Secure your front-row seat to the Paje lagoon. While walk-ins are always welcome throughout the day, our tables – especially the ones right on the ocean edge of our upper deck – fill up quickly during peak hours. Booking ahead ensures you get the exact setting you want. You can send us your reservation request in under two minutes using our online form below, or simply ask your hotel front desk to handle the details for you.
Fill out the form above for the fastest setup. Our team confirms all digital bookings by email within a few hours. If your preferred time slot is completely full, we will immediately suggest the closest available alternatives.
Speak directly with our team by calling [INSERT PHONE NUMBER] during our opening hours. If you call after we close, please leave a message and we will get back to you first thing in the morning.
For larger groups or special layouts, email our team at [INSERT RESERVATIONS EMAIL]. We check this inbox throughout the day.
If you are staying with us on the property at Alaïa, our front desk team can book your tables during check-in or at any point during your stay. If you are staying at another boutique property along the coast in Paje, Jambiani, or Bwejuu, just ask your hotel concierge – most local teams are familiar with Kaio and can book on your behalf.
Both levels of the restaurant serve the exact same food, drink, and specialty coffee menus, but they offer completely different vibes. Letting us know what you prefer helps us set up your table perfectly.
This space is open-sided, beautifully shaded, and built directly on the soft white sand, placing you just a few meters from the incoming tide.
Families traveling with young children who want to be close to our safe beach play area, guests who prefer to avoid stairs, and anyone looking for a classic, candlelit sand-table dinner.
Raised high above the beach, this covered, open-sided wooden deck offers panoramic, completely unobstructed views across the lagoon all the way to the distant barrier reef.
High-energy midday lunches watching the kitesurfers, breezy morning breakfasts, and special celebration dinners under our hanging woven lanterns.
The upper floor is accessible via a traditional wooden staircase only.
If you are completely flexible, simply select “No Preference” on your form. Our host team will automatically give your party the open table with the absolute best available view at your chosen time.
Kaio is open continuously from 7:30 AM to 10:00 PM daily with no closures or service breaks between breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so you can eat whenever it fits your island schedule.
Kaio is open continuously from 7:30 AM to 10:00 PM daily with no closures or service breaks between breakfast, lunch, and dinner, so you can eat whenever it fits your island schedule.
As the midday sun climbs, the lagoon turns a vivid, bright turquoise and the Paje kitesurfing scene gets into full swing. The upper terrace is highly sought after during these hours, giving you a shaded front-row view of the action over the water.
As darkness falls, our hanging lanterns turn on, shifting the restaurant into an intimate, romantic coastal room. Because the sun sets on the inland side behind us, our dinner experience focuses entirely on a low-lit, unhurried atmosphere shaped by the sound of the ocean.
A few quick details in your booking notes help our kitchen and floor team get your table ready before you arrive:
Tables for couples, families, or groups of up to six are easy to set up. Parties of eight or more take a bit of extra spatial planning, so the more notice we have, the better. Large groups are usually hosted on our spacious ground-floor sand layout.
Please flag if anyone in your party is vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, or has severe nut or shellfish allergies. Our kitchen can adapt almost any dish on the menu with advance notice, but isolated allergy prep is much easier and safer to handle when planned ahead.
Let us know if your table needs high chairs or extra room to park a stroller comfortably. This helps us place your family closer to the beach edge and ensures our custom kids’ menus are waiting at the table when you sit down.
If you are joining us to mark a birthday, a honeymoon, an anniversary, or even a successful kitesurfing certification, let us know. We love making island meals memorable and will plan a small surprise for your table.
We recommend walking down a few minutes before your reservation time. The short stroll from our secure main gates down through the lush, tropical gardens of Alaïa – leading you right past our famous three-trunked coconut trees – sets a perfectly relaxed mood for the meal.
Our host stand sits right at the entrance of the main dining pavilion. We will have your assigned table ready and waiting on the specific level you booked.
Our vibe is completely comfortable and casual beachfront. Shorts, t-shirts, sundresses, and sandals are entirely welcome on both levels. While many guests choose to dress up a little bit for a candlelit dinner on the upper terrace, we enforce no strict dress codes anywhere on the property.
Once you are seated, your server will bring over the menus and talk you through the day’s blackboard specials. The fresh catch of the day is posted directly by the entrance, showcasing what the Paje fishing boats brought in that morning. Most importantly, the timing of the meal is entirely up to you – we want you to relax, and our team never rushes a table.
For parties larger than ten guests, special family milestones, or group retreat dinners, please contact our guest relations team directly by email. We can easily arrange custom set menus, reserve a private section of either floor, or coordinate a full buy-out of the upper terrace depending on the season and guest count.
The upper view terrace makes an incredible private venue. It is perfectly suited for lively afternoon lunch parties overlooking the kitesurfers, morning brunch gatherings, or exclusive lantern-lit evening celebrations against the backdrop of the dark ocean.
Upper Terrace Capacity: Comfortable seating configurations for up to 30 guests. Reach out directly to discuss customized seating setups and availability.
Questions before booking?
See our FAQ →
You are always welcome to walk in without a booking whenever we have open tables. However, please note that our upper floor and peak dinner hours during our busy seasons (December to February and June to September) regularly book out completely.
Our busiest dining windows are breakfast (8:30 AM–10:00 AM), lunch (12:30 PM–2:30 PM), and dinner (7:00 PM–9:00 PM). If you prefer a quieter, more serene atmosphere, consider booking right at our 7:30 AM opening, an early dinner slot before 6:30 PM, or a late dinner table after 8:30 PM.
Island plans naturally shift and we completely understand. We do not charge cancellation or modification fees for standard table reservations. For larger groups of eight or more during peak tourist months, we may request a standard credit card hold that is fully released as long as you update us at least 24 hours in advance.
If you are staying at an eco-bungalow, villa, or resort elsewhere on the island, you are incredibly welcome to visit us for a meal. We are a brief, straightforward taxi ride from anywhere along the east coast. We highly recommend planning an extra hour around your reservation to enjoy an unhurried walk through the Alaïa gardens and a stroll along our pristine stretch of beach.
