Charlottesville's Downtown Mall has its share of watering holes, and Kiki is moving its way up the ranks. This tiny bar and restaurant serves up exceptionally fresh drinks and light food to a chic crowd in an unparalleled atmosphere. Located on 5th Street on the east side of the Mall, Kiki is not easy to find. Since its December opening, though, the restaurant has attracted a loyal customer base. The freshly made drinks are Kiki's strongest sell, and the menu is definitely worth sampling.
Kiki is small, to say the least. A cozy velvet banquette extends along the front plate-glass wall with just four tables for diners but room for plenty more at the bar. A bench in the vestibule provides additional seating on warm nights or a perch for the laid-back bartender before the late-night crowd arrives. The small space contributes to the restaurant's intimate ambience and saves Kiki from the too-polished, too-cool syndrome that plagues many new trendy spots. Even their only gimmicky element, a flat-screen television mounted on the wall that plays beach and nature scenes, somehow works for them and adds to the relaxed setting.
Kiki is primarily a bar, but they serve light lunch and dinner as well. The menu is extremely limited and the staff takes pride in making everything fresh to order. Prices for appetizers and entrees are all around $10, but the servings are fairly small, so plan on ordering several dishes or fill up on the fantastic drinks that make Kiki unique.
Kiki's drinks have made the biggest impression on the Charlottesville crowd. The menu includes lots of fruit-flavored concoctions, and if you order one of them, the bartender will squeeze the juice fresh just for your drink, from the big silver juicer that adorns the bar. You'll have to be patient for these, but it's well worth the wait and is actually pretty fun to watch.
The dinner menu includes several appetizers, and "The Bull" is a popular choice among diners. This dish, which can be made for one or more, is a deconstructed Caprese salad, with juicy grape tomatoes, a sprig of bright green basil, several types of olives and perfect fresh mozzarella. Chewy baguette slices, olive oil and balsamic vinegar accompany the dish. For a unique spin on the classic Caprese, "The Bull" meets its mark.
Other appetizers include hummus and made-to-order guacamole. Rich avocado is set off by sliced grape tomatoes, whole cilantro leaves and lots of tangy lime. The guacamole would be perfect if it weren't served with ordinary tortilla chips; a dish this good deserves a more unusual accompaniment.
Most of the entrées are panini with one additional simple salad option. Choices vary based on what is on hand, which speaks to Kiki's insistence on using only the freshest items. For example, last week our server lamented that the goat cheese and roasted red pepper sandwich was not available that night because roasting the peppers by hand was very time-consuming and they hadn't been able to do it that day.
The panini all look fantastic on paper but in reality they miss the bar. They aren't cooked long enough, leaving the fillings a little cold and the bread soft. The zucchini panini is too cheesy, and the zucchini doesn't stand out enough. Kiki's grilled cheese, prepared with three cheeses and mango slices, has the same problems. The Caprese panini is a safer bet. The perfect mozzarella, sliced tomatoes and whole basil leaves don't really need a crisp sandwich to be delicious. If you can't choose which to order, Kiki will prepare a panini sampler with three of its more popular choices; these are made with baguette slices and the fillings are in better proportion.
The high point of the dinner menu, though, is the side salad served with all the sandwiches. Fresh cucumber, watermelon chunks and slivered red onion come together in a surprising and refreshing dish. The service at Kiki can be slow, but it doesn't really matter, because no one seems to be in any hurry. You can't really blame them, either; the bartender also waits on tables, and the chef brings you your food as well. Chipper, attentive wait staff would be inappropriate and would take Kiki somewhere it doesn't need to go.
Kiki has set a lofty goal for itself in preparing the freshest food and drinks they can, and it's definitely on the right track toward achieving it. The drinks are certainly on target, and the food is getting there. My advice is to give them some practice. Kiki isn't going anywhere and just a little tweaking will make their menu one of the best in town.
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