Kaya PDX

Stopped in last night with a few girlfriends to celebrate my birthday. Such a cute spot for a chill night out with friends. Good vibes and good ambiance with great music. Service was great. Staff was nice. They were very accommodating to our large party (8 people). It did take awhile for us to receive our last round of drinks, but we weren’t sure if the bartender knew how to make the shots or not that we ordered. Before we left, a DJ was setting up to play live music. They do pay you down and check your bags/purses when they check your ID. Will definitely be back soon with my friends.

My buddy and I were looking for a new spot to try some different drinks and came across a place called Kaya. Our first impression when we walked in was great—very friendly staff. We sat at the bar, and our bartender was Michael, who is from Las Vegas. We gave him some flavor profiles, and he made us a couple of personalized drinks. Based on his recommendation, I got the "Kaya Club," which came in a crazy bird-looking glass. It's like a whiskey sour, but a floral raspberry gin sour—I was very impressed! My buddy got the "Sippy Cup," made with amaro and sweet vermouth; it tasted sweet and strong. The atmosphere was great, too, with good vibes; everyone was enjoying themselves. The bar itself had a hip-hop aesthetic, with pictures of Tupac and Biggie. At the end, Michael gave us another great recommendation for a dessert drink: the "Aquaman." It's an espresso martini made with Ketel One, Linie Aquavit, and Mr. Black, and it was perfectly done. We had a great experience and have to visit again to try out their food. Michael, hope you see this—thank you again! We had a great time.

Was bar hopping with friends and ended up here at one point. I felt underdressed, though there were people dressed to the nines and others in basic casual clothes, so I didn’t feel super out of place. Vibes here were great. Didn’t try the food, will have to return for that. The cocktails were creative and fun! We did have to wait for a while before they took a drink order. Once we were sat we weren’t really sure if we needed to order at the bar or not, but they made it seem as if they would be back to take our order, which eventually they did. Will return for more!

Drinks have potential as glassware looks fun & unique which are great for photos however mixology isn’t the best. Out of 5 cocktails RNS and Martini were very disappointing as flavors didn’t mixed correctly, very odd taste almost bitter to rancid. Live DJ outside the bar was a plus but keep in mind that it’s gonna be cold inside as well as doors won’t be closed. Recommend in the summer for a better experience.

I’m a Californian visiting Portland for the first time and made it my mission to visit as many black owned businesses as possible. Of course Kaya was on my list. Let’s start with the good! The restaurant is beautifully decorated. I especially loved the posters of black artists lining the walls. The service was also great. My waiter as well as a couple other staff regularly checked on me to to make sure I was okay. The biggest area for improvement would be the food and drink menu. The waiter did tell me that they’re undergoing some changes to the menu so there wasn’t much to choose from. I ordered the Puff Puff Pass to drink and the chicken wings to eat. The drink was a 7/10 and the wings a 5/10. There was absolutely no flavor to the wings. I asked the waiter for a dipping sauce and she said they didn’t have any. She was kind enough to offer to go to the restaurant next door to grab some but I said it was okay. I feel like this place has A LOT of potential and I want to see it do well. However at this time, there’s a lot of room for growth. The food and drink, which is the main reason people come, is very subpar.

From the moment you walk in, this bar exudes sophistication and style. The ambiance strikes a perfect balance warm and welcoming yet undeniably upscale. Dim lighting, tasteful decor, and a curated soundtrack create a luxurious atmosphere without feeling pretentious. What truly sets this place apart, however, is the craftsmanship behind the bar. The cocktail menu is inventive and flawlessly executed, offering a mix of elevated classics and imaginative originals. Every drink is a testament to top-tier ingredients and masterful technique. The bartenders are true professionals, knowledgeable, passionate, and attentive without being overbearing. Service is impeccable from start to finish, and the attention to detail from glassware to garnishes is unmatched. Whether you're there for a quiet evening or a celebratory night out, this bar delivers a consistently exceptional experience. A destination for anyone who values the art of a well-made cocktail and the luxury of great hospitality.

This is a great date spot or for a fun night out with friends. The vibes and decor are sleek. The cocktails we got were great, we both got spirit forward drinks. I'll definitely be back again as I love the neighborhood. Did not try food the time I went.

