Loubnane: My favourite Lebanese restaurant in Paris

It's definitly my Lebanese address in Paris. Being from Lebanese origins, I tried tons of Lebanese restaurants in Paris (there are in total more than 600 in Paris!). 

I adopted this one because the food is of very good quality, the service is friendly, and location is great, between boulevard Saint Germain and Notre Dame de Paris.
I particularly advise to take the Mezzé formula, traditional Lebanese starters, but who are more than enough for a full meal. The mezzé formula is about 25 EUR/pers, and consists of 9, 14 or 18 different plates depending if it is for 2, 3 or 4 persons. You will hardly have a better quality-price ratio in Paris for a Lebanese restaurant.
In addition, the owner Kamal and his son Mathieu are big connaisseurs in wine, and they propose exclusive Lebanese wines who are excellent.

For more information and pictures, follow the link:

http://www.friends-choices.com/recommendation-details,,,Chateau-Le-Cedre-Bleu,0,0,48.html?PHPSESSID=22da4313deb92f7e9e9d7c7fd4f901e0

Loubnane

Where:29 Rue Galande, 75005 Paris
01 43 26 70 60
It is the oldest restaurant in Paris which I only discovered after 20 years here! It's now my favourite Lebanese restaurant in La Cité Lumière.

Food: 5/5
Food is very tasty, home made. They have a great 18 dishes Mezzé for four persons.
Place: 4/5
The restaurant is just big enough with 2 stories; Above for normal meals and below a nice cave with belly dancing shows on WEs. The place is clean with a typical old parisian decor.
Service: 5/5
The servers as well as the owner are friendly and attentionate. You feel as if you're in Lebanon.
Price: 4/5
Afforedable prices for a Lebanese restaurant. The 4 persons Mezzé formula (18 dishes) is at 95 EUR, so when you include drinks + desserts it's around 35-40 EUR/person. In my opinion, best price/quality ratio.
Overall Grade: 5/5
My favourite Lebanese restaurant in Paris.

RESTAURANT IN MADRID: Sushi Olé

Where: SUSHI Olé, Calle Francisco Silvela, 71 Madrid (I Think there are other ones in Madrid)

Food: 4/5
Best Sushi I had in Madrid, with fusion added style.
Place: 4/5
Nice modern decor and interior design. Very nice general atmosphere, which changes from all the Sushi classical restaurants ... run by Chinese.
Service: 4/5
Nice and efficient service.
Price: 3/5
Count around 30 EUR, easily. The first time you'll feel it's pretty expensive for a restaurant in Madrid. But every time you go, they give you (significant) discount coupons to be used during week day. There it will be much more affordable!
Overall Grade: 4/5
The place is nice, the food is good, the service is good. Until now, my favourite sushi place in Madrid.

RESTAURANTS IN MADRID: MESTIZO

Where: MESTIZO, Calle Recoletos, 13 28001 Madrid (there's another one in London)

Phone: 915756453

Food: 4/5
As often when I go for the first time to a restaurant, and when it's available, I tried the degustation menu (for 2). Very nice variety of meat, chicken and vegetables to eat with fagitas.

Place: 4/5

Nice decor and interior design, on different levels. Nice bar with nice collection of different sorts of Tequilas.

Service: 3/5

Acceptable. No huge mistakes (except in preparing the bill...) nor specific satisfaction.

Price: 3/5

Around 30 EUR including a bottle of wine and a Margarita. It could be 4/5 maybe if we had only beer (to compare with other restaurants).

Overall Grade: 4/5

The place is nice, the food is good, a bit expensive and service is acceptable. I'll come back.

RESTAURANTS IN MADRID: SIAM

Where:
SIAM, Calle San Bernardino, 6 28015 Madrid (Metro Plaza Espana). Book first otherwise you will not find any places. Phone: 915598315

Food: 4/5
Very good and tasty food. For my first visit, no knowing well Thaï cuisine, I tried the degustation menu (for 2). A variety of tasty dishes: sweet and sour, spicy, vegetarian, meat, chicken,...
Other friends tried some spicy vegetarian plates. They were delighted.

Place: 3/5
The restaurant is medium size (2 stores), fairly well decorated.

