The Cedar is a Lebanese restaurant located on Rue Mouffetard, in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, open since 1998. The establishment offers a menu of mezze, grilled dishes, and traditional Lebanese meals, presented as halal. A second restaurant has opened in Kremlin-Bicetre.
Declared halal or certified halal: a distinction to verify at The Cedar
When a restaurant claims to be halal, two situations coexist. The first: the restaurateur declares that their meat is halal, without external control. The second: an independent certification body issues a certificate, verifiable by the customer.
For The Cedar Paris, no independent certification is publicly documented. Online directories mention halal without specifying whether it is a declaration from the restaurateur or a third-party audit. This nuance changes the scope of the guarantee for a diner who follows a strict diet.
The most reliable approach remains to directly ask the restaurant for the name of the certifying body and to consult the certificate displayed in the dining room or kitchen. In publishing a review of The Cedar Paris, several customers mention the halal question, but without deciding on the type of certification.
The Cedar Paris menu: mezze, grilled dishes, and vegetarian options
Lebanese cuisine is based on a foundation of cold and hot mezze (hummus, tabbouleh, fattoush, kebbeh, falafel) complemented by grilled meats and stews. The Cedar follows this classic pattern, with a menu that caters to both meat lovers and vegetarian diners.
The appeal of a Lebanese restaurant for a mixed group lies in this variety. A meal can consist solely of vegetarian mezze without the diner feeling like they are eating “by default.” Bread, chickpea purées, and parsley salads are considered complete dishes in the culinary tradition of Lebanon.
What the Lebanese menu implies in terms of sharing
The mezze format assumes a collective order. Each dish arrives in portions meant to be shared, which alters the relationship to the meal compared to a traditional restaurant where each person chooses their starter and main course.
The final budget depends on the number of mezze ordered, and the temptation to add more is real when the table is large. Anticipating this point avoids surprises on the bill.
Customer reviews on The Cedar Rue Mouffetard: what comes up most often
The restaurant claims a very high average rating on review platforms, with several thousand customer feedbacks accumulated. The positive points that recur in comments cluster around three axes:
- The welcome is described as warm, with attentive service that adapts to families with children as well as groups of friends
- Portions are described as generous, a point often highlighted in both French and English reviews
- The authenticity of Lebanese recipes is mentioned by customers who compare it to other Parisian addresses or their stays in Lebanon
Negative reviews, when they exist, focus more on the wait in the dining room during busy evenings. Rue Mouffetard attracts a dense tourist flow, and The Cedar is no exception to the peaks of attendance in the area.
Proximity to the Great Mosque of Paris
Several reviews note the restaurant’s location just a few minutes’ walk from the Great Mosque of Paris. For diners looking for a halal meal after a visit or a prayer, this geographical proximity is a real practical criterion.
Catering service from The Cedar: an extension of the menu
The Cedar offers a catering service for private or professional events. The principle remains the same as for in-house service: platters of Lebanese mezze and grilled dishes prepared for a defined number of guests.
A Lebanese caterer presents a logistical advantage for receptions. Cold mezze transport well, do not require reheating, and are served directly as a buffet. Grilled dishes, on the other hand, require tighter coordination to arrive at the right temperature.
For an event with guests on varied diets (halal, vegetarian, pork-free), the Lebanese formula covers several constraints in a single order. This point deserves to be discussed directly with the restaurant team to adjust the quantities and composition of the platters.
Choosing The Cedar Paris: for whom and in what context
The Cedar caters to an audience seeking classic Lebanese cuisine in a friendly setting, with a halal-compatible offer. The restaurant is particularly suitable for group or family meals, where the shared mezze format makes perfect sense.
The location on Rue Mouffetard, in the heart of the Latin Quarter, makes it an accessible but potentially crowded address on weekends. Reserving remains the simplest precaution to avoid waiting, especially on Friday nights and Saturdays.
The question of halal certification remains open and deserves direct verification with the establishment. For the rest, the longevity of the restaurant since 1998 and the consistency of positive reviews regarding the quality of the dishes are concrete indicators of reliability.
