IBRIK KITCHEN, Balkan cooking in Paris

9 rue de Mulhouse · Paris 2nd · Mon — Sat
Book a tableSee the menu

Eat in or take away · la pachet

A Romanian and Balkan restaurant in the Sentier, Paris 2nd. Chef Cathy Paraschiv cooks the food of the Balkans: a crossroads between East and West, between memory and hospitality.
Scroll · derulează

Balkan cooking.

poftă bună —

“IBRIK KITCHEN is not just a restaurant. It is a way of living, a way of being that breaks free of convention so that everyone can feel like themselves — the way we are in the Balkans.”

Ecaterina Paraschiv, known to everyone as Cathy, left Bucharest at six, when her parents fled the dictatorship to start over in France. After years in tax law, she answered an older calling and began cooking the food she'd missed. The name comes from her grandmother: the ibrik, the little copper pot she brewed coffee in, and at the bottom of which she claimed to read the future. IBRIK, the café in the 9th, opened in 2018; IBRIK KITCHEN, on rue de Mulhouse, followed in 2019. She is the one cooking, and the place looks like her.

Her cooking treats the Balkans as a crossroads rather than a border: sarmale descend from Turkish dolma, mamaliga answers polenta, coffee comes from Istanbul. The recipes of mothers and grandmothers — mici, papanasi — are reworked with a direct hand inherited from her painter father: strip away the superfluous until only the essential remains. With natural wines from Eastern Europe, and one quiet idea: the Balkans are home to everyone.

— Cathy Paraschiv, chef

Chef Cathy Paraschiv in the kitchen at IBRIK KITCHEN, Paris 2nd
Cathy
Copper ibrik on the flame for Balkan coffee, IBRIK KITCHEN, Paris 2nd
The ibrik

They keep coming back.

★★★★★

“The sarmale is a love letter written in cabbage and smoke. We did not stop eating.”

The GuardianLondon
★★★★★

“An act of memory. Ibrik makes a Bucharest grandmother's table feel inevitable, even necessary.”

EaterBest New Restaurants 2025
★★★★★

“A papanași so tender it briefly cured a hangover and a heartbreak in the same bite.”

Time OutCritic's Pick

We take you travelling.

In Romanian, petrecere means a party, a feast and the time spent together, all at once. That is how we welcome people.

Twelve around the long table or eighty across the whole room: we cook the way Balkan families cook for their own. Plenty, all at once, and nobody quite leaves on time.

Vinuri · the wine list

Balkan wines, in four routes

From vineyard to glass: Austria, the Danube, the Adriatic and the South. The numbers link each place to its grapes.

R = red grape · W = white grape

AustriaSlovakiaHungaryUkraineMoldovaSloveniaCroatiaBosnia and HerzegovinaSerbiaRomaniaMontenegroKosovoNorth MacedoniaAlbaniaBulgariaGreeceTurkeyItalyAdriatic SeaBlack SeaAegean SeaDanubeLeithaberg1Southern Styria2Rogljevo3Mehedinți4Dealu Mare5Murfatlar6Asenovgrad7Istria8Pelješac / Korčula9Herzegovina10Podgorica / Skadar11Lezhë12Ohrid13Tikveš14Naoussa15N0approx. 200 km
Dots: landmark towns of wine regions, not appellation boundaries.

A · Austria

The northern reference, at the gates of the Balkans.

  1. Leithaberg / BurgenlandLimestone and schist. Blaufränkisch (R), Chardonnay (W).
  2. Southern StyriaOpok (calcareous marl), other soils. Sauvignon Blanc (W).

B · The Danube and the East

Varied soils, often a strong continental influence.

  1. Rogljevo / Negotin · SerbiaLocal limestone. Prokupac (R). The Bongiraud village.
  2. Mehedinți · RomaniaLandmark: Corcova. Fetească Neagră (R), international varieties.
  3. Dealu Mare · RomaniaMuntenia. Clay, marl, pockets of limestone. Fetească Neagră (R).
  4. Murfatlar / Dobruja · RomaniaLimestone, chalk and loess. Whites and reds, dry or sweet.
  5. Asenovgrad / Thrace · BulgariaRhodope foothills. Mavrud (R).

C · Adriatic and Dinarides

Karst is common. Coast, plateaus and valleys, each distinct.

  1. Istria · CroatiaMalvazija Istarska (W), Teran (R). Red soils and flysch.
  2. Pelješac and Korčula · Dalmatia, CroatiaLimestone, maritime climate. Plavac Mali (R), Pošip (W).
  3. Herzegovina · Bosnia and HerzegovinaLandmark: Čitluk. Žilavka (W), Blatina (R).
  4. Podgorica and Lake Skadar · MontenegroVranac (R), Krstač (W). Plain and hills, varied soils.

D · The South: mountains, lakes and valleys

Contrasting climates, not a single high-altitude zone.

  1. Lezhë · AlbaniaA northern Albanian landmark. Kallmet (R).
  2. Ohrid · North MacedoniaLake and altitude, cooler nights. Several grapes and styles.
  3. Tikveš · North MacedoniaThe warmer Vardar valley. Vranec (R), Temjanika (W).
  4. Naoussa · GreeceSlopes of Mount Vermio, clay and limestone soils. Xinomavro (R).

