Service = excellent Quality = excellent Ambience = excellent If you are a foodie or just want to play one on TV, go there and eat everything. You will NOT be disappointed. Get the sweetbreads. Seriously. read more

Peninsula - Portuguese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Fabulous food, probably top 1-3 restaurants in Nashville. Truly food you won't see anywhere else in a great atmosphere. A unique experience and great food. Much better than Audrey, June, etc. awesome place. read more

4.75 So many amazing things to write about, I don't even know where to start. We called ahead to see if they could squeeze us in, as there were no reservations left for Saturday night and they said we could absolutely be put on the list for the bar. To our surprise, when we arrived, they had reserved two bar seats. Sweet, thoughtful, and made me appreciate the staff immediately. The decor reminds me of a small NY hideaway or a European dinner spot. Small, not many tables, exposed brick, mood lighting. Perfect for a date night spot. Was even more pleased to find there was a whole Gin and Tonic section of the menu. I went with a #4, with slices of fresh peach, clove, and basil. Beautifully fragrant and just alcohol-y enough. The bartender had great insight on the menu and we eat pretty light, so we went with 3 smaller plates and one of the "bigger" ones. Everything we tasted was to die for and exciting. What is written on the menu is just a jumping off point for your tastebuds, not necessarily what you will see or notice in the dish. As with all of my favorite restaurants, the chefs at Peninsula took familiar flavors and spun them on their head. First we were served the lobster/vanilla dish, which was actually on potato crisps. It was all the right textures, flavors, and reminders of chips and dip in a crazy way. Next came the chicken gizzards, confit and with passion fruit pearls, an absolute adventure for your mouth. Then came the cauliflower with bone marrow and scallop. Rich, earthy, reminiscent of cheesy cauliflower but for grown ups. Absolutely to die for, could have licked the bowl clean. Last was the grouper, which was presented beautifully, almost too pretty to eat. I found the taste a bit lacking, but was still light. Just my least favorite of the evening. Before we were done with the first dish, we said we would be back to try everything else on the menu. The only thing I would change would be the pace of service. A bit slow and a lot of time between plates, however, reminded me of Europe where people actually take time to enjoy their food. If you like hearty meals, don't come starving...but come to enjoy food in a new and exciting way. Can't wait to go back! read more

Peninsula - Chicken gizzard with passion fruit pearls and tumeric - Portuguese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

We had looked forward to a first dinner at Peninsula hoping that the experience would provide a form of culinary transportation back to Lisbon and/or Madrid, and it did...but only to a very limited extent. While Peninsula would not be out of place in any major international city known for it's food, it is surprisingly in an up-and-coming area of East Nashville. The staff and service are excellent, and the ambience is very nice in an industrial chic kind of way. I found the food overall to be very good as well, but I think it is important to note that while it is clearly based on Portuguese and Spanish influences and is highly-inventive, it is very likely not for everyone. Particularly adventurous foodies (including me when in the mood to experiment) will enjoy the wide confluence of flavors in the tapas-style (small, shareable dishes) menu. I particularly liked the Octopus dish (which was just awesome), and the Spanish Tortilla, Lettuces and White Asparagus offerings were also very good. The Rabbit for two, however, was a bit of a disappointment; it came in small bowls of broth with bread and bits of rabbit and covered with an emulsion of foam, and proved to be too salty and a little too inventive. In good conscience I cannot hold my hopes for Peninsula against it completely, but I guess I will have to go back to Portugal to truly satisfy my desire to have a filling meal which includes some true Iberian staples. read more

I came here on a fancy date, so this review is from the perspective of someone who didn't pay for the meal . Ambience was great, servers were friendly, and the service speed was medium. The serving sizes, however, were TINY. Honestly you have to order the entire menu to be full in my opinion. However the presentations, and quality, as well as execution of the various flavors was pretty good. Spanish tortilla, a menu classic, was rich and creamy and we got two orders, each about the size of a small slice of cheesecake. The octopus was so good, although it is literally one tentacle from an octopus shared between two people. The chewy rice (not rice, is more like mochi/tapioca or glutinous rice ball, like Korean garaetteok) lobster soup I could forego. It felt like lobster-flavored soup with sticky rice cakes and it was cold. The gin drinks were honestly not for me, despite it being a big draw of the restaurant. My advice is to either pre-eat or make enough money to order the whole menu twice. read more

