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Phoenix, AZ

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Kai

4.6 (349 reviews)
Ultra High-EndCocktail Bars, Desserts, American
Closed • 5:30 pm - 8:30 PM
Updated a few days ago

Kai Photos

KAI ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Quiet
Romantic
Classy
Upscale

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Recommended Reviews - Kai

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Reviews With Photos

Rina G.

Went here last night for my birthday, I was able to see the sunset : )! Thank you for making a night to remember! Our kinda waiter Jeremy is very knowledgeable about the restaurant and the menu and is very welcoming of questions if you have any. The food is also really good and unique each one is an experience to remember.

Mushroom mille-feuille with Arizona mushrooms, apple and parsnip puree, black garlic and fermented mushroom broth
Jennifer G.

Can I give Kai 6 stars? 10 stars? This is one of most exquisite and memorable dining experiences I've ever had. The excellent service begins before you set foot on the property--the person who takes your reservation asks a number of questions to make sure the restaurant is prepared for your arrival. When you arrive at the valet stand, the attendant knows you by name and greets you according to the information you gave the booker (for example, if it's an anniversary dinner, he'll make reference to that). The people at the host stand greet you by name before they take you to your table. The menu has a slot in the front where servers can remove and replace a piece of art; your server has chosen an image especially for you. The tasting menu consists of gourmet dishes inspired by Indigenous ingredients and flavors, all presented beautifully. Each course is explained in full by your server. In between the official courses are small bites such as a piece of bread with butter or a wellness juice shot. One of my favorite parts of the experience came near the end of the meal. A bowl of rocks and plants was set on the table, then a server poured hot water over it. Suddenly, my table was filled with the scent of rain in the desert. My car was ready at valet before I even walked outside, and sitting in my passenger seat was a thank-you gift and a bottle of water with a personalized thank-you card from my server. I cannot say enough good things about Kai--the food, the service, the views, the ambiance are all incredible. The only drawbacks I could see other people finding with the experience are the cost (the bill for one person with tip was over $300) and the "foodieness" of the menu--this is a meal for people with sophisticated palates.

Bread
Alyson W.

Very special place where they try to make every detail of your experience absolutely divine, starting with the hand-painted, one-of-a-kind menus, to the introduction in the native language, to the respect given to the native tradition. Service was incredible - for each course change, a host of servers descended on our table in unison to greet us and prepare the food, often tableside or with some tableside finishing. They also included a dry-ice presentation to have us smell the creosote and finished with a gift for each of us and a hand-written thank you note. Incredible concept and well executed. They accommodated us when one of our party was very late and when one was cold, by giving us a blanket. I will say I was served a cocktail in a cracked glass, which is kind of scary, but they were very apologetic and I understand things happen.

Noah S.

I'm going to start off with a warning that this review will be a bit pretentious, but that comes with the type of restaurant this is and the price point. You kind of have to have higher standards. Let's start with the great. The service was perfect, I didn't have a single worry or want the entire time I was there. The staff were very friendly and made sure everything was taken care of. Saying they were attentive was an understatement. Now to the good. The food tasted good. There were certainly no issues with any of the courses, and I enjoyed them all. Same with the cocktails. I enjoyed the flavors of the ones we tried. Now to the not so good(the pretentious part). The decor and vibes of the restaurant were very distracting. You walk into the hotel lobby and are greeted with an amazing view, then you keep walking and get into Kai... and you're greeted with a bunch of knick-knacks all over the walls that try to distract you from what is obviously just a hotel conference room. To continue the theme of vibe, it was also just so quiet the whole time we were there with a very low volume white noise ambiance. If my date and I weren't whispering, the whole room would be able to hear our conversation. That might be the preference for some finer diners, but for us it was a bit awkward. Next, I want to call attention to the 22-25$ cocktails we got. They were good, but they weren't 25$ good. I frequent cocktail bars and even they aren't this overpriced. Finally, I want to talk about the food again. I want to emphasize that the food tasted good, and everything was cooked well. My issue is that none of the courses were amazing. Not a single one did I think, holy cow I need to tell someone about this. This isn't a critique I would usually make, but this was one of the highest priced fine dining restaurants I've been to, and I expected the quality to reflect that. I even got their signature dish, the bison, and it was cooked well, but the flavors were pretty standard. If you want to feel like a king being waited on and don't mind throwing down 500-600$ on pretty good food, this is your place. If you've been saving up all year to have the most incredible meal you've had in a while, I think there are some better choices out there in the area.

Deb B.

I have never ever had an experience like the one I had last evening at Kai. From the moment we walked through the door until the moment we left which was 2 1/2 hours later, we were treated like celebrities. I've never had service this excellent and food prepared so beautifully and tastily (is that even a word?) We arrived a few minutes early and were greeted by our last name and presented with a tablet with specialty cocktails. The bartender came to us to take the order and to deliver the drinks while we waited for our 6 PM reservation. Everyone who works in this establishment, and there are many who make it happen, know all about the native culture, the menu, and seems so happy to be working here. You can select from a few choices of every course and there are some surprises from the chef in between. Whomever created the concept thought of everything even chilling thr silverware when we were eating a cold item and heating the silverware when we were eating a hot item. Each dish was masterfully explained by Taylor our wait staff. She had just the right amount of intelligence and humor to make the evening very enjoyable. The menu features native dishes and ingredients and most things are locally sourced. The staff know where every item comes from and we had a lot of exchange about what we were eating. As soon as we finished a course, wait staff scooped in and took the dirty dishes, pronto. They brushed crumbs off the table, though I couldn't see them. This level of service is unprecedented as is the food. It was pricey, but well worth it. As I was leaving one of the staff asked if I enjoyed the food and asked me to tell them what I had which I did. There was a lot. She gave me a beautiful card handwritten by Taylor as well as a gift. The ambiance is amazing and a tribute to the native culture on which the resort stands. I am a fan.

Panna cotta

Laura, Feliciano, Austin, and the rest of the staff were incredible in explaining all the foods and making sure everything was perfect. The food was amazing and you could tell care was put into it. Not many people were there so it was a quiet place to enjoy good food and the sunset

Honey dessert
Jessica P.

More than just an incredible meal - it's an unforgettable experience. Kai has been on my list to try for years, and we finally visited this past weekend for my birthday. I truly could not have had higher expectations and they were surpassed. Each course told a story and was well executed, and the service was fantastic. We loved the pee posh garden, Ha:L, late harvest, u'uwhig, key lime pie, and honey. The duck was one of the best dishes I have ever had in my life. The hotel and restaurant are gorgeous, romantic, and very peaceful- I can only imagine how beautiful the view is at sunset. Such an amazing experience and I cannot wait to go back !

Kris F.

Being with friends in the industry made the evening fantastic! The narration of what is on the plate is perfect. It draws you into the flavors before you even taste the food. I loved the great service in a relaxed environment. We all started at the bar, and the Cosmo was on point. We visited the beautiful fireplace and then meandered to the dining room, where the group I was with filled the entire room. Our lead waiter was gracious to our chit-chat and moved around to network. The wine pairing was perfect, as you could choose white, red, or both to accompany whatever tasty course you were presented. I highly suggest this as a place to take your team or go out on a romantic evening for two.

Sylvia C.

My husband brought me here to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary! We arrived early and that gave us time to walk around the grounds and just enjoy the sunset. Once we got to the restaurant, we were given a glass of wine and we sat next to the fireplace. I have to say I have never experienced such outstanding service! The service was exquisite! the food was delightful and our servers were knowledgeable and ever so friendly! The only criticism I have is that the lobster tail could have provided more lobster! I know it's a tasting menu but really one bite of lobster for $350 was a tad disappointing! Oh yeah, the wine pairing was phenomenal! but don't come here if you don't want to spend money with the wine pairing, it was $350 apiece and with the tip it was $900! But it was well worth it because the experience is something that's hard to put into words!

