Paris' New Spot Mannie: Beetroot Burgers That Don't Pretend to Be Meat, Letting Plant Technique Take the Lead

A patty made from beetroot, lentils, chickpeas, red kidney beans, oats, and sautéed mushrooms gets pressed onto a griddle and smashed hard, searing a caramelized crust while keeping the inside moist—then topped with two slices of cheddar. This is Mannie's signature "Double Cheese," priced at €12.90, containing not a trace of meat or fish, nor any meat substitute like soy-based products.

Mannie opened in August 2024 at 32 Rue Coquillière in Paris's 1st arrondissement, under the concept "Street food, plant powered." The menu centers on burgers, alongside a crispy cauliflower burger and a plate built around a whole eggplant—but throughout, it avoids animal protein entirely, and deliberately steers clear of commercially common plant-based meat substitutes.

Not a meat impersonator, but a borrower of meat's technique

Co-founder Kanel Brunelière says, "We're not trying to make a copy of meat." He explains that the restaurant applies techniques traditionally used on meat—roasting, grilling, saucing—to vegetables instead, "pushing the deliciousness out of vegetables as much as possible."

Co-founder and chef Maxime Rioufle wanted to rebuild familiar, widely-loved dishes entirely from plants. Brunelière adds, "Precisely because these are dishes everyone already recognizes, they naturally help convey the appeal of vegetables." All sauces and cheeses are made in-house, and every vegetable arrives whole, processed fresh on-site.

Behind this "processed fresh on-site" approach lies significant labor. Brunelière notes that vegetables are often assumed to be cheap and easy, but in reality, the prep work frequently demands more effort than meat—a single vegetable might go through grilling, charring, frying, and multiple other steps before it's ready to serve. That's why Mannie deliberately keeps its menu short, ensuring every limited item can maintain house-made quality.

Beyond burgers, the menu also features bowls and platters priced from €11.50 to €14, sides from €4 to €7.50, and desserts from €3.50 to €5.50. Lunch hours run 12:00–14:30, dinner 19:00–22:30 (reservations recommended for dinner), closed on Sundays. For the full menu, checkMannie's official website。