TJ J.

Fine dining, great service, good food what more can you ask for. It was great to watch the chef at work skillfully preparing our meals. We left stuffed and with leftovers. Date night was special thanks Kabawa for the attention to detail and making it special. Will definitely be back for that pork belly! Go here!!

Annalise W.

Overall this was a very memorable meal that I recommend trying. Dinner felt like an experience, service was impeccable, and many of the dishes I've never had before. The only reason not for 5 stars is one of the mains was under seasoned. But with that said, I'd come back in a heart beat. Ambiance/ Service: elevated casualness, but lively and high energy, fun. Definitely try to sit at the counter if you can - it's so fun to watch them cooking and really adds to the experience. Even though it's casual, this is perfect for a date night or celebration. Service was amazing. Shoutout to the male bald waiter with glasses! Food: prefix menu but you can order à la carte additions for an extra cost. It's only 3 courses, but servings are pretty generous and there are some additional sides & bread so you won't leave hungry. Got the below between two people (we added one first course): -Pepper Shrimp: I should've known - it was soooo hot. If you have a low spice tolerance like me do NOT get lol. But other than that it was good. -Breadfruit Toston: the best first course. Loved this. A must order. -Cassava Dumplings: enjoyed. Warm, hearty. Dumplings reminded me of gnocchi. -Cobia: citrusy, refreshing sauce. Fish was a bit under salted though. -Goat: best main for sure. This feels like a must order. -Coconut Turnover: omgggg. Just order it. I will dream of this. It's basically a light doughy cinnamon roll in loaf form.

Shannon S.

Saw an article on Kabawa in the WSJ and was so intrigued by the concept of a fine dining, three-course tasting Caribbean experience. I made a reservation for two on a weeknight -- a couple weeks in advance. As soon as we stepped from the alleyway in East Village and through the doors, we were transported to the islands with deep, rich earthy hues, tropical patterns, and vibey music. The open kitchen takes center stage and the majority of the seating is at a giant wooden counter surrounding the kitchen. However, there are a few table seats available along the front wall of the restaurant. We were seated at the countertop and enjoyed the view of the kitchen in action. The menu is a three course prix fixe, but you can add dishes on for an additional cost. We each got different dishes so we could try a bit of everything: pepper shrimp (note, this comes raw!), mushroom pastel, cassava dumplings, duck sausage, black bass, and for dessert, the frozen treat of the day (coconut sorbet). Everything was absolutely fantastic from the service to the flavors to the presentations. There wasn't a dish I wouldn't get again. It took everything in me not to scrape the bottom of my plate to get every last morsel. The meal also included a roti appetizer to start with 4 different sauces/dips such as plantain mash, chickpea curry and chutneys. The entrees were accompanied by a spread of four different sides including, rice & beans, sweet potato and a fresh salad. The fresh tamarind in the shell was a surprise palate cleanser and it was super fun to eat! The staff were all very friendly and welcomed all guests with open arms. The cocktail and wine options are equally on theme, innovative, and high quality. Overall it was quite a flavorful feast and I enjoyed every single second of it!

Taylor Z.

The wine pairing is so fun! The somm was really knowledgeable and it was really fun to have choices and try so many different things. Felt like you were at a friends place. The food is quite rich and you'll leave absolutely stuffed. They do not skimp on portion. Favorite was the goat and the pepper shrimp.

Renee C.

One of the best meals I've had in a really long time. The pepper shrimp was delicious and they give you this bread platter that includes bammy and roti!!! I ordered the goat, and I loved it. I also got the monk seal drink, and the coconut milk gave it such a creamy feel. I really loved the coconut turnover for dessert; it was so big but I could have eaten one on my own, that's how good it was. I'll definitely go again.

Cynthia B.

Definitely deserves their title of best in NYC! I absolutely enjoyed everything from their tasting menu but my favorite dish was that coconut dessert, my goodness how I dream about that dessert! Beautiful chefs table design. Highly recommend!

Jules P.

Some of the best food we've had in NYC. The ambiance is largely unchanged from the former Momofuku restaurant that was in the space, it's slightly industrial, large and open and dimly lit but not too dark. The server did not lead us astray with the food at all but I would say she wasn't the friendliest either. Not necessarily a bad thing

Hunter S.

