UMM DID I TELEPORT TO EUROPE? That was my first impression. Lupi & Iris took fine dining to another level; this Parisian/Italian restaurant is gorgeous. The interior designer did one heck of a job because it literally exceeded my expectations in so many ways. I always knew it was going to be beautiful inside because duh, it's fine dining ... but this, THIS is beyond any restaurants I have seen in Milwaukee. I felt like I was in a European restaurant with the open kitchen and the big tree in the middle of the dining room. So first impression: 10/10. I had reservations at 7pm on a Wednesday night for two people. When we arrived, the hostess promptly walked us to our table. It was more busy than I thought it was going to be for a Wednesday night; most of the tables were taken around that time. After a few minutes, our server came to greet us. She seemed a little discombobulated that day but hey, we all have bad days. She gave us good recommendations in terms of food and drinks. For drinks, I ordered the "Oh Mio! Ibisco!" - it had citrus vodka, hibiscus syrup and dry vermouth topped with sparkling rose. The presentation was beautiful. I also ended up getting my go to drink - an espresso martini. Big espresso martini gal. It was quite delightful. Basic but delightful. For appetizers, we ordered the Pulpo a la Plancha and the Sugar Snap Peas. - The Pulpo a la Plancha comprised of a Char grilled octopus with potato and frisée lettuce salad and their homemade citrus vinaigrette. I actually really loved this dish but I wish there was more than one tiny octopus on it. I think I literally had 2 tentacles and my friend had 2 as well. It was a fresh and light appetizer. The octopus did not have a seafood-y taste to it and it wasn't overcooked so it was not rubbery at all. - The Sugar Snap Peas dish comprised of steamed sugar snap peas served on a bed of ricotta cheese, almonds, & topped with perfectly grilled bread. This was a very light dish and refreshing. I probably won't get this again just because I'm not a huge ricotta cheese gal. The sugar snap peas were delicious though. For the main entree, we shared the Daube de Ravioli and Trofie. - The Daube de Ravioli was a braised beef filled ravioli mixed with a red wine, tomatoey sauce. The braised beef filling was TO DIE FOR! Chef Adam really did a wonderful job with this dish. I wish I had ordered two full orders of this because it was that good. - The Trofie dish was a twisted pasta like dish topped with Genovese pesto, string beans, potatoes and fresh Parm cheese. This pesto DOES NOT have pine nuts in it for those that have a nut allergy. I liked this dish but we added salt to it because I thought it was pretty bland. This would also pair well with a protein. Overall, I do recommend this restaurant. The service was pretty good. Everyone was kind and prompt. The food and drinks were great. It is just a little bit expensive for the portion but that's fine dining for ya. It's such a cute place so please consider checking this place out. read more

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First time at Lupi and I wonder what the heck took me so long. A friend and I came for brunch and it was truly one of the best brunch experiences I've ever had. I LOVE buckwheat crepes, so you can imagine my delight when they had a ham and cheese buckwheat crepe with two eggs and arugula on top. I felt back like I was back in Paris. Both my friend and I absolutely loved this dish. He got the cacio e pepe with eggs and that was delicious as well. The coffee was superb, the service top notch. Can't wait to come back! read more

Lupi & Iris - Cacio e Pepe all'Uovo - Mediterranean Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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We could have survived on appetizers alone. In fact next time we go we'd like to hang at the bar, seems like a good vibe. We ate at bar tables in the bar area, I regret not reserving a table near the kitchen. Beef tartare and radish salads were excellent. Veal chop might have been the best I've had and the Sea Bass wrapped in parchment paper was super tasty, tender and beautifully presented. Deserts also fantastic here. Not a fan that they charge 3% surcharge if you use your credit card. Especially if the bill is $400. read more

Outstanding! Attentive service, engaging sommelier, excellent food and a wine spectator level wine list. A most comfortable room, and a most enjoyable evening. read more

"The food, ambience, and service were impeccable. I typically avoid dining at the same restaurant twice, but I genuinely can't wait to return to this one." read more

