A culinary capital renowned for its elaborate pastries, steak frites, cheese and wine, Paris isn’t by any means perfect. Recent investigations revealed that many of those carefully prepared dishes that tourists dine on in restaurants are nothing more than reheated frozen meals (more on that here in English). Zut alors…

Diners looking for a cheap meal (under €15, let’s say) can often be tempted towards some of the inexpensive prix fixe menus boasting large choices of dishes with markedly unseasonable flavors. The result? It’s likely to be a mediocre meal that has, often, been microwaved.

But fret not, it’s not like all restaurants in Paris are doing this! There are plenty of affordable options for good, fresh, natural, and even organic options if you know where to look…

Yummy vegetarian at Krishna Bhavan. Photo: Ted Drake

SuperNature
12 Rue Trévise, 75009 Paris
Web site

We’ve talked about their burgers, but SuperNature has so much more to offer. Fresh, seasonal foods, organic options, even a veggie burger are all on the menu without breaking the bank. In between a freshly pressed juice and a tasty yet light dessert, try any of their veggie-heavy main dishes or stop over for brunch on the weekend for some homemade granola and a selection of organic bread and jellies.

Merce and the Muse
1 bis rue Dupuis, 75003 Paris
Web site

With a selection of quality coffee and surprising desserts, this little American-run shop in the upper Marais also has a selection of homemade quiches and salads made from products delivered straight from the market every morning. While fresh and often organic food is the order du jour at Merce’s shop, don’t forget to grab a carrot cake or other tempting dessert. Ask for it to go and enjoy a picnic in the nearby Square du Temple.

MOB
30 Rue Charlot, 75003 Paris

Also in the Marais district, MOB may not have any tables, but it offers patrons an entirely vegan-menu that can be enjoyed in the Square du Temple a few blocks north or the gardens at the National Archives right down the street. This is the place to enjoy a French take on vegan burgers, “chicken” nuggets, and a variety of cookies and cakes. I’d go back for the citrus cake and for the delicious the yucca fries with the accompanying sauce—a great change from the frites that so many places serve.

Krishna Bhavan
24 Rue Cail, 75010 Paris

If you want to explore another side of Paris, head north towards the Gare du Nord to check out the vibrant Indian community in Paris. Krishna Bhavan is a favorite for inexpensive, but delicious vegetarian Indian food. The spices and flavors will make you forget that there’s no meat, and the price of a generous meal (with gulaab for dessert, of course) will leave you plenty of money for your pastry fix in the morning.

Bob’s Juice Bar
15 Rue Lucien Sampaix, 75010 Paris
Web site

A staple of fresh food in Paris, Bob’s Juice Bar sells a selection of freshly ready-made salads and pastries along with the signature squeezed juices and smoothies. Today it is a mecca for health foodies in Paris, and the owner has even has several cook books out in French about smoothies, muffins, and most recently his book on his favorite New York pastries. A must if you’re in the Canal Saint-Martin area.

Your favorite fresh food in Paris?

Where else do you suggest for a fresh, healthy, but inexpensive meal in Paris? Share with us by leaving a comment!

Also in our guide: If you’re also hungry for an affordable hotel in Paris, stop by our city guide to read objective reviews of our favorite hotels, all of them visited, inspected and reviewed by our editors. Read more in our Paris guide.

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Here are some vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Berlin worth checking out:

Yellow Sunshine
Wiener Straße 19
Tel: 030 695 987 20
Web site

You can have your döner and eat it too. Kreuzberg’s vegetarian/vegan fast food joint does Berlin staples meat-free. Currywurst? Check. Hamburgers? Of course. Don’t let the title “fast food” fool you, though. The wait can be quite long–it’s that popular.

Die Rebellion des Zimtsterns
Schlesische Straße 38
Tel: 030 612 888 98

This tiny bad-ass cafe on action-packed Schlesische Strasse is vegan. Grab that butterless, dairy-free apple strudel and down it with soy latte. Daily lunches are €5.