Kabawa isn't a restaurant. It's an experience. It's 145 dollars prix fixe. You sit around the kitchen at the chef's counter (though there are a couple of traditional tables) and watch the chefs cook. The chefs interact with you and tell you about each dish. They are extremely affable and kind. The servers are also amazing, keeping your water filled, keeping your space clean, dishes bussed. You start out with a tray of dips and roti. The dips are all so different and taste great. They are light and a great starter. The first course can be plantains, cash sofrito, pepper shrimp, breadfruit toston (octopus with dog sauce and capers), mushroom pastel (steamed green banana and mushroom picadillo), or cassava dumplings (strewed with creole sauce and cucumber). I had the cassava dumplings and it was light, savory, and the cucumbers were just the right amount of refreshing. The entree course offers legumes, cobia, black bass, jerk duck sausage, skirt steak, chuletas can can (pork chop including loin, ribs, belly, and skin, brined, roasted, and deep fried). I had the goat, which was fall apart moist and tender and flavorful. For dessert I had the coconut turnover, which is made for two. It's HUGE. I could only finish part of it. Other choices are matrimony (citrus fruits and condensed milk), flan, or the frozen treat of the day. I also had their gin martini (very crisp, clean, strong). The swanky panky, made with mezcal, pineapple amaro, and limewash, Smoky. I also had the sorrel daiquiri made with rum, hibiscus, lime, and spices. It was also smoky and complex. I loved the experience so much that I went next door to Bar Kabawa (reviewed separately) to enjoy more cocktails.

Glenn C.

I was at this very hard-to-get-into Caribbean spot a week ago or so with four others last Thursday. The place is small with a good amount of bar seating around where they cook, along with three flat tops (with us sitting at the larger one,) with the servers being professional and also knowledgeable about the menu. To drink, I had a Sorrel, which was $7 and nice (though my Jamaican coworker makes a better one, of course,) with someone else having a cocktail. They only serve one thing, which is a tasting menu for $145 a person, not including some large add-ons, with us ordering the entree and dessert add-on. To start, they give us two large plates as our amuse. The platters had Roti (another person presumed packaged but still tasty) as well as some Bami/Bammy, a cassava flatbread with a fun chewy texture. The breads were served with four dips: Pepper jelly with butter, plantain ginger chutney, curried chickpeas/channa, and a mango chutney. They were all well varied in flavor, with my preference being the excellent pepper jelly, which had a bit of a kick, along with the plantain chutney, as there were some nice warming spices. The curried chickpeas were nice, though I have preferred the more flavorful ones from some spots in Crown Heights, and the mango chutney was a tad sweet, of course, but was different than what I've seen before with larger pieces of mango. My favorite of the appetizers and possibly my favorite thing of the night was the Pepper Shrimp, or raw royal red shrimp with sorrel, scotch bonnet, and thyme. Outside of looking pretty due to the purple sorrel, the dish had a kick from the scotch bonnet, but not too much, along with some fruitiness. The raw shrimp texture went wonderfully with everything, and I would highly recommend this. The rest of the people loved the comparatively much larger Breadfruit Tostón with octopus, dog sauce, and capers, which I had to avoid due to my allergy. The Cassava Dumplings stewed with creole sauce and cucumber was also tasty and the lightest of the dishes, with the slightly chewy dumplings almost being mochi-like, and the chew was nice with the tomatoes and onion flavor. Finally, there was the Mushroom Pastel with steamed green banana and mushroom picadillo, which was fine. Though the mushrooms were well-cooked and it had an interesting texture with the plantain, the flavors sounded more interesting than it actually tasted. For main dishes, we ordered four, as one of them was an add-on for two people for an extra $75. The main dishes came with a few sides consisting of some sweet potatoes glazed with pineapple, some cooked-down tasty beans, a simple salad with a nice citrusy dressing, and some very tasty rice. My favorite of the main dishes was the Goat with spicy scallop creole. The goat was very tender, lacking any gamey flavor, and the sauce was delicious with habanero, dried scallop, and curry. It had a bit of funk, a lot of heat, and a lot of spices, and was perfect with the rice, and I would heavily recommend it. The add-on was, of course, the massive Chuletas Can Can served with recaito, which I would only really recommend if you have at least three people, as it is gigantic and a bit one-note. This consists of several different cuts of pork and includes a massive bone, which someone very much enjoyed munching on. This was very rich and fatty, with some pieces having a bit too much of a chew, and I think in general, it needed more acidity, such as how Crispy Pata is served with habanero vinegar in Filipino spots, with the only reprieve being the small salad to help cut down the richness. The remaining two entrees were a bit less notable but still pretty tasty. There was the "Jerk" Duck Sausage with poblano, which had some nice spice but was comparatively a lot smaller. The Skirt Steak with onions and green olives was also fine. The steak was tender with a bit of chew, as expected for the type, but the lack of sauce made it a tad boring outside of the olives, which was a fun twist. Finally, we split all the desserts (after munching on free tamarind,) with one of them being an add-on. Said add-on was my favorite of the bunch, which was the Coconut Turnover with caramelized coconut and cream cheese, which is an extra $15 for two and is very large. The soft texture of the turnover reminded me and someone else of the Chinese coconut pastries, with the filling being lightly sweet and pleasant, while the frosting wasn't too rich. This paired nicely with the Sorbet of the day, which was coconut as well, which was small but well prepared. The Birthday Flan with caramel and sprinkles was also well-made. It wasn't the largest piece of flan, but the texture was excellent. Last was the Matrimony, or a variety of citrus fruits and condensed milk, which was the lightest. The mix was a tad boring with a bit too much grapefruit. Out of review room. Not everything worked but I'd recommend if you can get in.

