At first this place is hard to get to. It is part of a grocery store. The sign says 'Market and Cafe'. Once you go in you make two quick lefts. You can either take the stairs or the elevator. It is a smaller cafe but there is indoor and outdoor seating. The outdoor seating is only for parties of 2 because of the narrow patio. Everything was great at our visit. The food was delicious and high quality. The flavors were outstanding. My husband had the walleye and with corn and mushrooms. I never tasted a mushroom that good. I had a salad with chicken and that was delicious too. My husband also had the rhubarb cheesecake. He said it was the best cheesecake he ever had. Our waitress, Jeanie, who was excellent, said their chef makes it homemade from scratch. They also have items that are gluten free including dessert. The only thing that could be better was since the cafe is small their bathrooms are located in the grocery store below. The bathroom room was very clean and the market downstairs also has high quality and organic foods.

Right now, this is the first restaurant I suggest to people in Kalamazoo. I believe Café 36 is the top restaurant when considering service and food. The ambiance is wonderful. The mix of black booths and white chairs makes the room look clean and modern. The place settings are white mats and black napkins. The ying yang of simple contesting colors is soothing and elegant. The neatness calms you has soon as you walk in. It might be the low ceiling or other insolation, but this restaurant is more quiet than other restaurants in Kalamazoo—you can interact with your dining partners without fear of losing your voice the next day. But there is one potential downside to being above a grocery store and you experience can be different depending on your mood and where you sit. We sat over looking the grocery store which places you just above the commercial neon lighting. On a bad day this could easily give someone a migraine. Fortunately, our party of four adjusted quickly and we enjoyed overlooking the isles and making jokes about the isle marker for local honey and wondering which isle is stocked with honey from Vermont. Another note about the atmosphere The gently manner of the of the setting is mirror in the friendless and grace of its staff. Everyone we interacted with is welcoming and excited about what they do. On my first visit the chef walking through the restaurant was easily pulled aside by a server to explain the intricacies shrimp sticks and their dipping sauce (which are fantastic btw). The food we had at Café 36 was wonderful. I have a special for the week, a beef tenderloin with blue cheese sauce, garlic potatoes, and asparagus. The meat was cooked to a perfect pink medium rare and the blue cheese on top added a salty tang. The grilled asparagus gave the dish a smoky element and was cooked to the point where it still had an al dente snap. My wife and mother in-law had the other weekly special: beef cheeks with pasta and a cream sauce. I don’t remember all the components, but I ate of their plates as much as I tried to keep them from eating mine. My father in-law had the hanger steak with fries. Again, the steak was cooked perfectly, and the Moroccan spices paired well with this flavorful cut of meat. Overall, Café 36 is a great fine dining experience and one you can have while still being casual. The staff is dressed up, but I don’t think I say one customer with a jacket and only a few with a button up shirt. The food and the staff aren’t pretentious. They just seem to love what they do and that means I love what they do. And I will be back to share in the enthusiasm.

(Disclaimer) We happen to know the chef on a personal level and my wife and I decided to make the trip down from Grand Rapids to check out his new digs. Somehow Sawall has successfully combined a gourmet grocery store with a great dining experience. The staff was professional and courteous, Chris was our waiter and Max delivered 3 wonderful courses to our table. We started with the grilled asparagus w/ cauliflower puree, split the baby ice-berg salad , I had the short rib for my main course (all pictured), and my wife enjoyed the cauliflower steak. The food was fabulous and well worth the drive. Chef Jason Tilmann and his creations are are a rare find in Michigan. Put this place on your list as a must try!

2nd time here. Food has been fantastic every time. Bolognese was excellent. Short rib previously was great. Walleye and tilefish were wonderful. Good cocktails. Great service. Apps specials were both terrific. Fried polenta and twice fried steak fries. Caesar salad was obviously house made which wasn’t my favorite because sure it was authentic and sadly I like the cheap crap. That’s on me! Only downside is the bathroom is in back of the store downstairs. Overall highly recommend.

Pizza was nice. One of the few places in Kalamzoo that serve brick oven pizza. It was light and not over the top. I do feel the size was smaller than other pizza places for the price we paid. But the place looks more suitable for date or a sophisticated dinner with colleagues. The only other dinners I saw were nicely dressed and apparantly no student like me was in sight.

One of the best spots in town if you are Loki g for quality food and non-chain / non-non finger food / non-fried fare that plagues the city. Space is cozy and welcoming, the high table top area also very nice. Recommend making a reservation if you are planning for prime dinner time eating. Bar is first come first serve but fills up quick.

Small cozy cafe. Food was excellent. Probably the best Halibut I have had in the Kalamazoo area. Gelato was excellent too.

We were in town for a concert and ran across a few recommendations for Cafe 36. Cool little spot. Friendly staff. Joe was very helpful as our server and topped off a great experience here. We will most likely return because there were quite a few menu items we want to try. If you're looking for a new place to eat, this is definitely worth a visit.