Samadhi
Wilhelmstrasse 77
Tel: 030 224 888 50
Web site

Samadhi serves vegetarian Thai and Vietnamese dishes–whoop de doo, you may say. But, notice the prime location–right by the Brandenburg Gate.

Yoyo Foodworld
Gärtnerstraße 27
030 49 787 384
Web site

This 100% vegan joint is a stone’s throw away from the Boxhagener Platz flea market in hip Friedrichshain.

More advice: If you’re also hunting down the perfect hotel for your trip, be sure to swing by our city guide to read our reviews of our favorite cheap Berlin hotels, all of them inspected and photographed by our editors.

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Here is what the city has to offer in terms of vegetarian, vegan and kosher restaurants and markets, which often also specialize in organic and fair trade food.

Il Vegetariano
Via delle ruote, 30r
http://www.il-vegetariano.it/

This is the best-known vegetarian restaurant in Florence, literally named “The Vegetarian.”  The prices are pretty low, starting at €4-6 for “primi piatti” (light dishes), and €8-9 for “secondi piatti” (main dishes). They pride themselves on using fresh organic ingredients and offering a menu of both vegetarian and vegan options.

The set up is similar to a cafeteria, so when you arrive go straight to the cash register in the back. There you can pick out your meal, pay for it and bring your receipt to the food bar to be served. Don’t forget about excellent desserts and wine, which again are all organic and vegetarian or vegan.

Caffellatte
Via degli Alfani, 39

I know it seems odd to send vegans to a cafe with “milk” in the name, but trust me on this one. This cafe deserves its own (non-veg /vegan) post for its huge cappuccinos and caffe lattes and to-die-for desserts with homemade warm cream sauce. (Side note: If you don’t order the special sauce, Vanna, the elderly woman who runs the place, will hound you for the rest of your stay about why you didn’t get the cream sauce!)

However this small cafe, housed strangely enough in an old butchery with marble butcher counter and all, also offers a vegetarian and vegan menu at mealtimes. You’ll find cheeses made from vegetable whey, fair trade cocoa and organic vegetables. It’s not the cheapest meal in Florence, but it’s worth it for the quality of the food and the ingredients, the cozy atmosphere, and the passionate Vanna who takes pride in her small establishment and her homemade treats.

Dolce Vegan
Via San Gallo, 92r

This recently re-opened pastry shop and mini-market is a great place for a snack. The shop bakes their own vegan sweets, such as croissants, danishes, cookies and tartlets, as well as salty snacks such as sandwiches and mini pizzas. The atmosphere may be a bit banal and stark, but the sweets are delicious! The mini-market in the back room offers a wide range of vegan foodstuffs as well as refrigerated items like drinks and tofu.

Ruth’s Kosher Vegetarian Food
Via Luigi Carlo Fanno, 2
http://www.kosheruth.com/inglese.htm

Those of you who would like to stay kosher during your trip will find that there are a few options; however, they are almost exclusively located in the area around the Synagogue. In Via dei Pilastri (between the San Marco and Sant’Ambrogio areas) and Via Luigi Carlo Fanno, which houses the Synagogue, you’ll find various kosher restaurants and mini-markets, although they do seem to have shorter hours of operation than other markets you’ll find in the city. Ruth’s, in particular, is well known for its tasty dishes, which are both kosher and vegetarian, and its warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Special diets at the grocery store

Dairy alternatives such as soy are easily found in most supermarkets. There is a large brand, Valsoia, that makes a range of soy milk, yoghurts, ice cream and other staples when doing some budget-friendly grocery shopping. You can also find a lot of great vegetarian options, such as tofu and seitan, at local Asian markets sprinkled around the city.

The post Florence vegetarian restaurants (plus vegan and kosher options) appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Lehká Hlava
Borsov 2, New Town – Prague 1
website

Often listed as a vegetarian fave, “Clear Head”  gets raves from meat eaters as well. As the restaurant leans a bit Mediterranean, you can graze over their eggplant tartar, pasta with tofu or tempeh, or choose one of their decent Mexican items (especially the big burritos). Lehká Hlava has a funky, semi-spacey decor, and reservations are recommended.

