We booked this experience well in advance for our 41st wedding anniversary, expecting it to be a…read moretruly phenomenal and memorable evening. While there were some wonderful aspects to our dinner, unfortunately, the overall experience did not live up to what was promised--particularly considering the $355 Celebration Package.
The Celebration Package included a welcome toast with Italian sparkling wine, professional photographs of our evening, a special table setting with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and additional lighting, and a surprise "amenity to complete our celebration."
The flowers and setting were beautiful, and the location itself is absolutely spectacular. However, when we arrived, our table had only ONE place setting. When I asked our waiter about the second setting, he seemed surprisingly nonchalant about it, and it took some time before it was brought to the table. For a $355 package reserved well in advance for two people celebrating an anniversary, this immediately gave the impression that the details had not been properly prepared.
More disappointing was the promised surprise "amenity to complete our celebration," which was never presented to us at all.
The views were amazing, and the live performance by the female vocalist was one of the highlights of the evening. What a beautiful voice and a wonderful addition to the atmosphere.
We ordered the five-course dinner. As the photos show, some of the courses were superb--beautifully presented and delicious--while others were noticeably below par. Some portions, particularly the entrée, were so small that it almost appeared the kitchen was running out of food. It reminded me of an episode of The Bear where the kitchen is trying desperately to make it through service.
Service was also inconsistent. At one point I simply asked our waiter what type of truffles were used in the fettuccine--white or black? His rather snippy response was, "They're winter truffles." It was an unnecessarily dismissive answer to a very straightforward question. When guests are paying for a premium dining experience, knowledgeable, courteous service should be part of that experience.
I was also surprised by the restaurant's approach to its stated dress code. When making our reservation, the policy was very clear:
"Dress Code: Smart Casual (BEACH ATTIRE AND SANDALS ARE NOT ALLOWED)"
Yet a number of guests were wearing baseball hats, flip-flops and beach attire, with some appearing as though they had just come in from a day of fishing. There is nothing wrong with casual attire, but if a restaurant establishes and communicates a dress code--particularly for what is marketed as an upscale dining experience--it should either enforce that policy consistently or not advertise it as a requirement.
There is no question that the setting and views are spectacular, and there were portions of our meal that were excellent. The flowers were beautiful, the live entertainment was outstanding, and we certainly enjoyed celebrating 41 years together overlooking such an incredible view.
But when a restaurant offers a $355 Celebration Package on top of an already premium dining experience, the details matter. Having only one place setting prepared for an anniversary dinner for two, failing to provide a promised celebration amenity, inconsistent food quality and portions, dismissive service, and an advertised dress code that seemingly wasn't enforced made the evening fall short of the exceptional experience we had anticipated.
For an ordinary dinner, some of these things might be easily overlooked. For our 41st anniversary--and at this price point--we expected considerably better attention to detail.