I had such a great experience at Kaya! The bartender was absolutely amazing — super friendly, attentive, and clearly knows his craft. I asked him to surprise me with a mocktail, and wow… hands down the best mocktail I’ve ever had. Perfect balance of flavors, refreshing, and beautifully presented. The food was just as impressive. I ordered the burger and it was next-level delicious — juicy, packed with different kinds of meat, and topped with pineapple. As a Filipino, I’m a sucker for pineapple in everything, and this hit all the right notes. Sweet, savory, and satisfying. Highly recommend Kaya for both drinks and food — the vibe, service, and flavors are all on point!

On Sunday we celebrated my B-Day with 25 family and friends. The set-up, ambiance, and service was excellent. Our waiter was attentive and engaging. We were even allowed to plug in our play list while lounging in the atrium. Good times with friends, while in a cool spot.

Even though I travel the world touring with "my" artists, this was my first time in Portland, Oregon. Our friends booked us a personal guide (Adam Thorn Smith, highly recommended! ) who showed us around and made Yelp even sent us a message on the day like "wow - you know how to explore all hot spots on one day". He made sure we saw the Alberta Arts district and so we came back the very same evening to check things out. Even though the place was close to empty - a clear warning sign on a Friday night), the Kaya looked very special to us. The décor is undeniably swanky and gives off an upscale vibe -- the clientele at the time added to that impression as well. We each ordered a drink, but found them average at best. The four of us also shared almost all of their bar snacks - they call it "elevated bar food" and I could not find anything elevated. The olives were good, the fries and chicken wings OK and the charcuterie board disappointing. I was think how do I possibly rate it - but as much as I liked the place in the first place, "good" would be too much. It was OK, and I mean OK in a positive sense. The ambiance was appealing, the service as nice as you would expect - so it is a cool spot which by design promised to be better than in actually was. A shame really.

Fancy but lacking in substance I came across this place on Instagram and, coincidentally, ended up here the same day while out for drinks. The décor is undeniably swanky and gives off an upscale vibe -- the clientele at the time added to that impression as well. We each ordered a drink, but found them average at best. Presentation deserves four stars, but that's about it. Needless to say, we didn't feel compelled to order a second round. On the plus side, the staff were attentive and friendly, though the prices -- unsurprisingly -- were on the higher side.

What a fun little spot randomly located in Alberta was invited here on Halloween and came with no expectations. They have really fancy cocktails that were delicious. I had a golden ticket which came in a cute cup and a Wonka chocolate bar. There is plenty of seating and even a hookah lounge area. They have plenty of flavors and can even mix the flavors. The service was exceptional. Will be back again for sure.

Stopped in last night with a few girlfriends to celebrate my birthday. Such a cute spot for a chill night out with friends. Good vibes and good ambiance with great music. Service was great. Staff was nice. They were very accommodating to our large party (8 people). It did take awhile for us to receive our last round of drinks, but we weren't sure if the bartender knew how to make the shots or not that we ordered. Before we left, a DJ was setting up to play live music. They do pay you down and check your bags/purses when they check your ID. Will definitely be back soon with my friends.

Love love this Venu with so much potential but with long wait to get in and long waits to get host to take our drink orders and no options to quickly order at bar....!! No Bueno!! Live DJ and total potential vibe but close at 12? Got me scratching my head?

Good vibes, horrible server! The bar tender tipped himself 8$ on my card that I did not authorize both times I ordered !! Luckily I keep my receipts

Cute bar with inside and outside seating. It wasn't busy on a weekend night so I didn't need reservations but made one anyway. Friendly service. the shoe string fries were good and a large portion! My drink was in a cute bird glass but was just ok. Didn't love it.

my bartenders and waitress were on point and attentive. there way a bit of a hickup with my order and within moments they rectified it. visitor from Seattle. ima need to give praise and shout out to jules and Pedro

My review is first based on mostly the service. Hattie, Richard and Michael are literally the heart of Kaya. Each of them work hard to ensure guest are satisfied, have delicious drinks and food comes out timely. Hattie is very attentive, Richard is friendly and knowledgeable about the menu, and Michael mixes some of my favorite cocktails in Portland. I will say I did wait to write this review because I have been a few times and the food has been very mid, however they seem to have a new chef and a menu is worth trying. I ordered the sweet potato taco which I understand might not be for everyone but I really enjoyed the balance of sweet in the tacos and the spice from the sauce on the side. Even during a busy rush the staff doesn't miss a beat. Go check them out!