Bona Vita
Václavské námestí 43, New Town – Prague 1

Bona Vita is the local health food company that produces a lot of natural and vegetarian foods. Their restaurant is in a passageway off of Wenceslas Square, quite convenient if you’re in the center. Bona Vita’s menu used to be much larger and more exciting; they offered Mexican, Asian, Italian, and more with the front half being with meat; the second half with meat substitutes. Now they only have 2 pages of meatless offerings and prices have gone up a bit. Nonetheless, the food is still tasty.

Country Life
Melantrichova 15, Old Town – Prague 1
website

Another natural and organic restaurant, Country Life is a buffet-style restaurant close to Old Town Square that is popular to say the least. Food is sold by weight, so you pay for what you think you can eat. Hot and cold selections, plus soup, desserts, and free water make this a bargain hunter’s dream. Beware: lunchtime sees the smallish place packed with area business people. Make it an early or late lunch for more assured seating. There’s a decent sized health food store out front; the restaurant is in the courtyard.

Maitrea
Týnská 6, Old Town – Prague 1
website

Lehká Hlava’s not-so-wild cousin is one of the newest veg places in town. The decor is a bit milder, the space bigger, and the menu slightly more affordable. They offer a daily set lunch menu for 108 CZK ($5.90) that includes soup, a main dish, and small water. There’s even a vegetarian version of the traditional Old Bohemian Plate; this time with beets and tofu.

Veg Food
Londýnská 35, Vinohrady – Prague 2
website

Nestled on a residential street, Veg Food is not just a clever name. It is all veg with lots of items using meat substitutes. The spring rolls and sushi are two of the best choices. It’s easy to find something under 100 CZK ($5.45), so it’s also a great budget choice. Only non-alcoholic drinks are served here, and the restaurant is non-smoking. Veg Food offers a great daily lunch special, and the place fills up. Dinnertime, however, is quieter and the staff is very pleasant.

Beas Vegetarian Dhaba
Týnská 19, Old Town – Prague 1
Belehradská 90, Vinohrady – Prague 2
website

This is one of the best Cheapo finds, whether you are vegetarian or not. Beas is a cafeteria-style Indian restaurant with a daily meal that includes your choice of two kinds of subji; two kinds of dhal; two kinds of rice; plus a small salad and cup of soup. The small menu is 88 CZK ($4.80), the large 98 CZK ($5.35). They also have other items you can order separately and there are pitchers of free water on every table.

The Old Town location is a bit smaller, and gets crowded quickly. It’s better in the summer thanks to the large front courtyard. The Prague 2 location is bigger and also has a small outdoor eating area. Beas is a non-smoking restaurant.

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Fair enough. But remember that this is also the land of the Mediterranean diet. Fish, fruit, nuts, steamed greens, and delicate salads are also on the menu in the Catalan capitol. Healthy eating is not hard to come by in Barcelona if you know where to go in the city. Until recently, it was a headache to be a vegetarian, but now this too is no big deal in Barcelona.

For your five daily doses of fruit and veggies, here are my local recommendations:

Fresc Co
Locations throughout Barcelona

Fresc Co is a buffet-style restaurant with an enormous salad and pasta bar. This is a good place for vegetarians and picky eaters because there are no surprises and you take only what you want. It’s also a steal, at about €10 for lunch or dinner. The downside is that Fresc Co does not score high in the charm or uniqueness department but the price makes up for this. There are many Fresc Co locations in Barcelona; visit the website for more information.

Sesamo
C/Sant Antoni Abat 52 08001
934 416 411

Not only is this cute spot vegetarian-friendly, it is also organic! In the hip El Raval neighborhood, Sesamo is a bit hidden, so check your map before heading over—it is worth the journey. Tuesday through Sunday the restaurant offers a set meal for €15, which includes three course, bread, and a drink. To some Cheapos this may seem a bit pricey, but portions are large and €15 is an excellent deal for a three-course lunch in Barcelona.

