SJPdP Budget Supper for Six Including Three Vegetarians

[jsalt]

I’ve done a search but can’t find anything, so please point me to a thread if there is one.

We are 6 people, 3 of whom are vegetarians (no meat or chicken).

Our gite does not provide supper, but we can cook our own there if we want to.

Suggestions please!

Is there any restaurant in St Jean that caters for vegetarians AND is budget (as far as it’s possible to be “budget” in France), preferably a “menu pèlerin”.

Otherwise, is there a convenient supermarché to buy our own ingredients on arrival.

Many thanks!

Bear in mind that we have to co-ordinate this between the 6 of us .

 

[SabsP]

Central : a Carrefour market.

https://www.carrefour.fr/magasin/market-saint-jean-pied-de-port

But further away is the Intermarché . Still only one kilometer from the Office du Tourisme.

For veggie meals a crêperie is always a safe bet.

Crêperie Kuka

RESAQU064V500QLZ

www.en-pays-basque.fr

 

[davebugg]

Jill, if you were looking for suggestions on easy to fix meals, spaghetti or other pasta can be quite good along with a nice, mixed salad and some good crusty bread with good butter (or olive oil if the vegetarians are more vegan-like in their diets).

For a tomato sauce, add green peppers, sliced mushrooms, onions, etc. There is also the option to divide the sauce into two serving bowls and add real meat to one bowl of sauce.

 

[J Willhaus]

A few listed on TripAdvisor as vegetarian friendly although lots of photos of meat on some. Can you access TripAdvisor from your location? You can sort by vegetarian friendly.

 

[naplesdon]

There are number of places to buy food that you can cook for yourself. I remember a small Lidl supermarche a very short distance away from the center of town on the road leading from Bayonne and a number of specialty shops on the route leading out of town just across the Nive.

 

[naplesdon]

I had my evening meal on the terrace overlooking the Nive on my first Camino at Hotel Centrale. I was definitely a newbie and they thankfully treated as one as they over served me with everything on the menu including wine. I had one of the best night's sleep I have had in ages and I don't remember it being outrageously expensive. I'm sure you could consult with them about a menu tailored to you party, after all that's the way France operates.

 

[DoughnutANZ]

If you type vegetarian restaurants near saint jean pied de port into Google Maps it will show you a variety, with menus and prices. Depends on what you consider "budget", most salads that I looked at were between €11and €15.

I like @davebugg s suggestion of a pasta though.

 

[Vacajoe]

Its a little-known fact that if you are partaking of a “pilgrims meal” of three courses from which you choose, you can ask for a second “first course” instead of the typical second course. So you can have a green salad AND lentil soup, skipping the traditional meat second course. This allows for vegetarians and omnivores to share meals throughout the Camino without too much wrangling!

 

[trecile]

Its a little-known fact that if you are partaking of a “pilgrims meal” of three courses from which you choose, you can ask for a second “first course” instead of the typical second course. So you can have a green salad AND lentil soup, skipping the traditional meat second course. This allows for vegetarians and omnivores to share meals throughout the Camino without too much wrangling!

I do that quite often, because many times I want the salad and the pasta, and they are usually both offered as primer platos.

 

[josephmcclain]

Too bad you didn’t book at the albergue Beilari. They serve all vegetarian meals. Sometimes it is possible to reserve for dinner without staying there. check into it at www.Beilari.info

 

[lt56ny]

Jill, if you were looking for suggestions on easy to fix meals, spaghetti or other pasta can be quite good along with a nice, mixed salad and some good crusty bread with good butter (or olive oil if the vegetarians are more vegan-like in their diets).

For a tomato sauce, add green peppers, sliced mushrooms, onions, etc. There is also the option to divide the sauce into two serving bowls and add real meat to one bowl of sauce.

Our gite does not provide supper, but we can cook our own there if we want to.

There are some decent bottled sauces to buy. Don't forget a little garlic too!
You can always order a few pizzas too if you don't want to cook. Real easy peazy!

 

[lt56ny]

Too bad you didn’t book at the albergue Beilari. They serve all vegetarian meals. Sometimes it is possible to reserve for dinner without staying there. check into it at www.Beilari.info

I am not a veggie but when I stayed at Beilari they served one meat and one veggie lasagna. Both were delicious. One of the all time great albergues on any camino.

 

[jsalt]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

The reason I didn’t book Beilari, although I know it is highly recommended, is because we were originally 8, and it didn’t seem fair, on newbie pilgrims, to book 8 of the 14 beds for my group.