Where it starts: Rogljevo

Slava = Prokupac. Istina = a field blend of Balkan grapes. Obecanje = Gamay; separate cuvées exist in Pinot Noir and Frankovka.

From soil to taste

Climate + soil + grape + harvest + winemaking. Limestone alone guarantees neither acidity nor saltiness. Xinomavro can join acidity and tannin; a Vranac can be rounder.

Book a table.

Everyone is welcome.

Online · online
Book via Zenchef
Or get in touch · scrieți-ne
Call · sunați+33 1 70 69 42 50Email · scriețibureau@ibrik.fr

Takeaway · la pachetEating at home or at the office? The whole menu is also available to take away — drop by or give us a call to order.

A touch of mystery

Read the future.

In the Balkans, grandmothers read the future in coffee grounds, at the bottom of the ibrik. Here, the crystal ball takes over. Rest your hand on it.

Touch the ball. It already knows what's coming to your table.

In Cathy's kitchen.

Cathy Paraschiv welcomes McFly & Carlito and Cyprien into the IBRIK KITCHEN kitchen and passes on the gestures: sarmale, mamaliga, papanasi. An hour of Romanian petrecere, the way it happens at home.

YouTube · McFly & CarlitoCathy · Cyprien · 2024
Good to know · întrebări

Your questions, answered.

Address, hours, booking, vegetarian dishes, what to order: the questions people ask us most.

Where is IBRIK KITCHEN?

IBRIK KITCHEN is at 9 rue de Mulhouse, 75002 Paris, in the Sentier. Two minutes on foot from Sentier metro (line 3), five from Bonne Nouvelle (lines 8 and 9) and Réaumur — Sébastopol (lines 3 and 4). Phone: +33 1 70 69 42 50.

Where can I eat Romanian food in Paris?

At IBRIK KITCHEN, 9 rue de Mulhouse, Paris 2nd. Chef Cathy Paraschiv, who came from Romania as a child, cooks the Romanian and Balkan recipes of mothers and grandmothers: sarmale, mici, mamaliga, papanasi. The restaurant is open Monday to Saturday, lunch and dinner.

What are IBRIK KITCHEN's opening hours?

IBRIK KITCHEN is open Monday to Saturday: lunch from 12:00 to 15:30, dinner from 19:00 to 00:30. Closed on Sundays.

What kind of food does IBRIK KITCHEN serve?

Balkan food: Romanian first, and with it the Greek, Serbian, Turkish and Ottoman heritage that meets in the region. The recipes of mothers and grandmothers are reworked with finesse, bistronomy-style. To try: sarmale (brined cabbage stuffed with Angus beef), mici grilled over embers, chicken souvlaki, seven-hour lamb shoulder, and papanasi for dessert.

Is there a Balkan restaurant with natural wine in Paris?

Yes: IBRIK KITCHEN serves natural wines from Eastern Europe, chosen to go with Balkan food. The wine list runs to more than 40 references, with a wine of the month.

Do I need to book at IBRIK KITCHEN?

It is a good idea, especially for dinner and on Saturdays. Book online through Zenchef, by phone on +33 1 70 69 42 50, or by email at bureau@ibrik.fr. Looks full? Call anyway: we will always find you a seat.

Are there vegetarian dishes on the menu?

Yes, at every service. Mezze: charred aubergine caviar, roasted feta, courgette fritter with feta, fennel risoni. Mains: pepper stuffed with pilaf rice, BLKN Avo' Toast, and a vegetarian souvlaki with feta. Vegetarian dishes are marked V on the menu.

How much does a meal cost?

At lunch, set menus run from €25 (mezze + main, or main + dessert) to €33 (mezze + main + dessert). At dinner, à la carte: mezze €11 to €17, mains €14 to €33, desserts €11 to €14. Expect €40 to €55 per person.

Can we come as a group or hire the restaurant?

Yes. The long table, masa mare, seats 12 to 24 guests, three courses to share. The whole restaurant can be hired for up to 80 people. IBRIK KITCHEN also caters christenings and weddings. Write to bureau@ibrik.fr or call +33 1 70 69 42 50.

Who is the chef at IBRIK KITCHEN?

Cathy Paraschiv, born Ecaterina. She left Bucharest at six, when her parents fled the dictatorship, and built a career in tax law before leaving it to cook the food of her roots. She opened IBRIK, the café in the 9th, in 2018, then IBRIK KITCHEN, the restaurant on rue de Mulhouse, in 2019. She is the one cooking, and the place looks like her.

Are IBRIK KITCHEN and the IBRIK café the same place?

No. IBRIK KITCHEN is the restaurant, at 9 rue de Mulhouse, Paris 2nd: lunch and dinner, Monday to Saturday. IBRIK, the same chef's café in the 9th arrondissement, has closed. Only rue de Mulhouse remains.

What should I order on a first visit?

Three plates for two, shared. Aubergine caviar and roasted feta to start, sarmale or mici off the embers next, pistachio cake to finish. And an IBRIK coffee brewed Balkan-style, in the ibrik: allow 5 to 10 minutes.

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Find us in Paris 2nd.

Address · Adresa

9 rue de Mulhouse 75002 Paris · Sentier France

Hours · Program

Sunday · duminicăClosed
Monday — Saturday · Lunch · prânz12:00 — 15:30
Monday — Saturday · Dinner · cină19:00 — 00:30