French Moroccan restaurant Cybel to debut next month in St. Pete

Cybel, a French Moroccan restaurant, will debut this September at 2735 5th Avenue North, in a space formerly occupied by Sammy + Paco's Cafe. On the right is Cybel's Lemon Hummus with Chicken Shawarma | St Pete Rising & Cybel

A dream many decades in the making will come to fruition when Chef Taoufik "Touf" Abdelmoula unveils Cybel (pronounced see-bell), his new French Moroccan restaurant in St. Pete.

Cybel will debut this September in Historic Kenwood at 2735 5th Avenue North, formerly home to Sammy + Paco’s Café.

The opening comes about two months after Chef Touf closed the Cybel ghost kitchen at Foodie Labs, ending an eight-month run at the restaurant incubator.

“Foodie Labs helped us work our way up, making a name for ourselves in the city," Chef Touf said to St. Pete Rising. “We couldn’t be more excited for our next chapter and to introduce even more people to French Moroccan cuisine.”

For the uninitiated, French Moroccan cuisine is a result of Morocco's history as a French colony from 1912 to 1956. This period of French influence left a lasting impact not only on Morocco's cuisine, but its language, culture, economy, education, and society.

Cybel will be a bohemian place where people can hang out, grab a cup of coffee and a pastry in the morning and a delicious meal in the afternoon and at night, according to Chef Touf.

The new 2,600-square-foot restaurant will also have a robust catering program for special events and occasions.

While at Foodie Labs, Cybel became known for its French Taco, a grilled flour tortilla filled with chicken, beef or lamb, layered with vegetables, sauces, and fries.

In addition to the French Taco, Cybel’s new expanded menu will offer a much larger selection of Moroccan cuisine, especially tagines.

“In Morocco, tagine is what gets families together. It is a clay pot with a slowly simmered stew of meat and vegetables. You can put anything in it,” says Chef Touf. “I want guests who dine at Cybel to get the full experience of Moroccan cuisine.”

Also available will be small plates, such as lemon hummus with chicken shawarma, as well as a variety of sandwiches and burgers, like a chicken cordon bleu burger and a chicken kofta burger.

Chicken Kofta Burger, Chicken Cordon Blue Burger, and Ground Brisket Beef Burger | Cybel

Although born in West Africa’s Ivory Coast, Chef Touf spent most of his childhood in Morocco where he fell in love with the country’s culture and cuisine.

He headed back to Ivory Coast to hone his culinary chops at a cooking school in Abidjan where he specialized in Sicilian cuisine.

After a quick stint in Paris, Chef Touf set his sights on America.

In 2015, Chef Touf made it to Tampa Bay by way of his uncle, who vacationed in St. Pete 35 years ago and never left.

“I came to a city I had never heard of before. Moroccans have no idea where St. Petersburg is,” said Chef Touf. “But I fell in love as soon as I got here.”

He spent his first two years in St. Pete learning English and then set off for Los Angeles, where he ended up working for numerous catering companies before eventually starting his own, Cybel Luxury Catering.

Chef Touf landed back in St. Pete last year with a plan to open Tampa Bay’s first French Moroccan restaurant – Cybel.

And now, after months of listening to feedback, tweaking recipes, and establishing a clientele at Foodie Labs, Cybel is nearly ready for its grand debut.

Cybel is expected to open this September at 2735 5th Avenue North in Historic Kenwood. It will be open for lunch and dinner seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Be sure to follow Cybel on Instagram to stay up to date on grand opening plans and the latest offerings.