One of my favorite restaurants in Paris isn’t even French! Imagine that, traveling to the capital of all things gourmet, and finding that your favorite spot doesn’t even serve coq au vin.
In reality, Café Maure de la Mosquée de Paris (a mouthful, I know), my favorite restaurant in all of Paris, isn’t that far of a stretch. The restaurant is located in the Grand Mosque of Paris at 39 Rue Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire in the Fifth Arrondissement, and serves primarily Moroccan dishes. Morocco, as the westernmost country of the former French Maghreb, maintains strong ties with France, with Paris boasting one of the largest Moroccan immigrant communities in Europe.
For a starter, I recommend the Moroccan carrot salad (€5,00), which consists of finly chopped carrots soaked in lemon juice and olive oil and sprinkled with parsley, garlic, cumin, paprika, and harissa (a Maghrebi chili paste). Of course, couscous is a must at any respectable Moroccan joint. The lamb (€15,50) or merguez sausage (€12,00) varieties are excellent. If you can’t decide, you can always get the kefta (€15,00), which includes all available meat garnishes.
If couscous isn’t your thing, you can always have a traditional, Moroccan tagine. A tagine is a casserole, of sorts, baked in a small, clay pot that resembles a kiln, which it is also served in. Rich mixtures of lamb, prune, almond, and onion (€15,50) or chickean, peas, and potatos (€13,50) are available. Whatever you do, don’t pass up the wonderfully refreshing Moroccan mint tea. It’s a beverage that Morocco is famous for, and is the perfect way to cleanse the palet between courses. For desert, ask to see the oriental pastry tray. For €6,50 – a steal by Eurozone standards – you and your table can indulge and a mountainous plate of Moroccan pastries, frosted with colors as pleasing to look at as they are to taste.
When you’ve paid your bill and tipped generously (this is still Paris, after all), you can take a leisurely stroll through the Jardin des Plantes, and maybe even stop in the Menagerie – a darling little zoo that was once the personal, zoological collection of the Bourbon kings.
By Jake Flanagin