Highlights/Lowlights 1) Great ambiance/pretty restaurant 2) Awesome food 3) Gluten-Free options I am so glad we finally got to try Lupi and Iris last weekend. I visited on a Sunday night and had made a reservation in advance. The restaurant is huge. There is a large bar with high top tables, a main dining room, some booths on the side and a few private event rooms. The kitchen is open so you can see all of the action taking place (cool!). The vibe is really cool and nicely decorated. The only odd thing about the restaurant is there are about 4 doors that look like entrances, at least when we were there just the main entrance near the sign was the only door you could actually use. The cuisine is technically "new European" but to me it seemed similar to "new American". There is a large list of appetizers and you can even get pastas as an appetizer or entree portion which was really fun. We were not disappointed by a single dish. Everything was great! We did the asparagus and egg salad, the beans/peas/ricotta, as well as 2 pasta dishes which we were able to sub a gluten free penne for one and a gluten free gnocchi for the other. Our server was even kind enough to swap the complimentary bread basket for a gluten free baguette which was even warm! For entrees we did the sea bass and roasted chicken. Both were perfectly cooked! This is 100% going to be a place I take people to from out of town. Can't wait to get back! read more

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Yes. The answer is yes if you are thinking of trying this restaurant. I came here on a recommendation and am so glad I did. The service and food were both incredible. I sat at the bar and had no problem getting a seat. I do think portions are very small for the price, however the portions are the perfect size (no leftovers). I did the asparagus salad, appetizer cavatelli and chocolate praline dessert. I'm extremely full and looking forward to coming back again. read more

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I took my dear friend here for her birthday. We sat at the chef's table and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The goat cheese tart, mushroom ravioli, lamb chops, Dover sole (especially delicious) were all so good. But if I had to choose one thing...the Pot de Crème was ridiculous! Once we left, my friend had me call the restaurant and book another reservation a couple of weeks out for her and a friend! Really, without me!! read more

Amazing experience! Lupi & Iris is an upscale restaurant perfect for a date night. The ambiance is great, the restaurant is beautiful and very elevated. The service was great, our waitress gave great recommendations. The food is phenomenal! We started with the ratatouille and the corzetti. The ratatouille was amazing, so fresh and flavorful! The pesto is incredible! The corzetti is a pasta that was also wonderful! For entrees I ordered the lamp chops and my husband ordered the duck. Both were amazing, very tender and flavorful! Lastly we ordered dessert, we got the special which was two cannolis filled with a lemon curd and came with a lavender ice cream. It was delicious! We also ordered the Caramel Pots de Crème and YOU MUST ORDER! This was phenomenal! We had such a great experience here! It is on the pricier side but it was worth every penny! HIGHLY recommend trying Lupi & Iris! read more

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I made a reservation for my boyfriends birthday and he loved it so much. He has a pretty hard palate to please but he loved everything about it here. The service was very fast and our food came out pretty quickly considering it was a Friday evening. I love the inside ambiance. The decorations, seating, wallpaper, everything was beautiful. The menu had a lot of good choices and everything we got was delicious. Highly recommend! read more

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How cute is it in here?! I've been a few times now, mostly for brunch, and it's been tasty every time. The service is usually pretty good, but we did have one inattentive waiter during one visit. My go to items at brunch are the pastry basket because the croissants are extremely yummy and the roasted chicken breast salad. My friends and family really liked the pain perdue and flank steak, but thought the cacio e pepe left a little to be desired. Parking around there on the weekend usually isn't an issue either. Overall, would recommend and will continue to go back. read more

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My husband and I came here for our anniversary. Everything was delicious and the service was impeccable. The hostess, server, and sommelier all wished us a happy anniversary as we arrived and as we left. We were also welcomed with a card written from the team thanking us for celebrating our anniversary there, along with complimentary bubbly to start our night and complimentary cookies from the chef to end the meal. They really made us feel like we were the only guests that night. I'm not a huge wine person but I'm learning to expand my palette in that world, and the in-house sommelier was so knowledgeable and gave us some good recommendations. Safe to say I had my favorite wine I've ever had that night -- (I'll have to look up the name and update it here once I find it!). I appreciate how the ambiance is "fancier" but not pretentious. It's literally about thoughtful food and thoughtful service -- done really well. This will definitely be a place we would love to take our friends and family visiting from out of town! read more

