Paris: La Maison de Charly

La Maison de Charly is a Moroccan restaurant at Neilly Porte Maillot. That area may not be the most central location of Paris but we were staying at a hotel at the area during my family trip to France, and that’s how we discovered this charming spot.

Stepping inside La Maison de Charly, it immediately transports you to Morocco. From the decor to lighting to music, the restaurant is certainly committed to providing an enchanting Moroccan experience.

The menu is fairly simple. If you’re really looking for a huge Moroccan spread with dishes served in colourful mosaic plates, you can go for the traditional Moroccan set menu. As attractive as that sounds, we kept it simple as it was already quite late in the evening and just went for a la carte.

Moroccan Bread

After we ordered, we’re given some hot Moroccan bread rolls. These rolls are so fluffy on the inside, with a beautiful crisp on the outside. It’s so fragrant and there’s a delectable sweetness in the bread. Oh my was that addictive and satisfying.

Harira Soup

To start with, we ordered Harira soup. Harira soup is everything Moroccan household’s staple and best known for breaking fast during Ramadan.

The soup was very palatable and sends a very warming sensation down the stomach. It’s particularly satisfying when served with those delicious Moroccan bread rolls!

Chicken Pastilla

Pastilla is a Moroccan staple. In a nutshell it is a pastry pie with a meat filling. But a Moroccan Pastilla is no ordinary pie. It has been described as being “uniquely Moroccan, intricate and grand, fabulously rich and fantastical”. The pie is dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar, resulting in a distinct mix of both sweet and savoury flavours. It might sound odd at first but, trust me, it somehow works impeccably.

I personally find the flavours really addictive and absolutely loved the dish. In fact, I just can’t describe how obsessed I am with it! The light touch of the knife releases this incredibly crispy crunch on the surface, and once cut through, a fragrant swamp of aroma takes up the table. The combination of both sweet and savoury flavours creates such a eccentric touch to the palate. It may look relatively small in size but the Pastilla was pretty rich and extremely satisfying.

Chicken Tagine

Here’s to another Moroccan staple! One simply can’t not have Tagine when having a Moroccan meal. It took us quite a long time to decide over whether to get the Chicken or Fish Tagine. But eventually we decided to go for the Chicken one because the alluring aroma that literally filled the whole restaurant when we first arrived.

The chicken was incredibly tender. It simply tears off so effortlessly from the bone. It’s very succulent and flavoursome. The slight tangy touch makes it so much more appetizing too. Additionally, it’s served with a mountain of cous cous on the side. It was definitely a very generous amount being served and it was delicious.

Due to the late visit to the restaurant, we didn’t order desserts. But if I were back in Paris at some point, I’d definitely come back and fully enjoy what the restaurant has to offer. If you fancy something different from the typical French food when in Paris, La Maison de Charly is worth a visit.

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Tel: +33 1 45 74 34 62
Website: lamaisondecharly.fr/

Nearest Metro Station: Neuilly Porte Maillot