Restaurant in Paris, France
Michelin-recognised Japanese at mid-range prices.
Kisin holds back-to-back Michelin Bib Gourmands (2024 and 2025) and a 4.6 Google rating across 648 reviews — making it one of the most credible Japanese options in the 8th arrondissement at a €€ price point. For a date, celebration, or business lunch where quality matters but a full tasting-menu budget does not, this is one of the sharper bookings in the neighbourhood.
Yes — and the Michelin Bib Gourmand in both 2024 and 2025 gives you the clearest possible signal of why. Kisin is a Japanese restaurant in the 8th arrondissement run by chef Kareem El-Ghayesh, and it sits in the sweet spot that is genuinely hard to find in Paris: serious Japanese cooking at a price point (€€) that does not require you to treat the dinner as a financial event. For a date, a celebratory meal, or a business lunch where you want quality without the formality of a full tasting-menu commitment, this is one of the most sensible bookings you can make in the neighbourhood.
The 8th arrondissement is not where you expect to find Bib Gourmand-recognised Japanese cooking at mid-range prices. Most of the street's dining neighbours trend toward formal French rooms with price tags to match — which makes Kisin's value proposition sharper by contrast. A 4.6 Google rating across 648 reviews is the kind of sustained score that reflects consistent execution rather than a single viral moment. That combination of independent verification (Michelin, two consecutive years) and crowd-sourced approval (Google, volume sample) gives you real confidence before you book.
The €€ price positioning matters more than it might seem. For context, most of the serious Japanese restaurants in Paris that have attracted any critical attention , including L'Abysse au Pavillon Ledoyen and Sushi Yoshinaga , operate at higher price brackets. Kisin's Bib Gourmand is specifically Michelin's recognition that the quality-to-price ratio here is better than the category average. That is a practical credential, not a consolation prize.
Japanese cuisine at this level is almost always shaped by seasonal availability, and that has direct implications for when you should book. Japanese kitchens working with fresh fish and produce typically pivot their menus around the four seasons , spring brings lighter preparations, early autumn often marks the point when richer, more complex dishes return to the pass. If you are booking Kisin for a special occasion, late September through November is generally the most rewarding window for Japanese cooking in Paris: suppliers are working with premium autumn product, and the dining room atmosphere shifts toward something more suited to a considered meal than summer's lighter register. Booking in high summer is still worth doing, but manage expectations around what the seasonal offer will emphasise.
Paris's broader dining rhythm also affects timing. August sees many Parisian restaurants thin out their teams or close entirely for periods; it is worth confirming Kisin's schedule directly if you are visiting mid-summer. Conversely, December and the weeks around fashion weeks (January, March, June, September) compress bookings across the 8th arrondissement significantly. The practical implication: if your visit falls near any of those pressure points, book earlier than you normally would.
The address , Rue de la Renaissance in the 8th , places this in a quieter residential and commercial pocket rather than on one of the arrondissement's main thoroughfares. That tends to produce a calmer dining room environment than the louder brasseries and tourist-facing restaurants a few streets away. For a date or a celebration where conversation is part of the point, that matters. This is not a room where you shout across the table; it reads as a composed, focused space rather than a high-energy social venue. If you want buzzing atmosphere and theatre, look elsewhere. If you want to actually hear the person across from you, Kisin is the right call.
For special occasions specifically, the €€ price range means this works well as a standalone dinner without the financial weight of a full-price tasting menu at a starred address. It also means you can allocate budget elsewhere , a good wine pairing, a hotel stay nearby, or the evening extending to a bar. For business meals where you want quality but not formality, the combination of Michelin recognition and accessible pricing makes the case easy to explain to a guest.
Paris has a deeper Japanese restaurant scene than most visitors expect. Chakaiseki Akiyoshi and Hakuba operate at higher price points with more ceremony; Abri Soba is the casual end of the same spectrum. Kisin sits in the middle , more considered than a quick lunch counter, less expensive than a formal multi-course experience. That middle tier is where the Bib Gourmand lives by design, and Kisin has held that position for two consecutive years, which tells you the kitchen is consistent rather than coasting on an initial moment of recognition. For broader context on Tokyo's Japanese dining benchmarks , the reference point for any serious Japanese kitchen abroad , Myojaku and Azabu Kadowaki show what the leading of that category looks like.
Reservations: Booking difficulty is rated Easy, so you do not need to plan weeks out under normal conditions , but add one to two weeks' lead time if your visit falls near Paris fashion weeks, December, or any major public holiday period. Budget: €€, making this one of the more price-accessible Michelin-recognised Japanese options in the city. Dress: No dress code data available; smart casual is a reasonable default for an 8th arrondissement restaurant with this profile. Location: 6 Rue de la Renaissance, 75008 Paris.