This place is awesome. The owner was waiting our table and was so friendly and funny. The whole vibe is very relaxing and the food is incredible. They also constantly change the menu to accommodate whatever is fresh and local. read more

Of all the places we stopped in, this is the most definitive 'must-go-back' spot. Nailed the big things and the little things on each dish. Do not miss the chicken skins. Thank you to the staff for an excellent evening. read more

We had such a fun dinner here for a birthday. They even customized the menus for the occasion to say happy birthday which was such a nice touch. Our server was attentive and seemed happy to be there and was excited for us to try our food. We were so impressed with all of our dishes. The flavors were so beautiful and thoughtful. For drinks we ordered from their gin and tonic menu to start. My brother had the one with brine and it was so unique and yummy. We also had sherry. Will definitely be back. read more

Just great. Dishes you won't find anywhere else in Nashville. Craig was great. Hospitable. Can't say enough good things. Well worth the drive over to East Nashville. Superb. read more

Pros: Excellent service -- our waitress was knowledgeable, helpful, and attentive. Ambiance -- great street front location, intimate setting. Perfect for a date night. Food: Tapas style, with some adventurous options. Fair amount of seafood, but also rabbit, and chicken gizzards. Not many of the dishes were to my taste, but they were well done and well presented. Costs: adds up quickly as many plates need to be ordered to make a meal, and drinks are expensive. I probably won't make it back again, but would encourage people to give it a try. read more

I was in a unique situation where I couldn't actually eat in, but really wanted Portuguese/Spanish food. I called on a Thursday night, with a sleeping baby on the backseat and asked if they would be willing to do a carryout. Yeah, I know. Fine dining carryout? but jamon travels people and I was desperate. They weren't too busy and were game to do it. They didn't have jamon (last season's menu), but they worked with me on what travel well over a short distance. The tomato toast was nice, the braised rabbit amazing with a rich gelatin broth, but the cauliflower, dried scallop flakes and bone marrow sauce so good. The best thing about bougie carryout? Eating that sauce with a toasted bagel the next day read more

Best meal and service I've had in years. Nothing tastes as good this weekend the bar was set sooo high here!!!

I've eaten at some of the best restaurants in the nation and Peninsula is in my top 3. Absolutely incredible!

Service, food and gin and tonics were all top notch!! We ordered a variety of dishes and everything was excellent and very uniquely prepared. The ingredients were surprising, for example, we ordered a dish with scallops and we literally couldn't even visually recognize scallops, but in a cool way. Everything was a bit of a surprise, and just really really fun and tasty. Server was great and made excellent recommendations. Again, loved the gin and tonics and wanted to try them all. The only items that didn't blow me away were the desserts, particularly the panna cotta, but it was fine. Price felt very reasonable for all that we got (which I usually feel like that is not true of tapas places). And, we left feeling not full, which is actually kinda nice, but we maybe could've done one more dish. read more

You can pay something like $35 for a whole plate of food with 3 big scallops OR you can go to Peninsula and pay the same for a single scallop with no sides. Comically over priced. (the scallop was as tough as shoe leather, but they did take it off the bill and comp our deserts.) Everything else was delicious, but again, comically over priced. I'm totally fine dropping coin if I walk out full saying, "F***, that was delicious." But if I'm still hungry, you've failed. Plus the chairs are weird and super uncomfortable read more

What a place. Truly, one of the best dining experiences we've ever had. The level of personal attention and dedication to the diner from Craig was unparalleled. We began the meal with the broth which set our bellies into go-time mode. It was delicious. The mushroom toast was one of the most memorable dishes I've had in a long time. We continued with the live shrimp dish, followed by creamy scallops and horseradish and were treated to a special surprise of Jonah crab with chili oil, cucumber and Chinese sausage. To complete our already perfect meal, we had the braised rabbit and a special dessert of soft serve with honeycomb and potato chips. As New Yorkers, we were expecting fried everything from our trip to Nashville-and very happy with that. This restaurant, and their incredible staff have forever changed that. We are still talking about how fantastic that meal was. It has changed our opinion of the Nashville food scene indefinitely. A joy. A treat. An absolute pleasure. Craig & team, thank you for taking care of us, providing a new and unforgettable experience. It was our treat to dine with you. Please-take a car, get your butt in the fantastic Peninsula restaurant and get ready for an excellent meal and experience. read more

