Kapara is big and bold, full of joy and exuberance. It serves as a wonderful reminder of the many good things about Israeli culture and constitutes a welcome addition to the London restaurant scene.
Have no doubt, Kapara is explicitly Israeli. So much so that its signage is written in both English and Hebrew. Read the restaurant’s website and you learn that the venue is the product of “a bunch of crazy Israelis” given “free reign” over two floors in Soho. “Anything goes”, readers are told. This live and let-live attitude is a healthy one and evident in spades at Kapara. Located in a new development in old Soho (close to the Pillars of Hercules pub), guests can spill out onto the large outdoor terrace. It’s about as close as you might get to Tel Aviv in central London.
The man behind the venue is Eran Tibi, an ex-Ottolenghi chef who also operates Southwark’s Bala-Baya. The party vibe at the latter is accelerated on steroids at Kapara. Walk into the restaurant and marvel at the opulent 1970s glamour. High ceilings, lots of pink kitsch and a soundtrack to support it. Of course, atmosphere only takes you so far. Reassuringly, the food also does much of the talking here, with a quality comparable to the Palomar, perhaps London’s most famous Israeli eating outpost.
Delve into the bread and you know you’ve immediately come home. It’s everything you might hope for and expect. It’s warm, rich, comforting, slightly salty and a bit spicy. Pair it with a braised beef hummus (pictured) and you’re in culinary heaven. The combination of meat and chickpeas – depth versus fluffiness – is genius. Add in pickled chillis and you’re laughing. As full-on as this dish was, the expertise of the kitchen was also evident in a much lighter and more delicate sea bream tartare and coriander offering. Each plate was a stunner in its own right. Diners must try the wood fire leeks, an often unsexy vegetable rendered decadent here. Save space too for the dessert. Both my dining comrade and I are sceptics of most things sweet but “Gramp’s Cigar” was not only an aesthetic masterpiece (readers can use their imagination to picture it) but had the taste to boot to. It was a classy chocolate, pistachio and passion fruit curd composition.
Kapara opens for brunch and continues into the late evening hours. Come at whatever time and enjoy the party.