Kai in Galway

Disappointing. Given the many positive reviews, we had high expectations. We should have read through the reviews more carefully, as our experience was similar to that shared in about 1/5 of the reviews by others below. Atmosphere is really nice. Service is good, but nothing special given the price and reputation -- perfunctory comes to mind. The real disappointment was the food. The parma appetizer was great. The rest of the dishes, however, while cooked really well, were either remarkably bland, as if missing key ingredients, or plain off with mismatched ingredients. There are numerous better restaurants for this price across Ireland, including within a few blocks away in Galway.

Yummy food, the female staff were kind, the male waiter we had was initially rushing us a bit as we arrived maybe 10-15 minutes late, which is not our norm, and said we were running out of time (as the table was booked again less than 2 hours after we arrived). Service was quick so turning over the table was not an issue. Other than that one comment, he was nice and it was a good experience. It’s a very popular spot so would recommend a reservation.

Food was delicious but service was perfunctory and unfriendly. Everyone except one server was frowning. They kept checking the tables—perfunctory like I said. Too bad because the ambiance beautiful and warm. The staff, NO. There are restaurants with half the quality of food but the service is warm and friendly. Imagine a combination of excellent food and service. That’s the winning ticket.

This may be the best restaurant in all of Ireland. The service is friendly and laid-back, the menu is interesting and varied, and the drinks list does not disappoint. A few weeks ago I asked ChatGPT for a restaurant recommendation in Galway, and it immediately pointed me to Kai. Thank you to our new robot overlords for the suggestion, and thank you to the team for a truly wonderful lunch experience. We had the hake fish finger feature and some gorgeous little fritters, each served with a flirty little salad and fresh-baked bread. They also have a cheeky selection of local bottled zero-proof drinks including some cute lemonades and sodas (try the Irish apple juice—or as the Irish call it, “Apple juice”). 10/10 would go back.

Fabulous and different. Walk in lunch superb 👌

Excellent desserts! The pistachio and polenta was fantastic.

Not what it used to be. I used to love Kai but I think it's going downhill. The food is still quite good, but with the 2 sittings I feel like you are being rushed out the door. It's simply too expensive for that experience. When you pay nearly 500 euro for a 4 person dinner, it's nice to feel like you have a nice night out, where you are looked after. However the dishes came out so fast that at 7.15 we had nearly finished eating and at 8 nearly all the tables around us were empty again. The service also wasn't as good as it once was, waiting staff was impatient. The 'eat it and beat it' feeling wasn't pleasant, and would stop me from coming back.

This is not a bad restaurant—quite the opposite, actually. I had many friends recommend it to me, which is why we were excited to try it. Fortunately, we managed to get a table at the last minute. We had looked at the menu online beforehand and knew exactly what we wanted to order. Unfortunately, when we arrived, the menu had changed. Out of five people, two no longer wanted a main dish because what they originally planned to eat was no longer available. As a result, we ordered three main courses and several starters. However, we quickly noticed that the service we received was not the same as for the other tables. Our portions were noticeably smaller than those of our neighbors. I understand that it may not be ideal for a restaurant when not everyone orders a main course, but in that case, the online menu should be kept up to date. With a limited selection, it’s important for guests to be able to choose a dish that truly suits them. Thank you.

excellent food and great service, fabulous lunch, this is definitely one of the best restaurants in Galway I'm in love with it, the menu is ever changing and the atmosphere is amazing. Whatever your dietary requirements or your taste they will have something you'll love and the service is great and helpful if you have any questions.

About 3 years of always wanting to go to Kai, finally got the chance today and we'll iam definitely disappointed. The starter was nice but the main were medicore I found the star of the dish was okay but all the element around it were bland , still raw and not completely fulfilling the dish For example we had the thyme panisse , then just boiled peas with barely grilled Courgette and a little little sauce We had a pistachio polenta cake with mascarpone, which fair enough plainly said it on the menu but mascarpone is tough , hard consistency so even smoothing it down would have made a difference,then a big lump on the side . The Persian cauliflower side dish was missing the spiciness of flavour, bland and under baked and came barely warm , and we all know how good roasted cauliflower could be. Guess more attention to the details and elements taste would be nice, which should be expected at this standard.