A rare calm
A small room that allows real conversation — the opposite of the din in most eastern restaurants in Paris.
Assanabel is a small Lebanese restaurant on Rue Jacob, one of the prettiest and quietest streets in Saint-Germain-des-Prés despite how close it sits to the traffic. The neighbourhood is among the smartest on the Left Bank, and a Levantine table at sensible prices inside it is not a common thing. What sets the place apart is the breadth of the mezze rather than the grills. Hummus, moutabal, fattoush, sfiha and pastries arrive at a clean, consistent standard, and the small room stays quiet enough for an actual conversation across the table — the opposite of the loud eastern restaurants of the 10th. That small size has a flip side: it fills quickly at dinner, and a wait is likely if you arrive at half past seven or eight without booking. Lunch is far calmer. It suits a day given over to the Left Bank in particular: the Musée d'Orsay, the Luxembourg Gardens, then dinner here without ever taking the metro.
A small room that allows real conversation — the opposite of the din in most eastern restaurants in Paris.
Completes an Orsay-and-Luxembourg programme with no metro: everything is within walking distance.
Levantine cooking at mid-range prices inside one of the most expensive districts in Paris — an equation that is not often available.
It is advisable in the evening; the room is small and fills between half past seven and nine. If you have not booked, try lunch or come early.
Yes — the cold and hot mezze list carries plenty of vegetarian options, and it is the best part of the menu anyway.
Yes — the meat is halal, which is why the restaurant is listed here. Management and suppliers do change, though, so a simple question at the door is always worth it: “Is the meat halal?” Places used to Muslim diners answer immediately and without fuss.
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