A year after opening Gargouille, a Mediterranean-inspired canteen, Jules Behar and Arthur Billard are renewing the experience and offering Gargouille a little brother, Zinzin, next door. What the two addresses have in common is the same desire to work with flavours from around the Mediterranean. But while Gargouille offers them in the form of plates, at Zinzin, the influence is more on the street-food side.
Don't expect to find any ham and butter on the premises; here, taste buds take a one-way trip to sunnier climes. On the menu, an Italian sandwich (serrano, sun-dried tomatoes, goat's cheese, roasted zucchini, mint, feta) devilishly spiced up with pesto, a pastrami sandwich (cheddar, mustard, pickles, red cabbage) like in the best delicatessen; a traditional Tunisian sandwich (tuna, lemon confit, capers, harissa, potatoes, eggs, pickles, olives); afalafel sandwich for the vegetarian option; and, even more original, a smash kefta in the style of a smash burger.
All are served in Moroccan wheat semolina bread, delivered each morning by a local artisan and served snacky on the outside, and damn soft on the inside. There's no doubt about it, the Italian and Pastrami are finger-licking good. The price is pretty reasonable: 12€ for a sandwich on its own, 15€ with a side or dessert, 17€ with both. As a side dish, try the roasted potatoes spiced up with feta, oregano and a good dose of harissa for the brave.
To take away or to eat in, in this small, minimalist coffee shop, you can also enjoy theplate of the day (20€), made up of a protein of your choice, potatoes and vegetables; as well as Mediterranean pastries, like these cookies (3.50€) in chocolate/zaatar, almond/orange blossom or pistachio versions; impressively thick.
One sip of house-made lemonade (3.50€) later, we can already see ourselves returning to try out the other sandwiches on the menu, spotted by our table neighbors and resolutely naughty.
Location
Zinzin
5 Rue Jean-Baptiste Pigalle
75009 Paris 9
Prices
Desserts: €2.5 - €5.5
Sandwiches: €12
Assiettes: €15
Official website
www.zinzinrestaurant.fr