The food was definitely below average. We ordered more than two thirds of the menu and literally nothing was impressive or even average. I have no idea how this place became Eater's choice for Nashville restaurant of the year in 2018. Both chicken dishes were remarkably gamy. We did not order desserts. The cocktails (two ordered) were below average. The red sangria was the worst we've ever had. When we moved to Nashville after nearly a decade in NYC, we thought that Nashville restaurants are actually at the level of NYC restaurants until we got to this place. This experience at Peninsula was on Valentine day and the food was disappointing to the extent that we went to Char afterwards for high quality dinner. read more

I want to say, firstly, that the place has a modern, cozy feel and the service is quick. Very nice waitress! So, if you are into Instagram and you are into taking pictures of weird ass food on super quirky dishes then you are at the right place. Pack a Snickers bar in your pocket though. At first glance at the menu I was excited about the prospects of the plethora of combinations I had never seen or experienced in my life. I had the broth as a starter, recommended by the waitress, as it was brutally cold that day and I wanted something to warm me up. It was very good! However, nothing I ate after that point was worth eating. It was bland and unexciting. I left that place angry. I immediately drove somewhere else to get dessert and get the taste, or lack thereof, out of my mouth. Amen for Gigi's cupcakes! read more

I couldn't love this restaurant more. The food is just incredible. We went on 9/29 and the experience was amazing. We had... - Warm bread and butter - Marinated tomato - Potato with Shitake mushrooms - Egg with Chorizo and anchovy - Scallops - Escargot Everything was cooked in a unique way, and we were thrilled with our choices. The egg with chorizo is probably one of the best things I've ever eaten. The Marinated tomatos were to die for. Absolutely loved it all! read more

Creativity off the charts! Amazing unique flavors that wow, gorgeous presentation, beautiful cocktails. Even had a rare dessert because everything was so good. I want to go back again and again to relish ever but of that menu. Has the crispy rice, squash (unbelievable), tomato toast and frozen cherry almond dessert. One of Nashville's best! read more

Drinks were good but very forgettable food and service; Definitely over hyped and priced.

This place is not for the faint hearted. Half of the menu have items not familiar for most people unless you were an adventurous diner. However, I do appreciate that they separate themselves from other restaurants by being risky & creative. I have to give them credit for that alone. For example, Strawberry & mushroom broth? Seriously, tell me Where have you seen this before? they're pretty good in cooking "out of the box" & I'm all for it. The more unique, the better as long as it doesn't taste too weird. Kale was our favorite, sweet & tangy , it was a familiar dish that didn't take much explaining or getting used to. Mushroom toast, yes, a must order. It's a familiar dish so don't worry. Shrimp potato Yuzu was interesting. Not sure if I'm wowed by it . Gizzards were really soft, paired with pickled clam. Aha, another weird combination that luckily turned out well. My only gripe was we were told to share the dishes but some were too small to share amongst us. Make sure to save room for dessert. Who would thought to have potato chips on ice cream? Here! I'm coming home next to have potato chips with ice cream coz that's darn good! Sweet & salty always works for me! Owner was very friendly, coming to check on us frequently. read more

This place was amazing, from the romantic decor to the very attentive staff. I would say I am generally a picky eater, but the food was delicious and definitely recommended. Such a delight and fun experience. Will be back! read more

Peninsula - Portuguese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

If you're not an adventurous eater, skip Peninsula. It'll weird you out, or frustrate you. If you are, you should definitely check it out. The menu left us a little puzzled, but we ordered 5 savory items and dessert, and enjoyed them all. "Beef and cheddar" broth? Strange, but it worked. Wilted cabbage with dandelion and garlic broth, served cool? Huh? Scallops and salsify with shaved horseradish? Uh, ok? Tomato toast? That sounded safe, but it came with crazy seeds whose name I have now forgotten. Also good. Shredded rabbit in broth with a spicy aioli? Sure! A panna cotta topped with unsweetened chocolate mousse that looked like brains? What?! Yep, it worked too. The cocktails were also excellent, and everything was nicely explained by our server, who also runs the beverage side of things. Like I said, strange, but VERY satisfying, both in taste and curiosity. read more

