Le Grenier de Notre Dame
Here is an adorable vegetarian restaurant tucked into a narrow street not far from the Notre Dame cathedral on the left bank in Paris. Though it is not my favorite, my sons and I ate here twice, due to the convenience of its location and proximity to our hotel. It’s cozy and comfortable, and the food is quite serviceable. The service is friendly and it’s a lot of fun to sit outdoors and eat at 9:00 pm when things are busy and lively.
The way I would describe the food is homey and filling, the kind of meal you’d get if you had a kind old vegan grandmother. Their main focus, as in most of the other veg eateries, are assiettes, large platters with assorted goodies arranged on them. Their Assiette Seitan comes with a nicely done “schnitzel” of seitan; we were all in the mood for that the first time we dined there. The second time Evan and I ordered an assiette with polenta, which normally comes with cheese, but they topped it with a tangy tomato sauce for us. Adam had the Macro assiette, which featured little rounds of crisp tempeh. My friend Wendy and I ate here on an earlier trip, so I can at least say that the food is consistent.
The cooked vegetable side dishes that come with these platters are a bit overcooked, and for dessert one night we had the absolute worst vegan apple tart ever. Still, I can’t help but feel fondness for this little eatery; the vibes are good, the experience is fun, and the people who work there are nice.
If you look closely at the photo, you’ll see me in the center, with kind of a lavender top. With his back to the viewer is my son, Adam. Evan was taking the shot. Le Grenier de Notre Dame is at 18, Rue de la Bucherie in the 5th arrondissement.
I do want to recommend one more place that we stumbled upon for our last meal in Paris: Phyto-Bar & Restaurant Bio at 47, Blvd. Saint-Germain in the 5th Arrondissement. Their specialty is freshly made organic juice mixtures and wines; they don’t offer an extensive selection of food but what they did offer was very good, and the ambiance was lovely. Once again, the focus was on beautifully presented assiettes. Next to the restaurant is a little organic produce market and health food store. Sigh. I would love to spend about a month living in this neighborhood. I just love the Latin Quarter!
Chef JoAnna said,
August 3, 2006 @ 11:51 am
I loved Le Grenier! I recommend it to anyone that I hear is going to Paris. I never thought I could crave tofu, but after the rich heavy foods we’d been eating it was the most delectable thing! I remember that, as we were dining, a waiter chastized a girl (in French) for asking for a Coke (in English). She was completely taken aback by his vitriol, and it was wasted on her becase she didn’t know a word of French. I talked with him later, and he went on about how difficult some tourists could be. I guess either my French was good, or I didn’t look American that day! Thanks for helping me to recall that lovely place.
Tom and Kathleen Gallier said,
September 10, 2006 @ 2:03 pm
We have visited Paris 6 times in the last 5 years, and Le Grenier is by far our favorite restaurant! The food and the service have consistently been outstanding! The Assiette Royale is our favorite!