After traversing the ocean blue in your eco-friendly wind-powered wonder, which some insist on calling a sailboat, you have built up a healthy appetite for some organic Old World fare. Let’s say your first port of call is England, and more specifically London where you have a pressing appointment with the Queen. In order not to appear too ravenous in front of royalty, you seek out some sustenance, settling for nothing less than superior organic victuals.

A variety of organic restaurants have mushroomed throughout England. London is home to a host of green eateries including Manna, apparently the oldest vegetarian establishment in the country, and Acorn House, a leader in the eco-friendly restaurant trade. Located in the exclusive neighbourhood of Primrose Hill, Manna Vegetarian Restaurant was established in 1967 and now offers fully organic vegetarian cuisine. Acorn House is a newcomer to the London restaurant scene and a pioneer in environmental dining.

Acorn House serves organic seasonal food bought from local, environmentally conscious farmers. Everything about the restaurant is designed to encourage sustainability and ensure the smallest impact. The walls of the restaurant are painted with low-chemical paint, and the shelves are made of ah, isn’t it good, sustainable Norwegian wood. The peels, rinds, shells and other food waste from the kitchen are composted on the flat roof of a neighboring office block, and the oil from the deep-fry pan is converted into bio-diesel. Added together these measures guarantee that the restaurant generates but half a bag of old-fashioned unsustainable “rubbish” a day!

You made small talk about the weather (I say. A rather rainy Wimbledon this year, wasn’t it?), and sipped your fair trade organic tea at Buckingham. Now, down at the Dover dock, your eye turns southward. What’s the dining scene like on the other side, you wonder? You shiver with delight in anticipation of the gargantuan green feasts you will be served, there in one of the great culinary capitals of the world.

It might not seem so at first glance, but the organic movement is relatively strong across France. Both regional and national organisations maintain standards, certify produce and promote research. “La Fédération Nationale d’Agriculture Biologique”, the National Federation of Organic Agriculture, was established in 1978, and the state logo for organic products, “AB – Agriculture Biologique”, was introduced in 1985. With the high profile state logo, organic farming quickly caught on and soon 40% of European organic land was located in France. Since then the market for organic food has grown and continues expanding each year.

And yet, for the consumer on holiday in France, finding organic eateries is not so straightforward. While a Google search on “organic restaurants in New York”, in San Francisco or in London, yields a number of sites in each case, each with a healthy list of established green spots, the same search on Paris renders disappointing results. There are surprisingly few “restaurants bios” in the culinary capital, but that appears to be mainly due to a marketing lacuna. From your modest corner bistro to you Michelin-starred hall of epicurean ecstasy, and everything in between, many restaurants serve largely, if not 100%, organic dishes. But they are not on any of the official lists.

My personal experience confirms that if you adhere rigidly to the measly lists of organic restaurants, you will be missing out on some extremely fine healthy green dining. What is worse, you may happen upon a chef who has made the gross error of equating organic with boiled and bland.

One tip, which probably applies not just in France and Europe but around the world, is to avoid eating in the touristy areas. Organic food is not fashionable enough – yet – to find pride of place in the eateries centered around the visitor’s hotspots. As soon as you step off the heavily beaten track, you will have more luck. A strong dose of instinct mixed with a pinch of serendipity can procure you an unforgettable gastronomic experience. Often chefs are proud of their natural ingredients and of the special relationships that they have nurtured with local farmers, and so will include a description of their green principles with the menu.

If in doubt you can always ask a restaurateur where her produce comes from. Gesticulating enthusiastically at the menu you ask: “C’est bio?” Pronounced “say bee-o?” that’s French for “is it organic?” Of course, there is no guarantee that she will not reply “Wee! Wee!” when the reality is “No! No!”. Then again, as any self-respecting chef knows, natural untreated produce can provide the vital edge of quality in an ever more competitive milieu.

Sources:

Acorn House
The Guardian on Acorn House
The London Organic Directory
Agence Bio