I spent a few days in Paris recently, and I have to tell you – Paris is so beautiful in August! There is less stress, less cars, less chaos. The city had a completely different vibe. Everyone was relaxed and enjoying their time (maybe because the majority were tourists), and I actually managed to relax while being there.

What I love about Paris is that you can discover the city by foot, and see all the different parts of town blending in together. We did A LOT of walking, it can be quite tiring, so it is necessary to stop every now and then, sit on a terrace, and enjoy a refreshing drink. I really don’t like taking the metro and other public transport, it always stresses me out. So whenever we wanted to explore areas further out from where we were staying we took a bike. Cycling is by far the best way to discover Paris! You cover so much, and you get to see all that is in between the sights. I should also mention the roads are more cycle-friendly than you might expect, Paris is truly full of psycho.. ahem cycle-paths! 🙂  You learn to appreciate the city better, and the sights as well, as they are not just an isolated part in your touristic itinerary, they actually are part of the beautiful scenery around them. So if you decide to go to Paris, do take a bike! It is super easy and affordable to do it! We used Vélib’ bike-sharing, which was really convenient. Once you get your head around the credit card payment system (it holds 150 eur “ransom” until you return the bike), it works out to under 2 euros for an entire day!

I was really excited about eating out as well. There are a few places I like to go to every time we are in Paris, and I discovered I few new places during our recent stay, so here I would like to share with you my favourite places, where you can enjoy delicious, healthy, plant-based food.

Merci
Boulevard Beaumarchais, 75003 Paris, France

Merci is a concept store which is full of interesting clothes, home-ware, and furniture, but it also has a restaurant and a coffee shop. It is worth visiting just to enjoy the layout and design of the concept shop. You can enjoy a Parisian breakfast at Used Bookshop right at the entrance of the store. They offer soft-boiled eggs, scones and granola with almond milk. For lunch go to Ciné Café right next door, where you will find big salad bowls at the bar, freshly baked cakes and juices. The place looks great, and has a great atmosphere.

Café Pinson
6 Rue du Forez, 75003 Paris, France

A really nice place in the Marais, that serves organic, vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free food. I really liked the look of the cafe (unfortunately I couldn’t take more pictures of the interior as the place was packed). The food is really delicious and you can see the dishes they offer at the bar – really great because you know exactly what you will be getting.

I had the lunch menu, which consisted of homemade haricot bean hummus, quinoa balls with roasted veggies and a delicious vegan mayonnaise, and for desert – a vanilla cake. I left completely full, and enjoyed every bite of my lunch!

Soya
20 Rue de la Pierre Levée, 75011 Paris, France

Unfortunately this place was closed in August, so we could’t go there again. But I was there last winter and really enjoyed the food. Soya serves organic, vegan and vegetarian food. They have delicious spreads and dips, the veggies are prepared perfectly, and they know how to work with spices. Visit this place when you are around Paris.

Bob’s Kitchen
74 Rue des Gravilliers, 75003 Paris, France

We had no luck to try this restaurant, as it was also closed (as many other things) in August. But I have heard good things about it. Have you been there? What was your experience? I will try to visit it next time I am in Paris.

Now to the street food indulgence. When you walk a lot sometimes you don’t really want to sit down for a long time, but simply take a short break, have a bite and continue exploring the city. So if you are in the Marais area and want to refuel while on a bench in one of the local parks (check out Place des Vosges), do not miss out on some of the amazing falafels in the jewish quarter! They taste heavenly!

We went for the falafels at Chez Marianne at 2 Rue des Hospitalières Saint-Gervais, 75004 Paris, France.

Why? Because they really taste amazing! Add to that their grilled aubergine, rich sesame cream, spicy pepper and a pickle, and you are literally in heaven!

And what is summer without ice cream? We actually found this place completely by chance, after walking for several hours. We were craving some ice cream, but the longer we walked, the higher our expectations got. Kind of strange, right? So we didn’t want to settle just for any ice cream. As we crossed the bridge towards Île Saint-Louis, we finally saw people passing by with ice cream cones and smiles on their faces. We knew we were headed in the right direction. Then suddenly we saw this small place, called Berthillon, and a long line of people. We decided to give this ice cream a try. Only later we found out it was considered one of the best ice-cream places in Paris. Well, I agree with Trip Advisor. It was so rich and flavourful, I enjoyed every bit of it. We had three flavours (as tired as we were from our long walk) – coconut, strawberry and dark chocolate. Probably some of the best Ice cream i’ve ever had, so no doubt I recommend all three of them!

There are still many places I would like to visit in Paris, and I would love to hear from you, and which places you would recommend for me next time I am there. 🙂

Have a beautiful day!