Food Order: Wings, Shoe String Frys, Radicchio Salad Drink Order: Pisco Soul & Baby Turtle Pros: Black Owned, Black Owned, Black Owned, Off rip, the ambiance is amazing! The cocktail presentations are also amazing! Music is great! The food was really really god and easy to share between 2 ppl as the portions are nice and big. The drinks are also good! No complaints here Cons: I hate that you have to get a code to use the bathroom. On top of that, it's a pretty good walk to the bathroom. If it's busy and you cant get the code it would be a nightmare lol.

The only issue I had is the menu. It's not updated to the food pictures on the Yelp. They didn't have most of the items on the menu anymore. They did have some wings, and the wings were fire! they had really good service too. Great atmosphere.

Insanely good happy hour. Food items for a few bucks, drinks for not much more. Service was very friendly, felt like I was talking with a friend. Bartenders know their menu very well. Swanky, fancy type feel but not overtly pretentious.

Food, cocktails, atmosphere, service were all top notch!!! The espresso martinis (I had 2) were so delicious and expertly crafted. Staff were all super friendly. I went on a Saturday night (12/7/24) right at 5pm by myself & sat at the bar. Everyone was beyond lovely and hospitable! Great staff!! I will definitely be back when I'm back in Ptown for my espresso martinis and sweet potato crispy tacos! So good!! Food menu was perfect too! Not too big but, yummy options.

DO NOT plan on having your birthday or a big group of people here, not very accommodating and staff needs better training on their policies. I planned my cousins birthday here two weeks prior to the actual date of February 1st at 9:30pm, she was super excited for the vibes and good music, plus she would be having people from out of town coming to celebrate her birthday. I set a reservation for a table for a group of 10, knowingly we had more guests to show here and there due to it being her birthday. (17+ people) I arrive at the door 9:48pm to check in and waited for a host, stated. name for reservation she proceeded to say "oh we gave your table away (to a group of 5 men she pointed to) there's only a 15minute grace period" we are asking her is there something you can do the birthday girl and rest of our group are on their way here from dinner, nothing in our conversation for reservations said anything about a grace period. She continued to say "oh well it's first come first serve whoever gets up from a table and we tried to call you" I DID NOT receive a call from any Kaya team, ONLY a confirmation text which I replied with confirming our reservation and is this establishment musical Chairs for even reservations ? I went to the bar and asked nicely for a manager to speak to for any accommodations, especially for a large group for a BIRTHDAY celebration. One bartender stated nicely "okay it'll be a moment" we proceeded to wait around for another 15mins. until another nice bartender(blonde, forgot her name) came up to us and stated "did you guys need anything" I proceeds to tell her no still waiting on a manager to speak to (15mins later) as we are waiting a group of 5 girls come in and instantly get a table..... The bar manager finally speaks to us from other side of the bar and I explain the situation about our reservation, he stated "we have a 45minute grace period for our table reservations and it's been an hour reservation was at 9:00pm" I said "excuse me my reservation is actually 9:30pm and your host said it was a 15 minute grace period?" I proceed to Show him email of confirmation and now there is no policy with tardiness. He says "oh I thought it was 9:00pm, next time we will need to put that in the email sorry nothing we can do about that" he was very rude and not accommodating at all for customers who are trying to spend money at this establishment for their birthday. Most appalling experience of customer service and birthday Girl was not happy of this manner of untrained staff. So our group of 14 left and will never be back spending a dollar here again, we were accommodated nicely at another establishment just fine with our big group.

Everything needs improvement. Starting with the bouncer that pretends to be so busy as if the bar is packed and they can't get you in without reservations and having 20 open tables in front of you. This place looks nicely decorated but that's about it, the staff were extremely rude and disrespectful to my group of friends. I will warn everyone to stay away from this bar. Give your money to another establishment that actually wants business and that treats their customers kindly.

