This is the best food I’ve ever had in my life, travel the world, and never had such wonderful fresh flavors ever.

I even canceled my reservation at another restaurant for dinner and booked this one instead.

Highly recommend this restaurant

Kapara is the brand-new restaurant in the Renaissance Vendome Hotel inside the former space occupied by Balagan.

It is owned and operated by the same restaurant group that owned and operated Balagan. The concept is basically the same as Balagan. So, think of Kapara as Balagan 2.0.

The food was very good. Mostly Israeli or Middle Eastern/Mediterranean. Some things are available off-the-menu. The wine list is extensive with lots of unusual wines from Lebanon, Syria, Israel, etc. The only complaint I had about the wine list was the lack of wine by the glass from Israel and other unusual wine areas. I'm not going to order a bottle of Syrian, Lebanese or Israeli wine by the glass unless I'm familiar with the winemaker or the vineyard. It would be nice if some were offered by the glass.

The atmosphere is loud and almost like a night club with a restaurant. While fun it is definitely geared toward a younger clientele that likes to party.

My biggest complaint is the seating arrangement.

Do not go here as a party of one or a party of two. None of the tables are setup for one or two customers. You will end up sharing a table with another party. That's inappropriate for the price charged. They need two-person tables. I wanted a table and was instead forced to sit at the counter facing the kitchen. While it is fun to watch the chefs and I think a certain segment of customers will appreciate the chef's table experience, it is not ideal for a couple on a romantic date nor for anyone wanting a fine dining experience.

On the whole, the food was very good. Expensive but very good. Presentation was creative. Service was better than average. I would consider returning but only if I had two or three other people with me as that is the only way I could get a table.