Restaurant in Paris, France
Festive Sephardic cooking. Book ahead.
Kapara is a Michelin Plate-recognised Mediterranean restaurant in Paris's 1st arrondissement, drawing on Sephardic culinary tradition with a loud, festive room and a kitchen brigade that clearly enjoys itself. At €€€ with a 4.5 Google rating across 266 reviews, it delivers consistent cooking and a specific flavour identity that stands apart from the surrounding neighbourhood's more conventional dining options.
If you think Kapara is a casual drop-in spot in the 1st arrondissement, recalibrate. This is a Michelin Plate-recognised restaurant drawing serious crowds to a address that earned its reputation under its predecessor, Balagan. The energy here is loud, deliberately communal, and built around Sephardic-influenced Mediterranean cooking that does not try to blend into its Parisian surroundings. Book it. But go in knowing what you are signing up for: this is a festive, high-decibel room, not a quiet dinner for two.
The misconception worth clearing up first: Kapara is not a casual Middle Eastern canteen dressed up for Paris tourists. It holds a 2025 Michelin Plate, the Guide's signal that a kitchen is producing cooking worth seeking out, and the food here is anchored in genuine Sephardic culinary tradition rather than trend-chasing fusion. Chef Zohar Sasson leads a kitchen brigade whose energy spills into the dining room, with groovy background music and audible laughter from the pass setting the tone from the moment you arrive.
The room itself carries over the interior DNA of the former Balagan, which previously occupied this space at 9 Rue d'Alger in the 1st arrondissement. For returning diners who knew Balagan, that means familiar bones: the atmosphere, the layout, the spirit. Assaf Granit and Tomer Lanzman, the operators behind the project, kept what worked and handed the creative centre of gravity to Sasson. Some of Balagan's most-requested dishes survived the transition, including the deconstructed kebab, which gives regulars a reliable anchor while the menu builds out around them.
In terms of its neighbourhood position, Kapara sits within one of central Paris's most visited and densely competitive dining corridors, within easy reach of the Tuileries and the Palais-Royal. What makes it relevant here is that it offers something the surrounding blocks largely do not: a cooking identity that is neither French-classical nor broadly European. The spice-forward, chickpea-rich menu, drawing on Sephardic traditions, fills a specific gap in the 1st arrondissement's restaurant offering. If you are spending time in this part of Paris and want a meal that does not default to a brasserie format, Kapara is the most food-forward case for staying in the neighbourhood rather than crossing the river. For other Mediterranean-leaning options in Paris, Adraba and Kalank are worth comparing, though neither carries the same festive room energy. Brach takes a broader Mediterranean approach in a design-hotel context, and Marso & Co sits at the more relaxed end of the same flavour register.
The noise level is worth planning around. The Michelin inspectors describe the vibe as festive, friendly, and very buzzy — that last qualifier matters. If your priority is a conversation-heavy dinner, arrive early, before the room fills. The atmosphere later in service tips into full celebration mode, which is the point for many diners and a deterrent for others. This is not a venue you book for a quiet occasion. It is a venue you book when the meal is itself the occasion.
For regulars returning after a first visit, the menu's structure rewards exploration beyond the deconstructed kebab. The broader anthology of Sephardic-inspired dishes, built around spices, seasonings, and chickpeas according to Michelin's own notes, suggests there is range here beyond the signature. Push past what you ordered last time. The kitchen is confident enough in its identity to reward that instinct.
Google reviewers rate it 4.5 across 266 reviews, which for a Michelin Plate venue in the 1st is a strong signal of consistent execution rather than occasional brilliance. That consistency matters when you are spending at the €€€ price point.