This was the worst customer service I have ever experienced. With all of the great restaurants and great people in Nashville who run them I don't know how this restaurant will last. read more

If it were possible to give this restaurant zero stars I would. Unfortunately we couldn't make it to our reservation because we were stuck in traffic on the highway due to a wreck traveling from another state (6 people died). We called 4 hours before we were supposed to be there to see if we could move our reservation or cancel without a fee because we had no way to get across the Mississippi River. Craig decided to hang up on us, totally unprofessional and condescending. If the food is anything like the customer service, it's trash. James Beard Nominations are more than what is on the plate. read more

We noticed on the Peninsula Instagram that this restaurant is "seeking success." The only path to that success would include Craig becoming an absent owner. Craig has HORRIBLE customer service and not based just on our own experience, but also from what we are reading from other Peninsula reviews. We would not recommend-this is a customer service nightmare. We were traveling from a neighboring state to dine at Peninsula when we were stopped in traffic and detoured for an additional three hours because of a serious accident with multiple automobiles and 6 fatalities. We were not being irresponsible with our reservation...we truly were excited about getting to try Peninsula. I called and explained the circumstances and that it was out of our control and to ask if we could change our reservation and transfer our deposit or get a refund for the $150 deposit - Craig stated he could do nothing for us with the deposit as RESY makes the policy. We immediately contacted RESY - they told us the refund of our deposit was determined at the discretion of the restaurant. We then called Craig at Peninsula again to tell him RESY said it was his call on our refund -NOT RESY's Decision. Craig became very condescending and combative- said it wasn't his fault there was an accident, told us we couldn't transfer our deposit to another night, told us if we purchased tickets to a show and this happened we wouldn't get our money back. I told Craig he should have told us in the initial phone call that he wasn't going to help us out by either transferring our deposit to another night or giving us a refund and instead he pushed us off on RESY - I asked how can you, as the owner, not know that a refund of a deposit happens at your own discretion. We are first time customers who have had an unavoidable situation- Craig then screamed - I am NOT talking about this anymore and hung up on me! We love to dine at all types of restaurants around the country and especially in Nashville where we have many family and friends...who also love to dine out and we all share experiences and make recommendations to each other -I am sorry to say that the information I will be sharing about the Peninsula will not be what I was expecting to share - the initial customer service with the owner was far beneath the James Beard standards and far from "seeking success" - too bad the opportunity to experience Chef Jake's talent is ruined by a greedy owner. We will not give this a second chance or recommend to anyone we know because of Craig's intentional lack of consideration and his lack of professionalism. Craig is still a poor professional- messaged me and called me an asshole for posting the truth. read more

If you're looking for a more traditional preparation of Spanish/ Portuguese tapas, for a decent price, this isn't the spot. At least, that is how my good friend would put it. However, he isn't writing this review, is he? I think it is a fair point though. For the price, the portions were small, and the menu + portions + price didn't add up most of the time. My recommendation? Don't even play with the entrees. They are pricier, yet end up with a portion size that is not enough for me to call it an entree. However, I think there is more success in ordering several smaller tapas, and the flavors were engaging. It has been a month or so since I went, and while I respect that the menu changes regularly, I can only recommend what is still on the menu: olives with orange and fennel. They're the most beautiful olives I have tasted. Drink menu is outstanding from what I can tell. My friend enjoyed his stirred/boozy cocktail, and as someone who doesn't consume alcohol, I found Peninsula to be accommodating of that. It's worth at least a visit. While on the pricier end, the flavor pairings were artsy and well balanced, and there's something for everyone on their well curated drink menu. read more

