Excellent food and desserts..Service is the best..This place I give 100% plus . Our waitress knows the food and gave us a great recommendation on choices. We picked these two dishes. So so tasty! Also inside the restaurant the ambiance is relaxed. Recommend it as the best in Chino Valley. read more

Essence Kitchen + Bar - Mud pie, peanut butter cheesecake and ice cream - New American Near Me - Chino Valley, Arizona

See all

This is the 3rd time we've been here. First time was in 2022, then again about a year ago, and then last night with friends. Each and every time we have dined here the food is CONSISTENTLY GOOD - and actually, not good, EXCELLENT! Can't say enough good things about this place. If you're a fan of the filet mignon at Ruth's Chris, you'll LOVE Essence! I'm not kidding, I've had the filet mignon twice here (first time in '22 and last night) and it's melt-in-your-mouth amazing! Don't let the strip mall location fool you; there's a whole lot of amazing food happening at Essence. Treat yo' self!! (No photos were taken during our amazing meal as we were having too much fun chatting it up with our friends) read more

My good friend and I visited Essence about a week ago. The place was packed on a Tuesday night which was a good sign for me. The restaurant is very stylish with a comfy looking bar in addition to the tables and chairs. There was a carafe of cucumber mint infused water and two glasses waiting for us when we were seated. Our food did take a while to get to our table, but we reminded ourselves this was not"fast food"! My friend got banana wrapped sea bass and I got Rainbow trout with an incredible citrus sauce! It was truly gourmet food! We will go back! read more

See all

We just ran into this place. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Everyone's chill here and food, therein, is reflective of it.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I highly recommend this place! read more

Essence Kitchen + Bar - New American Near Me - Chino Valley, Arizona

Food...c'mon...always licious! Service...really...always Sequoia & EVERY one of the dining room staff!! Ambiance...start it off with fruit sangria & eventually its a 1 minute drive home. But in between...the taste buds celebrate!!! read more

I wish I could do 6 stars!! This is a Michelin star level restaurant in the middle of Chino Valley. Our meal was absolutely decadent. The filet and scallops were amazing. Recommend the ahi to start. Chef comes around to the tables. it's just a pure class and heavenly experience. read more

Don't let its location in the strip mall of a Safeway fool you, this is a wonderful and flavorful restaurant. Their table water is infused with cucumber and mint...I didnt even need to order anything else to drink, it was so tasty. We order the ahi tuna, seared scallops, warm mushroom salad, seafood salad, and mud pie. Everything 2ad delicious and promptly delivered to our table! Despite being very busy, my friend and I shared a dessert and they cut it in half for us and served it on separate plates (!!) instead of just throwing 2 forks at us. My only critique is that the scallops were a bit overcooked. Also, walk-ins are welcome but I highly encourage resos being made as this place is busy! Lastly, the service was efficient, friendly, and even better than at a 5 star restaurant. PRO PARENT TIP: Unfortunately, there is no kids menu. read more

Essence Kitchen + Bar - New American Near Me - Chino Valley, Arizona

See all

Does this restaurant need another 5-star review? Yep! They earned it and they deserve it. I've been trying to get into this place for almost 3 years, but things being the way they are, my Chino Valley trips are always pretty booked for time. This trip things lines up! We were warmly greeted as we came through the most unassuming doorway to the sound of Frank Sinatra. As we were being seated, we saw a couple of familiar faces and they tipped us off to the bacon wrapped date appetizers. That was 100% the best appetizer I believe I have ever had. On paper, the flavors sound complex- in your mouth, nirvana. I followed up with the fettuccine with parmesan herb crust chicken. The gentleman selected the achiote chicken. Both were outstanding and full of flavor. Oh! And try the old-fashions- the bartender knows what he's doing there! Great food paired with excellent service. It simply doesn't get better. read more

Essence Kitchen + Bar - achiote chicken! great flavor - New American Near Me - Chino Valley, Arizona

See all

My husband made reservations here for my birthday. Absolutely amazing! The food was delicious. The service was excellent. I highly recommend this place. By the way, my husband ordered the rib eye. I ordered the jerk chicken... outstanding! Kudos to the chef and the whole team! read more

Great meal and wonderful service, Essence earns a 5-star review from me. I highly recommend making a reservation in advance, because the restaurant fills quickly. read more

Amazing! The staff is so friendly and the owners will personally greet you. I sat at the chefs table and it was fun to watch the open kitchen and see all the fresh food. Started with bacon wrapped dates which were amazing with a lightly sweet sauce. Then the mushroom salad with chicken. Make reservations bc it's a small eating area. read more