Came on a Friday night for dinner and drinks. Love the decor - bar side is darker and more intimate and restaurant table side is green and open. Food was really good and fresh - appreciated that the wings seemed like good quality chicken, Caesar salad seemed more homemade with real anchovies, veggies were fresh. Enjoyed my drinks as well - had the Scorpian's Tail which had a perfect spiciness and then an Empress gin fizz. Staff was friendly, and music good. Will def return!

Visited this place while I was in Oregon. Great option, amazing quality service! Food was delicious and drinks were so creative and tasty. Will definitely me coming back.

We waited with anticipation for weeks to celebrate our friend's birthday Kaya! Upon entrance, we greeted by friendly staff, cute decor and great music. As more of the group arrived, we quickly realized Kaya is not accommodating to large groups. It was a Saturday night at 9 PM. The venue was not overflowing with people. There was plenty of space. The music was great and the music was loud. However, they wanted us to sit at a table. Sitting at a table with loud music limits you to mingling with only the people sitting next to you. When reconnecting for a friend's birthday, most people would love to mingle with all of their friends. We watched a table of 20 get up and leave prior to us because they were being forced to sit down. Not long after arriving, we gathered the group and headed to another destination down the street. That's two groups of at least 20 people that took off for another destination because of a lack of hospitality. It seems as though they need to figure out if they want to be a bar or a restaurant or what type of space? If they're gonna play loud music on Saturday night, they shouldn't force patrons to sit down. But if they want to be a more calm, sit down type of atmosphere, maybe have some low-key music playing softly in the background. The one positive is the staff was friendly in their constant reminders for everybody to sit down.

I had the pleasure of being served by TJ at the bar, and I was very impressed. Their cocktail-making skills are excellent, and they created a welcoming atmosphere that made our group want to stay longer. We'll most definitely stop by again soon:)

Great atmosphere, service, drinks and food! Date night on a Wednesday was a hit at Kaya Pdx. We will definitely be returning for another round or two!

I love the vibe of this place. Perfect for a date night or girl's night out! Nicely low light and they have an outdoor area that is so cute and heated very well. The cocktails are unique, fresh, and so balanced. Definitely one of the best cocktail bars in Portland.

This place should be packed! It has an amazing vibe and the bartender threw down for us last night. I also really enjoyed the lemon pepper wings, bacon wrapped dates, and fries. It's almost too many fries, they make a mess, but I've never complained about too many fries. I look forward to see this place thrive and maybe have more food options?

Aesthetically Kaya is super cute . I would definitely recommend it. Drinks were great even the shots. I only ordered from the happy hour menu the fries were just fries with ketchup, mushroom tacos were very good, and the salad wasn't bad. We had a new server who was only on his second day and he was fantastic!

I love coming to Kaya's, they always have pleasant customer service, good light bites and delicious drinks! shout out to security for his sense of humor and staff for being so accommodating. this is my lowkey spot

came here twice, once when the place first opened, I loved the ambience. I also came back for a dance class where we were dancing bachata, the service was fast and the staff was very friendly and informative. I had the chicken wings and fries and they were delicious. Tonight I came when Dj Pounce was djing and to enjoy drinks. The music was good and it was a nice place to begin my night, get the Kaya club Cocktail

My friend and I decided to stop in for some late night bites and drinks. The entry way was super cute, it gave me Miami vibes. Off the bat, we were super excited to try. Our server was super kind and accommodating. I got the roasted cauliflower and my friend got the sweet potato tacos, we both thoroughly enjoyed our food. The drinks, however, could use some work. The mountain of ice upon the cup was making a mess and falling and melting everywhere. It also means there are like 5 sips in the drink. This is the only thing that prevented an additional star, maybe next time I visit - it will update to a 5! :)

Our first visit to Kaya was spectacular! The staff were very attentive, and you can tell they are detail oriented. We wanted to try multiple drinks and not only did they come in cute glassware but they were balanced and great. The food was good too. We had so much fun catching up over drinks because the inside it was dark and chill! We can't wait to come back!

