Zoutra
The little sister of Adraba is quieter, more intimate, and just as delicious
We’ve rated Zoutra as GOOD with two stars * *
Find all our rankings in the Restaurant Index and don’t miss our 50 Favorite Restaurants in Paris
Zoutra means "small" in Aramaic, and the name fits. Where its older sibling Adraba, just across the street, is a full-throttle party, Zoutra has only 35 seats, candlelight, and the energy of a very good dinner party.
THE FOOD
Chef Elior Benaroche, who built his reputation at Balagan before opening Adraba, is behind both kitchens. At Zoutra the food is lighter and more nimble — Levantine street food given a careful, intimate treatment rather than a festive one.
The Beygalé de Jérusalem (9€) is the right place to start: a sesame-crusted bread served with labneh and za'atar oil, crowned with salmon eggs. It's a small and beautiful thing.
The Sashimi T.G. (18€) — slices of red tuna draped over blood orange segments, scattered with a celery and chive relish — is bright and precise. La Crevette de Lucas (17€) brings four bacon-wrapped shrimp laid on a stripe of labneh, dusted with herbs; it's simple and unapologetically good.
The Hazaya (19€) is the one dish that vegetarians can turn to: charcoal-blackened mushrooms on a garlic cream, topped with a stunning soy-cured egg yolk. It's genuinely excellent, but it's also the only option on a menu that otherwise leans hard on fish and meat. If you're bringing a vegetarian friend — as I did — know that in advance.
The Arayes Lubnani (22€), rounds of lamb stuffed into grilled flatbread and served with garlic yogurt and sumac, were among the most satisfying bites of the evening. The PastaTanni (24€), fresh pasta tossed in a saffron bouillabaisse with shards of bottarga, felt like a high-wire act that landed.
THE DRINKS
The wine list feels like a labor of love, with Armenian, Greek, Israeli, Lebanese, and Moroccan producers that you won't find on many Paris lists. It's also expensive in a way that cuts against the spirit of the place. Bottles start around 40€ and climb quickly; by-the-glass pours run 8–12€ for producers that retail for a fraction of that. Both Adraba and Zoutra invite you to drink freely and stay late with friends, but the price of drinks at both places make that harder than you want it to be.
THE VIBE
The room is warm and a little theatrical — dripping candles, antique mirrors, a leather banquette in the back corner that feels like someone’s living room. The service is high-energy and friendly, verging on flirty, and clearly part of the experience.
THE VERDICT
I like both Adraba and Zoutra. They’re great additions to the Montmartre restaurant scene. Zoutra is the better choice when you want the flavors of that world — the labneh, the sumac, the charcoal — without the noise. The food is consistently strong, the room is genuinely lovely, and an evening here is easy to recommend. Just go with a flexible budget, at least one omnivore, and eyes open about the wine.
ZOUTRA
6 Rue Aristide Bruant, 75018
Open Tuesday-Saturday for dinner from 6-11:30pm
Closed Sunday & Monday
Reservations online or at +33 7 43 52 51 11
COMING TO PARIS ?
We’d love to welcome you for a food tour! For more than a decade, we’ve been offering delicious walking tours of Paris’s best artisan food shops. Three hours, led in English by true experts, 8 guests max.
Our food tours have been praised by The New York Times, Food & Wine magazine, the BBC, the Washington Post, Rick Steves, and the LA Times. We’ve been the #1 food tour on TripAdvisor for more than a decade.