My husband and I brought in the New Year at Peninsula with a small party of about 15 other people. This was our first visit. The host of our party made a reservation in advance specifically for our New Year's Eve celebration, and my husband and I were the first to arrive. They are located on a trendy little corner in East Nashville. Parking was on the street but not a pain at all. The restaurant is a bit small, but they've done an amazing job with the space, which made it feel a bit larger than it really is. When we walked in, we were immediately greeted and our tables were already set up to accommodate our party. The ambiance was wonderful with plenty of large windows and romantic lighting, and the music was great. There are 2 unisex restrooms. I used one, and it was decorated nicely, spacious, and clean. Our servers were super accommodating and friendly. I believe one of our servers was the actual owner of the restaurant. I also think our menu was put together just for our group and our special occasion. Our group was served rounds of small delicate plates, not limited to but including, salmon roe, caviar, olives, anchovies, bread, homemade potato chips, frog butter, grilled romaine, turtle escabeche, horseradish, braised rabbit, and assorted dessert. Oh my! I would say the menu was the most exotic assortment of small plates that I've ever had. I believe that, due to our special occasion, it was a limited version of their full menu, which changes weekly. The grilled romaine was my personal favorite, and I enjoyed their Sangria Familia, which was made with Vodka and fruit. Our server explained that the drinks were listed in order on the menu from the lightest to the strongest drink. They even made drinks that were not on the menu as requested by some members of our party. Our servers passed out Happy New Year hats, noisemakers, and counted down to the new year with us. They were awesome! If you're looking for a romantic night of fine dining on rather small bites of exotic food while receiving excellent service, this is the place to be! However, if you're looking for a full meal with large portions and more moderate prices, then you may be disappointed in that regard. The menu will certainly not be for everyone, but if you consider yourself a "foodie" or just like to try new restaurants around town, then add this one to your list. read more

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I mean... I knew it would be good but... damn! This spot is fan-freaking-tastic. In a city that's really resting on its culinary laurels, Peninsula throws down the gauntlet and offers an experience that is unlike any other in town. If you're tired of paying premium prices for yet another 'elevated Southern dish,' make your way over to Greenwood and prepare to take a vacation in your mouth. Peninsula makes an immediate impression. From the moment you turn on to Eastland and wonder where these condos came from, you'll forget all about it once you take a gander at the large windows that make up the walls of the dining room. The high ceilings lead your eye to rounded archways, hanging plants and chandeliers that recall the Iberian Peninsula (oh... right). Listen and you'll fall in love with a soundtrack that's as comfortable as it is entertaining. The music won't distract from your meal but it fills in the empty moments where/when you're too busy eating to talk. The space isn't huge (35 seats) but it offers a variety of 2-,4- and larger tops, plus bar seating. That said, you'll want to make reservations... just to be on the safe side. Since Craig Schoen is large and in charge, you know the drink program is going to be phenomenal. Craig is the reason why Inglewood Lounge and Rudy's got off to such strong starts. The man knows drinks and can come up with concoctions that had to have come from a spell book, they're so good. Peninsula is more of the same. Bucking the easy out of focusing on whiskey, Peninsula, instead, offers a gin & tonic menu. It's adventurous, daring and different. No one else is doing this. Not being one for gin, I was a little hesitant to try but a.) when in Spain/Portugal, drink gin and b.) Craig. So, after a quick tutorial from Jillian (more on her in a bit), I decided on the #4: gin malfy (think 'limoncello'), lemon, orange, and tonic. The result is a mild, extremely drinkable citrus take on a gin & tonic. My buddy's #1 (with fermented blackberries and fennel) had much more of the traditional juniper/herbal taste of a gin & tonic. With eight varieties, you're bound to find something you like. My second cocktail of the evening was The Life Aquatic. How could it not have been? This rum, berry and citrus cocktail was deep, round and just the seafaring potent potable you'd want for day/night drinking. I want to come back and try my hand at the wine offerings. I have full faith in what Craig tells me to drink. I also have faith in the food set in front of me. Peninsula offers small, shareable plates (because Spain) and while the flavor combos may seem tricky, they're all delicious. Jillian suggested (between two people) to get 4-5 plates. I would opt for 5 because the food is so good you're going to want to try as much of it as you can. Because my belly has betrayed me, I needed to eat gluten-free. No worries. There's an abundance of gluten-free options on the menu. No matter your dietary hang up, you're going to eat well. Plates come out as they're ready and the menu ranges from smaller to larger so have fun and eat up. We tried the rock shrimp (the presentation reminded me of ceviche; the protein was plentiful and delectable; paired with horseradish and radicchio, the texture components blended as well as you might think), the serrano ham (unreal; not at all salty, sliced razor thin and served with tomato butter and a grilled bread I couldn't eat but looked and smelled like heaven; I had it on good authority that the bread was magnificent) and the rabbit. Whatever else you get, get the rabbit. If you order nothing else, order the rabbit. This was the best rabbit I've ever had and I used to live in New Orleans (where it's on a LOT of menus). Braised and served in a garlic broth you'll want to drink, this rabbit was wonderfully tender and seasoned with the garlic, French pepper and aromatics of the broth. For those who can eat bread, I was told that the croutons that came with the meal were divine. I would bottle the broth as I could. It might have been the best thing I've eaten in a very long time. Lastly, a quick word about the people. From Craig to Jillian to Yuriko, everyone with whom I interacted was warm, informative, funny, and incredibly passionate about this project. Their energy was impressive and it means a lot when a staff is all in to what they're doing and makes the customer feel welcomed and important. Their good vibes added to an already incredible evening. Peninsula offers innovation, whimsy and diversity to Nashville's dining scene. It's a needed shot in the arm in the complacency that's come over recent local food culture. Craig Schoen and co. are the future of good eats in Nashville and I am here for it. Without a doubt, Peninsula is the next restaurant experience you need to have. Without.a.doubt. read more

