10/20/08

Nice concept and atmosphere but overpriced for the quality of the food and service

by bdc56

The good: The South African concept of this restaurant is an interesting one, and the decor and atmosphere are charming.

The bad: I found the menu to be short and generally overpriced considering what you get. The restaurant doesn't offer full-sized entrees, but instead terms its dishes "small plates." Fair enough, but the small plates are relatively pricey ($10 - $18) considering the amount of food provided. Ditto with the wine, which was of mediocre quality (all South African offerings).

All told, dinner for two of us including 2 glasses of wine, 3 "small plates," 1 dessert dish and 2 glasses of dessert wine came to $120 plus tip. If you're looking for a casual weekday dinner, there's plenty of better choices in the neighborhood.

09/12/08

Truly Genuine

by dmzakrzewski

I work for an Africa tourism company so I'm in South Africa often and this place is a heaven of African wines in the middle of Hell's Kitchen. Most of the staff is from various parts of SA. The wines are phenomenal, but i'm partial, and then small plates are great too. Nice to know I can get billtong now. Love this place, the decor, the wine, and everything about it.

04/29/08

Overpriced ($8 for a taste!), don't waste your time

by harlemwinegirl

I had high expectations going to Xai Xai after reading several good reviews. We were seated immediately on a Friday night by a friendly host. The bar has a nice ambience, albiet quite dark and difficult to read the wine list. I was pleased by the wine selection, until I ordered the wine. My date attempted to order a glass of pinotage, which only 1 out of 4 listed was available. When it was my turn to order, I asked the server if I could have a taste of one of the wines before ordering a glass (standard practice at most other wine bars!). I was informed that my small taste would be $8. This is for a 50mL pour (normal size 250mL). The price of the glass is only $12. I was appalled that this wine bar has the audacity to charge for a 1 small taste of wine. After spending 10 minutes convincing the server that I wanted to try a small taste of this unusual blend he finally offered to "see what he could do." In the end, I was brought the small taste for free, and was pleasantly surprised by the wine itself, so I ordered a glass. The food is nothing special either. The corn fritters w/ melted cheese were extremely bland & the cheese tasted like store brand sliced cheese. The isidudu with chakalaka was flavorful, but quite small. Overall I wouldn't waste my money on this place - there are many better wine bars in NYC.

• Cons: Overpriced