Canal St Martin
Going from just near République all the way up to Parc de la Vilette, it’s not quite the same vibes as the banks of the Seine, but the quai-side of this canal has its own unique character, and loads of hidden gems directly on the quai or tucked away nearby. It’s not quite classical Parisian grandeur, but at times it’s even reminiscent of Salford Quays back home, and it’s a great location for a leisurely walk or, if you’re up for it (and don’t have two simultaneously sprained ankles) a run.
Chiche
On the corner of a side street coming of the Rue du Chateau d’Eau, Chiche is really in the heart of the 10th arrondissement, a 5-10 minute walk from the Canal St Martin. It’s a tiny little place, offering a small but creative selection of cakes and sandwiches, and even some mezze options. A small, friendly business which made me want to revisit to try more!
Marche St Quentin
A covered market on the Boulevard Magenta, sadly quite a few of the stalls are closed at the moment, but there are still a few grocery stands with fresh fruit and veg, and various traiteurs, offering specialities from all over the world. I still prefer an outdoor market, but this one is convenient to nip into, and has quite a charming feel of times gone by.
Ima
Right on the Quai de Valma of the Canal St Martin, this entirely vegetarian Israeli restaurant uses social media to hype their assiette du jour, and it works. Composed of 3-4 salads made that day, you get to try everything, in hearty portions for a very decent price, and when I say salads I don’t mean some sad leaves and a few tomatoes, but really colourful and nutritious combinations of various vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and grains, which fall under the category of what I call ‘happy food’. They also have a tempting range of cakes, including a vegan blueberry and chocolate muffin on the day I went, which sounds basic, but really did exceed all expectations.
Sol Semilla
Another example of ‘happy food’, the sunny name says it all really. A daily changing assiette du jour composed of various warm and cold combinations, with amazing flavour combinations, feel-good ingredients, and great value for money. A bonus: it’s entirely vegan!
Elsa and Justin
A vegetarian traiteur, this tiny but beautiful little shop not far from Gare du Nord offers a daily changing hot dish, as well as a selection of salads priced by the kilo, and once again these aren’t salads in the sense of limp lettuce, but a huge variety of cooked and raw veggies in interesting combinations, packed with flavour. Service was a little brusque but the concept is just delightful, and it really is one of the prettiest shop fronts I’ve seen.
Le petit Cambodge
In an effort to keep up the variety, I branched out to Cambodian food, which I discovered is absolutely delicious. With two locations not far from each other, this happy little restaurant is very vegan friendly and had adapted well for take-out, but I also think it would be a great place to go and sit in.