Para specializes in creative cocktails and small sharable plates. It is located in the busy South End area and is very unique to the area. They have two parking lots adjacent which can be full depending when you go, there is also street parking close. The ambiance is really nice, it feels upscale with the dimmed lights, full length mirrors with adjustable lighting going to the bathrooms. This is also a place people go to celebrate an occasion or go to right before going out for the night so everyone is usually dressed nice which goes with the ambiance. The patio area is awesome, it is huge, heated and covered. On a nice day I prefer to sit out here. The service is really good as well, they start you off with a complimentary small plate which changes week to week. The drinks are some of the best in the city. The food menu does change seasonal my favorite is the pork belly and short rib dumplings. The larger plates are not that large to me so do not expect to get a full meal with one of them. You are better off ordering multiple small plate options. The desserts are delicious the matcha cheesecake is my favorite. The halo halo is great as well, can't go wrong with either dessert. read more

PARA - Short rib dumplings. - Bars Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

If you're looking for a place with great music, delicious small bites, amazing selfie mirrors, and an overall "cool vibe" this is the place! Order the lobster shooters, lobster toast, short rib dumplings, and my all time favorite- crab rangoons! They also make a great mocktail. I know they have just changed their menu and some newer dishes have been added and others replaced, so I'll be looking forward to my next reservation soon! read more

Really enjoyed my first experience here. Super cute vibe, great drinks and food. Food is tapas style and my favorite was the crab Rangoon (it's a must )! I felt very welcomed with great service. The chef even sent out an app for us after we told him it was our first visit. This restaurant is on the more pricey side but if it's a "treat yo self" type of night this was a very cool spot for a good vibe and very tasty tapas and drinks. We'll definitely be back in the warmer months as they have a very cute patio perfect for people watching as well. read more

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In my entire life I have never been told while sitting at a table with drinks and appetizers on the table, that we had to order our dinner because we needed to be finished in time for the next reservation. When we did check out we were presented a bill that already included the tip of 20% because we were a large party. There were 4 of us. Will NOT ever darken their door again as taking my money for an average dinner seemed like such an inconvenience. read more

Para is definitely unlike any other restaurant I. Southend. They have a very innovative cuisine. It's one of those places where you're not sure what exactly you ordered; however it was all delicious! The cocktail list is super impressive. I had the purple reign which was a little too tart for me but my husband loved the Tropic like it hot. The service was top notch and the ambiance is modern and hip...it is definitely a hot spot to be. I was disappointed with the portion sizes. It's tapas style but even for tapas the dishes were very small. Also for tapas style the menu is pretty limited. My favorite thing was actually the cabbage gratin. It was such a great way to use cabbage! The lobster shooters are also great! read more

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Just checked out a new restaurant in south end called Para. This place is a must try. Food was great, music was great, and has a great over All vibe. Check out the lobster shooters and crab Rangoon! YOU WONT BE DISAPPOINTED!! read more

PARA - Bars Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Went to Para for a few cocktails and I wasn't disappointed! We sat at the bar and was immediately greeted. We got the tropic like it's hot and Koi pond. If you're looking for a refreshing fruity cocktail with rum then "tropic like it's hot" is perfect for you. Koi Pond is very light, it tasted like a blue jolly rancher. It has coconut rum, lime, and coconut water. read more

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Para is to cute! I go for the crag rangoon buns and the drinks!! The service is always great! I recommend for small plates!!

We only got drinks, so this review is based purely on drinks. The complementary sample of the Tuna Crudo was much appreciated though. Our rankings for the drinks we got: #1. Topic Like It's Hot - Creamy and Sweet (not sure it was smokey like the menu says). Really cool drink for photos. The crushed ice seems like it's more for show (I kind of wanted a spoon to eat it). #2. Smoked Old Fashioned - it was a decent Old Fashioned, but fairly generic aside from being smoked. The smoking "lid" they have is cool, but only seems to smoke the very top of the drink. It wasn't as smooth as other smoked Old Fashioned I've had. #3. Make It Crane - fairly generic sweet cocktail ... although the crane they put in the drink is pretty cool. #4. Mez Me With That - tastes like Mezcal and that's about it. Overall, some decent drink options (if you pick the right ones), but a bit pricey for what it is. Will try the food next time. read more