For more on dining and staying in the city, see our full Paris restaurants guide, our full Paris hotels guide, our full Paris bars guide, our full Paris wineries guide, and our full Paris experiences guide. If you are building a longer France itinerary around serious cooking, Flocons de Sel in Megève, Mirazur in Menton, Troisgros in Ouches, Auberge de l'Ill in Illhaeusern, Bras in Laguiole, and Paul Bocuse in Collonges-au-Mont-d'Or are all worth considering alongside the Paris portion of your trip.
Yes, with the right expectations set. Kisin holds the Michelin Bib Gourmand for 2024 and 2025 and carries a 4.6 Google rating across 648 reviews , that is a credible foundation for a celebration or date. The €€ price range means it works as a special occasion dinner without requiring the budget of a starred address. If you want full ceremony and a long tasting menu, consider a Michelin-starred room instead. If you want a high-quality Japanese meal in a composed, quieter setting at a price that does not dominate the evening, Kisin is a strong choice.
Booking difficulty at Kisin is rated Easy, so under normal conditions one to two weeks ahead should be sufficient. Extend that window to two to three weeks if you are visiting during Paris fashion weeks (January, March, June, September) or in December, when 8th arrondissement bookings compress across the board. August may involve reduced service schedules; confirm availability directly if your trip falls then. For a specific date tied to an occasion, booking two weeks out removes any uncertainty.
The key fact is that two consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmands (2024, 2025) put Kisin firmly in the better-value tier of Paris's Japanese restaurant scene , the Bib Gourmand specifically recognises quality-to-price ratio, not just quality in isolation. The €€ price range means you are not walking into a formal omakase commitment. The 8th arrondissement location puts it in a quieter pocket of one of Paris's priciest neighbourhoods, which affects the room's atmosphere positively. If you are used to the Japanese dining scene in Tokyo , where restaurants like Myojaku set the reference standard , calibrate accordingly: Kisin operates at a different price point and format, but the Michelin recognition signals it is not making compromises on what matters.
At €€ with a Michelin Bib Gourmand in consecutive years, the value case is direct. The Bib Gourmand is specifically awarded where the inspector judges that the experience justifies the price , it is not given to restaurants that are merely affordable. A 4.6 score from 648 Google reviews adds independent confirmation that repeat visitors agree. Compared to the €€€€ Japanese and French addresses in the same arrondissement, Kisin gives you Michelin-level recognition at a fraction of the cost. The honest caveat: without confirmed details on menu structure or current offering, the specific value of any given visit depends on what is on that season's menu.
Seating configuration data for Kisin is not confirmed in available sources. Japanese restaurants in Paris at this price and recognition level often have limited seating overall, and bar or counter seats , if they exist , tend to fill ahead of table seats. Contact the restaurant directly to ask about counter availability before assuming a walk-in bar option exists. If a spontaneous Japanese meal in the 8th is the goal and Kisin is fully booked, Abri Soba is a lower-commitment alternative with its own following.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kisin | Japanese | Michelin Bib Gourmand (2025); Michelin Bib Gourmand (2024) | Easy | — |
| 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 | — |
| L'Ambroisie | French, Classic 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 | — |
| Pierre Gagnaire | French, Creative | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
Yes, with one caveat on expectations: Kisin holds the Michelin Bib Gourmand in both 2024 and 2025, which signals cooking that punches above its €€ price point — but Bib Gourmand recognises value, not ceremony. If your special occasion calls for formal service and a grand room, look at Kei or Le Cinq instead. If a well-executed, lower-key Japanese meal matters more than spectacle, Kisin is a strong call.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy, so you don't need to plan weeks out under normal conditions. Add one to two weeks' lead time for weekend dinners or if your dates are fixed — the Bib Gourmand recognition in consecutive years has raised the profile. For a weekday lunch, a few days' notice should be sufficient.
Kisin is a Japanese restaurant at 6 Rue de la Renaissance in the 8th arrondissement, run by chef Kareem El-Ghayesh and backed by two consecutive Michelin Bib Gourmand awards. The €€ price range means it sits well below the omakase-format restaurants that dominate Paris's higher-end Japanese scene. Come expecting quality cooking at accessible prices, not a lengthy tasting menu format.
At €€, the Michelin Bib Gourmand — awarded in both 2024 and 2025 — is the clearest available signal that it is. Bib Gourmand exists specifically to flag good cooking at prices that don't require a special-occasion budget. Within the 8th arrondissement, where most comparable addresses run considerably higher, Kisin represents straightforward value for Japanese cuisine at this quality level.
Bar or counter seating details are not confirmed in available venue data for Kisin. check the venue's official channels at 6 Rue de la Renaissance, 75008 Paris to confirm seating options before you visit.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
