Comedian Jamel Debbouze Opens Rooftop Moroccan Restaurant in Paris, Honoring Mother

Dar Mima. This is the name of the restaurant opened by Jamel Debbouze and Paris Society boss Laurent de Gourcuff in tribute to Fatima alias Mima, the comedian’s mother. "After giving my mother the opportunity to stop working, a restaurant was the best gift I could give her, as well as my friends! My mother has always wanted to share through cooking, it’s her means of expression," he confides to Le Figaro.

Located on the roof of the Institut du Monde Arabe in Paris, Dar Mima is an oriental paradise infused with Arab hospitality imagined by architect Laura Gonzalez. The establishment offers zaâlouk, chicken pastilla, méchouia, briouates, tagines, couscous, and other Moroccan pastries, as well as a selection of Mediterranean dishes such as Lebanese hummus and tabbouleh or Greek tzatziki.

Dar Mima is the culmination of a project long cherished by Jamel Debbouze. After two unsuccessful attempts (one in 2007 and the other in 2015), he managed to take over the "Le Zyriab" restaurant after partnering with the Paris Society group (ex Noctis), chaired by Laurent de Gourcuff, and owned by the Accor group. The families of the two men know each other. "There is a real friendly relationship between Jamel and me, our families are close," says Laurent de Gourcuff.

Fatima Debbouze "plays a real role in this adventure. Her involvement is very important, to the point of eclipsing the rest: the place, Jamel, Paris Society... It is she who will embody the house," he added.