Historically, the words vegan and Paris in the same sentence would produce at the very least a wry smile. Beautiful city, stunning bakeries, gorgeous bistros and, so the clichés suggest, approximately zero interest in feeding you without butter, meat, underlined by a baffled shrug from the surly waiter. In a world where HappyCow exists, I had no such worries about Paris.
This blog doesn’t normally cover vegetarian restaurants, but Saravanaa Bhavan is a South Indian institution that deserves an exception. The chain was founded in Chennai in 1981, and now spans over 45 locations worldwide. The Paris branch opened in 2010 and has been quietly feeding vegetarians and vegans ever since; no fanfare, no inflated prices, just honest, aromatic cooking.
The menu is entirely vegetarian, and much of it is naturally vegan or easily adaptable. Think crispy dosas filled with spiced potato, fluffy idli served with pools of sambar and fresh coconut chutney, vada, pongal, and thali platters piled high with little katori bowls of dal, curry, rasam, and sabzi.
Who can resist a thali? Not me or my two companions, that’s for sure, and so three thalis it was. You need to specify vegan, because the menu can be a bit ambiguous, but once you mention the word, the waiters know exactly what you’re talking about. On that topic, our waitress was an absolute delight, and it was down to her that we trusted that the ubiquitous ghee had been omitted, and also that we ordered that second bottle of wine.
What we got felt like a wholesome South Indian meal served with rice, sambar, rasam, breads and a selection of curries.
It’s no-frills in the best possible way. Faux marble tables, copper thali trays, busy waiters, the smell of filter coffee and spices drifting from the kitchen. Located just around the corner from Gare du Nord, it is an ideal first or last stop if you’re arriving or leaving via Eurostar.
Bardo Burner 