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Service was great. Started with the lobster shooters which were amazing, nice and whipped. The special drink, watermelon cucumber punch was refreshing and not too sweet and the poke... omg... sooo good. Great experience overall happening upon this restaurant. read more

PARA - Watermelon cucumber gin punch - Bars Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Definitely giving this place 3 stars for the the people, ambiance, the music, the vibe, and the drinks. The food was just ok for me. The flavors just weren't what I expected. We had the Crab Rangoon, Lobster Shooter, and short rib dumplings. The dumplings were very chewy and the crab Rangoon was sweet and I didn't love the texture. It tasted more like a hushpuppy to me. I would definitely go back for the drinks though. I had the Make it Crane and it came with a cute origami crane and the Para Manhattan I think it was. My friend had the Berry Nice that had a froth on top that was amazing. I would go back for drinks but maybe try another restaurant in the area for food. read more

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Para is a great experience from the moment you walk in. The ambiance is unique with dimly lit lighting and great music playing throughout the restaurant. The service is great. The servers are always knowledgeable about the menu and provide great recommendations. I have been to Para a dozen times and have never had a bad dish. With a rotating menu, you have ample opportunity to try new dishes regularly. My only request would be to make the crab rangoons and some form of watermelon tuna year round menu items. This past visit, some of the dishes I enjoyed the broccoli, spicy salmon, lobster rolls, and kimchi pasta and all four dishes were excellent. read more

PARA - Broccoli - Bars Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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I came with my friends for a girls day to start the new year and was greeted by the bartender Kayla and she was wonderful the whole time. She made me a starboy (cocktail) and it was so good! Great music and vibey atmosphere. read more

We were so disappointed-food and drinks were gLois. However 45 min after we were seated, we were told that our table would be turned in another 45 min. We were just served our appetizers and drinks and then told we needed to get our food order in. Our check was delivered and there was a 20% gratuity added for a large party (there was 4 of us!!!). read more

This place is visibly stunning! I enjoyed everything I ordered - both cocktails and small plates. Our server was a little slammed with our large table so Elizabeth, the hostess really stepped in to made sure we had a great experience. Elizabeth made exceptional Drink and Food recommendations. Can't wait to come back! read more

PARA - Make sure you take a selfie in their mirrors! - Bars Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

This is my second time here and I am just not impressed. For the price and size of each dish, there should be less flaws. We got the short rib dumplings, spicy salmon, lobster shooters, and carbonara. The dumpling wrap was too thick, and overall just alright. The salmon was lacking flavor and the rice that it sat on was mush. The lobster shooter was creamy and flavorful, I would order that again-- and honestly they should make that a bigger dish because it is one of the better things we ordered. I also did enjoy the carbonara, it tasted unique. It had tang, creaminess, and spice all at the same time. The service was good but the food didn't do it for me. read more

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They tried- it wasn't terrible but was not good and will not be back. My husband and I both walked out saying we did not feel good after eating there. Food felt heavy and over sauced, fried etc. also not a big selection of food for small plates that you are going to want to get 4-5 plates. So many good places in Charlotte, I wouldn't waste my time here. read more

Overall, the food is delicious- drinks are good (strong). I highly recommend the lobster shoot, corn and fettuccine. Service- 10/10 Food came out on time and servers were friendly Ambiance- good music which wasn't too loud, slow but then got packed. Location- parking can be challenging. The business has a dedicated parking lot but not many spaces. There's street parking and other lots for other businesses (park at your own risk). read more

PARA seems like it could be a really great spot for a light bite, or a date night. I popped in on a weekday evening and grabbed a spot at the bar without any issues / reservation. It was a Wednesday and not too late, but there were quite a few people enjoying the outdoor seating area. The staff were very friendly and I was able to try the now-famous lobster shooter (I ate with a spoon) and the tuna tartare. Both were delicious and I was given a nice (large) size pour for my vino. The playlist was also amazing - had me singing along to all my favorites. Would definitely recommend! read more

PARA - Bars Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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A few of my friends and I went to Para for restaurant week or queens feast. We ordered from the queens feast menu because they required the entire table order from either their regular menu or queens feast even if paying separately which was a bit annoying. The queens feast menu looked good but the items fell short of expectations. We each order the katsu buns which were pretty dry we managed to eat 1 of the 2. The main course for each of us was pretty good. The ribeye I order was cooked well and seasoned pretty well. The desserts fell short just like the appetizers. Very dry and thrown together. I will say the drinks were 10/10. I think I would give Para another try from their regular menu but this visit wasn't great. read more