For context on the broader Paris dining scene, our full Paris restaurants guide covers the city's range across price tiers and cuisines. If you are building a longer trip, our Paris hotels guide, Paris bars guide, and Paris experiences guide cover the rest. Further afield in France, the three-star benchmarks at Flocons de Sel in Megève, Troisgros in Ouches, Mirazur in Menton, Paul Bocuse in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or, Bras in Laguiole, and Auberge de l'Ill in Illhaeusern represent a different register entirely. For Mediterranean comparisons outside France, La Brezza in Ascona and Il Buco in Sorrento show what the cuisine looks like in its home geography. Paris also has broader cultural infrastructure worth noting: check the Paris wineries guide if wine anchors your trip. And if you want a broader Creative French tasting menu experience in the same city, Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen operates at a very different price point and formality level.
Address: 9 Rue d'Alger, 75001 Paris, France. Cuisine: Mediterranean, Sephardic-influenced. Price range: €€€. Awards: Michelin Plate (2025). Booking difficulty: Easy. Reservations: Book in advance — Michelin recognition and consistent 4.5 Google ratings mean this fills up, but booking lead time is manageable. Dress: No formal code indicated; the room's energy skews relaxed and convivial. Budget: €€€ positions this in mid-to-upper Paris casual dining territory, meaningfully below the €€€€ bracket of the city's tasting-menu circuit.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kapara | Mediterranean Cuisine | Michelin Plate (2025); In their new venue, Kapara, whose interior is almost identical to that of the former Balagan, Assaf Granit and his partner Tomer Lanzman have called upon chef Zohar Sasson. In a setting depicted by groovy background music and hoots of laughter from the ebullient kitchen brigade, Ms Sasson cheerfully conjures up dishes loosely inspired by Sephardic culinary traditions. The menu rolls out a colourful culinary anthology, boosted by spices, seasonings and chickpeas. Some of the emblematic dishes of the former Balagan remain on the menu, such as “deconstructed” kebab. Festive, friendly and (very) buzzy vibe. | Easy | — |
| Plénitude | Contemporary French | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Pierre Gagnaire | French, Creative | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Alléno Paris au Pavillon Ledoyen | Creative | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Kei | Contemporary French, Modern Cuisine | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Le Cinq - Four Seasons Hôtel George V | French, Modern Cuisine | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
Kapara's festive, high-energy atmosphere makes it a natural fit for groups, and the communal-leaning format of Sephardic-inspired sharing dishes supports larger tables well. That said, the restaurant holds a Michelin Plate and operates at €€€, so this is not a cheap group booking. check the venue's official channels via their address at 9 Rue d'Alger to ask about private or large-table arrangements, since phone and online booking details are not publicly listed.
It depends on what you want from a solo meal. The ebullient, loud atmosphere means you will not feel awkward eating alone, and counter or bar seating in Paris restaurants of this type often suits singles well. However, the sharing-style menu rooted in Sephardic traditions is better explored across multiple dishes with a companion. Solo works — but two is the stronger format here.
The Michelin Plate recognition and €€€ pricing signal a step above casual, but the venue is described as festive and buzzy with groovy background music and a lively kitchen brigade — not a white-tablecloth room. Dress well but not formally: think neat, put-together rather than a jacket-required evening.
Book at least two to three weeks out. Kapara holds a 2025 Michelin Plate and sits in the 1st arrondissement, which means demand is consistent. The venue carries over a following from the former Balagan, so it is not starting from zero. Walk-in odds on a Tuesday lunch are better than a Friday evening, but do not count on it.
The Sephardic-influenced menu leans heavily on spices, chickpeas, and vegetable-forward dishes, which suggests reasonable flexibility for vegetarians, but this is not confirmed by available venue data. Given the €€€ price point and Michelin recognition, the kitchen is likely experienced enough to accommodate common restrictions — call ahead or note requirements at booking rather than assuming.
The deconstructed kebab is explicitly carried over from the former Balagan and is the closest thing to a signature dish on the menu — order it. Beyond that, the menu is built around spices, chickpeas, and Sephardic-inspired preparations, so lean into the vegetable and mezze-style dishes rather than looking for a traditional European main. The format rewards sharing multiple plates rather than ordering one dish per person.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
