We were catfished by a restaurant! We booked our dinner based on the menu and pictures on their website. When we found the place, it had been downsized from the original site to the tiny cafe next door. The menu was also downsized to 4 Tajines and 5 couscous-no starters or breads. We stayed anyhow because they moved people from our "reserved" table. Since there were only 10 places to sit, I guess they had to move them. The food was okay, and the service was fine. We just didn't get the expected experience or menu. It i read more

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We could not find a restaurant in this address. We walked the whole street back and forth, couldn't find it. read more

This was one of my favorite meals in Paris. The semoule that came with my chicken tajine was fine, very light (almost like eating sand, but soft and tasty). The tajine itself was a brillant combination of delicious flavors - the prunes were full of taste, as were the large apricots. The bone-in chicken was moist with a cinnamon and perhaps honey (?) sauce. The almonds tasted almost toasted. I was very impressed. The house rosé from Algeria was okay, not sweet. I didn't really have any issue with the service, aside from my impatience with the typical wait to receive the bill. read more

Le Zerda Café - Tajine poulet fermier pruneaux, amandes - incroyable! - Mediterranean Near Me - Paris, 75

Where does a world-renowned chef like Alain Ducasse go to eat after closing his own restaurant? Where do some of the popular chefs in Paris gather to eat after a grueling day in their kitchens? What is one of Paris' first North African restaurants? What restaurant boasts one of the, if not THE, largest wine cellars in Paris specializing in North African wines? The answer, my friend, is Zerda Cafe. Started in 1946 by a Franco-Algerian, Zerda Cafe still serves many happy patrons...my partner and I being among them. Algerian food always holds a special place in my heart. My first solid food may have been couscous. I remember, as a child growing up in Algeria, the fantastic food served by my father's Algerian colleagues. I was eager to try all the Algerian food in Paris, but I settled on Zerda. The mechoui lamb marinated in butter and honey is divine, as is the couscous. The flaky pastry filled with white fish, and the eggplant puree with tuna were perfect accompaniments to our couscous course. Forget about the other items, stick with the lamb and couscous. They have an impressive list of North African wines. We ordered an Algerian Rose (from my childhood hometown of Oran), which paired perfectly well with a blissful date night on a summer evening in Paris. The food, the wine, and the evening made for a perfect date night in Paris. Now I know why many popular chefs eat here :) read more

Just avoid if you want a fun, relaxing meal. None of the staff speak English (okay, we're in Europe, understandable) but our server didn't speak French either!! Everything (ordering wine/food to understanding what was on the bill) was somewhere between a comedy of errors and a nightmare. We were warned by the table of bankers next to us to read the bill carefully because it might be padded, so I guess we shouldn't have been surprised when we found charges for 2 additional entrees! After arguing with the manager for 15 mins we finally made it out. The food was good but the meal took over 2.5 hours (for a table of 3) and the entire experience was unpleasant at best. read more

Excellent place of choice to scratch your Moroccan gastronomic itch. Great location, quick service, and set in a cozy atmosphere. However, make a reservation if you don't want them giving you a "look". Anyway, for non-French-speaking or -understanding peoples, make sure to take some time to either translate the all-French menu or know what you want beforehand. The portions are generous, so bear that in mind. The mechoui lamb with couscous is absolutely excellent--very hearty and will definitely satisfy 2 people. Think pot roast--but with lamb and couscous instead of beef and potatoes. We also had a small salad to start and it wasn't small to say the least. The tagine with beef kabob was ok, but not amazing. Didn't help that it was scalding hot. By the time I got to eat it without burning my tongue, the lamb in our other dish was super cold. At least we got to enjoy their house rosé, which was great! read more

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One of our favorite meals during our stay in Paris, we highly recommend this place! When we travel we usually try to look over the menu on the restaurant website beforehand so that we have an idea of specialties and just general vibe- I think in this case it's really recommended because what they have to offer is simply overwhelming! We definitely went to the restaurant knowing that we would over-order, there were 2 dishes we wanted to try one being the tagine Kefta which was just amazing and the couscous with the mixed meats (chicken, etc ) but didn't realize it came with the stewed vegetables so it was a lot of food . Honestly, if you're concerned about $$ then 2 hungry people could do an order of couscous and a side ..The prices here in my opinion are average for dinner costs in a major metropolitan city I really didn't think it was outrageously priced. The server was very nice and accommodating, we sat outside on a Thursday around 19:30 and it was more of a relaxed vibe. My boyfriend basically lost his mind over dinner he enjoyed the meal very much and we also ordered the chocolate mousse for dessert and it was delicious! Oh, we had so many left overs my partner insisted that we ask to take it to go (knowing they won't do it and/or Give him an annoyed stare) and they were totally cool with it! Thank you so much for this delicious experience we will be making this a regular stop when we return! merci !!! read more

Can't understand the great reviews of this place - my partner and I both had tagines, a vegetarian and a lamb, and both tasted like aeroplane food. Really disappointing - no flavour at all, and very expensive. The restaurant itself is dark and shabby. read more

Excellent Food, Excellent Service. There is nothing more to say. This is as authentic and brilliant as it gets for the money. Most Moroccan Couscous in and around Paris is generally very good. This one is especially good and in a great setting and an easy location, plus the people were lovely. read more

The food here probably deserves four stars-- as long as you aren't expecting anything unorthodox in the way of a Moroccan restaurant in France. Everything is well seasoned and tasty. The North African wines, while not a particular bargain, match the cuisine well. The atmosphere is comfortable. Just a couple knocks against this place: the waiters aren't really going to help you. They will quite happily let you order too much food, apparently to run up the tab. Be advised that a small salad, a tanginess and a couscous will easily feed three people. At the end of the meal, if the waiters have sussed out that you are American, they will expect a tip à la US custom. If you don't play along, they will make their disappointment felt. This is a problem that one occasionally encounters, mostly in Paris. Restauranteurs need to understand that they have a choice: attract American tourist dollars by treating American visitors as they would anyone else, or keep Americans away by levying a "taxe américan." I don't want to overstate this problem at Le Zerba, but the subtle tendency to hustle the customer slightly damped an otherwise lively meal. read more

If this place isn't worthy of 5 stars I don't know what is. Food was incredible, service was great and comfy atmosphere. Really flavorful, delicious food. One of the best Moroccan restaurants I've ever eaten. Definitely worth going to. read more

What a terrific place! A warm, hospitable staff is eager to please. The food was excellent and the portions copious. We ate there last week, the night before our return to San Francisco. We cannot wait to return. There is no shortage of North African restaurants in Paris, but I very much doubt that there are any that offer a better price/quality ratio than Zerda. The wine list was extensive and the Morrocan red was quite good. Be sure to try their desserts. read more