Essence Kitchen + Bar - Wild mushroom salad with chicken breast - New American Near Me - Chino Valley, Arizona

This small restaurant in a Chino Valley shopping center has a large, ambitious New American menu. They deliver! My red wine braised short ribs were tender, flavorful and came with garlic mashed, roasted cubed butternut squash and creamed corn--perfect partners. My wife said her parmesan herb crusted chicken breast was excellent (though a bit unevenly done in places). It came with a 3 citrus Champagne beurre blanc, garlic mashed and sautéed veggies. Portions were generous. Servers and other staff were uniformly friendly, welcoming and cheerful. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Decor was modest but interestingly modern.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Prices weren't out of line for other higher-end restaurants in the broader Quad Cities area. read more

The food was awesome. Service was spot on. It's a small restaurant but they make it work. We are going back soon.

Always consistent; food and beverage deliciously over the top. Staff is always friendly and welcoming.

Food is excellent. Service is good. Jason and Julia do a fabulous job and are very involved in community activities.

Service was great! So friendly. The food was exactly what we ordered and very good. Attention to detail on service. It was nice to experience great service by people that care. Would highly recommend... read more

First off, our meal was very yummy!! Both the taste and presentation. Very refined. My hubby got the scallops. Perfect! I got the Mediterranean pasta dish with chicken. It was very nice. The staff was super nice and very attentive. Our drinks were good, but not great, it didn't seem like much alcohol in them. My complaint is the ambiance. I felt like I was in a diner. Maybe add some table cloths and beautiful decor. The food has a classy vibe, now if you could make the ambiance match up it'd be perfect!!! read more

This is a quintessential mom/pop family restaurant with all of the best features. The head chef is the husband and the wife is running and managing the floor - despite a super busy dinner service time, both of them took the time to walk the floor and meet and greet everyone, checking on their meals and their experience. So sweet. Food is excellent and very tasty. Drinks are great and they have a solid wine/beer/cocktail menu to make your evening special. Parking is easy in the strip mall parking area next to Safeway. Servers are plentiful and they checked on us frequently to make sure we had everything we needed. Lots of wholesome young folks that seemed to be getting some responsible job experience, which we really liked to support. Meals were delicious and filling. Very well seasoned and the burgers were VERY tasty. Would've been nice to have had more fries to go w/ everything, but not a big deal. =) Reservations generally recommended as it's a fairly small restaurant, but we arrived early and were able to get bar seats which were fantastic. Would absolutely return the next time we're in town. Make the trip if you're in town - highly recommended. read more

This restaurant has the nicest people waiting on you. The Chef will come by to check on you. The food is excellent this is at least a 10 Star restaurant. read more

Our group of 5 stopped by on the drive back to Phoenix after hiking at Havasupai. We weren't dressed up and probably not the best smelling. None of that mattered in the least. We had excellent service and a wonderful meal. Essence is a gem in Chino Valley! Our group had bacon wrapped shrimp, grilled salmon, pasta primavera, and soup/salad. We all thought the food was great and the service even better. read more

Essence Kitchen + Bar - Bacon wrapped shrimp and glass of Chardonnay. - New American Near Me - Chino Valley, Arizona

The Top Shelf cheeseburger in AZ. I was there for lunch before driving through to Prescott for a meeting and was just looking for a quick bite. I was pleasantly surprised. Keep up the good work, as I would now like to come back and check out your dinner menu. I hope the area really appreciates and supports this great business. read more

Wonderful people and service and very special food with a personal touch!! [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambiance is well planned[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] and the cocktails are unique and delicious! Thank you for a memorable time!! read more

Essence is one of the best restaurants in the area. Great atmosphere, the food is absolutely awesome. Great service. Couldnt recommend it more!! read more

We had an awesome lunch today at Essence for Veterans. Food and atmosphere all were tops. Thank you so much !

