On my recent trip to Paris I was again reminded how the gluten free restaurant and cafe scene is really booming there (spoiler; it’s not like this in the rest of France). However, many of the gluten free places in Paris are bakery/cafe type establishments and they mainly operate during day time hours only. I find this a bit frustrating and it presents a problem if, like me, you are looking for an evening meal with safe gluten free options.
I have been to NoGlu before (you can read my review here). Whilst it’s open in the evening, I was a little disappointed not to be bowled over by the food on my previous visit. I was expecting more innovative dishes than the naturally gluten free items the menu mostly contained. Consequently I was looking for somewhere different to try. Also on my list was a restaurant special enough for dinner with two great friends of mine who live in Paris and neither of whom is gluten free.
So I was delighted to discover that My Free Kitchen was open in the evenings as I hadn’t eaten there on previous trips. My Free Kitchen is located less than 10 minutes walk from Gare du Nord. This was an easy walk even with my luggage, laptop and a tonne of magazines to read while I was away. Everything at My Free Kitchen is gluten free and lactose free.
The interior of the restaurant was light, white and Scandinavian-style fresh. On shelves, packages of their cake mixes – which you can buy – were displayed.
It was after 9pm by the time I arrived (they close at 10pm) so was a little quiet. My Free Kitchen post their daily changing menu on their Instagram page. I hadn’t really given a great deal of thought to the day’s menu until I was standing in the restaurant. It was chilly in Paris that evening so I went for a hot dish, hachis parmentier, known on the other side of the Channel as cottage pie. It was tasty but the portion was huge and I couldn’t finish it all.
The staff at MFK were very friendly and welcoming and I didn’t feel out of place dining alone there (in fact I’m rarely bothered about this). Organic wine is sold by the glass (EUR 5). I will definitely be coming back to eat at My Free Kitchen again. Next time I’ll try one of their gluten free pizzas, which you can also take away or have delivered via Deliveroo, handy if you’re staying in an AirBnB within the delivery area.
Sadly, for my meal with friends I couldn’t find the right balance of safe gluten free option and more special restaurant for the next night’s dinner. So instead, the next evening we went to a lovely modern take on a Parisien bistro they recommended. Where I had steak and chips, which I always seem to do in France!
If, like me, you’re looking for somewhere in Paris to eat with gluten free options, I’ve compiled a list of places which are open in the evening. (NB These restaurants are also open during the day). This list specifically includes places which are open for an evening meal, i.e., I have not included places closing at 7.30 or 8pm. Also note, some of these restaurants have more than one location. I’ve specified the location (by arrondisement) which is open in the evening.
- Bears and Raccoons (11th arrondisement) – open to 9.30pm Thursday, Friday and Saturday
- PNY Hamburgers (three locations; 3rd, 10th & 11th) all open to either 11 or 11.30pm 7 days a week
- Cafe Pinson (3rd) – open to 10pm Monday to Saturday
- Breizh Cafe (3rd) – open to 11pm Wednesday to Saturday and 10pm Sunday
- Nous (9th) – open 7 – 10.30 pm 7 days a week
- Saveurs Veget’Halles (1st) – open to 11pm Monday to Sunday
- Noglu (2nd) – open for dinner Tuesday to Saturday 7.30 – 10pm
NOTE: Opening times for restaurants in Paris can vary considerably, especially during August when they may close for several weeks and/or work on reduced opening hours. Please ensure you check the website for any restaurant you wish to visit to make sure it’s open on the day/time you plan to eat there.
I’m a frequent visitor to Paris so I keep a Pinterest board for any new Paris restaurants I stumble across. You can follow it here.
Have you been to Paris recently? Do you have any gluten free restaurants which are open on weekday evenings to add to the list above? If so, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.
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You know, I went back to NoGlu again recently and was much more impressed than when I visited the first time. I think they might have upped their game. Unfortunately I can’t say the same about their NYC branch which I found disappointing. Have you heard of Biosphere Cafe? It’s open on Saturday evenings only, but I thought the food was pretty good. Their website is here: http://biospherecafe.fr/en and my review is here: http://www.anestingnomad.com/2016/02/gluten-free-paris-part-deux.html/ (scuse the formatting, I need to fix it post migration!)
Anyway, I really wanted to go to My Free Kitchen when I visited last but sadly was thwarted. I’m glad it was so good, I really must go and try it soon!
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Really glad to hear NoGlu have upped their game. I’ll defo eat there next time I’m in Paris. Yes, I’ve been to Biosphere. There’s a post on the blog from a lunch I had there last year. I really liked it. Shame they & so few other GF places are open for dinner on week nights.