Nabil Attar: How a Syrian Chef Serves Memories in Orléans

Orléans – 19.07.2026: When Nabil Attar uses bitter orange, pistachios or orange blossom water in his kitchen, Damascus is not far away. The Syrian chef, who began a new life with his family in Orléans after fleeing, is at the center of a recent Franceinfo profile. His Närenj restaurant on Rue de Bourgogne is far more than a culinary destination: it is a place where memory takes on a form, a scent and, at times, a crisp crust.

At the end of 2015, Attar left Damascus because he feared for his children’s safety. Before that, he had worked as a specialist in banking systems and led a comparatively secure life. Cooking was then a passion and a private pleasure. In France, it first became the language of arrival: because he lacked the words, he invited neighbors and acquaintances over and cooked for them. Sharing a meal, gently and very effectively, took on the role of the first conversation.

The path to his own restaurant also led through the Refugee Food Festival, which gives visibility to refugee chefs. After appearances in Paris, Attar decided to turn his passion into a profession. In 2018, he opened Närenj together with his wife Sousana. The name means bitter orange, a fruit whose scent he closely associates with the courtyards and gardens of his hometown.

The establishment in Orléans’ old town does not rely on the folkloric shortcut that often reduces foreign cuisines to mere spice theater. Instead, Attar combines dishes from Syria with French food culture and seasonal ingredients. The local tourism organization describes Närenj as French-Syrian cuisine; vegetarian and vegan guests are also catered for on the menu. This very matter-of-fact approach feels like a quiet objection to the idea that culinary traditions are rigid possessions.

Attar’s story has repeatedly attracted attention in recent years. The UN Refugee Agency profiled him as early as 2018 as an engineer who fulfilled his culinary dream in Orléans. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he and Sousana also prepared meals for medical staff. Such episodes explain why the restaurant is seen in the city not only as a success story of a new beginning, but also as a place of lived solidarity.

The fact that Närenj continues to be officially listed as a restaurant in Orléans gives the story a fitting present-tense form. The escape has not become a smooth heroic tale; what was lost remains too great. But from experience, craftsmanship and the courage to begin again, a cuisine has emerged that does not preserve origins like a museum piece. It lets them live on – on the plate, in conversation and in the scent of a bitter orange.