So I (a veteran) booked into a much bigger gite elsewhere. (Beilari probably won’t take group bookings anyway.)

Back in early 2020 the gite I booked did provide supper, and he would do vegetarian.

Two years on, and two of my group have had to cancel due to financial and family reasons directly associated with covid.

I don’t know why our gite no longer provides supper, maybe it’s also covid-related, but I want to support him.

We won’t have much chance of a communal supper on our 3-week camino to Burgos, so I think we’ll maybe cook our own. We have time to plan it!

 

[naplesdon]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

The reason I didn’t book Beilari, although I know it is highly recommended, is because we were originally 8, and it didn’t seem fair, on newbie pilgrims, to book 8 of the 14 beds for my group.

So I (a veteran) booked into a much bigger gite elsewhere. (Beilari probably won’t take group bookings anyway.)

Back in early 2020 the gite I booked did provide supper, and he would do vegetarian.

Two years on, and two of my group have had to cancel due to financial and family reasons directly associated with covid.

I don’t know why our gite no longer provides supper, maybe it’s also covid-related, but I want to support him.

We won’t have much chance of a communal supper on our 3-week camino to Burgos, so I think we’ll maybe cook our own. We have time to plan it!

Hopefully you can cook there.

 

[jsalt]

Hopefully you can cook there.

He says we can, but now checking out what he has besides a microwave!

 

[jsalt]

He has come back to me to say that he provides dinner for groups of 10 or more, otherwise he has a microwave and an induction hob (I guess I’ll work that one out if we need to use it ), or he recommends "Hurrup Eta Klik" that has a budget veggie menu.

Anyone been there?

 

[naplesdon]

A big hassle for your first night out but there are a lot of microwave meals in the marche and with a hob I think you could do a gourmet meal with sauteed veggies/meats, pasta, rice, and a salad with wine without any problem .

 

[jsalt]

I really want to do our own meal, but the gite sleeps 46 people (pre-covid), and we are only 6.

So I am wondering that we may be sharing the microwave and induction hob with, let’s say, at least 10 other individuals or couples.

Hmmmm

But maybe that would be a good introduction to life on the camino

 

[VNwalking]

We have time to plan it!

No, really, you don't have to plan it, honestly.
Vegetarian pilgrims, like me, do not starve without planning every meal. We just eat something. I may sound glib, but the intention is to reassure you that all shall be well!! There is no need to over-think it, or worry about the avalability of vegetarian options ahead of time. Once you get there, you'll see - it's easy. I have no memory of where I ate in SJPP, other than some spectacular grazing on local market day. There is a small natural foods store, and you can always go there to ask for restaurant recommendations.

 

[jsalt]

No, really, you don't have to plan it, honestly.

Well, you know, I need something to do while I’m waiting to get there .

And I would like to plan it, or at least know what my options are.

I am vegetarian, and sure it’s easy on my own, I just go with the flow.

However, last time I was in SJPdP I went to a restaurant with a few others, and there was nothing veggie on the set menu, so I asked if they could possibly do me an omelette instead of the meat. The answer was no. So just to be sociable in the group, I paid a lot of money for the side salad and chips, no discount for not having the meat part of the meal.

It was a once off, but one I do not wish to repeat in SJPdP.

We will all have just arrived, the other five have never been there before, so they are going to look to me, and say, OK Jill, you’ve been here before where’s the best place for supper.

I’d like to at least have a couple of suggestions on hand.

So I will continue “planning” .

 

[Vacajoe]

Honestly, if everyone is just arriving, settling in, getting over jet lag, etc, here’s my suggestion:

Got I the market, pick up several cartons of veg soup (they are quite delicious!), a hunk or two of cheese, fresh baguettes, and as much wine as you can carry. The “cooking” will simply be reheating the soup and your friends will have a great evening of food, drink, and commaderie.

 

[VNwalking]

Well, you know, I need something to do while I’m waiting to get there

Haha. Yes.

We will all have just arrived, the other five have never been there before, so they are going to look to me, and say, OK Jill, you’ve been here before where’s the best place for supper.

Ah, geeze the pressure! I get it.
Well at least you know one place to avoid.

Happy Cow tells me there is this place, just North of SJPP, in Ispore:

https://www.happycow.net/reviews/la-gourmande-ispoure-171709

It definitely looks worth a visit.