Service: 4/5
Nice and efficient. Nothing more to add.

Price: 4/5
Around 25 EUR/pers. including 2 or 3 drinks.

Overall Grade: 4/5
I was very happy to try this restaurant and discover Thaï cuisine. I will definitely come back.

RESTAURANTS IN MADRID: LATERAL

Where: There are 4 LATERAL restaurants in Madrid, I tried 2 of them: Calle Velazqez 57, and Plaza Santa Ana.

Food: 5/5
Almost the best Tapas I had in Madrid at a reasonable price. The plates are tasty, with a slice of fusion and very nice mixtures. I particularly enjoy the Jamon, Tomato, Mozarella salad.
Place: 3/5 (santa ana) 4/5 (Velazqez)
Plaza Santa Ana restaurant looks more like a Cantine place, whereas the ambiance of Velazqez is much more trendy.
Service: 1/5
Yes, I know, I'm a bit severe here, but I just can't stand it waiting for an hour to get a table, with no possibility to book in advance. Popularity is the price of success, when it's dealt this way. Just because of that, I'm searching for a new place to enjoy Tapas.
Price: 4/5
Below 20 EUR including 2 or 3 drinks. Considering the food quality served.

Overall Grade: 3/5, without the horrible welcome and waiting time, it would normaly be a 4/5.

RESTAURANTS IN MADRID: Mosaiq

Here's a new one: Mosaiq, restaurant and Chicha Bar (a non smoking piso is available)

Wine & Dine Group positionned it as Lebanese and Moroccan, but it's more moroccan than Lebanese. Nevertheless, I decided to label it as Lebanese considering that many dishes proposed are from the Lebanese Mezzes, done the Moroccan way. The cook comes from Morocco.

Where: Mosaiq, Calle Caracas 21.

.Food: 3/5

If you're going there to have Lebanese food you are used to, you'll be disappointed. The dishes are called the same, but don't taste the same. Nevertheless, it's still good. I personally prefered the Moroccan plates served, who are good.

Place: 5/5

It's a big 3 stories restaurant, with one non smoking floor. The Decor is beautiful and the restaurant clean. In the lower floor there is a great place for Narguilé amateurs.

Service: 3/5

Classical service. Could have been better considering that the restaurant was almost empty.

Price: 4/5 (from Sunday to Thursday), 2/5 on Week Ends

The menu for 22 EUR (without drinks) is very good, but is not proposed on Week Ends. If you want to go there, better choose a week day

Overall Grade: 4/5, I'll definitely try their brunch some WE. (24 EUR)

Restaurants in Madrid: Restaurant Yunie

Where: Restaurant Yunie, Calle de Melendez Valdes 64.
Food: 4/5
The best Lebanese food I had in Madrid. He has true lebanese shawarma, Chiken and Beef, great toom, hommos and baba ghannouj,...But you need to call if you want some specific lebanese dishes. They do basicaly everything, but most of the dishes should be ordered in advance.
Place: 3/5
It's a small restaurant which looks like a Tapas Bar. can welcome in fairly good conditions up to 30 persons.Service: 5/5George and Amal are very nice people, it's a family business and you feel like home.
Service: 5/5
George and Amal are really nice. You feel at home!
Price: 4/5
below 20 EUR if you order with the sandwiches drinks + Mezzé plates. Below 10 if you take only sandwiches and drinks.
Overall Grade: 4/5, a must in Madrid

Lebanese Restaurants in Madrid: Las Mil y una Noches

Restaurant and Chicha bar "Las mil y una noches"
Where: C/ Martín De Los Heros 28
Food: 2/5
For a European person it's ok, but for a lebanese, it's below average.
Place: 2/5
The restaurant is huge and can take up to 250 persons. But the decor is not really Lebanese (more persian or indian style). It doesn't give a sentiment of great cleanness.
Service: 3/5
The peronnel comes from Egypt, Morocco, Irak, Spain,...everywhere besides Lebanon. But the service is Ok. The cook and owner are Lebanese.
Price: 2/5
There is a Group (over 25 pers) Fromula for 24 EUR without drinks. Count 30 EUR per person with drinks. For Madrid, it's not cheap.
Overall Grade: 2/5