First time at Kaya and we loved our experience! Our waitress Hadassa did an amazing job! She took time to explain and answer all of our questions! The food was delicious and can't wait to go back Thank you Hadassa!

We stumbled into this place because the nearby place we were going to go was full. What a fortuitous accident. We ate outside, which was quite warm, even in November. And the hamburger was perhaps the best hamburger I've had ever. We got ours with the other sauce option, not the catsup/mayo one, and it was just delicious. Our server was attentive and helpful and kind. Definitely going back!!

I had reservations for Wednesday night before a show at the Alberta Rose theater and unfortunately the kitchen experienced technical difficulties and had to cancel service for the night, but the manager Michael I believe, made it better and personally gave me a phone call and offered me 50% off my next visit! So I decided to come on Friday with my friend and Check out Kaya & see what they had going on. Honestly it's an amazing cocktail bar with great service, great energy, great ambience, great cocktails. Literally everything is 10 out of 10 they even had the Mike Tyson fight on. Coolest glassware I've ever seen. They take cocktails seriously and I'm thankful for it. They make going a little out of your way to get a better product worth it. Only weird thing was when I called the restaurant to verify my 50% off the phone went straight to voicemail multiple times. Luckily the manager included his personal or work line at the end of the voicemail he left so I was able to get in contact that way and then everything went awesome. I strongly recommend coming here if you want elevated craft cocktails made with care (there's a whole espresso cocktail section as well btw!) in a clean classy environment, with nice decor and nice people.

I absolutely love this cocktail bar and highly recommend it! The ambiance, decor, and service have been stellar the few times that I've been. They have a great selection of cocktails but also fun mocktails featuring the latest selection of what I consider to be high-end non-alcoholic wines & spirits. Great place for a date night with light bites. Me and my girls even got to sit outside last night in the completely warmed patio and had a blast!

Amazing service from our bartender Mike and the food was phenomenal ! The vibe of the place was very modern and fun!

This place has to be one of the best bars to get a drink and have some fun. Vibe was on point, the drinks, food, and service was top tier. Mike behind the bar made the night memorable, definitely a must go to spot in Portland!

service was weak, reserved a space and for 2 hours had waitress come over 4 times to check on us. Food wasn't good either after waiting for nearly an hour. Wasted vibes and a good night on bad seevice and food, highly disappointed from an otherwise highly recommended place.

Super fun upscale cocktail bar! Really knowledgeable staff. It is a great time! Awesome addition to Alberta St.

Preshow dinner. Too loud for my older mom to sit in the bar but we sat outside under the heaters and it was fast and good. I am not into sports tv in cool bars. And the food was a bit salty for the high quality ingredients to really sing but I will be back. Maybe the other cook isn't so salty. I like the art.

Kaya burger with beef bordelaise was DELCIOUS! The sauce brought the flavor out. So good! Good Cesar salad as well. Ambience was very pleasant with comfortably heated enclosed outdoor space with tons of plants. We will definitely be going back.

Great vibes (numerous TV's + sound for sports when needed). Great drinks. Attentive servers. Ambiance overall was fantastic. Didn't have the food but plan on trying it during my next visit. It's tucked into a corner of businesses off Alberta so you kinda need to search it out. But it's well worth it. Hope this place gets the attention it deserves.

at them too fast to get a pic first, but the jerk chicken skewers might be the best chicken I've ever had - I didn't know chicken could be this tender!! fun drink menu & great happy hour

Great atmosphere! Definitely a chill vibe and the drinks were pretty tasty too! We will be going back for sure. The only negative was the music was cutting in and out and wasn't the best mix to my personal taste. Would have preferred some hip-hop or chill lofi beats

This is supposed to be black owned, but they refused to sit a group of blacks inside. It was cool when it was just two of us, but when more people came, we weren't welcome anymore. They will NEVER get another dime from me. Hopefully, they won't get your dollars either.

Happy hour food is good, drinks are tasty; but can the servers be any slower? There's a balance between being served and being ignored, and tonight it was the latter. I get "fancy" cocktails aren't cheap, but for the price, the servers could be a bit more attentive.