exotic fruits (it's only with soy) and the complete dish with a variety of vegetables, rice, couscous, seitan and salad was tasty and light. Recommendable.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on Sunday October 06, 2013
Pros: Tasty, Familiar, Healthy
Cons: Not that cheap
Guest
IsabelleTamm
Points +70
Healthy Vegan Food - Edit
I really like this place, it has a really friendly atmosphere, is semi self serve and well priced. I chose a small plate which had a variety of things, the food is really healthy but kind of bland but this didn't bother me. Their desserts are really tasty though and I left feeling very good and satisfied. The staff are really welcoming, and generally imbue happiness. Next door is a health food shop by the same name which is equally great. I really wish there were more places like this around the world.
Read morePros: Very healthy, Lovely atmosphere & staff, Good portions
Cons: Bit bland, squashed
Guest
kandimba
Points +471
Meh - Edit
I'm not crazy about macrobiotic restaurants, because they always serve food that is neither bad nor good, although healthy and satisficing. This is not a bad place to eat, but you can get better in Paris. If you want a "detox", though, this is your best choice.
Read moreNote that there is only one plate and you eat whatever the cook serves you, which is a mix of grains, salads, seaweeds and pickes.
Pros: Inexpensive, Quiet
Cons: Food is merely average
Guest
cookiemonster
Points +1203
Tastes Healthy - Edit
Let's face it, it's hard to dine if you're vegan in France so I'm really grateful it is there. If it was in another, more veg-friendly country, I'd pan it.
Read moreThis place has a co-op café feel to it and the food is really healthy, macro, wholesome... And it tastes like it. It reminded me of when regular people try to "cook healthy" and forget to spice /flavour / plan their meal out in advance.
It's hearty, it's vegan, it's bland, and it's boring. But it's paris so it's amazing!
The above does not apply to the desserts which are yummy.
Pros: Vegan In Paris , Healthy , Desserts
Cons: Bland
Guest
CLRtraveller
Points +9274
healthy meal - Edit
I had the grande assiette for euro13.50, which was a full plate including a portion of about 12 different items: slaw, large patty, brown rice, seaweed, steamed veg chunks, etc. It was all good, more than I could eat in one sitting. I think it's all macrobiotic. I agree with a previous reviewer who said it doesn't feel like a joyful place.
Read moreBeware: the only toilet facility is a hole in the ground down the narrow steps.
Pros: good food, plentiful meal
Cons: toilet facilities!
Guest
AnnFromIllinois
Points +788
Good, but not really worth a special trip - Edit
My experience here was good. The service and food were all very nice. But it just isn't really a charming Parisien restaurant filled with ambiance. You order off a board, and they bring the plates out. If I lived or worked nearby, I'd probably go for lunch frequently because it's good, healthy vegan food. But it isn't the kind of place that showcases the brilliance of vegan/vegetarian cooking.
Read morePros: Healthy
Cons: Lack of charm
Guest
Notre-Dame
Points +90
A sad place - Edit
This restaurant is not breathing the joy of living. It is organic, vegan, macrobiotic and depressing. The food is good, but not fancy. The place has no charm, no energy. I went twice, but each time, I only see old people alone at their table. So if you are looking for a dynamic and festive, this is not the place to go.
Read morePros: Vegan, Organic
Cons: Sad vibe, Outdated
Guest
OrRamot
Points +34
lovely - Edit
This is a "hard-core vegan" lovely restaurant. the place is nice and cozy with excellent food (try the winter soups, if its winter).
Read moreThe atmosphere is some what "let's think differently about the way we do things". you need to take your cutlery from a tray in middle of the restaurant. But this not a "con" its just different.
recommendation - if you are not too picky, ask the staff to choose the food for you.
Pros: the food!
Cons: eastern style toilet (different)
Guest
gracep
Points +96
Healthy? Yes. - Edit
I ordered two dishes when I went to this little cafe--the plate of the day, and the sushi. The plate of the day was a plate that came with cooked rice and buckwheat mixed together, cooked seasoned lentils, cooked vegetables, and pickled seaweed and other pickles. I can't remember what the sushi was filled with. Both seemed very healthy in that they weren't salty or sugary or processed. The problem, then, was that they represent the school of thought that views healthy eating and optimal flavour as mutually exclusive. As others have noted, it's really annoying that there are vegan places like this, because there's so much more to veganism than this idea of our diet being comprised of lentils and vegetables.
Read moreI didn't feel overstuffed or sickly after the meal, so that is a bonus, but at the same time, I didn't really feel satisfied, either. Even though the flavours were something I wouldn't normally eat, they didn't feel modern or particularly creative, which I didn't like. The restaurant was fairly well priced, though.