There are simply not enough stars in the world to rate our experience here. From the unbelievable food (iberico snd octopus are flown in from Spain) to the equally fantastic service from the owner, this has been our best meal in Nashville since moving here in 2012. It's honestly in the top five of our lives I think. Nothing is better than experiencing taste combinations for the very first time and loving it. I thought we knew Spanish tapas but THIS is beyond what we could have imagined. We are so grateful for a meal we will likely never forget. read more

Peninsula was great! We made a reservation for 4 at 8PM, and it took them a little while to seat us. The restaurant is small, but we grabbed cocktails and seats at the bar while we waited. The cocktail list is impressive. They are known for their gin and tonics, and they're also very reasonably priced (I think $7). I tried the gin & tonic #8 with cinnamon. It was very different and delicious! The menu is small plates consisting of lighter fare to heavier fare. We started with the olives, ham dip, and the cabbage. The ham dip was very flavorful, but it was a little runny and hard to eat without spilling. We ordered another serving of the cabbage because it was so good. It was topped with roasted garlic and packed with flavor. We then ordered the octopus, escargot, scallops, and braised lamb. All of it was delicious, but my favorite was the escargot and lamb. The rabbit was braised, shredded, and served in a delicious broth. The scallops were good, but they were small and blended in with the white asparagus. They were also topped with a horseradish oil that was a little overpowering. The octopus was served with black eyed peas, which was so unique. My favorite part of the meal was the tomato toast with shrimp. If I wasn't so full, we would've ordered another serving! We ended the night with glasses of white port (so delicious), the panna cotta, and the blue cheese. Overall, the restaurant was great. Every single thing was delicious, but the cocktails, tomato toast, cabbage, escargot and octopus really stuck out! The service was great, and the owner of the restaurant was so passionate about the cuisine. He let us sample the white and red ports. I cannot wait to return again next time I'm in Nashville! read more

Peninsula - Portuguese Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Foodies from Los Angeles here. We travel to Nashville every month and have a large list of places to go to. We decided to hit Peninsula with some clients. Prior to arriving we really looked at the menu and got nervous when we realized that the menu looked very different. What a treat! Everything we had was wonderful. If you're someone who is willing to be open to flavors I highly recommend. So far the best we have had here in Tennessee! read more

I really wanted to like this place. My husband and I came here with a very open mind and no expectations, evidenced by our allowing the chef total control of our dining experience by creating a "tasting menu" and letting him selecting our dishes for us. So we had no idea what we'd be eating. Unfortunately, either the chef's taste just isn't compatible with our palates, or the overall cuisine here just isn't yet up to par with the best restaurants in Nashville (like Rolf & Daughters, Butcher & Bee, 5th & Taylor, Catbird Seat). I couldn't help comparing this place to a 1 star Michelin restaurant at first because that's the tone they set with their top-notch service (shout out to Yuriko). Getting our napkins re-folded each time we leave the table is Michelin-level service for sure. I wish I could say the same about the food though. The only dishes we enjoyed were the soups, because they were indeed delicious (loved the croutons and rabbit), but also because they were a welcomed break from the other dishes that were too rich, strong, and salty--and we generally eat A LOT of salt. For instance, the chorizo escargot. I've had escargot before but what made it good was that you couldn't really taste the snails because they were masked in/complemented by a good sauce. Here, the chorizo sauce was overpowering yet I could still clearly taste that dirt flavor of snails. The lime or lemon custard dessert was so sour I could only take a couple bites. Overall, I'm not a picky eater (again, we do tasting menus frequently where we have no control over what we eat), but this place has not yet mastered the balance of flavor. Obviously they are new and still figuring it out. I feel bad for saying this, but we left disappointed. I'm still giving 2ish stars for effort/concept/creativity, ambience, and most of all, service, which is at the moment the best thing about Peninsula. read more

