Photos: Chez Omar
In the top 5 favorite dishes of the French, couscous is a very local institution.
In Paris, the couscous restaurant Chez Omar is also an institution. Inaugurated in 1979, rue de Bretagne, in the Marais, next to a cinema (at the current location of the Franprix supermarket), the establishment has never been empty since then.
“From day one, my establishment was fashionable… thanks to fashion people,” says Omar Guerda, now 79 years old. Even today, it remains a sure value. We eat couscous there seven days a week, lunch and dinner, except Sunday evening.
Alongside the fashion crowd, including the couturier Azzedine Alaïa based in the 4th arrondissement, there was a whole host of night owls. Indeed, the legendary years of 1979-1980 represent the golden age of Parisian nightlife. Partygoers would dine at Chez Omar before heading off to party at Les Bains Douches , just a stone's throw away (on Rue du Bourg-l'Abbé, in the 3rd arrondissement).
From the rock band Téléphone to Grace Jones, via Jack Nicholson, David Bowie or Mel Gibson, the nightclub is frequented by celebrities who sometimes make a detour to the establishment on rue de Bretagne.
Finally, the 1980s saw the rise of the gay Marais and art galleries in the area – Yvon Lambert leading the way. “After the openings, people would gather at my place,” recalls the owner.
Omar's secret? “I kept the original decor, that of an inter-war brasserie called La Bière,” says the boss who is as much an aesthete as a great sage. “In the 1980s, a lot of people advised me to destroy everything to create a modern decor. They told me to have carpet laid. » To which Omar systematically replies: “No. »
This is why the restaurant room retains its character and continues to attract a loyal clientele. They are not the only ones but the “fashioners” are always there.
“In 2017,” says Omar, “Naomi Campbell came to see me after the funeral of Azzedine Alaïa who had hosted her, when she was just starting out, in her house in Marais. She said to me: “Today I buried my dad…”
Omar's other secret is his consistency: in forty-three years, his card has not changed once. And it’s true that tradition is good!
At Omar's
47 Rue de Bretagne, 75003 Paris
Monday to Saturday from 12 p.m. to 14:30 p.m. and from 19 p.m. – 23:30 p.m.
Sunday from 19 p.m. – 23:30 p.m.
Tel: +09 86 39 91 14 XNUMX
Text: Axel G.
18.02.22
