Kampai — Restaurant in Makati

DISCLAIMER: My rating on the service is STRICTLY ABOUT the implementation of reservations.

As a paying guest, a friend and I had bar seats reserved so we could grab a bite outside. We informed the staff to keep our bar seats reserved and they obliged, they even placed the reservation sign on our seats.

When we arrived, our seats have been taken by a foreigner man and a Pinay (the need to include their race adds context as some establishments are less confrontational with foreigners). To be honest, IF the couple was persistent about being seated on our reserved bar seats, it would understandable if the staff allowed the couple to occupy our reserved seats until we arrived.

What happened was when we arrived, we immediately brought up to the nearby that our seats were reserved. Apparently the foreign man said that he didn’t know that the seats were reserved. Granted his understandable reaction, the staff should’ve told him “no worries, sir. But I’m sorry, you can’t occupy these seats as they are still reserved”.

Did him not knowing the seats were reserved negate our reserved seats? Was it that he was foreign? Even when the couple left, a group of girls went to occupy the same reserved spot and the staff did nothing but have us adjust.

We went to the other side of the bar to find a place to sit. Another foreign gentleman was there, but left the premise. My friend and I went to occupy that spot he left; however, he returned with a guest he picked up and we were promptly told we can’t be seated there by another server.

What is this inconsistent application of reservations?

Fine, let the cocktail table or other bar area patrons take the stools that we were using, but can you at least keep our bar spot reserved without us having to wait for two parties to leave?

On another note, they were quite prompt in telling my friend and I we can’t stay at the other spots we tried going to because it was reserved.

To recap: We reserved seats Come back to a foreign guy with a Pinay on our seats staff won’t move them we adjust another foreign man leaves his spot we occupy it staff promptly tells us we can’t stay there we go attempt to go back to our original spot a group of 4 girls have occupied it staff didn’t tell them it was reserved we find a cocktail table that says reserved we are yet again promptly told we can’t stay there we adjust yet again

The beverages were fine, and the atmosphere was decent. But if I’m going to be buying 4 drinks for myself, I’d rather take my business elsewhere where it doesn’t feel that they’re afraid to tell their guest a...

This place was full, elbow to bum, the last time I was here on a Saturday evening. The 2nd floor is where the action is mostly at. If you didn't come in early or went in without a reserved table, expect to be on your feet the entire night.

Then again, the crowd went wild later in the evening. Everyone was just dancing, jumping, or flailing about the floor to the beat of the DJ's party mixes no matter how tightly packed the area may have been. And, this place looked only a tad bit larger than a medium-sized condo unit. Fair warning to the claustrophobics. 😅

Bar food we ordered were yummy! 👍🏽

Going up the stairs to this level, if you turn and face the bar, the toilets/wash area are on your left. Smoking room...

Post-pandemic we would only go to El Chupacabra and Hekyll and Jekyll (?) in Poblacion. More so on the other side of Kalayaan Ave. I visited Kampai for the first time in July 2023 upon recommendation of an officemate. We walked a few minutes from St. Giles Hotel. I must admit I was surprised that the Poblacion I knew was so much bigger. Ordered a few sticks of their grilled pork and chicken and a couple of beers. Done.

I returned with my wife a couple of weeks later. Tried their other items on the menu and they didn't disappoint. It was worth going to on a busy Saturday night. We were there "early" at 7:30pm and avoided the crowd. That's why we were able to get seats. Otherwise, a reservation...