Historically, I've found it pretty rare that a Restaurant of this type/caliber can deliver nightly and in each instance on the highest level for all cylinders ie. food, beverage program, and service.
Well, we were blown away by the meticulous level of hospitality, cuisine, and...detail that was carefully orchestrated throughout every level of the entire evening (we opted for the 20 courses, so we were there for about 4ish hours).
From walking through the doors, the Maitr'D (I forget her name, but a true Hospitality rock star) set the perfect tone that never dipped or changed throughout the night. We sat at the Kitchen Counter (highly recommended). We were primarily taken care of by Max, who really took his time in storytelling and acting as an ambassador for everything coming out of the kitchen. From a service perspective, kudos also to the Mixologist (sadly, I also forget her name), who truly was a master of her craft and able to assist with recommendations all throughout the evening while providing context for the why behind the thoughtfully constructed cocktail list.
This brings me to the food. While 20 courses was definitely ambitious on our part, the pace was perfect. Chef visits the Counter to drop off many of the courses, giving explanations for how a lot of these dishes came to be, providing a holistic snapshot that further incorporates time and place while keeping focus on hyperlocal and sustainable ingredients. The food is delicious but also witty and fun and thought-provoking, with certain courses really elevated in a playful and artistic way that's hard to explain without really being there. One of the things we noticed was that the kitchen staff was so happy, collaborative, and laser-focused, and that genuinely comes through in a way that's exciting to watch and thrilling to be a part of. Kudos to the Chef for creating that type of environment.
While we were visiting Romania for many reasons, in retrospect I would recommend Kaiamo to anyone interested in a modern (but not pretentious) food experience that really showcases the best of Romania while giving guests a truly memorable evening. Chef Radu Ionescu is delivering exceptional work; do yourself a favor and go.More