Alan Geaam, fabulous star-rated Lebanese cuisine

In his Michelin-starred restaurant soberly named Alan Geaam, chef Alan Geaam gives Lebanese gastronomy its letters of nobility. Let us surprise you with a discovery menu; we've fallen for it!

Owner of theAuberge Nicolas Flamel, the oldest restaurant in Paris, which celebrates its 612th anniversary this year, as well as the restaurant Qasti, chef Alan Geaam is also delighting gourmets in the 16th arrondissement with a table simply named Alan Geaam.

The address was previously home to Michelin-starred chefs William Ledeuil and Guy Martin, and more recently to chef Akrame Benallal 's two-star Red Guide restaurant Akrame. Suffice to say, this address really does seem to attract stars!

In fact, this gastronomic restaurant, which gives Lebanese cuisine its letters of nobility, has been awarded a star in the Michelin Guide. And it's easy to see why, given how much we loved our time at Alan Geaam.

Here, there's no à la carte menu for lunch or dinner, just discovery menus full of wonderful surprises. Expect to pay €48 for a starter/main course/dessert at lunchtime, and €70, €90 and €120 for 3-, 5- and 7-course menus, with the option ofwine and food pairings.

Comfortably seated at one of the tables - the restaurant seats just 20 - we begin our discovery of the Lebanese terroir with a glass of arak and a tuile of man'ouché (the traditional zaatar-sprinkled galette), which we discover well hidden in a small decorative tree on our table.

Next comes a trio of modernized mezzés: a superb trompe l'oeil peanut with foie gras, a cone of hummus and trout roe, and a delicate labneh cucumber with thyme and chickpea meringue. Enough to whet our appetites.

We're then servedtwo stunning starters: fresh colored tomatoes accompanied by a halloumi croquette; and black falafel with smoked eel - so melt-in-the-mouth - virgin chickpea and tahini emulsion.

We maintain our excellent impression with langoustine, summer vegetables and Soujouk bisque, and pigeon in two textures, eggplant, walnut and pomegranate. We couldn't say which of these two dishes we preferred: they were both impeccable, both in their elegant presentation and in the emotions they evoked.

It's already time to discover the desserts by Julien Noray, Alan Geaam's pastry chef. And the sweet part is in the same vein as the rest of the lunch: executed with brio and finesse. We fall for the airy dessert, aptly named La tête dans les nuages, with achta, pistachio and verbena; and for the Solliès fig as a Baklawa, sage and blackcurrant.

Before leaving, a few mignardises invite themselves to our table: a Mouhalabieh lollipop with apricot condiment, a raspberry and rose fruit paste, and a chocolate, zaatar and sorrel tartlet.