Kai Café & Restaurant – Gastro Shabby Chic

Escaping Galway’s bustling center of shopping and swarms of students, we crossed the River Corrib into a more peaceful neighborhood. We had ended up at Kai Café & Restaurant for lunch rather than dinner simply by how the puzzle pieces of our numerous dining options fell into place during our short 2-day stay in Galway. Scrutinizing our hotel map, we wended our way through the curvy streets to Kai Cafe without too much difficulty.

By the time we found Kai, it was only around 11:30 and they hadn’t yet begun to scribble the daily-changing lunch menu on their giant blackboard.  Luckily Kai is open continuously starting with breakfast, and staff were friendly and welcoming and offered us a table and a local newspaper while we waited for the clock to click over to lunch. We opted for a cozy table under the wooden stair case and glanced at the blackboard repeatedly, as if anxiously awaiting our train track number to be posted. Given the cold and breezy day, we took the opportunity to warm up over a pot of Irish breakfast tea while we enjoyed Kai’s relaxing atmosphere and modern, eclectic, high-ceilinged space. There was much to take in while we waited for lunch: the beautiful desserts flung across the counter, the glass-ceiling that peers onto the next door church, and the beautifully curated, casually-artsy space. 

C. had opted to sit in the coziest part of our nook right under the stairs, but the comfiness dissipated as staff clomped up and down the wooden staircase with deafening footsteps that reverberated inside the nook like the inside of a bell cloche. But we liked our snug space so we stuck it out and giggled each time someone climbed the stairs, as it suddenly seemed like the most ridiculous place to have a table. But ultimately, Kai was so lovely and the staff so hospitable, it really didn’t matter. 

At last, one of the Kai staff climbed up to the massive chalkboard and began to execute the lunch menu. One by one the creative, casual comfort food dishes were revealed, giving us time to make the difficult decision of which ones we would commit to. 

C. opted for the Reuben sandwich with melted cheddar on focaccia. I had the Sea Road Fish Fingers with Sriracha Mayo that was perfectly breaded and fried. Lunch was so filling that all we could do was feast with our eyes on the dessert counter decked out by Kai’s French pastry chef — and play the game, “if I weren’t so stuffed, I would have…” 

Kai staff recommended their neighboring pub, The Crane Bar, as a great place for live Trad music, and we liked the idea of coming back to this low-key local neighborhood. We headed back to the town center through the winding streets toward the river taking in the sleepy neighborhood that appeared to have interesting cafes and pubs that probably came alive at night. It turned out that our short stay didn’t allow us to make it back to this part of town. But next time I’m in Galway, my plan will be to have dinner at Kai Café & Restaurant, followed by live music at The Crane Bar.