Chez Tékès, an all-you-can-eat vegetarian brunch with gourmet and exotic specialties

Sunday brunch is more than just a gourmet moment, it's a time for getting together with loved ones, lovers or family, taking your time and, above all, having a good time. In Paris, there are plenty of good addresses offering formulas that, in turn, play on our pet peeves or satisfy our desires for discovery, so that everyone can find something to their liking.

For gourmets in search of a gourmet vegetarian brunch with a change of scene, here's a warm spot where families and groups of friends are welcome. In Paris's 2nd arrondissement, on rue Saint-Sauveur, the Tékès restaurant offers a colorful buffet every Sunday, featuring Jewish, Levantine, Mediterranean and Oriental cuisine, with specialties twisted by chef Assaf Granit in a setting that echoes the city of Jerusalem.

The idea here is to recreate the conviviality of a Shabbat meal: on the tables, plates are shared, cutlery is abandoned to dip bread directly into it, and the team, warm and full of personality, takes care of guests as if they were a family. An oriental playlist adds a festive dimension to the bustle of lively conversation.

Brunch is €60 for adults, €30 for children and free for children under 5. A relatively high-priced formula for which you'd expect to discover a vegetarian and rather upscale proposal. So, how does Tékés rise to the challenge?

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In addition to the convivial atmosphere, the brunch buffet, or rather the ceremony at the counter, features a variety of sweet and savory specialties. In addition to the all-you-can-eat buffet, hot beverages include matcha and chai latte, made according to the rules of the art, as well as natural juices (apple, orange and grapefruit).

The formula also includes a chakchouka, an alternative to traditional eggs, available in a choice of three versions. The classic red chakchouka, Adouma, made with red bell pepper, tomato, harissa and paprika, is quite spicy; the yellow chakchouka, Tseouba, made with yellow zucchini, turmeric, mixed herbs and yellow bell pepper, is our favorite; and the Yerouka, green chakchouka (spinach, Swiss chard, Persian lemon and onion). We wipe every last drop of the pan with hallah, the traditional Shabbat bread.

When it comes to the buffet, you'd better be careful, because your appetite can easily get the better of you: there are many tempting but rather heavy specialties. These are counterbalanced by salads brimming with vegetables, and it's up to you to find the balance that will keep you from rolling home... or not. It's hard to resist babka, the gourmet Jewish brioche from Eastern Europe, smoked halloumi bathed in jam or msemens, the famous Moroccan crêpes. On the savoury side, you'll find a houmous to die for, cooked salads including eggplant-based Zaalouk, tabouleh and shabzi borikas with feta, a sinful indulgence you're sure to fall for.

Tékès delivers on its promise of a convivial brunch that feels like a family, with a wide range of dishes that are sufficiently gourmet and varied to delight vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike.