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Kaitei

4.6 (46 reviews)
Closed 5:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)

Kaitei Photos

KAITEI ATMOSPHERE

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Moderate noise
Hipster
Casual
Trendy

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Recommended Reviews - Kaitei

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a pink cocktail in a coupe glass
Jazzy S.

This is a super cool speakeasy with cool vibes and amazing drinks. We stumbled upon it while eating at Ika Ramen upstairs. The service was great, very friendly. The menu is easy to follow, with cocktails on one side and sake on the other. The bartender recommend some really good sake, crisp and dry. We got one of the sweeter cocktails but it was very tasty and just the right amount of sweetness. This place is awesome and would definitely recommend!

Lianna N.

Omaha is in no shortage of cool retro speakeasy-eque bars- and this one is high on my list. Drew and Alex- two of the bartenders here- are familiar faces from Berry & Rye, Wicked Rabbit AND Laka Lono. I was pleasantly surprised to see them here but already knew that I would be well taken care of. The small basement-like space of KaiTei is used as overflow for Ika Ramen's waiting area, or you can enter from the back alley if you just seek to patronage the bar, which is what we did. It's decorated in a fun graffiti form, which reminds me of a bar I once visited in Shibuya Japan. The menu here is ever changing, and Drew told us he has plans to revamp pretty frequently. It's mostly sake based, and I LOVE that! There was even a boxed sake which was cute and fun. Drew and Alex make drinking an art with their craft. I told Drew that I wanted him to choose all my drinks and he asked a few questions then kept bringing them out. I enjoyed each one. They recently set up a vending machine which dispenses affordable Asian snacks. Great bar munchies! Totally a great place to have a warm engaging night with friends- and the drinks were amazing. Worth the $10 price point for me. Benson's best kept (but not for long) secret.

a close up of a drink in a glass on a wooden table
Areen B.

Such a sick spot. This place makes you feel like you stepped into the Lofi girl on Youtube's life. With a sick decor, anime playing on a vintage TV and amazing drinks with great service, you can't go wrong with Kaitei. Directions: Head in to Ika ramen and make a right down the stairs.

Anyone remember this? Back for a limited time. Still don't like it!
Kyle K.

How has it that I haven't written a review for this stellar speakeasy in Benson? Alas, here is my delayed review. Step through the hidden, back alley entrance, walk past the vending machine with Asian snacks, and through the fabric partition. It will seem like you've teleported to a cool, super hip bar in New York City. Graffiti and street art cover the walls while artificial cherry blossom branches hang down from the ceiling. The 90s R & B playlist is a nice touch (at least that's what was playing while we are there). Don't have a clue about Sake? Neither did I. The knowledgeable staff will make recommendations; anywhere from a low alcohol option or more "robust" selections. They also have a nice cocktail menu. If you have your own beverage in mind, not a problem. they will also mix that up for you too without giving you that "I don't know what you're talking about" look. I'll definitely be back again when hanging out in Benson.

Drew's Creation "bobalicious" with bursting boba
Ken C.

Kaitei is located underground in Omaha's hippest neighborhood Benson. This Japanese-style sake & cocktail bar is in the basement under Ika Ramen at 6109 Maple. When we first discovered this hidden gem, it was just a great place to grab a drink while waiting to be seated at upstairs Ika Ramen. This place quickly became our favorite bar because of its amazing bartenders, creative décor/theme, and fun snacks/food! Drew, the bartender is the star of the show here! Friendly demeanor and prompt service is what you can always expect from him. His fun personality and amazing mixology skills conveys a great experience every time! I always ask for something "Instagramable" and Drew delivers every single time! Not only it's the drinks instagramable, but also very delicious! Nevertheless, the arcade games, the old-school anime playing on the TV, and the Asian snack vending machine at Kaitei create a cultural and fun experience while sharing drinks with friends/loved ones! The Asian snacks are perfect for those that need something in their stomach to soak up all the alcohol they been consuming or just something extra to add to a night of bar hopping LOL - I don't make a lot of good decisions when I drink, and I had no idea what any of the snacks are inside that vending machine, but not this time! The drinks in me lead me to press this magical button (A7 I think) that brought me this absolutely delicious spicy/crunchy snack with a chicken breathing fire on the package! It's so good and now I'm addicted! I will come back just to snack!

Afternoon Delight and Shotgun Wedding
Kara D.

Kaitei is officially one of my favorite bars in Omaha. I encourage everyone to come here, even though I don't want anyone to come here to make it too crowded. First of all, it's got a speakeasy vibe because you enter through a random door in an alley... which I'm into. Or you can head downstairs from Ika. But there's something about the experience of passing by a bunch of smelly dumpsters to open a gateway to a Japanese-street-art-inspired oasis. Inside = vending machine of Japanese snacks, sweet murals, dim lighting with pops of color, and a TV playing old school TMNT. But onto the cocktails... they are all so incredibly innovative and expertly executed. Expect fun garnishes and both refined and approachable ingredients from Japanese whiskey to unfiltered sake to popping lychee boba. Even though their cocktail menu is super satisfying, I love just telling the mixologists, "this is what I like; make me something 'super dope'"... and they'll whip up a spectacular custom off-menu drink. (S/O to Drew and Alex!) Pro tip: order food to go at Ika, receive a buzzer, and you can bring your food downstairs to Kaitei to enjoy.

Sake in a can
Will S.

I keep finding myself here on weekends and loving the hell out it. Kaitei is a unique bar to Omaha. It's small and intimate and a bit dingy (can't help it's 100-year-old basement location), but offers an experience like no other. Great drinks. Great, knowledgable bartenders with great customer service. Always a fun time. You can grab a bite upstairs at Ika before or after. Definitely check it out of you haven't stopped by already.

Lauren G.

I've decided Kaitei is going to be my new Cheers bar in Benson. Basically, like Norm, people will eventually think I'm just part of the decor because I'm there so often. Alex Diimig, aka the Sam Malone of Kaitei, tends the bar and knows that chances are not all the patrons will be sake experts and obviously took that risk opening a sake bar in the Midwest, but in a refreshing way he's not a total dick about it. He's genuinely knowledgeable and takes what you like to normally drink on a night out and relates it to what sake you would enjoy. And also, like, name another place you can drink alcohol in a juice box!?!? Honestly if yelp would let me write a short review that just said, "Alcoholic Juice Box. Enough said." I would. So get your butts down to the basement of Ika and get yourself some sake. Or don't, so I can drink it all.

Menu
Shannon B.

This place apparently has two entrances, Google maps directed us to an entrance in an alley, marked with a blue light. A short descent lands you at an unmarked door, opening into a graffitied hallway with a curtain at the end. Going through the curtain finally lands you in the bar, which is intimate, noisy, and a bit warm. There is an extensive sake list, and creative cocktails on the menu. There's also the option on the menu of letting the bartender ask a few questions and crafting a cocktail based off of your preferences. My first cocktail was a deliciously sweet and refreshing apple concoction called Eden Was An Inside Job. It was spilled before even one sip was taken and the bartender very kindly made another at no charge. That blew me away! The second drink was Hey Rickey, Shiso Fine...incredible! The taste is very hard to describe but it should be tried! For my final drink I did the "Feeling Lucky" bartender's choice option. The bartender asked whether I liked my drinks more citrusy or sour (citrusy!) and what type of alcohol I like usually (vodka). Whatever she came up with was awesome! I don't know how she made such a great drink based off of those two questions but kudos to her! Overall, I enjoyed my entire experience, from the fun of finding it to the music to the staff. I can't wait to return!

Island of the Banished Good Boy

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4 years ago

Great atmosphere, low key, prices were reasonable for such a selection! Staff is always friendly and polite 10/10 would recommend

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8 years ago

Great little getaway! Well balanced drinks and terrific staff. Vibe is a bit gritty...in a good way.

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8 years ago

Awesome little hidden bar underneath a ramen joint (you have to go into the ramen place and find the unmarked door).

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Ask the Community - Kaitei

Review Highlights - Kaitei

And if you're creeped out walking down the alley, you can also enter from Ika Ramen above (allegedly).

Mentioned in 6 reviews

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Little Riot - Pho Pizza

Little Riot

(15 reviews)

Benson

So cute! Great addition to the Benson area. They have a ground floor outdoor patio in the back and…read morean outdoor rooftop patio upstairs. The inside seating is adorable and has view of the wood fire oven and the bar. They have a good selection of wood fire pizzas, pastas, salads, handhelds, and appetizers. They also have tons of cocktails, wines, and fishbowls. Their happy hour also has amazing deals Thursday-Sunday, open to 6 PM. The Moscow mule was tasty and the margarita was yummy and strong. The gin martinis were deliciously briney. We tried the hot tots to share and they were a great additional to the table but very rich. The pizza was cheesy and so worth it. There weren't many people staffed but our server was on top of it! She made sure to keep our drinks filled and was great at checking our tables and all the other tables there. We weren't able to see the rooftop patio due to weather, but I can't wait to come back and check it out.

