L’As du Fallafel
On a teeny promenade lined with chic boutiques, kosher butchers, and bakeries where you can buy bagels, apple strudel and cheesecake, lies a truly world famous falafel stand and restaurant. People line up, eager to taste crunchy hot falafel tucked in a real pita dripping with tahina and other tasty fixings. L’As du Fallafel is in the heart of the Marais, the old Jewish quarter of Paris, which is a thriving hub-bub of Jewish life, with synagogues, Hebrew schools, Judaica book shops and several kosher restaurants busy with locals and tourists all days of the week (except Saturday, when the kosher restaurants and bakeries are closed for the Jewish Sabbath).
An Israeli lawyer in Tel Aviv I work with knows I love falafel and I told him I had gone to L’As du Fallafel on Sunday for lunch, and asked him if he had heard of it. “Of course,†he said, “L’As du Fallafel is famous in Israel for its falafel.â€Â It is that good – so don’t be surprised to see Israelis gobbling up plates of falafel, pita and houmous. The falafel is always fresh hot, and the sandwiches filled with pita, tahina sauce, and vegetables (roasted eggplant, a cabbage slaw, and cucumber, tomato and parsley) are both delicious and filling. The sandwiches are a bargain for takeout (under 6 Euros), or you can pay just slightly more and sit down for a quick lunch. Other menu items include a large plate of falafel with vegetables, houmous and tahina, plus a stack of pita to make your falafel sandwiches (more than one), chicken schnitzel, lamb kebab, chicken kebab, and a vegetarian plate. But falafel is king here, and it would be a shame not to try it.
Given the value, it is a great place to come any time of day for a snack, lunch or dinner. This is a real Israeli place and you can wear jeans, a t-shirt or even shorts and feel very comfortable. Plastic cutlery is used, and eating with hands is no big deal. A perfect place to bring little ones, they can munch on fries and chicken schnitzel (similar to chicken nuggets), and service is efficient. You can easily dine there within an hour, which is unheard of for most restaurants in Paris. Since pita sandwiches are under 10 Euros and most dishes are between 10-15 Euros, this is one of the very best values in Paris to eat. It is also a fun, lively and loud place, in the heart of one of the most interesting streets in all of Paris.
Fantastic for a Sunday stroll, after snacking at L’As du Fallafel you can walk on Rue des Rosiers and try some old-fashioned Jewish pastries, such as cheesecake, apple strudel or rugeleh. There are also some high-end fashion boutique shops, and the narrow streets and old buildings (many pre-date the 1800s) make this one of the more charming venues to see in all of Paris.
It is also a favorite among celebrities, as Lenny Kravitz, Benjamin Netanyahu, and other famous celebrities have known to come here for a bite.
Open Monday through Friday afternoon, no reservations are accepted.
Address: 34 Rue des Rosiers, 75004 Paris
Telephone: +33.01.48.87.63.60