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Awesome!! Came here with my wife and kids ages 17 and 13. Celebration for end of school year and Fathers Day! The place itself has a great vibe, lively and classy. Also accessible as they want you to go look at their open, viewable kitchen and open wine room. Pretty cool. We started with the carrot soup, olive app, and the kids had the olive oil mash potatoes and cauliflower for apps. The kids orders off the side dish section of the menu for an app. The menu is very flexible and you can make some main course appetizers. Again, really cool. All appetizers were delish For a main, I had the rib eye special and my 13 year old had the NY Strip. So good. Slightly undercooked from where we asked and I wonder if that was on purpose as mine wound up rare (asked medium) and my kids was medium (asked medium well). Delish My other daughter had the spaghetti and my wife had the swordfish. My wife cleaned her plate and my daughter loved her dish. The pasta was more lemoney than expected, but great. For desert we had the cheesecake and sorbet. Both great but the sorbet was best. Service was awesome and friendly. Not rushed at all. Go. Here. Now. read more

This is a beautifully appointed space with an interesting brunch menu on Sundays. My recent visit was made all the better by an extraordinary Jazz group, the Jamill Shaw quintet. My friend arrived 5 minutes before me, but we had another 10 minutes before the manager checked in on how we were doing. We asked for a server and he seemed to jerk awake, maybe noting we had silverware, but no menus or water. The waiter who then showed up explained that he was also working the bar, so we should just flag him down if we needed anything. The problem was that after we ordered and the runner brought our food, we didn't see him again. After another 20-30 wait, I went to the host and asked if she could find our server. He came a few minutes later and asked how we were doing. This place has an interesting menu and great music. The menu opens with some pretty pretentious language that is not matched by poor front of house organization. I might go back. read more

Absolutely a must visit if you are looking for upscale dining in downtown Milwaukee. Highly recommend sitting at the chefs counter for extra ambiance and trying a pasta for an appetizer. The service and the in-house sommelier was the icing on top of an already perfectly cooked ribeye steak read more

I was so excited to try Lupi and Iris, especially after hearing it was nominated for a James Beard! The 3 stars is predominantly for service - the food alone was at least 4/5 stars but the service was a huge disappointment. My friend and I got seats at the chef's table portion of the restaurant, and I was really excited - I love watching plating. It actually turned out to be mostly putting dishes on serving trays and pouring coffee that we got a front row view of. The decor is gorgeous and the hostess who greeted me was absolutely lovely. The waitress was nice but stretched very thin - I can't recall a single interaction we had where she didn't leave in the middle of a sentence to tend to something else. I had a question about one of their wines, and I gave her the wine name and the vineyard and asked about it, and she replied as though I had mentioned two separate wines. She was also only able to say "they're popular" and something generic about it being light and full bodied. For a restaurant with an extensive wine display, I was definitely expecting a bit more knowledge. Additionally, we had to ask for a bread basket well after one was brought to the duo sitting next to us. She was apologetic, but it was an odd thing to miss. Our food was quite good - the chevre tart was tasty, and I really enjoyed my swordfish. The portion was quite large and I was definitely full at the end, but not too full for dessert. The pasta dishes looked amazing and my friend really enjoyed her dish (the linguine al limone). For dessert, I had the caramel pots de creme which was stunning and delicious, and my friend had the olive oil cake which was also quite tasty and very citrus-y. All in all, I might try it again but would not sit at the chef's table. It's definitely not at the top of my list to return to because of how disappointed I was with the service. read more

Food was outstanding! Service was excellent as well. They took great care of us and made us feel really welcomed. Highly recommend!