I came here with a group of 12 for a bachelorette party, and unfortunately, we didn't have the…read morebest experience. Half of our party showed up at 6 o'clock and didn't get the drinks. They ordered until about 6:45. The other half of our group joined. About 630, and we're not able to order for about half an hour. We finally got our food order in (before receiving about half the drinks) about an hour or more into our visit. The food itself didn't take too long, but our server did not do a good job, taking care of us. It was busy in the restaurant, but the service was still worse than expected. Luckily, one of our members happen to know a server on staff, and texted him to ask for help with our order. He came over and apologized, took our drink order, and flagged our server down for us. Finally, she showed up to take our order and the visit was fine from there. The food itself was good, we loved the meat lovers pizza, but no one liked the flavor of the white garlic pizza. The crab Rangoon appetizer was definitely a favorite, and we also loved the whipped ricotta appetizer. The drinks were a hit, in including the nonalcoholic, Yuzu lemonade, which I enjoyed. We went up to the rooftop for a picture, this was before 9 PM so they were not busy with the late night party going on. The bouncer graciously took a few pictures for us, but unfortunately, it was a chilly night, and there are no heaters up there, so we went in and out as quickly as possible. We heard that they were passing out free shots on the rooftop, but we're not offered any by the bartender who offered to take our order. Overall, I was not impressed up with the quality of the food or drink drinks to come back after having such a negative experience with the service. I hope that our visit was an anomaly, but I would not drive out of my way for this place again.

Revival House - We got there very early in the evening by the time we left it was pretty full.

Revival House

(32 reviews)

Blackstone, Midtown

We visited Revival House because a friend picked it to celebrate their birthday, and I was really…read moreexcited since this place had been on my list for a while. The space is super cute and bigger than I expected. I love that the windows open up and give it an indoor/outdoor vibe, and the tropical décor makes it feel fun and cozy at the same time. There's plenty of seating, and they can fit both small and big groups. We were a party of about eight and were still able to find a good spot together. Something I really liked is that they let you bring food from other places since they don't serve any, which is perfect if you want to hang out for a while. Their drink menu is huge, and the presentation is honestly amazing. When we first got there it was slow, but it definitely got busier as the night went on. We did struggle a bit when it was time to check out because all the servers were running around, so just be ready for that on a busy night. Overall, we had a great time. The drinks were really good, the vibe was great, and I'd definitely go back.

I've been wanting to try Revival House for quite a while now, and it was pretty good! It was so…read morecute inside and the drink menu had a decent variety. It was kind of confusing whether we had to go order at the bar or if someone was going to come take our order, but eventually someone came to us. I got the Exotic Bird and it was definitely my favorite drink out of the group. The seating was a bit of a challenge as we had to seat ourselves and we had a decently large group, so we had to wander around for a bit trying to find a spot, but we eventually did. I'll probably be back to try more drinks, but maybe when they are less busy!

Reverb Lounge - Smith and Jessen on stage

Reverb Lounge

(31 reviews)

$$

Benson

Cool Benson establishment which carries more "lived in/grunge" Benson vibes rather than "brand…read morespanking new trendy spot". Attached to the bar is a small but intimate music space where they have frequent $10 shows from a variety of smaller artists-local and beyond. This is your basic bar with cran vodkas and PBR, but they also pride themselves on a cool craft beer (many taps!) and cocktail menu too. The last drink I had there, a Oolong tea cocktail, was excellent. Unpretentious, casual, and versatile. Loud to sit in the bar area if you're just having a drink and not attending the concert in the next room over, BUT not every night is a show night. Lounge that fills a lot of shoes. Drinks for the crafties and the basic b's in your life, music for everyone, and you can feel comfortable dressed to impress or in ripped jeans and converses.

I came to Omaha specifically to see The Way Down Wanderers in concert at the Reverb since they were…read moreskipping KC this tour. What I hoped to be a great experience was magical. I was also turned on to a fantastic local act - Mr. E and The Stringless Kite. The Reverb Lounge I so tiny and intimate that it's like sitting in a friends basement with first class sound and lighting. There are only 3 tables and seating for 12, when the show started there were 31 people and it felt like we were all friends. The bar is outside the performance room, so the noise of a rowdy bar does not effect the show. The bar itself is simple and stylish with rock paraphernalia, exposed brick and wood and a great bartender the night I was there. Reverb, you are in my top 5 for concert venues! Well Done!

Kaitei - speakeasies - Updated May 2026

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