For ethical reasons, I became a vegetarian when I was eight and tried being vegan in my early 20s. However, as a wine professional, I realized I'd have a hard time with food restrictions, so throughout my career, I've supplemented a primarily plant-based diet with fish and cheese. About five years ago, my conscience caught up with me, and I decided to try being a vegan for one month. A month turned into a year, and I haven’t looked back.
My first vegan foray outside the US was in 2019, to England, and I found that the country that was once the bane of jokes when it came to cuisine not only upped its game but had way more to offer vegans than San Francisco. London always had a lot of Indian food, which is good for vegetarians (vegans need to be careful because many veg dishes also have dairy), but I noticed plant-based options on most menus, and restaurants were more accommodating than some SF institutions that pride themselves on their revolutionary cuisine. I'll address San Francisco’s lameness sometime in the future.
Last month, I set out on a three-week sojourn to Europe. I knew I'd be ok in London and Wales (huh, Wales…read on), but I wasn't sure about Paris. Yet, after researching, I found that the city known for its love of butter and duck fat seemed to have a bit of a vegan scene. So, I went, and with a few suggestions from a friend who works in travel, discovered that Paris is actually a pretty good place to be a vegan. Here are the highlights from the trip, with mandatory wine commentary included.
Paris:
We went to Faubourg Daimant on our first night, which, according to Time Out, "is nothing less than the finest vegan restaurant in Paris." Some dishes were promising, and I'd go back, but nothing we tried was particularly dialed in. Restaurant critics usually make three visits, and I was curious about some of the other menu items. There's some natural wine on the list, though I didn't have that ‘there's so much I want to drink’ feeling. If you're a vegan, try it; I’d go again; restaurants have off nights, and it was an overall positive experience. The ambiance and staff were warm, and as said, one visit isn't enough to take it off the list.
Breizh Café was a surprise hit. As my partner is a surgical nurse, she wanted to check out the Musée d'Histoire de la Médecine, which is located in a former medical school in the 6th arrondissement. Despite all the descriptions being in French, we could pretty much figure out what was going on – a saw is a saw is a saw, and amputations haven't really advanced that much over the last few hundred years. While waiting for the museum to open, we stumbled into Breizh, a crepe restaurant with locations throughout France and Japan. When I first looked at the menu, I didn’t think I’d find anything, but the host assured me they had me covered with a Galette Avocat & Tofu, and honestly, it was one of the best meals I had.
We went to Aujourd’hui Demain, a vegan café and store, for a late afternoon snack after hitting up the Paris Flea Market (honestly, there's a lot of mass-produced junk to sift through, but if you're looking for vintage clothing you won't see elsewhere, check out @Jeff_French_Vintage) and shared a vegan caesar salad that hit the spot. In addition to plant-based food, they also sell vegan clothing and sustainable products. Mon Epicerie Paris in the Marais also sells plant-based food, including TXY Noix de Cajou and other vegan cheeses. I can feel skeptics rolling their eyes, but vegan cheeses are steadily improving.
We dined with a friend at Fulgurances L'Adresse, an incubator restaurant for budding chefs in the 11th. Isabel Galiñanes Garcia, who apprenticed at NOMA and other well-known haunts, was the resident chef, and she clearly has some chops. You need to let them know ahead of time if you’re a vegan or have other dietary restrictions. With six courses, it’s hard for everything to be on point, but overall, I enjoyed the effort. Their extensive wine list is stocked with natural wines, mainly from France but a few from other European countries.
Coincidentally, we were staying on the same block as Des Terres, which has received much acclaim. I stumbled into it while walking to Au Bon Vingt, a very good natural wine shop near Père Lachaise, which I, unfortunately, didn't have a chance to visit on this trip. I comfort myself knowing that Jim, Gertrude, and Proust aren't going anywhere and will still be in the ground for a proper visit next time. Ok, Des Terres. First, everyone who works there was so welcoming and helpful. Restaurants of this caliber can project a bit of attitude, but we didn’t get any; in fact, it was the opposite; the staff was wonderful on this visit and another day when we went in for a glass(s) of wine. Their menu is not that vegan friendly, but they were more than accommodating, and the wine list…now that’s a wow.
Just because a restaurant only serves natural wine doesn’t mean it’s worth mentioning. I’ve suffered through plenty of natural wine lists that are littered with spoofy crap I can’t drink. But Des Terres’ is outstanding, the best I've seen anywhere, with impeccably selected, well-known, and upcoming natural wine producers. Jules, our server, brought us several wines to taste, and I don’t think it was just because I work in the industry; he seemed equally attentive to other diners. It's very highly regarded for good reason.
Beet Carpacchio at Des Terres
My partner's favorite meal of the trip was lunch at L’as du Fallafel in the Marais. There’s no shortage of falafel in Paris or London, and I checked out a few places, but none came close to L’as. It’s in the same league as Beit Rima and Reems in San Francisco; those of you who live in the Bay Area know that’s high praise. They serve meat, but much of the menu is vegan.
Kapunka Cantine is a vegan and gluten-free Thai restaurant on a side street in the 2nd. Thai food is hardly scarce in San Francisco; I eat it at least a couple of times a month. However, when a friend suggested meeting there, my interest was piqued, and it exceeded my expectations. All the dishes were fresh and well seasoned, with different levels of spice. They have a few other locations, but I’m not sure if they’re also vegan so be sure to ask or go to the one on Rue de Damiette. As for wine, that was a night when I was taking a much-needed break but from what I saw, it seemed more like a beer kind of place.