Fonda S.

this food was like nothing i've ever had before!!! the service was like i was the queen of england!!!!

Red sun
Royce K.

2nd time here was not a disappointment food and service as good as last time the bar tender I I wish I could remember her name she went well beyond what she had to do for a drink she even made and new one ramons aviation fiz it was the best

Menu. Individual art on cover.
Bella B.

Experience photo-documented. MIC DROP. WOW. The service BLEW US AWAY more than the food and ambiance. And the food and ambiance were stunning. Yes, it was pricey, but it was so worth the visit. What a treat. Of course, MAKE RESERVATIONS. Overall, highly recommend!

Bread
Ethan S.

I have to say this was the best experience I have had at a restaurant to date. From being called by our last names, having our chairs pulled out for us, napkins placed on us to a full on history lesson and a timeless story told through the food. Not to mention the lighting was yellow which I normally I'm not a fan of but they were able to match the lighting with all the colors around bringing out an exotic feeling.

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Reviews are largely positive. People highlight the exceptional service, unique food presentation with Native American influences, and an immersive ambiance. Drinks and wine pairings are also appreciated.

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5 months ago

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1 month ago

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2 months ago

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

Amazing food but small portions, even by fine dining standards. Great taste, and service, but leaving wanting a burger to fill the void

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2 years ago

Didn't return my phone call!! We had dinner there before and it was very good, but I guess they are too busy to call back!

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Ask the Community - Kai

Hi, is the prefix tasting menu a set menu, or does it give you options for each course?

It's pre-fix, but you get still 2-3 selections for each of four or five main courses.

Are the prices for the dinner that I'm seeing (145 fir tasting menu, 265 for wine pairing) per person? Is the wine pairing price extra or is that including the 145 for the tasting menu?

That price is per person. The wine pairing price is the total price per person, it's not on top of the tasting menu price.

Can anyone share the average price of dinner? The tasting menus specifically? Thanks!

$145 for five courses, $265 with wine pairing

View All 4 Questions

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4.4(107 reviews)
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Had dinner with friends here for the first time and heard they are under new management as of early…read moreMay(?). Allison and Les (apologies for any misspelling) took great care of us and checked in often. Menus were also recently updated with the change. Ordered the Gold Rush cocktail and the Miso Ocean Trout for dinner. The cocktail was done very well with a good balance between the alcohol and flavoring. The trout was probably one of the best fish dishes I've ever had. The miso paired so well with the dynamic sauce and the fish along with the sticky coconut rice and greens. I also took a bite of my friend's The Boar sandwich and it was delicious - fries were amazing. Will definitely be back!! Also, parking's a little tough since Postino's in the same plaza, but they do offer a discount if you ride share!

So happy I found this hidden gem. I was starving after helping with childcare for three services at…read moremy church. I couldn't wait to come here for lunch. I made a reservation and had planned to meet my sister and friend here. Though I had made at 1:30pm, I didn't realize the restaurant closes at 2pm on Sunday's. I called to confirm the time speaking with both Allison and the GM who were very kind in answeriing my questions. I usually don't dine at restaurants first thing when they open or right before closing, but we made it before 1:30pm and it was great. There were a handful of people dining in so I was relieved that we weren't the only ones there at that time. Allison was our server and she was really great! Very friendly and excellent customer service. The bartender was awesome as well. He had greeted us upon entering and brought waters to the table. They were only offering brunch which worked out because the jerk chicken sandwich I wanted to try was on that menu. OMG this sandwich was delicious although I couldn't taste any jerk seasoning on the chicken maybe due to the amount of mango slaw. I ordered the truffle fries which were excellent. The food was served hot, fresh, and beautifully presented. Next visit will be for happy hour food and drinks :)

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