Nathaniel P.

Pretty good! Had some high expectations for this place, not sure if all were met but I would definitely come again. Menu was 3-course prix fixe for 145. Came with a friend and we shared so got to try two things for the app and main, then we got the $10 supplement coconut turnover for 2 for dessert. Mains came with rice and beans, salad, and sweet potatoes. I think my favorite course was the bread service. Probably the best roti I've had LOL and I loved the guava chutney and curry chickpea that came with it. I loved having reimagined Caribbean food, however, I'm not sure if there was anything I had that made me feel compelled to return. Also the palate cleanser was just a tamarind. I guess it's a novelty for most patrons but I grew up eating them. Nostalgic for sure but I wish they did something with it for that $145 we were paying. Coconut turnover was just okay to me as well. It reminded me of a common dessert in the Philippines called pan de coco - sweetened, grated coconut-filled enriched bread. Was their coconut turnover better? It had a cream cheese icing on it, but I don't think so. Bread was kind of tough. Service was really the star of this place. Laughed with our server and they genuinely make you feel like they love having you there. I would come back just to hang LOL

Eric K.

Kabawa is probably one of the most hyped restaurants in the city currently, so I obviously had to give it a try. Yes, it is a bit overhyped, but overall I had a great experience here. I dined here with a friend and together we got to try many dishes from their menu. The flavor profiles are not subtle here and they are not afraid to use spice when they want to. I think everything was quite good to excellent. The least memorable dish for me was probably the pepper shrimp although I know many people consider this their favorite. I personally didn't like the texture or the aggressive seasoning. However, I really enjoyed the roti (bread) course, the black bass, and the coconut turnover for dessert. It's definitely not a cheap meal but the food is plentiful and service was on point. I would come back and definitely plan on trying the bar next door.

Brittany W.

I had a quick 24 hours in NY and my friend informed me we had dinner reservations at Kabawa. I live in Texas so this restaurant was not on my radar and, I happily chose not to research as I wanted to be surprised. All I can say is WOW! This was one of the best dining experiences I've had in a long time! From the moment we entered Kabawa everyone was curteous and kind! Every single person I encountered. We were a bit early to our reservation so we went next door to Bar Kibawa. What I loved is if you start there with cocktails, someone will come get you when your table is ready. Also, whatever you order transfers to your final bill so need to close out. We had seating at the bar which, I think is preferred as you get to interact with the staff preparing the food. Did I mention how kind everyone is? The menu is prix fixe with multiple options for each course. Kabawa is Caribbean cuisine meets fine dining. I opted for: pepper shrimp, goat, and birthday flan. My friend ordered: breadfruit tostón, black bass, and the sorbet of the day (coconut). The presentation and the flavors were PHENOMENAL. And it may not sound like we ordered a lot but there were delicious surprises along the way so bring your appetite. Again, everyone was kind! Jody our server, Denzel in the kitchen, and the gentleman from Haiti (forgot his name) that made sure we ate to our hearts desire!

Shauna R.

We would come back here any day, the experience from start to finish was out of this world. Their attention to details is impeccable and the food choices were amazing. We love the way the menu is setup to choose one from each section while also giving extras to make the meal complete. It was way too much food since we were enjoying it all. The environment is also so fun with the staff in front of you and the fun vibes all around. I hope everyone can see how great this spot is!