All in all, I wouldn't go back. I felt healthy, but did I really enjoy the meal? No. I cook healthily for myself at home (and it tastes better than this place does.) When I go to a restaurant, I don't necessarily want unhealthy or overly fatty food. I just want something "fresh", innovative, and which acknowledges the reality that veganism is in a new era that has taken it beyond ideas of only plain grains and things like that.
Pros: Very healthy, Unique flavour combinations, Affordable
Cons: Staff didn't really speak English, Got our orders wrong, Didn't seem that fresh
Guest
Mad Hatter
Points +62
Boring food - Edit
We visited this restaurant at the first day of our last Pairs jouney and I was a bit disapointed, it's really small and it looks a bit untidy.
Read moreThe stuff was really friendly and tried it's best to explain us the food in german.
My mother had a soop and I had a small mixed plate, there where vegetables, beans, sea weed, rice and salad. The bad thing was, that there where no spices used at all, not even salt. So it was almost unpossible for me to eat the food, it had no flavour at all. There was no salt to add, just soy sauce, but it was empty.
If they would use spices, it would be a good place for healthy food. If you look for a great dessert better do not eat there, they don't use sugar, so they had only not good looking fruit pie.
The prices are okay, a bit expencive, but normal for Paris.
Pros: vegan, healthy, friendly stuff
Guest
dkinjer
Points +309
Not much left to eat - Edit
The restaurant advertises that is is open from noon to 9pm. We showed up (four people) close to 3pm, to find that there was no food left.
Read moreWe found in Paris that several vegetarian restaurants are out of food at the end of lunch time. This was one of them. They were busy preparing dinner. They should not post open hours if they can't serve all day. But, the proprietor was very hospitable, managed to serve two bowls of miso soup (what was left) and three pieces of vegetable pie (that were in their health food store next door). It was decent, but not great. We appreciated his attempt not to turn us away completely hungry, because if you eat only vegan food, then your choices are limited, and you can't find something on the next corner.
The decor is rather shabby (maybe you can call it retro?) and the bathroom had a Turkish toilet, which I have to be more desperate than I was to use.
Pros: hospitable
Cons: not much food left, turkish toilet, shabby decor
Guest
runsten
Points +249
chaos - Edit
I entered this restaurant and left. Food might be great but if you cannot order, how can you eat there?
Read moresetting your on table is not exciting! They have a lot of staff running around but no one will stop and advice you on what to eat and what to do.
You could see the kitchen from the restaurant and that is what made me live the restaurant without eating there.
Pros: food?
Cons: service
Guest
Poundie
Points +16432
Fabulous macrobiotic restuarant - Edit
This place has a relaxed atmosphere. Though food is brought to your table, diners must get their own table settings, forks, etc., and set their own table. The menu is short, but everything on it is excellent. The food is very heatlhy, and those who enjoy vegan food should find it very tasty indeed. The staff is very friendly, and the food arrives quickly, despite the laid back atmostphere.
Read moreOne word of caution: the WC in this place seems not to allow any sitting down, so females need to squat to use the facilities.
Pros: Healthy, Tasty, good price
Guest
Rosedale
Points +44
Lovely service and beautiful food - Edit
On our first night in Paris we wandered into this lovely cafe. The cook greeted us warmly and realizing our French left a lot to be desired took time explaining the menu to us. We started with soup; the miso for me and pottage for my partner and they were both beautiful; full of flavour and fresh ingredients. For the main I has the sushi which was accompanied with a selection of salads with a beautiful dressing which the cook later shared the ingredients of. My partner had the petit plate which was huge and featured dishes of rice, pulses, salad, vegetables and pickles. Each element was delicious and I would highly recommend this friendly cafe.
Read morePros: Yummy food, Ample portions, Friendly service
Cons: None
Guest
Babette
Points +2107
Pretty good - Edit
I had the miso soup, which was excellent. Then, I had the norimakis, which were just alright and didn't come with all the usual sushi fixings. I tried a pear and chocolate pie which was quite delicious.
Read moreBeware of the Turkish toilets!
Pros: Free herbal tea, Inexpensive, Healthy
Cons: The toilets, A little bland
Guest
vegangirlsineurope
Points +39
Ain't nothing grand - Edit
We visited the restaurant in September 2011. It was possibly the worst vegan dining experience we had while traveling through Europe. While the staff were extremely nice, it couldn't make up for the scary food. It was so tasteless and everything looked like it had been prepared a few days before and left to sit. The menu offers a limited selection. We ordered some soup, which was served luke warm, and came with bread that was rock hard. A vegetable tart with a tired looking salad was hardly edible. We were the only people in the restaurant for most of the night, until two innocent American travelers arrived as we were about to leave. Sadly we were unable to warn them of what was ahead!. Needless to say, we left the place with a "grand appetit" and had to stop off for a 2nd dinner elsewhere on the way back to our apartment.
Read morePros: freindly staff
Cons: bad food
Guest
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