We had reservations for a big group for a birthday dinner and were seated in a private room. Love the atmosphere here. Our server was very attentive and friendly. I ordered the lamb chops and it was cooked perfectly. This is one of my favorite restaurants for a special night out. read more

Lupi & Iris - Lamb Chops and Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes - Mediterranean Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Came here for our team holiday lunch. The wine was really good and the food was even better! Great ambiance! Small portions which is to be expected at a fancier restaurant, but still filling. I ordered the Swordfish and Olive Oil Cake. Both tasted so delicious and the service was excellent! I liked that the waitress gave us her suggestions, they were spot on! Small menu which is also nice, so you're not overwhelmed with so many options. Friendly staff and fresh flavorful food! read more

Lupi & Iris - Olive Oil Cake - Mediterranean Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Some of the food was good, some was not good, some was excellent. All of it was way too salty. So while I'd like to recommend it based on their reputation, I can't because I didn't particularly enjoy it. Your mileage may vary, though. read more

We went to Lupi & Iris during the Christmas season and the ambiance of the restaurant was very festive. The lighting made it quaint and inviting. We had an Old Fashioned prior to dinner which was good. We ordered and split a salad, which was good, not amazing, and not really splittable for two, as the server had suggested. We felt the smallish salad was pricey for $18(??). For our meal, we ordered the roasted chicken for two. The chicken was tender and juicy with a fair amount of seasoning. I can't say it had amazing flavor, but it was good. For the price, we had hoped to get more than a few skinny stalks of broccolini and a few potato wedges. In order to be full, we ordered one of the 4 oz. appetizer pastas. The pasta was delicious and very rich, so that size was perfect to round off the meal. Service was really good and the server had a very upbeat and positive demeanor, which we appreciated. Overall, we liked the restaurant, but felt the menu was a bit limited and the prices were a bit high for the amount of food. I probably wouldn't return for a second time, as I feel there are better options more reasonably priced. If I could, I'd probably rate them 3.5/5.0. read more

Lupi and Iris has been on our list to try for quite awhile. When we arrived, we enjoyed the ambiance they were trying to create (upscale but cozy), but the space honestly felt a bit too large. The space could be half as big and have a better ambiance, I would think. The service was good, nothing to complain about there. However, the food was just so......so-so. Like, it was "fine", but when you are paying this much you want much more than "fine". We got the scallop appetizer, I got the dover sole, and hubs got (a steak??? I dont remember). The plating on both the entrees was very.....here is your meat and 2 sides. I expect more from fine dining, if that's what they are going for here. For $300+ for the pair of us I expect better. read more

Came here with my professional mentor, who I'd say is a bit of a regular here. As she's been here multiple times, she recommended some items off the menu. Everything that we did order tasted fantastic. Our server was also fantastic and attentive, even joking with us here and there. The pulpo a la plancha appetizer was good, with the exception of the octopus tasting a bit too charred in areas. Probably my least favorite item. All the entrees ordered were 5/5. Can't go wrong with the New York Strip (really good with an extra side of sautéed mushrooms), the Dover Sole or any of the pasta dishes. It was really cool and very clean to see them debone the Dover sole chair side in front of you! Drinks, dessert all 5/5. Not too sweet but a good finish for a large dinner. read more

Lupi & Iris - Mediterranean Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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So, this place was good. It wasn't mind-blowing to reflect the $$$$ but it was really good. I had two types of ravioli (which were tasty but barely anything on the plate, with 4-5 ravioli per plate) and I enjoyed them both. The goat cheese and pumpkin appetizer was also really good. They had an extended wine list but the price per glass was rather steep. I also liked their desserts. All in total it turned out to be just south of $300 for two people. Great service and a gorgeous space. This would be perfect for business meals. read more

A few weeks ago, my family made reservations to dine at Lupi & Iris this evening to celebrate my parents 36th wedding anniversary. Bottom line up front: the food was enjoyable, the service left something to be desired. Our waitress was generally lovely, though when we inquired why we had been waiting so long for our dinner to arrive we were told more than once there was a large party at the back. The wait time not only applied to the food, but also a forgotten glass of wine, ordered before dinner and arriving after a reminder once the meal was well underway. While I can appreciate that large parties will slow service, if the restaurant is unable to handle this volume of customers, I would expect they offer fewer reservations that evening rather than use it as an excuse for poor service. We did ask to speak to the manager about our experience to provide feedback. After all, it is rather unfair to complain about a situation without at least it attempting to remedy it. We were met with empathy and an offer for a free dessert, however at that point we had such a lengthy dining experience no one was particularly interested in staying longer for an additional course. Though a nice gesture, an offer to comp our beverages, or a percent off the bill, would have been meaningful. Further, though we all checked the menu online earlier today, we arrived learning that the menu had changed for the season and some of the dishes we wanted were no longer being served. I love a seasonally rotating menu, but would encourage a restaurant to consider either not posting a menu online, or update it in real time as the offerings change. Ultimately, we enjoyed the atmosphere and enjoyed the food, but I would be hesitant to recommend this location to a friend. The lack of accountability for our delayed meal, and lackluster service recovery efforts, leave me wanting more out of my experience at this establishment. read more