PARA - Ribeye - Bars Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

I went to PARA for brunch with friends last Sunday morning. I got to try a little bit of everything, but the short rib grilled cheese and crab rangoons were my favorite. The ambiance was good, but the music was so loud and obnoxious. It was really hard to hear each other speaking. I didn't see the point in having a dj present. I think this restaurant would benefit from a more relaxed vibe on Sunday mornings, but that is just my opinion. Overall I think the quality and price of the food was great. I will definitely return to have brunch on the patio. read more

PARA - Espresso martinis - Bars Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Awesome brunch spot! You do have to make reservations ahead of time and there is a cancellation fee due to the popularity of this place, which I later realized is due to limited seating inside. It's pretty small but I didn't feel crowded. Casual vibe but definitely somewhere you'd wanna wear a cute brunch outfit. The bar area is gorgeous. I ordered the crab cake Benedict and crab rangoons. They were definitely not what'd you'd expect but we're seriously so delicious I'm still thinking about them. Would definitely return! read more

PARA - Crab cake Benedict - Bars Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Para is officially one of my favorite restaurants in Charlotte! I sat with a group of 4 people and we all shared plates. Each one was fantastic! I highly recommend the Lamb Chops and Crab Rangoons. Although every plate was delicious - you can't go wrong. I have zero complaints. The waiter went over the drink and dinner menu in detail. He gave GREAT recommendations. My favorite drink was the Berry Nice, although Tropic Like It's Hot was also delicious. I can't wait to go again! read more

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While I want to bombard you with a long review I'm going to try and keep it short and sweet. Great experience overall. I will say this, if you want to dine in (inside the actual walls because outside is first come first serve) MAKE A RESERVATION. Seating inside or outside. A small plate restaurant that has a great drink menu. Cool part about sitting outside is, if it is cold, they have area warmers that are incredibly efficient. Customer service grade: A. Everyone spoke when I walked in, something I am extra conscientious of. Gabby brought out the utensils and glasses and was very polite. Lindsey was our server and she was phenomenal. Incredible knowledge of the menu and very attentive. Food: B+. I ordered the lobster shooter, deviled eggs and crab rangoon. All were delightful. The B+ grade isn't a knock on the food or the business you any means. My ONLY observation was just more menu options. The options they have are unique, I would only encourage a few more. Cleanliness: easy A! The bathrooms were even spotless! My favorite part about the experience, the GM Stephen was working. That's not a sarcastic statement. I appreciated him getting his "hands dirty" as they used to say. But even more than that, how accessible he was to the patrons. Even my questions. He took the time to explain the meaning behind the name "PARA" to satisfy my interest. And after learning more about the origin of the business and it's name it made me even more excited to partner with them in being a customer and providing an honest review. Please do yourselves a favor and dine in or outside. You won't regret it. And ask about the name "PARA". It will warm your heart and encourage you at the same time. Well, I tried to keep it short.. read more

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The impeccable level of service bumped this review up to a 5 for me! I was able to snag a late night dinner slot on a Friday and I'm so glad that I gave PARA a shot! I'm writing from the perspective of dining here on a first date. From the minute that I walked in, we were greeted with cheerful and helpful team members. The staff was fantastic. The energy in the restaurant is magnetic. It felt like a swanky, trendy, urban restaurant. It was actually Valentine's weekend and I was given a white rose at the hostess stand, which I thought was a sweet touch. I assured my date that this was just a dinner date and not a Valentine's date, which probably took a bit of pressure off of him, haha! The *only* thing that didn't get high remarks from me was my cocktail. However, I have heard that the mixologist is top-notch, so I will try something else next time. We only did one round of drinks with dinner so I only got to try one drink - it just wasn't the drink for me, but I still appreciate the level of detail in the ingredients. The food was wonderful. We had the short rib dumplings (meat was delicious and tender, the dumpling was a bit doughy, but not to the detriment of the dish). I also really enjoyed the crab rangoon dish - a slightly different take on a traditional dish. Since it was a later dinner, we only got a few things, but I would return to try other menu items. I REALLY enjoyed the peanut butter and jelly dish that featured fois gras - this is a very progressive dish and my date was not a fan - but he seems to be more of a meat and potatoes kind of guy. As a culinary enthusiast, I LOVED this odd (in the BEST way) take on traditional flavor profiles. It was impressive. Even though I don't have my full taste/smell back (after having C-19 last summer), I still enjoyed my food and the overall experience. I feel like PARA warrants the hype that they currently have. I truly hope that they continue to impress, and they won't rest on their strong-opening laurels. Can't wait to return! read more

