Bite Club: Lani Rooftop Lounge is an experience worth lingering over

There are restaurants where you go for food, and there are places where you go for an experience.

Lani Rooftop Lounge, located on the third floor of the COhatch building in Powell, feels like the latter.

From the moment we stepped inside, there was a sense that every detail was intentional. Warm neutral interior, greenery, soft lighting and comfortable seating create a space that feels luxurious without feeling stiff.

I’ll admit, my first thought when I walked in was that I was underdressed.

The space felt so sophisticated that I immediately became a little self conscious, wondering if I had somehow overlooked a dress code.

But as soon as I had that thought, the hostess greeted us wearing jeans and a T-shirt. 

That pretty much sums up Lani. It has the upscale atmosphere you might expect from a rooftop lounge, but without the attitude that sometimes comes with it. 

It’s a deliberate balance. 

“We take so much pride and passion in this project, especially because this is where our kids go to school, this is where our neighbors will come,” said Tania Lehotay, head of the Lifestyle Group for COhatch. “We thought, where would we like to hang out with our friends, and bring our guests? So Lani is based on that. It’s based on casual sophistication, where you can come dressed to the nines, but also come in a backwards ball cap.”

Bold flavors define Lani’s menu

Chef Mike Gadd, who has spent more than 20 years cooking in and around Columbus, talked about food with contagious enthusiasm.

“I really just want to create delicious food,” Mike said. “I try to take the best of what I’ve learned in different places and what I’ve seen and kind of throw my own little twist into it.”

The pork belly was easily one of the biggest surprises of the night. After days of curing, cooking and pressing, the result was absurdly tender. The inside practically melted in our mouths, while the crisp exterior provided a nice texture and structure. The sweetness of the puree and acidity of the pickled corn added a bright pop of flavor which contrasted nicely with the pork.

Then there was the beef skewer, which packed an equally impressive amount of flavor into bite sized chunks. The marinated bavette was incredibly tender and savory, while the carrot and onion vinaigrette and fresh greens added a bright fresh flavor and beautiful pop of color. 

Just when I thought things couldn’t get better, the Thai beef salad came out. It had a delightful crunch and freshness, the beef and sauce had a deep umami profile that delivered a flavor explosion, with bright, savory and fresh flavors lighting up my entire palate. I took another bite and all I could think was, “Holy crap, that’s good.”

Chef Mike has a knack for taking flavors right to the edge of being almost too much, without ever crossing that line. My mouth is watering just writing about it.

But the dish I keep thinking about, the one I keep trying to convince all my friends and family we need to go back for, was the harissa roasted cauliflower.

As I dragged my warm pita through the mixture, I savored the tender cauliflower with its warm, lingering harissa spice, balanced by the smooth, creamy hummus underneath. The dish had so many wonderful textures and flavors that I wanted to lick the bowl clean, but I refrained for fear my colleagues would judge me.

If I had to say anything about Mike’s cooking, it’s that he doesn’t shy away from flavor and he respects the ingredients. His passion for the technique and artistry of cooking is obvious.

He told me he loves giving people something that looks relatively simple, then watching them take that first bite and realize it is far more than they expected.

“I love giving people something that they don’t expect and then they eat it and they’re like, what the heck?”

And that is exactly what his food does. It’s a delightful surprise. 

From cauliflower to cocktails

Lani’s “Elevated Eats” menu is intentionally focused, with dishes designed for sharing and sampling rather than the traditional appetizer and entree format. The drink menu, however, is another story. Of the roughly 8 pages, only 1 is devoted to food. The rest are dedicated to spirits and cocktails, making it pretty clear that drinks are a major part of the Lani experience.

And what an experience they are.

The Ube Margarita was one of the most memorable drinks I have had in a long time. It combined the familiar comfort of a margarita with the unexpected sweetness and subtle cereal like quality of ube. The result was playful without feeling gimmicky. Plus, I love anything with ube in it. 

Hell’s Corner, a jalapeno infused margarita, brought considerably more heat, with the spice creeping toward the back of the throat rather than overwhelming the drink. I don’t usually go for spicy drinks, but this one paired with our meal really well. 

Then there was the Golden Hour. Light and refreshing with subtle notes of ginger and lime; a cocktail perfectly suited for sipping on a warm afternoon while conversations stretched on.

Joy Rivas, Lani’s restaurant operations manager and talented mixologist, approaches the cocktail program with the same philosophy Mike brings to the kitchen: take quality ingredients, understand what makes them work, and let them shine.

“The passion comes from just wanting to enjoy quality. Honestly, it’s simplicity at its finest,” Joy said.

The people behind the experience

Lani could look like a place where you might feel intimidated walking in, but the people make it impossible to feel uncomfortable once you’re there.

Whether we were talking to the chef, the bartenders, management or the people moving around the room taking care of guests, there was a noticeable sense that everyone genuinely seemed to enjoy taking care of people, and that made it incredibly easy to settle in.

What was supposed to be a meal review with coworkers turned into nearly three hours of eating, drinking, and camaraderie, yet somehow it felt like no time had passed at all.

That’s what I think Lani has really created. More than a rooftop restaurant where you eat and leave, it’s a place where you want to stay and relax awhile. 

I’ve been told the rooftop patio is especially beautiful at sunset, so I’ll have to come back for that!

But pretty spaces are easy enough to create. What is harder to manufacture is genuine passion, and as I think back to my experience, that was my biggest takeaway. 

I wanted to know more about the people behind the food, why they cared so much about the details, how they came up with the drinks and what made them so excited to do what they do.

Joy put it perfectly when she told me, “When you learn something from someone who has their whole heart and soul in it, it becomes contagious. You want to know more about it.”

Lani has created a space that feels polished without feeling pretentious, creative without feeling complicated, and elevated without making you feel like you have to be anyone other than yourself.