I noticed most bistros and cafes had vegan burgers or salads, which was very different from the last time I was in Paris six years ago. As for wine bars, Paris, especially the 11th, has many places to drink natural wine. We went to a few, but Chambre Noire was my favorite because the staff was helpful and seemed to have a more diverse clientele.
London
Back across the channel, I started the trip in London, so let's go back, way back to 1987, when I was a student at University College London and spent most of my meals and money at Cranks, a now-defunct vegetarian chain. England was not known for its food, or rather it was; for atrocious culinary delights such as fried bread, beans and toast, bangers and mash, overcooked vegetables, and a lot of meat. With an array of salads, soups, quiches, and other vegetarian dishes, Cranks was way ahead of its time.
Fast-forward a few decades, and London’s food scene has radically changed. There’s a noticeable plant-based consciousness, which seems to be even more pervasive now than it was in 2019. One of the most multicultural cities probably anywhere in the world, the food scene is vibrant and varied. There’s also a lot of natural wine to be found, from corner stores in Hackney to wine bars in Central London.
I met up with Shana, an expat friend, at Rita’s in Soho for a terrific dinner; food, wine, service, and company. It’s located next to the original Mildred’s, part of a plant-based chain, where I ate a few days later. If you’re like me and try not to drink during the day, Mildred's is good for vegan comfort food; I’d go back. While Rita’s doesn’t have as much for vegans, the cuisine is on a higher level, and you won’t leave hungry. The European-focused natural wine list has a bunch of gems, such as the 2019 Slobodne Riesling from Slovakia, which was delicious, as is true of all their wines.
With Shana, at Ritas
If wine is your primary concern, check out Café Deco and 40 Maltsby, owned by the same folks. South of the Thames, 40 Maltsby features wines from Gergovie Wines, an import company under the same ownership umbrella. It's more of a traditional wine bar with charcuterie and cheese, but a couple of snacks are or can be made vegan.
Des Terres might have been the standout in Paris, but it's facing fierce competition from Café Deco for the best all-around experience. Located in Bloomsbury near UCL, chef Anna Tobias’s menu has something for everyone, including a couple of vegan dishes. The food is ingredient-driven (again, how England has changed) and creative, but it’s not ungapatchka’d up. I had lunch with a college friend, a rare day drinking occasion, and thought SF restaurants could take a few cues from their kitchen. The wine list is stacked with well-chosen European selections and a few nods to the new world.
One of my best friends in SF is an Ottolenghi devotee. She’s not a vegan but looks forward to having me over for dinner so she can try out plant-based recipes from his cookbooks. Now very famous with multiple locations throughout London, I decided to see what the fuss was about, so the night my partner arrived in London, we made the pilgrimage to the Ottolenghi Islington restaurant/deli, and now I get it. The roasted cauliflower with sesame pickled cabbage and tofu cream was memorably delicious. As for the wine selection, they're trying to find wines for everyone, but I wish they’d stay more firmly in the natural lane.
Before getting to the main event, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Andu, an Ethiopian vegan café in Dalston. It’s a fun place to go with a group. They don't have a liquor license, but you can bring your own wine, and Newcomer Wines, a natural wine bar and bottle shop, is around the corner.
Wales
And now, what you’ve all been waiting for…I was reading up on what are considered the world’s best vegan restaurants and came across The Queen Inn in Cwmbran, Wales, not once but a few times. Happy Cow named it the best vegan restaurant in Europe two years in a row. I've never been to Wales. A lot of English people probably haven't been to Wales. American tourists romanticize Scotland and Ireland when looking for other places to visit in the British Isles, but Wales…where’s that? ( I’m not sure how many Americans could find Canada on a map, either). I don't want to say too much out of fear that my tiny following will cause a global influx. However, the little bit of the country/protectorate (they have their own soccer team, so in my book, it's a country) I saw was lush and green, with rolling hillsides and remnants of castles that once presided over the landscape. We went kayaking on the Welsh English border in the same area where Sex Education was filmed; a real dump.
The Queen Inn had regular pub fare until a couple of years ago when, as an experiment, they switched to a vegan menu for one month. That's all it took. Don't expect tweezer food – you'll find fish and chips, steaks, and burgers as well as internationally inspired dishes, all plant-based, all mind-blowingly good. I was the only vegan at the table, but everyone was thoroughly impressed. Our server, who is not a vegan, sincerely exalted the food. Despite being pub grub, there's clearly a lot of thought and care that goes into the execution. It's no small feat to make a steak that will satisfy meat eaters from seitan. There’s a team of cooks rather than one chef, with owner Jane Edwards, who has been a vegan for five years, also involved in the menu planning.
The only drawback, for me, was the wine list. I get it…it's a pub, and when in Cwmbran, drink Welsh beer. But, considering the quality of the food, I would have appreciated the option to drink wine that matched in caliber. Still, I'd trek to Cwmbran again to eat here. I had a pretty good feeling when I saw the Progress Pride flag mural in the parking area (created by a local artist with the restaurant's blessing), setting the tone for a delightful evening.
So there you have it. Since I don't see myself straying from veganism in the future, I need to think about what I can eat when I travel. As said, I knew I'd be ok in the UK, but it's good to know I can leave the peanut butter home when I go to Paris. Seeing how much England and France have evolved when it comes to plant-based eating leads me to think that the culinary community across the pond is heeding the call to do something about climate change. That's not to say there isn't room for improvement, but incrementally, it's happening. Hear that, San Francisco? As individuals, we can have the greatest impact on climate change by cutting down or not consuming meat and dairy. Should you find yourself in London, Paris, or Cwmbran, be sure to consider the vegan options. You won’t miss out.