Absolutely phenomenal experience at PARA. We had the "Tuna" Crudo, Crab ragoons (phenomenal), lobster toast, and the shaved ice dessert. Food wasn't the only star but they killed it on the cocktails. We had the Make it Crane, Chai Like You, Tropic Like It's Hot, and the Koi Pond with the homemade fish jelly. All were phenomenal. The use of the Smoke Top was AWESOME and was made correctly, despite other reviews out there. The entire dining experience was top notch. read more

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We had Erin tonight on our anniversary and she gave us the best service anyone could have given. The timing of drinks and food was nothing less than top notch. Thank you for making our night perfect. We will 100% be back Tuesday which she made sure to mentioned to us. Thank you all. read more

I've now been twice and both experiences were amazing. The service, atmosphere, food and drinks - everything is incredible. My favorite drink was tropic like it's hot but all of the cocktails looked amazing. Honestly I didn't have a bad dish and we had a big group that tried a bit of everything. The crab Rangoons, dumplings, tuna cruda and the wagu are must haves! The decor is so beautiful and the music was perfect- my friends kept commenting how good the music was, but it was at the perfect volume where you could still enjoy conversation. I highly recommend Para and can't wait to go back again! read more

PARA - Tropic like it's hot - Bars Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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This place was great, the ambience, food and service were top notch! The server was amazing, he explained the menu and options and was very attentive. We went during restaurant week and the food was very good, both in presentation and taste. The decor was amazing and very picture worthy. We got a few good shots in the hall and the bathroom read more

PARA - The cute mirrors in the hall - Bars Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Service was great food was fantastic. We were fortunate to walk in and get a table... make a Reservatio!!!

There were 2 factors that I chose to base my review on for Para: Service and Quality Service- Overall, the staff was very friendly and service was better than we've received in a lot of places recently, so I don't want to discount their staff. We were greeted at our table by the manager (maybe?) with a complimentary watermelon tuno app, which was delicious and really tasted like tuna. We ordered quite a bit off of the menu and even more drinks. Every time something was delivered to our table, it was a new person, so each server seemed kind of confused on where it should go. They mixed up wine orders with our table and the table behind us, literally putting down two glasses of wine in front of me, lifting each up and putting back on her tray after I said "not mine" only to take to the table behind us and do the same thing. We needed up commenting on the incompetencies with that table... which means that two tables went home with an awkward, 3 star experience. Their restaurant and restrooms were very clean, just a confusing table service situation here. Food/menu: we were very excited to try this spot from the hype, but the menu (I personally thought) lacked a tad, was hoping for a few more items as we ate almost everything on the menu, (all items we were interested in trying), reordered one item, and left still not completely satisfied. For a table of 4, you could easily order 2 of everything, and make sure you ask to "add enough to each order so that everyone at the table can have one bite". This will be an up charge, but apparently not everything comes with at least 4? Strange. Anyways, of what we tried, the watermelon tuna and dumplings were the best. Next, pb&j was good. Don't get the deviled eggs or crab Rangoon. Eggs were like just okay then with a weird piece of tough shrimp on top. Tasted too miso-y or something. Crab Rangoon looked exciting and different, but seriously not sure we didn't just eat a donut because no one tasted nor saw crab in our crab Rangoon. The lobster was good, but don't start with as it starts off pretty heavy. Overall, I'm glad we went to try out this new spot, but all 4 of us (and probably the table behind us) agreed that it wouldn't be considered again for our next date night out. read more

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I have to say we had an amazing experience. Cynthia our waitress knows almost everything about the menu and you can tell she loves what she does. This place does everything on the menu their way over and above ordinary. There are a lot of tapas bars but this one is by far the best I have every been to or heard of. Everything from the service to the food was out of this world. Put this place on your list. We will be back soon. read more

