Really enjoyed our recent meal/experience at Kiln. The service was outstanding and the food was solid. If you like meat, you'll enjoy this meat forward tasting menu although my favorites were the fresh seafood bites that came out towards the first part of the meal. The crab and fresh scallops were outstanding and just let you savor the ingredients as they are. The drink pairings are equally outstanding and I especially enjoyed the spirit-free pairings -- while some of them were a little bit on the sweeter side and didn't quite always hit, it was inventive and playful and I applaud the kiln team for taking on the challenge of a spirit free pairing series, mainly with teas and herbs. Julianna has curated an amazing front of house experience and the little touches are countless from the text based concierge service to sealed menus for you to take home to Polaroid keepsakes. Thank you Kiln!

(Dined in Sept 2023). If I compared Kiln to almost any other dining experience, it would reign supreme almost every time. However, because they bear all the marks of a great fine dining restaurant, i will hold them to a higher standard. the service was flawless, with most courses brought out by the chefs themselves. the restaurant interior was chic albeit a little cold and brutalist. most of the dishes were amazing. we also opted for the non alcoholic beverage pairing and really enjoyed every drink. my main critique is of the overall progression of the meal. by the time we finished bread and meat courses, we were severely missing some acidify, greenery, and freshness to cleanse our palate. although the courses were good on their own, each were so savory, rich, and salty that we needed some variety. i think with a free tweets, it would have been a perfect experience. i hope to return in awhile to try again.

I had tried many Michelin star restaurants in Bay Area, even Kiln so far doesn't have one, it's better than most of the Bay Area ones. I will compare this one with single thread The tasting menu has like 20 dishes , I don't think every dish stands out but all are pleasant . What I feel is special is with the wine paring. My friend and I split a premium tasting , it's expensive but so worth it! A few dish really stands out with the pairing : the Riesling with the crab, the beef with the big cab and the dessert wine ! Those are the dishes really stand out with the paring . And the desserts are so good ! After a pretty heavy dinner the refreshing dessert really fit. I finished all ! I will definitely want to come back!

Kiln has been on my list for the past year. I finally had an opportunity to celebrate my birthday there last Wednesday. Ambience: It is located in an unassuming minimalistic space in Hayes Valley. I love the open, not stuffy and fun restaurant vibes. Service: Impeccable, friendly, soft..tailored and not cookie cutter. I interacted with no less than 8 people and felt like every single person wanted to be there. So much pride in what they do... Food: Here is a list of what we ate fried beef tendon lamb heart shima aji smoked sturgeon scallop with peas and pickled bud blossoms kaluga caviar over roasted hen fat dungeness crab portugese blue lobster in shell reduction potato bread with beef drippings monkfish with roasted kep razor clams in almond mousse on buckwheat tart squab over fire with huckleberry and bone reduction lamb loin in bone reduction house cured beef and iberico rhubarb sorbet with eucalyptus sourdough custard with cocoa nib Typically, I would find a handful of standouts but my, oh my.... Every dish blew my palette. They were ALL incredible, unique, minimalistic yet complex... full of different textures and flavors. We really loved our dining experience here and Kiln has definitely taken the Top 3 spots in the Bay Area for me..It's actually in my Top 3 in The World. This will be controversial but yes... that includes the Michelin stars like Alinea in Chicago and Eleven Madison Park in New York. I really love Kiln, the food, the wine list, the people and the experience THAT much!!! I highly recommend Kiln and cannot wait to be back!

Absolutely stunning. Among the top dining experiences of my life. Took my wife to Kiln for her birthday and boy was I a star. We actually can't stop talking about how amazing it was, how creative and diverse. Every course -- and there were 25 -- was an A+. I did the wine pairings and she did the spirit-free pairings and I have to say both were incredible. The chef/owner John displays genius in his combinations, flavors and dynamic range. My highest rating possible.

Little known ingredients, expertly manipulated, some hyperlocal, many delightful twists and turns throughout the meal. Interior is very minimal chic and a nod to modern Nordic decor with the skins perched on the seating in the lounge. The dining room is pretty stark - I think there were 12 round tables spaced evenly from each other, enough privacy, but still could people watch when desired and I liked how Kiln positions the seats for optimal conversation. Can I talk about the bathrooms? Toto bidets, Aesop toiletries, dimmable mirror, real candles and CHARMIN!?! The staff make a point to freshen them up after each person uses and they guide you in. Needless to say - hospitality was high through the night and leading up to the dinner the text concierge was so accommodating and friendly. Also were available for last minute changes and same day requests. Favorites of the evening: puffed beef tendon, Portuguese blue lobster, Norwegian mackerel, Modesto squab, charcuterie, aged ribeye specifically the cap, olive oil sorbet and all the mignardises - rare are they ALL good! These are just my standouts, the others all excellent too. I would say the only quibble was with the Iberico pork - a bit tough. Both the alcoholic and non-alcoholic pairings were playful, well thought out and the explanations were so detailed - terroir, history, why chosen and how it pairs with the food. Best meal in the US in the last few years and definitely Top 5 in the Bay Area. Fresh point of view, transporting and feast for all senses. Already looking to booking my next experience later this year - before stars start raining on my reservation parade.

