Kubri, a contemporary Lebanese restaurant that brilliantly reinvents the genre

Parisians are familiar with the emblematic dishes of Lebanese gastronomy- headed by hummus, falafel, chawarma and kefta - which have now become part of the capital's culinary routine. Yet there are so many other traditional specialties to discover, and that's exactly what the new Lebanese restaurant Kubri is all about.

Opening just a stone's throw from Oberkampf and the Cirque d'Hiver, Kubri has chosen to highlight a certain idea of Lebanese cuisine, contemporary and creative, making the most of modern techniques and highlighting novel pairings, taking Parisian bistronomy as an example that never ceases to renew itself, flouting the great traditions.

Kubri is first and foremost a women's story. The Franco-Lebanese founders Mayfrid and Ingrid Chehlaoui chose to call on Franco-Lebanese chef Rita Higgins, who is English only in name, to create a bistronomic menu that still preserves Lebanese traditions.

This neo-Lebanese menu is designed to encourage sharing and generosity between guests. On the good advice of the chef, we'll opt for 5 mezzés to share over the course of the meal, which will turn out to be very, very generously served. Some would say too generously served, since once we'd finished the savoury part of the meal, there was unfortunately no room left for the sweet part. Game over!

But let's get back to business. To begin with, discover (and, above all, taste!) the hummus (of great finesse; 15€), with chunks of octopus, tomato confit, oregano, crispy chickpeas for an alternation of textures, and franked with a ravigote and shellfish oil; but also the labne with feta, just-crisp broccolini, black olives and pink radish.

This is followed by a farandole of méza to share: Kubri Fried Chicken (13€) with lemon toum, coriander salsa, chili crunch and crunchy peanuts - a crispy fried chicken for those who are definitely not afraid of oil; the delicate suckling lamb tartare (16€), a must-try dish in Lebanese gastronomy, with bulgur kammouné, shallot cream, toum (a typically Lebanese garlic cream), radish, fine herbs and tlamé - a welcome Lebanese cracker to counterbalance the melting of the lamb.

Next up are the lacquered veal (15€) with date molasses, a rich mezze that's already a Kubri must-try, and the two halloumi rolls (9€) delicately adorned with kataif angel hair, topped with spicy honey and a dukkah mix of spices and seeds.

Then it's on to the tabak, the more expensive main course to be shared between two or more guests. Would you prefer lamb kibbeh, roast chicken lala and labne with black lemon, saithe with tomato and bell pepper? No tabak for us, preferring to concentrate on the mezzés - and what a treat that is. On the other hand, we can toast to our heart's content with the Lebanese Date cocktail (13€), featuring bourbon, cinnamon, date water and orange blossom.

• To be read
• Lebanese restaurants in Paris, our best addresses
• Mediterranean restaurants in Paris, our best addresses
• Israeli restaurants in Paris, our top addresses for Jewish cuisine

One thing's for sure: don't forget the desserts, like the osmallié (8€), a roasted pear with verjuice and caramelized honey, or the nammoura almond-lemon (7€), a traditional semolina cake with honey labne, citrus peel and calendula.

One of the naughtiest addresses of the new year.