Le Potager de Charlotte, the refined restaurant with gourmet plant-based cuisine

Many vegan restaurants have opened in the capital in recent years, offering a healthier, plant-based diet. Burgers, pastries, doughnuts, street food, kebabs, but also gourmet and refined restaurants, with good local and seasonal products. Since 2015, Le Potager de Charlotte has been offering Parisians gourmet, plant-based cuisine, with tastes expertly blended, just like a Michelin-starred restaurant. David and Adrien Valentin, two brothers convinced of veganism, founded this successful family story, as two restaurants have opened in the capital, in the 17th and 9th arrondissements.

The menus vary from restaurant to restaurant, and can help you choose your lunch or dinner of the day. We opted for the one located near Parc Monceau, and its 100% homemade recipes, using organic produce from the French market. In a warm, natural setting with modern green tones, you can enjoy the full diversity of vegan food, respectful of living things and far removed from clichés. The menu is also gluten-free, for intolerant eaters, and prepared with little salt, sugar or oil.

In short, the emphasis here is on healthy, top-of-the-range food, including at reasonable prices for the quality of taste. For starters, we're keeping it light with sesame-marinated tofu, roasted pumpkin, hard-boiled avocado or rice and chickpea pancakes. For our part, the platter served in good quantity was more than enough to satisfy us, with its pumpkin and chanterelle rigatoni.

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Gluten-free, the pasta is more consistent and compact in texture, which is surprising when you're not used to it. You could say it lacks a little salt and seasoning, but the generous sauce in which it's served gives it all that creamy, slightly spicy, autumnal flavor. Even with a full belly, we couldn't resist the tempting dessert menu.

The all-chocolate menu includes a chocolate-roasted pear and a chocolate mousse, perfect for a sweet end to the meal! The fruit is still warm, and its particular cooking makes itself felt in the taste, with a softness that marries perfectly with the crunchiness of the almond and buckwheat granola, although the whole lacks a little sugar. The chocolate and caramelized pecan mousse is much fresher and airy, with the nuts adding a touch of originality - a delight for the palate!

A fine wine list, some of which comes from the capital, accompanies the meal, but you can also opt for the juices and smoothies, or the delicious potions, which combine fruit and beneficial plants. We recommend the relaxing, non-sparkling potion with verbena, lavender and chamomile - a pleasant surprise!

Charlotte's Potager is very popular with plant lovers and the curious, so don't forget to make a reservation to be sure of sampling their generous dishes, especially for Sunday brunch!