Ra
Plaça Gardunya, 3-4
933 014 163

Another one of my old favorites is Ra Restaurant, which also offers a set meal for €13 on weekdays and weekends alike. Ra is a popular choice for locals and tourists because it is right off Las Ramblas and has one of the nicest outdoor terraces in the city center.

Ra is not a veggie restaurant, but it always offers a veggie option, usually lasagna or some other delicious creation. Ra changes its menu all the time, but the eats are always tasty. I have never been disappointed at Ra, and I have been there many times. Tip: Go before 1:30 PM or you WILL NOT get a table.

Juicy Jones
C/ Hospital, 74
934 439 082

Amazingly, there are even vegan options in Barcelona! Juicy Jones offers vegan fare, smoothies, and fresh squeezed fruit juice. There are a few Juicy Jones around the city, but I am only familiar with the ones in the Gothic Quarter and El Raval. Dreadlocks, hipsters, and new generation hippies abound at Juicy Jones, sipping guava shakes and warming up with homemade soups in the winter months. The prices are reasonable for the high quality.

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Vegetarian/Vegan restaurants in Paris

Being a vegetarian in France is something of a punchline, and veganism is all but unheard of. However, there are some options for herbivores in Paris. A vegetarian friend of mine recommends Macéo (15 Rue des Petits Champs) and Brasserie Lutetia (45 Boulevard Raspail), both of which have vegetarian menus.

She further suggests using the website Happy Cow to search for restaurants in Paris. The site lists four vegan eateries, and includes several other vegetarian and veg-friendly options.

While it may not be “real” French cuisine, you can also try Asian restaurants, which may be more used to the idea of meat-less dishes. Check out the Chinese and Vietnamese places in Belleville in the 19th and 20th Arrondissements.

Celiac/Wheat-free dining in Paris

My dad is a celiac, so when he came to visit me he looked up gluten-free restaurants on CeliacHandbook.com. Le Charlain (23 Rue Clauzel) was on the list, and we enjoyed a great meal there – with a delicious flour-less chocolate cake for dessert.

Celiac disease is not as well-known in France as in places like Italy, but it is possible to find wheat-free dishes in most restaurants. Just tell your server, “Je suis allergique à la farine” (I’m allergic to flour). Stay away from mysterious sauces, and (depending on the restaurant’s recipe) you most likely won’t be able to eat the “frites,” either.

Disappointingly for my dad, we couldn’t find any bakeries in Paris that make gluten-free products. Naturalia, a chain of natural food stores, sells some wheat-free bread products, but they generally aren’t the same quality you’d find in the United States.

Lactose Intolerance and Other Allergies

Although the French are fond of cheeses and cream sauces, it should be easy to avoid dairy products in most Paris restaurants if you make your intolerance known. Simply say “J’ai une intolérance au lactose” (I’m lactose intolerant). Another option is to try kosher meat restaurants, such as those you would find in the neighborhood of the Rue des Rosiers.

Similarly, for other food allergies it’s just a matter of telling your server. Start with “Je suis allergique aux…” (I’m allergic to…). Some common allergy words include “noix” (nuts), “fruits de mer” (seafood), and “graines de sésame” (sesame seeds).

Tell Us

Are you a vegetarian, vegan, or have a food allergy? How was your experience eating out in Paris? Let us know!

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Here are some great ways to spend a Cheapo-friendly afternoon in Friedrichshain.

Open-air Art: The East Side Gallery

From the Ostbahnhof S-bahn station, stroll alongside Friedrichshain’s best-known attraction: the free-of-charge East Side Gallery (Mühlen Str., between the Ostbahnhof train station and Warschauer Str.) Reputed to be the continent’s largest open-air gallery, it’s a great way to pay tribute to the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The .8-mile-long stretch of Wall bordering the Spree river is a concrete canvas for some 100 graffiti-style artworks. The two most famous images: Birgit Kinder’s painting of a Trabant, the iconic East German car, bursting through the Wall and Dmitri Vrubel’s rendering of a passionate kiss between the Soviet Union’s Leonid Brezhnev and East Germany’s Erich Honecker. If you need a break, spread out on the recently revamped Spree river banks, tucked away just behind the Wall.

