Top 3 Middle Eastern Restaurants in Paris

With the influx of new immigrants from such warm-aired countries as Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia entering the borders of France in record numbers, it’s hard not to miss the influence of Middle Eastern culture in Paris. And while this has some French citizens groveling, the wise tourist will take advantage of the many great restaurants and night clubs owned by these immigrants. The food they cook is just like they make it back home and is often sold at a price much cheaper than the ritzier, but less authentic international eateries in town.

From the traditional couscous to more complexly flavored hummus concoctions, the spices used in many of these time-tested recipes will parade about your palate like a Tunisian belly-dancer. The portions are typically very big, and you’ll leave feeling like a true world traveler.

1. Noura Montparnasse – Lebanese – Boulevard Montparnasse

While the interior of Noura is very refined, like a sultan’s lair, it has great outdoor seating looking out onto one of the most colorful streets in Paris. The boulevard Montparnasse has it all, tiny bookshops, cinémathèques, and dozens of the city’s oldest bistros with huge neon signs. Noura, however, is a more modest, unassuming establishment. This place doesn’t need any outward signs of opulence to stay in business because the swarma is quite possibly the best in Europe. It’s a little too elegant to be called a hole-in-the-wall, but small enough to remain a kept secret.

2. L’as du Falafel – Israeli – Rue des Rosiers

Many cultures claim to have invented the falafel. But it becomes clear after a visit to L’as du Falafel that the Israelis have perfected it. The Rue des Rosiers is the last of once was a bustling Jewish neighborhood that was so secretive it could be entered only through a narrow space between two buildings. Some of the world’s finest Jewish bakeries can still be found here, despite the escalating dangers this community faces each year. Even if babkas, latkes, and chilled gefilte fish aren’t your cup of tea, the falafel, with its creamy hummus, freshly chopped greens, and piping hot fried chickpeas, is so juicy, so crispy, and so filling it’s worth the visit to this gem of a street.

3. Chez Hamadi – Tunisian – Rue de Boutebrie

The owner of this restaurant is a congenial man that greets you when you come in and bids you good day as you leave. He’ll ask you if your couscous was to par and if the vegetables were seasoned to your liking. There is nothing too flashy here, and the décor is even on the kitschy side. But in a city where the portions are usually very small in keeping with the integrity of French culinary tradition, it’s nice to eat a heaping bowl of couscous drizzled with a hearty stew. You can get a good deal on a three course meal with a house salad and house wine for fewer than 10 Euros. And the little old lady cooking in the back knows exactly what she’s doing and adds that most important of ingredients to every dish: love.

Photo of Lebanese dish at Noura Restaurant, Paris, France by roboppy

Topic:  Restaurants & Food | 1 Comment
Tags:  Paris, restaurants

About the author

Esteban Chaim Serrano is a filmmaker, dramatist, and activist. He is the writer, producer, and director of 12 short films. His film “Manhattan Confessionals” won a Best Sight and Sound award in New York’s First Look Festival. He was a script doctor at the Weinstein Company under VP Matthew Stein for two years. He has studied at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where he earned a BA in film production and playwriting. He also studied digital filmmaking at the Conservatoire Europeen d’Ecriture Audiovisuelle in Paris, France. Esteban Chaim grew up in San Diego, California, and grew up attending performances at the La Jolla Playhouse. He is an active member of New York’s Central Synagogue and the Audubon Society. He plays the clarinet and has composed a number of string quartets. He has traveled extensively throughout France and Quebec, Canada.