Vegetarianism in France

Traditional French cuisine has a lot of meat, and some say that vegetarianism is the "anti-French" diet. I disagree - in fact, I would say that fresh produce is at least as important in the average French diet as meat. In addition, there is a growing movement toward vegetarianism in France, including restaurants, cooking classes, and B+Bs that cater not only to foreign tourists, but also the French themselves. So if you're a vegetarian heading to France, you don't need to worry about finding enough to eat - just check out these places and resources. Bon appétit !

French Vegetarian Vocabulary

le végétarisme   vegetarianism
végétarien(ne)   vegetarian

le végétalisme   veganism
végétalien(ne)   vegan

biologique, bio   organic
(While organics and vegetarianism are obviously not synonymous, they often go hand-in-hand.)


Vegetarianism in France

Association végétarienne de France - Offers online nutritional information, news, and discussion forums, as well as a quarterly magazine.

Végétariens Magazine / VegMag - Bi-monthly French magazine about vegetarianism and organic food, with recipes, travel tips, and news. (stopped publishing in 2011)

Veggie pride - Annual parade held in May in Paris, France and Rome, Italy. The site also has info about vegetarianism (in French).


Vegetarian Restaurants in France
Here are some regularly updated lists of vegetarian restaurants in France. Please note that I don't have any affiliation with these sites - if you know of a restaurant that should be listed, you need to contact the webmasters directly:

FrenchEntree.com - Vegetarian places to stay & eat

Happy Cow's Vegetarian Guide - Vegetarian restaurants and health food stores in France

VegDining - Vegetarian and veg-friendly restaurants and food stores

Végétannuaire - Restaurants 100 % végétariens et/ou végétaliens.

If you're curious about vegetarian restaurants that I've actually eaten at, please see my list of vegetarian restaurants in France.


Vegetarian Cooking in France
I've always thought it would be really fun to do a vegetarian cooking class in France. Haven't done it yet, but here are the places I've been considering.

ArtHoliday Cookery Course in France - Spend a week cooking, eating (and drinking). English-language course with trips to local wine and cheese makers, in a small village in Languedoc-Roussillon.

Cook in France - English-language cooking course in the Dordogne.

Tomlin's Vegetarian Cookery School in France - English-language cooking course in the Charente-Maritime region of France.

Végétannuaire - Le Carnet d'Adresses du Végétarisme - French-language vegetarian and vegan cooking classes.


Vegetarian Places to Stay in France
Again, I have no affiliation with these sites - if you'd know of a place that should be listed, you need to contact the webmaster of the site.

HappyCow's Travel Guide - Vegetarian bed & breakfasts (B&Bs), resorts, retreats, and workshop centers

Végétannuaire - Hôtels, gîtes, auberges, pensions et séjours proposant des repas 100 % végétariens.

Vegetarian Vacations - Vegetarian bed & breakfasts in France