A Bridge with a View

Once you’ve reached the end of Mühlen Str., the historic, red brick Oberbaumbrücke bridge, which links Friedrichshain to Kreuzberg, is impossible to miss.

Originally built in the 18th century, the two-story structure with a 21st-century addition by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, offers sweeping views of eastern Berlin. Look east to see the shimmering silver Molecule Man sculpture rising from the river. Look west to spot the ubiquitous Fernsehturm (TV tower).

Music fans should check out the patterned brick-and-glass Universal Records building, where the company’s European headquarters is located, adjacent to the bridge.

Lunch in a shabby-chic hood

Continue north on Warschauer Strasse to reach the heart of the Boxhaganer Kiez, a shabby-chic hood between Boxhagener Strasse and Revaler Strasse. A gathering place for stylish students, wannabe musicians, and other low-earning Berliners, this colorful corner boasts plenty of eateries serving low-budget food with flair. The best spots serve portions so large that a party of two could fill their bellies for less than €10.

Organic burger joints and vegan eateries are the restaurants du jour in this trend-conscious foodie zone. Since you probably didn’t travel all the way to Berlin to sample diner-style cheeseburgers (or veggie burgers) and fries, you should skip places like Kreuzburger (Grünberger Str. 52-53), Green Burger (Grünberger Str. 38), and Burgeramt/Frühstucksclub (Krossener Str. 22).

If you can’t resist the urge, head to the best of the bunch, Frittiersalon (Boxhagener Str. 104). Reminiscent of a 1950’s diner, the organic burgers served in this greasy spoon are big and tasty. Not to be missed are the house-made potato chips and the diverse, house-made sauces. Vegetarian Wurst is also on the menu.

Meatless meals

Vegans and the green-minded are well served well by another set of Friedrichshain faves that specialize in politically-responsible dishes. The popular Yoyo Foodworld (Gärtner Str. 27) is dedicated to providing strict vegans with dishes that are usually verboten from their diets: Käsespätzle (cheese-covered egg noodles), gyros, schnitzels, burgers, and even banana splits. And the price is right: a vegan hot chili cheeseburger with fries and a salad is €6.99.

A few blocks away, Vöner (Boxhagener Str. 56) draws the vegan masses with its P.C. version of the city’s most beloved meat-centric snack: the Döner kebab. The Imbisse (snack stand) also turns out a mean veggie burger and a meaty bio burger.

A Soviet-era Avenue: Karl Marx Allee

After lunching, wrap up your tour of Friedrichshain with a visit to the Stalinist-era Karl Marx Allee (at the northern end of Warschauer Str., between Alexanderplatz and Frankfurter Allee).

A showcase of monumental Communist architecture, including eight-story, “wedding cake” apartment buildings sheathed in creamy white tiles, the wide boulevard was built by the Soviets shortly after World War II to impress the west. In addition to hosting government-sanctioned marches, it also hosted a brutally-put down demonstration by workers on June 17, 1953.

After staring up at the 2,620-feet-high, neo-classical towers marking the Allee’s eastern end, meander west, past chipping, graffiti-covered facades, funky movie theaters, and retro store fronts, some of which still bear their funky 1950’s shop signs. The apartment buildings west of the Weberwiese U-bahn stop are the most impressive as they’ve been wonderfully restored to their Stalinist/neoclassical glory.

When you’ve had enough, rest your feet and grab a coffee at the historic Café Sybille (Karl Marx Allee 72), which includes an exhibit about the Berlin Wall. A hipper option across the street, Ehrenburg Café (Karl Marx Allee 103) is named after Ilya Ehrenburg, a Soviet-Jewish journalist.

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