This place had topped best-of lists for a while, so my husband and I finally decided to visit. They reserved us places at the bar, which was perfect. One of the owners was bartending that night, and he made it a wonderful experience. Just getting to talk with him about the place and learn about his favorite dishes and drinks meant a lot. The menu is fairly pricey, but we shared some things, and the quality is totally worth it. I'd especially recommend going for a special occasion because it just feels like that kind of place, and it really is a special meal. Looking forward to going back! read more

Our first time, so the co-owner/hostess recommended the Mushroom Toast and the Braised Rabbit. More like tapas in size, while the flavors are rich and engaging. I'm not good at describing flavors and I don't know the names of the ingredients. The new dishes were delicious and 'entertaining.' It's so fun to taste new flavors so well prepared. The setting is subdued, quiet and intimate. We just found a new, favorite place. read more

I'm not gonna lie: this is probably the worst meal my husband and I have had on the local restaurant scene all year. And we're pretty fair judges of new eateries and try to give them all the benefit of the doubt, but the fact that my husband STILL mentions how disappointed he was in this place several months after we first ate there tells me all I need to know. And based on the other glowing reviews here, maybe we just showed up on a bad night---maybe our experience was isolated or someone in the Peninsula kitchen staff was having a particularly rough day, I dunno. First of all, there was only one craft international beer available on the menu. And they were all out of it. I'm guessing they were hoping no hopheads would show up that night? So we had to settle on some wine, which was just okay, but nothing special. Second of all, the potato dish we ordered barely had any potato in it; we literally had to ask our server to point the potato particles out to us...she pointed to several tiny crumbs swimming in the gravy, claiming they were the potato. Well alrighty then, thanks for semi-clearing that up, but then why was the dish completely covered in raw carrot slices when raw carrot slices weren't even mentioned anywhere in the dish's ingredients list on the menu?! I should add that my husband doesn't even like carrots, so he muttered to me that he wouldn't have ordered the item period had he known the chef was just randomly adding extra ingredients to dishes in such surprising ways. Thirdly, the tapas we tried there just weren't all that tasty, inspiring or eclectic; they were just a bit too bland and had some ingredients and textures that just didn't seem to really "work" for the overall servings. Plus, our dishes just felt rather pedestrian and overpriced for what they really were. Maybe one too many visits to Asheville, NC's masterful tapas place Curate has spoiled us for life, but for a place that felt like it was desperately trying to evoke Curate's decor and vibe on a smaller scale((and it is a lovely dining area)), we were both gravely disappointed in our meal overall. So much so that we skipped our original decision to try dessert and just wanted to get out of there without getting further fleeced and frustrated. We were very polite and understanding towards our server and she knew we were neither pleased with our food nor the initial lack of beer options available, but it would've been at least nice to have been given an apology by someone there or an incentive to ever return to give them a second chance. I think she was so shocked and annoyed that we dared question their offerings that she was ready for us to just bounce outta there for good. Hopefully they're able to remedy those issues in the meantime. read more

The absolute best restaurant I've had the pleasure of dining in. Fantastic service, both front of house as well as the fabulous, creative food! read more

I would say out of the 5 things we ordered half was okay. The atmosphere was really great but the food did not match. One of things we ordered tasted so salty it made me cringe. We actually made reservations to a different restaurant for dinner while we were still at the table there. Really disappointed I had super high hopes read more

Love this place! Such a unique menu. The rabbit, broth and caviar ice cream are a must! I always get recommendations and have not been steered wrong yet! Great ambiance and wine as well. read more