Tintamarre, the good Lebanese restaurant in the 19th arrondissement

Opened in the 19th arrondissement by chef Gabrielle Beck, who trained at Lenôtre, the Tintamarre restaurant offers Levantine cuisine made with organic ingredients or ingredients from short, artisanal and seasonal circuits . The Lebanese restaurant has also been awarded the Ecotable label, which promotes sustainable eating.

To celebrate its 3rd anniversary in style this year, Gabrielle Beck unveils a menu packed with goodies. Alongside mouth-watering sandwiches like the pig shawarma, Levantine mezzés like the traditional hummus, zucchini caviar and chickpea fatteh (7.5€), a fresh starter, although we'd have liked to see it even more tinged with flavors from elsewhere.

Our favorite, however, is the Lebanese-style octopus with parsley (12€), with an octopus cooked for a long time and then snacked on for a minute. The result is tender flesh with a crispy exterior.

For lovers of even more sophisticated dishes, try the traditional Lebanese dishes, prepared from local produce and simmered for hours: pig shawarma, sheikh el mehchi - eggplant stuffed with minced beef - and hejjé - a Lebanese-style frittata.

For our part, we tried the excellent halloumi croquettes (€14.5), prepared in an original way: they are caramelized with honey and zaatar for a pleasantly salty-sweet finish. The famous kefta were also on our table. Made from beef and lamb, these skewers are served pink, dipped in a tangy hummus and served with roasted potatoes. And to accompany it all, try a surprising house cocktail made with arak (Lebanese brandy) and date syrup .

• To be read
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• L'Artisan Libanais, the restaurant in eastern Paris to discover the flavours of Lebanon
• Tips for the week of November 18 to 24, 2024 in Paris: free or inexpensive outings

For desserts, we chose not to choose and tried all three: rice pudding with cardamom and roasted peaches (8€), honey yoghurt and zaatar cookie (7€) and citrus pavlova with orange blossom (8.5€). Very well made, although we'd have liked these desserts to have even more frank, even more Levantine tastes!

Before we leave, we're off to discover Tintamarre's grocery corner, well-stocked with traditional products (sumac, pomegranate molasses, tahini) and homemade jars prepared by the owner, such as these chard leaves stuffed with tomato and parsley rice (14€) or these pink radishes and red cabbage in brine.

To try all this, as well as the new dishes on the autumn menu, see you on August 31, the day Tintamarre reopens!