First time in but definitely won't be the last. My mom just moved up here and after a long day we decided to stop in here for a quick bite. We immediately were greeted by the host and offered the chefs table which we were pleased to sit at. The ambiance was great it was busy for a Saturday night. Sitting at the chefs table was awesome, we got to watch the head chef at work while the bar was busy making drinks. We immediately were greeted by our waiter sage who was a fantastic waiter throughout our whole dining experience. He was attentive knowledgeable and seemed happy to be working there. Iliana was also helping taking care of us and was also amazing. Both were aware, attentive and very friendly. The food was great, the ambiance fun, and the service excellent. We will definitely be back to dine!! Keep up the great work essence!!! read more

We had dinner last night at the Essence. To start we ordered a Caprese Salad and the Cajun Dusted Seared Ahi Tuna. Both were excellent. For an Entree I had the Banana Leaf Wrapped Sea Bass. It is served with potatoes, plantains and herbs, on a bed of seared field greens with a Chile lime infused coconut cream sauce. Outstanding dish! My wife had the Applewood Smoked Bacon Wrapped Grilled Shrimp, She enjoyed the meal but in order to cook the bacon, the shrimp ended up well done. Our only disappointment was the Grilled Rustic French Bread. It was dry and I could detect no garlic nor any other herbs. The service was great and Overall it was a wonderful evening read more

Consistently the best in the quad city's!! Never disappointed. Service and food are always exceptional

Food was amazing. Reservations recommended. It's a busy place. I would definitely go back when I am in the area.

Our dining experience at Essence was absolutely amazing! The drinks are gorgeous, and well made. We had seafood dishes and they were perfectly cooked and paired with amazing flavors!! The ambiance was so unique and it made our experience amazing. The staff was super friendly to us and each other. Overall just a wonderful Experience!! read more

Essence Kitchen + Bar - Absolutely Devine artichoke dip as a small plate!! - New American Near Me - Chino Valley, Arizona

See all

Beyond excellent. I challenge you to find anyone that prepares fish better than this place. Amazing ! Service is a cut above. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Nice fine dining experience.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Haven't been since the remodel, but the place has a great feeling and the attentive staff is great![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] If you're looking for an excellent restaurant for a special occasion, this won't disappoint. read more

Had their 5 course dinner. Amazing! Scallops was out of this world, short ribs, fish and chicken. The salad was a green salad and the bread pudding dessert both very good. read more

Best restaurant in the quad city area. I recommend to all my friends and family. Love the food, love the service. Can even take out if you want too. Highly recommend Essence read more

We had lunch and enjoyed everything we ordered. My wife had a very good hotshot hamburger. I had the catfish which is very tasty. The lemon cake for desert was almost too much to eat. But as a foodie I couldn't leave any. If you're in the area this place is not to be missed. read more

Food was amazing and so was the service! I had a miso halibut plate that was delicious and filling. Left with a cheese cake to eat when I get home. Would give it more stars if I could! read more

Fantastic meal at Essence Kitchen in Chino. Food was great and service was great. The desserts were outstanding and I really enjoyed the agave old-fashioned.. One of the best restaurants in the area . read more

We have been in your wonderful restaurant several times, today we have a question for the manager, Chino Valley is known as the "cow country" and in your menu you only have filet mignon and New York strip, what happened to prime rib, rib eye, T-bone, etc.? I know that there are local ranchers that could provide those meats. read more

Not sure where to start - the owners are super friendly, They both came by our table to check on us. Service was great - we never had to ask for refills of our water. We enjoyed the pear and Brie flatbread (don't miss it!), pulled pork sliders, bacon wrapped dates and a chicken sandwich. Of course we finished our meal with the key lime cheesecake! The cucumber and mine water was a fun twist and really rounded out the meal. We even had a miscommunication about a food allergy and they were quick to make the correction without any problems, again excellent customer service. If you're nearby definitely make a reservation you won't be disappointed!!! read more

See all

I enjoy taking my work companions here when we are in the Chino area. The food is fabulous, the service is amazing and it the perfect atmosphere to have a quiet conversation. read more

Would not expect a place like this in Chino Valley. Real chefs clearly work here. Food is fresh, high quality, and well prepared. Their beef is grass fed. Their seafood is never frozen trucked in 3 times a week on refrigerated trucks from California. Fish is filleted up fresh each morning and steaks cut by hand. (This is what our server told us when we were seated and it rings true) staff is engaging and friendly. I had the Paniolo Burger. It was cooked perfectly to order and is basically an elevated western bacon cheeseburger (really good and balanced). My wife had the Pear and Brie Flatbread and the Sun Dried Tomato Pesto Hummus. They were both tasty and clearly scratch made. I will say the Pear Brie Flatbread tasted mire like a desert than an appetizer. The deco and style inside is a tad hodgepodge in an eclectic kind of way. And its really almost nothing from the outside (in a strip mall) which I found endearing. Feels like an upscale whole in the wall. Will definitely be back. read more

See all

We came here when we visited our friends and Paulden. The food was some of the best we've ever had. It was delicious. The lobster bisque was to die for and I don't usually like lobster bisque. I had the hell a bit my husband had the seared scallops. Both were fantastic. Well worth the trip. read more