Le Méchoui du Prince, the Moroccan restaurant that bewitches the taste buds

Le Méchoui du Prince has all the makings of a royal address. It's in the heart of the Latin Quarter, a stone's throw from the Palais du Luxembourg, and nestled in the Rue Monsieur le Prince, where it has proudly sat since 1969. A family-run Moroccan restaurant, founded by Mohamed Amrache and now in the hands of his son, Samir Amrache.

Behind its ivory-white facade, you'll find the ambience of a warm Ryad bearing the colors of Morocco. Beneath the beams typical of old buildings in the Latin Quarter, you'll find dark wood tables, a harmonious reminder, set with dishes representing Moroccan craftsmanship. Other trays adorn the walls, while palm trees in front of the windows cut us off from the outside world. The subdued light reflects off the mosaics adorning the bar, and the smiling welcome from the team makes us feel right at home.

The heart that has gone into the decoration is matched only by the love that has gone into the cooking. To get your tasting off to a great start, we strongly suggest you start with La Mosaïque de Kemia, where you can sample three different dishes that are very popular in Morocco: eggplant caviar known as Zaalouk, the famous Moroccan cooked salad, and Briouates, puff pastries folded into a triangle with cheese, tuna or minced meat. You can also warm your heart over a bowl of harira, a traditional soup.

• To be read
• Tips for the week of December 30, 2024 - January 5, 2025 in Paris: free or cheap outings
• New Year's Eve 2024-2025 in Paris: December 31, 2024 parties by arrondissement
• Where to celebrate New Year's Eve 2025 in Paris and the Île-de-France region on Tuesday, December 31, 2024?

As for the dishes, it's hard to miss the Méchoui du Prince's Couscous, with semolina mixed with a little smen, lots of vegetables, chickpeas, raisins, and oven-roasted lamb shoulder, each served in separate dishes so you can compose it your own way.

There's also a good tajine, including the Casablanca with prunes, which has a harmonious sweet/savory mix. But since we're at Méchoui du Prince, there's also an unmissable dish that will delight lovers of good meat: the famous méchoui.

Finally, for dessert, we discover a must-try: pastilla au lait. It's a bit like a mille feuille made with brick pastry, almonds, cinnamon and an orange blossom-scented custard. A sweet dessert that's hard to forget.

As an added bonus, one Thursday a month, the restaurant organizes Les jeudis de l'Orient, an even more immersive evening during which a Moroccan orchestra plays a live concert, led by the spellbinding voice of Rachid Casta, a Moroccan singer, performer and composer who offers a fusion of music from the Maghreb and Andalusian cultures.