10/10 experience!! Food, drink, ambience, staff - all exceptional. We sat at the "Chefs Table" and Chef Adam Siegel himself served us our dishes, he was so conversational, friendly & informative. Will look forward to going back! read more

Lupi & Iris - Chocolate Praline dessert - Mediterranean Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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Great service! We loved sitting at the chef's counter and seeing all the dishes being created. Did not see one employee that was not busy and everyone was polite and helpful. Food was delicious and would highly recommend this place to anyone. Great atmosphere! Desserts were amazing as well! read more

Lupi & Iris - Mushroom ravioli - Mediterranean Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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My wife and I went here for our anniversary and the entire experience was flawless. Our server, Chance should offer a master class in hospitality. Our scallop appetizer was cooked perfectly, as were the filet and Dover sole. Admittedly, I'm an easy arm-twist so it didn't take much coercion for me to choose their espresso martini instead of coffee following the meal. The ambiance is refined and elegant but certainly not pretentious. Will definitely come back. read more

Came here for a group dinner so we had a fixed menu with lots of items in it I couldn't remember every hors d'oeuvre that was served. A few things stood out but the highlight of my dinner was my main which I'm not usually a NY strip kinda gal but it was the only meat option so I gave it a go and oh my lord it was ridiculously tender. Not your stereotypical chewy most of the time overcooked strip. This was almost like a filet and it was well seasoned super flavorful. I would go back just to eat this again. My first course was tart au chevre which is a goat cheese/trout combo, also super yummy and I just couldn't believe the flavors went well together that i wasn't put off by the goat cheese (I usually hate goat cheese). There was a nice pasta dish in between, super refreshing not overly creamy and heavy but just the right flavors, it was light and made me hungry for more food! For dessert, I had the olive oil cake which I'm obsessed with and will definitely try again. The service was amazing, everyone was so attentive and they even offered to take our group picture. Definitely one of the best finer dining experiences in MKE. Can't wait to bring my hubby for a star night here! read more

Lupi & Iris - The best NY strip I ever had - Mediterranean Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

This town has been growing on me for the past few years, and tonight was the coupe de gras. I screwed up the reservations... using OneTable, I was psyched to see an 7PM table on a Saturday night...turns out that was for Monday night. How does it happen in an absolutely chic, happening restaurant, that you can walk in off the street and get a table. Luckily a party had downsized and if we don't mind waiting 15 minutes, we can be seated at an absolutely perfect table in the main dining room. The entire restaurant is perfumed with the faint aroma of wood smoke from the kitchen, and the lighting and ambiance was just what we were looking for...perfect. Lars, our server, made some great recommendations and made the evening very enjoyable. Everything that came from the kitchen was beautiful and tasted so great. I highly recommend the chefs tasting menu. The chèvre tart, the lamb chops... just wonderful. We didn't add the wind tasting, because we had ordered some wine while waiting for the table, but that seems like a great value... next time. Yes, a little pricey, but the quality of the menu, the professional staff... so worth the treat. read more

High end and great food. The 3 course meals and great because it takes the guessing out of the mix if you've never been. Pay for the wine pairings! Also a little hidden gem is to sign up for their news letter because they do chef special dinner nights that sound amazing and a great date night out that's different every time. Usually $120-180 for like a 5 course meal and wine. Can't wait to go back. Live music Outdoor seating but on a busy corner downtown. Great bar with bar tenders who know how to make a cocktail. read more