Now, this is how you treat yourself to the fullest with a lavish 20 course meal at this venue. Each dish took the stage on stunning plates, stealing the spotlight every time. We came in a party of four and had so much fun exploring the diverse flavors and textures of each dish. As they combined to create a culinary journey that made for a remarkable experience. We added the wine pairing. Sipping, swirling, and savoring reds, whites, sparklings, sake, and beer. A lively mix for every taste bud! The tables were carefully arranged to create an intimate and personal dining setting. The cozy atmosphere was enhanced by the artistic and seductive lighting, adding a touch of elegance to the experience. The music was on fire with some hip hop and R&B jams, creating a modern, lively atmosphere. I appreciate that so much. There was an incredible amount of attention to detail! From the moment of booking, to stepping in, the warm welcome, and not to mention our host's incredibly soothing voice. She was the epitome of a perfect storyteller. My only recommendation would be to include a candle on the dessert for a birthday celebration but overall, everything was fantastic.

Top notch experience! Highly recommend. Reservations were easy via Tock. This was my first pick dinner, but they were fully booked for my husband's birthday so I booked elsewhere. A week prior, that restaurant cancelled but the stars aligned because a spot had opened up at Kiln! Walking in, I felt like we were at the restaurant in the menu. It's stark and clean and I'm into it. They wished my husband a Happy Birthday, which they knew because they asked prior to our arrival. We were greeted with a glass of sparkling. They had also mentioned this prior to our arrival and asked if alcohol was okay, which I appreciate, even though I'm pro all the alcohol!! I don't want to ruin the dinner too much, but we had the full tasting experience and my favorite dishes were the bisque, caviar, and ALL THE desserts!! They also just had a lot of nice touches with the photographs (I'm guessing they do that so they can remember what you look like if you ever come again) and the candles to take home. And the lighting is on point so you can take some pretty stellar pics of your food. Julianna, who we later realized after some internet stalking is the GM, seemed fun - like I'd want to be friends with her outside of work, haha. And she has the best handwriting!! I cannot wait to see Kiln's success!!

**Review for the full tasting menu** I have wanted to come to Kiln since before they opened. A team full of veterans, many of whom spent a significant amount of time at Sons & Daughters, of course they've had media hyped since day one and are aiming straight for Michelin stars. One of my friends who dined at Kiln described the meal as incredibly rich. Unfortunately, they are no longer doing the shorter, abbreviated version of the tasting menu and are now only offering a single option, The Kiln Tasting Menu, at $225 per person before tax, tip, and add-ons. You have the option of doing an alcoholic or non-alcoholic pairing with the meal. They're one of the few restaurants that I've ever seen to offer a complete spirit-free pairing. The dining room was decorated with a simplistic, modern, industrial look, which I loved. I had 16 courses in total, including 2 desserts at the end and excluding the small bites after the desserts. The progression of the courses was clear. Service was quick and attentive; there was very little idle time between the courses. One of my favorite things about the menu was that they had a lot of small bites / finger dishes. These were such pleasant surprises because you wouldn't expect that much in a small bite, but all of these had layers upon layers of flavors and none of them was boring. You slowly experience each of the flavors as the layers break down and hit your taste buds, and this was such a fun experience for me. I was really impressed with how well thought out and carefully crafted these small bites were. Secondly, I loved the presentation of these dishes. They were absolutely beautiful and resembled art. Thirdly, the tasting menu showcased a variety of cooking methods, flavors, ingredients, etc and there were very few elements that appeared more than once, so each dish felt new and different. Fourthly, the entire experience at Kiln felt close and intimate. They have a small team; they take Polaroids for everyone dining there and gift out candles made in house for every guest. While small, these touches certainly made the entire dining experience feel much more personal and up close. Now, what I think could be improved: 1. I'm not sure about the background music... I came in on some hard metal rock and left while Take Me Home, Country Roads was playing in the background. It felt a bit odd to pair that with the food. 2. The dishes leaned salty. Even when paired with bread, meat, etc, some of the sauces and soups were still too salty for me. None of the dishes was salty to the point that it wasn't edible, but I would've preferred slightly less salt. 3. The cured meat that was meant as a snack probably would've paired better with bread or something else to neutralize the fattiness a little. The three meat dishes were served back to back and it was a little heavy on the taste buds. 4. The two desserts were very interesting but it felt like there was just a lot going on. I think as the last two courses, there is an expectation that they would wrap up the meal and bring everything together. It's like the music slowly fading at the end of a symphony. But I felt like here the notes were equally as strong as the previous ones, and because of that the ending felt a bit too sudden. The only one dish that I didn't like was the aged ribeye, but I think this is more of a personal preference. I wasn't the biggest fan of the flavor or the texture/consistency of the sauce. The sauce was really sticky and reminded me of okra slime. And the pairing with sweetbread didn't feel very coherent. Overall, I loved my experience at Kiln and would recommend it to friends!