At Faubourg Daimant, a lively vegan bistro tucked in Paris’ 10th arrondissement, the energy feels more like a fete than a weekday lunch. It’s the kind of place where hand-selected vegetables sit artfully with condiments and sauces, conversations ripple across tables and everyone — omnivore or otherwise — feels welcome. That sense of warmth and celebration is exactly what owner Alice Tuyet set out to create. “I want people to unplug, have fun and rediscover pleasure through plant-based cooking,” she says.
When Tuyet opened Faubourg Daimant in 2022, her goal wasn’t to convert diners to veganism but to celebrate the sensuality of French cuisine through a new lens. The restaurant’s signature croquettes cochonnes — crispy, creamy and unapologetically indulgent — embody her philosophy. “Vegan food doesn’t have to be pale or polite,” she says. “It can be bold, silky and utterly irresistible.”
That exuberant approach has since expanded into a trio of plant-based ventures. Plan D, her first and smallest outpost, is known for its gourmet sandwiches, while Daimant Saint-Honoré, the latest opening, caters to the fashion crowd with rotisserie-style cooking and seasonal plates like roasted squash agnolotti in a luscious orange sauce. Across each location, Tuyet’s vision remains consistent: “We revisit France’s culinary heritage to build the cuisine of tomorrow.”
Her passion for restaurants runs deep. A former ballet dancer trained at the Opéra de Paris, Tuyet later studied business before finding her calling in gastronomy — a love story that began at home. Her father, an avid fan of The MICHELIN Guide, introduced her to fine dining by saving up for special meals to mark family milestones. “He’d buy multiple copies of every edition the day it came out,” she recalls. “For each birthday, we’d choose a restaurant from The Guide. I still remember crying with joy at my first meal at L’Ambroisie.”
That early exposure to French gastronomy shaped Tuyet’s culinary identity. When Faubourg Daimant appeared in The MICHELIN Guide two months before her father’s passing, the recognition felt deeply symbolic. “He was proud, even if he didn’t quite understand vegan cooking,” she says with a smile. “In his culture, meat symbolized success. But I think he’d be happy to see that I’m carrying on his love of food — just in my own way.”
At Faubourg Daimant, that legacy lives on in every dish: playful, precise and undeniably French — proof that plant-based cuisine can be as decadent and joyful as any feast.
What was the last restaurant you went to with a real wow factor?
I don’t go out much, but I adored La Joie, an unpretentious Sri Lankan spot in the 11th district, so much that I’ve been back there twice. It’s a joint venture by restaurateur Florent Ciccoli and Minod Dilakshan, one of his former chefs who’s from Sri Lanka. I’ve tried two of their curries, both of which were fantastic — packed with flavor, impact and spot-on spices. Also, affordable yet welcoming is mắm from Hanoi, an authentic Vietnamese restaurant with a killer tofu bún bò.
On the more upscale side, the last gourmet restaurant that genuinely impressed me was Arnaud Lallement’s Assiette Champenoise, located outside Paris, where I tried the veggie menu. I consider myself a traveling vegetarian: I eat 95% vegan and 5% non-vegan because I don’t want it to be a social barrier or stop me from trying new things.
When I know it’s well-sourced, I go for it. Lallement is a master at making sauces, and that really came through; he just blew me away, again and again. The next Starred restaurant on my list is Arnaud Donckele’s Plénitude at the Cheval Blanc Paris hotel.
As a former dancer, where do you go if you want some groove with your food?
That’s easy, head to Tekés by Chef Assaf Granit, whose food is in a similar vein to what we do here and is also all about emotions. They’re Israeli, so being festive is part of their art de vivre. I’ll also sometimes pop into Déviant after work, where there is always great music that makes you want to let your hair down. Allan, the maitre de salle, is a dance champion who actually takes part in competitions over the weekend, and he’s incredible on his feet. Since the restaurant overlooks the street, he often performs his show right there. I’m not kidding. Allan is amazing!
Where do we go if we’re craving a sweet vegan treat after all that dancing?
Boneshaker Donuts, where everything is handmade and delicious. I like my donut pared-back, just regular glaze, no cream, no sugar. Respect is also due to Pierre Hermé who has put a great deal of work into his vegan patisseries, including an all-chocolate cake with red berries and blueberries. It’s wonderful! He isn’t vegan, but he is open to the idea and curious, thinking, “The future will be plant-based, so we have to get on with the program.” I actually don’t have a massive sweet tooth. I’m more of a bread fiend who can devour an entire loaf of sourdough by myself, without any fixings.
Impressive. What’s your go-to for your carb fix?
My girlfriends at Mamiche, of course! They have a wide selection of these big, handsome hunks of bread. For the restaurants, we really wanted to work with people who use organic flour, so we get our loaves from the Marais boulangerie Dupain.
The decor at Faubourg Daimant is a pastiche of 1900s brasseries, with lots of pots and pans plastered across the walls. Where do you get your cookware?
It’s a classic pick, but I can spend hours milling around E. Dehillerin in les Halles, checking out the pots and pans or the Victorinox stainless steel knives, even though I already have thousands. They sell just the right tongs or pipettes you need for plating. I also love the fact that their retail assistants are decked out in these spiffy white coats. Also, a big shoutout to the staff at Merci Beaumarchais, who saved my life last spring! The candle holders that we’d ordered for the new restaurant didn’t arrive in the right size, so I sped over to Merci to buy up all their candle holders hours before we opened that evening. They must have thought I was nuts.
Finally, what does Paris taste like?
Like butter. Not old-school butter, mind — the reinvented no-butter butter we do at Daimant. The recipe? Emulsified high-quality vegetable oils. It’s served all light and fluffy, smoked with a bit of beech wood.
Alice’s Address Book:
L’Ambroisie, 9 Place des Vosges, 75004
mắm from Hanoï, 39 Rue de Cléry, 75002
Plénitude, 8 Quai du Louvre, 75001
Tekés, 4 bis Rue Saint-Sauveur, 75002
La Joie, 117 Rue du Chemin Vert, 75011
Déviant, 39 Rue des Petites Ecuries, 75010
Boneshaker Donuts, 86 Rue d’Aboukir, 75002
Pierre Hermé, various locations
Mamiche, 45 Rue Condorcet, 75009
Dupain, 20 Boulevard des Filles du Calvaire, 75011
E. Dehillerin, 18-20 Rue Coquillière, 75001
Merci, 111 Boulevard Beaumarchais, 75003
Outside Paris - Assiette Champenoise, 40 Avenue Paul-Vaillant Couturier, 51430 Tinqueux
Hero image: Portrait of Alice Tuyet, and a carrot dish at vegan restaurant in Paris, Faubourg Daimant. © Léo Kharfan
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