I dined at Lupi & Iris on a Friday night in their high top lounge area. The food was all incredible. I had the mussels & clams which had a delectable white wine sauce that went great dipped with some bread (wish the bread was warm though). The calamari was so fresh and prepared perfectly. The lemon linguine was Al dente and bursting with flavor. And the nougat semmifreddo was what pistachio dreams are made of. Our server was very nice and did not rush us at all but she seemed to lack knowledge and urgency. My friend ordered a French martini and was given a French 75. We waited for a while for the waitress to come back so we could clarify but ended going to the bar ourselves to request a new drink. We then waited for a long time and the waitress never came back so we had to go back up to the bar to retrieve it. My friend then ordered a second French martini and was given a French 75 for a second time. In total our reservation was at 6:30 and we did not leave until 9:15. The waitress gave us our dessert menu and didn't come back for another 30 mins at which point we flagged her down so we could order it. We immediately asked for the check as well so we could wrap things up. The timing was off but she did comp the desserts which was nice. I would also expect the fresh bread they serve to be warm but it was cold. Over all the ambiance is incredible and the space is gorgeous. The food was all very well prepared and tasted delicious. I just feel for spending close to $700 the service should be absolutely top notch and it just wasn't there. I would love to return when the value matches the service. I think my rating would be 5 stars had the service been better. read more

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Back again and just as amazing as the last time! Phenomenal service from Hakim and Chris, the sommelier. Outstanding food. Excellent ambiance. Honestly, no notes. We love everything about this place. The best choice for a special occasion. read more

Our server, Lauris, was phenomenal. The sommelier, Chris, had great recommendations for our dinner. Went here on a Friday night for date night. Had 5:30pm reservations but showed up a bit early and grabbed a drink at the front bar. 5/5 stars for the ambiance, service, food taste and presentation. Highly recommend this gem in Milwaukee. read more

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We went to Lupi and Iris for a graduation meal following the U of W Milwaukee commencement ceremony. I was excited to try a new, upscale Milwaukee restaurant, especially after reading the reviews. We had reservations, and were seated on time. We ordered drinks and started off with salads. We ordered the Insalata Mista, which was good- simple ingredients that were well prepared. The chicken was over cooked, dry and under seasoned. The vegetables that came with it seemed ordinary. The Wood Grilled Swordfish was cooked well and flavorful. The Cavatelli was good, and the Risotto was good. We ordered desserts- the Olive Oil cake, Panna Cotta ai Pinole, and a special chocolate dessert. The Olive Oil cake was delicious. It was nice to try Lupi and Iris, but this meal left me wanting more flavor and more menu options, read more

This was date night on a blistering cold WI night. We had ticket to the Pabst Theater and found Lupi & Iris in the area. The atmosphere is very nice and upscale. We were only the 3rd or 4th party seated. We ordered drinks, an appetizer, and our meals. The drinks came out quick, then the appetizer. We mentioned to our server that we were going to a show. It took over 30 minutes before our meal came out. We then had to rush instead of being able to enjoy our meal. The food was good, I had a short rib special, it was good but the reduction was overpowering. The portions are on the light side. The dinner was good, but nothing I would hurry back for. For the money I expected more. read more

Lupi & Iris - This is a squash and goat cheese appetizer - Mediterranean Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Amazing service and amazing food! Couldn't ask for anything better. The place is amazing as well. Very neat clean place. read more

Lupi & Iris - Steak, mushrooms, - Mediterranean Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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A very pleasant dinner! Food was excellent, the veal was cooked to perfection. Service was great. The ambiance was classy. I like how they have an open kitchen read more

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Food was top notch. Staff service was very friendly. Ambiance is the best. Had a great date night with my wife and highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Beautiful setting, impeccable service can't overcome expensive, average food. My wife and I ate here on a Friday night at the Chefs Counter. It was our first visit and I hadn't realized how large the place was. We were lead promptly to our seats at a counter where we got to observe the hustle and bustle of the kitchen. We started with a bottle of wine and then worked on apps. The wine list was lengthy but well organized by color and region. We ordered a sugar snap pea and a goat cheese tart appetizer. Both were ok, but nothing special ( think Balzac on an average night). My wife had a beet salad and I chose a seafood stew for entrees. The salad was fine but my dish was disappointing. A small bit of lobster and a few shrimp and mussels were overwhelmed by an oily fish and whole fingerling potatoes. Olive cake for dessert was outstanding. Our waiter and the supporting cast were perfect and the atmosphere was great but I'm. I'm not sure I'd go back read more