Up until recently, Paris has not been kind to vegetarian and vegan diners, relegating them to a measly selection of time warped, 70s-style vegetarian restaurants with hanging plants or having to eat goat cheese salad again and again. The non-meat/ plant-based food revolution has finally hit Paris, and many restaurants and cafes now serve vegetarian bowls and have vegan selections.
Tekes is a supreme example of how innovation and imagination can create delicious and satisfying vegetarian fare.
Chef Assaf Granit has taken the restaurant scene by storm in Paris with his daring and refreshing Israeli and Mediterranean cuisine with hit restaurants Shabbour and the now defunct, but incredibly popular Balagan. Granit has put female chef Cécile Lévy, who is Israeli but trained in Paris, in charge and she prepares a menu of sophisticated Israeli street food with a generous use of rich and aromatic spices and the freshest produce.
Located on a small side street in the second arrondissement, near rue Montorgueil, Tekes has an open, airy dining space with high ceilings and contemporary furniture and there’s an expanded outdoor terrace and bar in the rear.
I chose the three-course menu/formule – entrée, plat, and dessert- for 35€ and the limited menu has 4 entrees, two plats, and two desserts to choose from. My starter was a smash hit, a combination of gazpacho, peaches, and taboule, with plump walnuts mixed in, beautifully presented in a deep, terracotta bowl. It was so good, I could have eaten another one and skipped the main course.
Next was an interesting pasta made of just white asparagus with pesto and topped with a raw egg, which I liked but didn’t love.
Dessert was a massive mound of chocolate mousse, and the waitperson poured a sizable amount of olive oil on top and then sprinkled coarse salt after that. I thought it was an odd topping but once I tasted it, I got it. The salt and oil gave it a whole new taste sensation, and I may never go back to eating just plain chocolate mousse again.
Some of the other appealing menu choices include a risotto prepared with small peas and a ginger mousse, a Fattoush of tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini with a yogurt sauce, and a starter of tzatziki, zucchini, and potatoes.
Tekes
4 bis Rue Saint-Sauveur, 75002
https://www.tekesrestaurant.com/english
CLICK HERE to read my article on Travel Agent Central about other vegan and vegetarian restaurants in Paris.
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