Lafayette Organic: Paris Restaurant Is a Haven for Whole Foods (and Foodies)

Note (October 31, 2012): Lafayette Organic is now a regular cantine-style restaurant and is no longer organic.
According to a recent article in the French daily Le Monde, the organic market is “booming” in France, with 1,595 new organic food and beverage options having been introduced to the French market in a period of two years. A trip of Paris confirms the city’s shift toward organics. Ardent locavores and organic addicts are no longer relegated to the rare vegetarian spot when it comes to Paris restaurants. More and more, the city is offering organic, or bio, options in places where you would least expect them.

One of the most recent additions to the list of organic addresses in Paris is Lafayette Organic, a cafeteria-style restaurant and café. While the prices at Lafayette Bio do nothing to debunk the myth that organic and local food must be expensive (lunch menus range from 12 to 13 euros, and sandwiches à la carte hover around 8 euros each), this Paris restaurant has a few features in its favor: healthy, creative and intriguing meal options; a central location in one of the city’s most bustling shopping districts; and an absolutely heavenly terrace.

With the arrival of spring, finding a quiet spot to enjoy the sun and some time with friends is a much valued discovery. At Lafayette Organic you can take advantage of the weather as well as a quiet atmosphere perfect for chatting with girlfriends, all while confidently eating your smoked salmon buckwheat wrap and knowing that every ingredient of your meal is organic and as it should be.

If you’re not feeling nippish but have shopped and are ready to drop, Lafayette Organic is also a great spot to grab a coffee or have an apéro. Anticipating the thirst that retail therapy inspires, the restaurant proposes a wide range of organic adult beverages, including wines by the glass or bottle (5 euros/26 euros), and for those who have just picked up some fancy pants next door at Printemps, you can treat yourself to organic champagne (9 euros/40 euros) and cocktails (10 euros).

All items are available for takeaway, so this is also a great spot to pick up the fixings for an organic picnic at one of the city’s beautiful parks or bridges!
If you’re set on finding a Paris restaurant with seasonal, organic dining options, Lafayette Organic is definitely worth including in your itinerary!
Lafayette Organic
48, blvd Haussman, in the 9th Arrondissement.
Open Mon–Sat, 8:30 a.m.–9 p.m.