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We pre-gamed here to eat and celebrate a birthday! Super cute place, and the food was yummy! We got the calamari, chicken karrage, and the chicken wings. read more

Treated my best friend out for her birthday dinner here and was not disappointed! New spot that opened up in South End and It. Was. Packed. Make sure you do reservations on "Resy" The ambiance and decor was sexy and definitely great for a girls night out or just a date night in general. Two things that stood out. The lobster shooter was light and "frothy" with so much flavor and the lamb chops was absolutely delicious! The fried tempura oyster mushroom was also surprisingly a favorite and my date wasn't even into mushrooms like that and liked it. (Make sure to get the dipping sauce) The dumplings were steamed instead of fried and had a "pot roast" taste to them. The crab wontons was more "bready" than "crabby" but still had a really great flavor. We will definitely be back! read more

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So last night baby and I dined at a new restaurant named 'Para'.. here's my review Short and sweet this was a pretty good experience.. I've come to the realization that the new trend in most newer restaurants in Charlotte is to serve appetizer sized portions at a entree price point while smiling about it... while the food was pretty darn good it simply didn't feel like I had eaten much of anything. Now I'm not one that eats for the 'full' sensation by any means but when I've ordered 4 items and still can't wait to get home so I can eat something else there's a problem.. the menu is very light and limited yet all over the place. Their specialty seems to be pickled vegetables because they came as a side with every plate. So was the food good? For the most part, yes it was. We had crab Rangoon, lobster toast and caviar, deviled eggs$, fried cabbage, and lamb chops... everything was pleasant except for the caviar. This was my first and last time ever even looking at caviar I can promise you that. It literally taste like throw up marinated in horse sh*t with a side of yellow laffy taffy and a nice warm glass of diet cat urine... never again... All in all the experience is pretty overrated. The building is small and the table space is very compacted. You're definitely going to be sitting beside a stranger almost touching distance. The service was slow and dull but our reservation was for 9:45 so I was willing to let it go until all of a sudden Seth Curry walks in and sits down at a table seemingly filled with his family members and even they were delayed service. If a NBA player walks into your restaurant and isn't treated like a King then what should I expect for the general public.. the plus side is that this was only a reflection of the servers themselves. The chef and manager both came to our table at one point and gave us samples of some fancy ice they had as well as checking to see if we were enjoying our meals. That's been happening a lot lately. I'm hoping they're assuming I'm a restaurant critic and want to make a good impression lol. To be fair I do record just abojt every plate that hits the table lol All in all, it was a fun night out.. 2 shots of casa migos were $40 tho.. so def don't go there to drink. Final tab ended up being $138.55 and we left a $30 tip. Do I suggest you go there? Only if you're one of those people who just like to say they've been to places that others haven't yet.. nothing worth running to... 6.8/10 read more

PARA - Lamb chops - Bars Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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The crab rangoons were carnivalesque like funnel cake surrounding the crab delicacy. You take on a different persona when you enter the majestic forest with a golden lantern. Ask about the secret menu. read more

PARA - Bars Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

I was really excited to try this place. Unfortunately I think it's been hyped up. The service was excellent. However, here's what's disappointing... first of all, the place packs you in like sardines. There's hardly any wiggle room. You're literally sitting on top of each other and I'm surprised the servers have any room to maneuver through the restaurant with hands full of plates. Secondly, you'll pay $15-$20 for a cocktail which is basically just 2 oz of juice if you actually remove the huge ice cube. As for the food, it was just okay. Not a huge menu but we tried a variety of dishes. Crab rangoons were okay. Short rib dumplings were okay. Lobster shooter was okay. We got duck (and had a few bites of our friends' lamb chops) which was on special and it was okay. We spent around $130 for food and a couple drinks which were just okay and left still hungry and feeling kind of "blah." We left a nice tip on top of this just because our server was great. Not feeling pressed to go back. read more

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Went to celebrate my birthday with friends, loved the intimate setting, food was delicious, the cabbage OMG! Oh and the music! It's was definitely a vibe! read more

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Food is fine, overpriced. Make sure you Uber or take a car, they will tow you otherwise, even if you park in the reserved parking.

We had reservations for during Queens Feast, however about a hour before they cancelled our reservation due to kitchen issues.