Kubri
Lebanese restaurant · Folie-Mericourt ·
Contemporary Lebanese small plates, shareable mains, creative cocktails
Contemporary Lebanese small plates, shareable mains, creative cocktails
"This women-run Lebanese hotspot on the edge of Le Marais is fun, flavorful, and great for vegetarians. Nail the experience by starting with a cocktail that weaves in Levantine ingredients, like sumac, orange blossom, rosewater, or arak. Then, continue with a few small plates to share like one of the khebez, or bread-accompanied dips, like labné topped with a pile of greens or the Chou Hispi, a grilled piece of cabbage paired with the true star: spicy cream cheese topped with pickled apricot. Plan to come with a crew (so you can order one of everything), and throw back another round of sweet-sour kataifi-wrapped halloumi sticks as the team dials up the playlist of pop-hits until late." - sara lieberman, lindsey tramuta
"This women-run Lebanese hotspot on the edge of the Marais is fun, flavorful, and great for vegetarians. Nail the experience by starting with a cocktail that weaves in Levantine ingredients, like sumac, orange blossom, rosewater, or arak. Then, continue with a few small plates to share like one of the khebez, or bread-accompanied dips, like labné topped with a pile of greens or the Chou Hispi, a grilled piece of cabbage paired with the true star: spicy cream cheese topped with pickled apricot. Plan to come with a crew (so you can order one of everything), and throw back another round of sweet-sour kataifi-wrapped halloumi sticks as the team dials up the playlist of pop-hits until late." - Lindsey Tramuta
"Regulars to the North Marais know it for a few fixtures, from the concept store Merci, the Marché des Enfants Rouges, and the Cirque d’Hiver, which hosts circuses, concerts, and even Fashion Week runway shows. Occupying one side of the circus is Kubri, one of the most dynamic and creative restaurants to open in Paris in recent years. Right from the covered outdoor alcove seating and entrance, it’s clear this spot breaks from neighborhood restaurant design convention— terra cotta tiles and burnt Sienna glazed earthenware contrast with matte white plaster walls. It has all the natural tones and brightness of a Mediterranean beachfront restaurant—a ray of sunshine in the city. The usual Lebanese mezze and shared main dishes—tabbouleh, baba ghanouj, and spiced meat kebabs have been zhushed up or replaced entirely by the Cordon Bleu-trained chef Rita Higgins, who spent six years living and cooking in Japan. The menu rotates seasonally but highlights have included several hummus variants (like the Sujuk, which comes with housemade sausage, tomato jam, and pine nuts), spiced lamb shank so tender the meat falls right off the bone, asparagus fatteh with bottarga, and a wild garlic and yogurt sauce, or octopus imsabaha (or masabacha). It may seem inconceivable to leave room for dessert, but rally to share (and take home if needed!) the pistachio-ashta cream cake with layers of black cherry compote." - Lindsey Tramuta, Sara Lieberman
"A creative Lebanese-Japanese hybrid kitchen from a chef drawing on Lebanese heritage and years in Japan, presenting reinterpretations like imsabaha transformed with grilled octopus, coriander salsa and pickled turnips, wild garlic butter asparagus fatteh elevated with bottarga, and a muhallabiyeh milk pudding layered with rhubarb compote in a crispy phyllo cup." - ByLindsey Tramuta
"Paris is full of traditional Lebanese restaurants, but this festive spot abutting the Cirque d’Hiver brings a contemporary flair to the genre. Trained at the Cordon Bleu in Paris, chef Rita Higgins pulls from years of cooking in Beirut and Tokyo for creative, ever-evolving meze and mains meant for sharing. Items riff on regional Lebanese dishes, including several types of hummus (for spring, order the version with cuttlefish or the one with fresh peas, pea sprouts, mint, and feta); fatteh with green asparagus, wild garlic butter, garlicky yogurt sauce, and bottarga; sea bass shish kebabs marinated with paprika and labneh; and a dense pistachio cake filled with layers of ashta cream and black cherry compote. Don’t skip the creative cocktails, house-made lemonade, or natural wines. Located in the 11th arrondissement." - Lindsey Tramuta