Service was mediocre at best. We ordered the muscles they came boiled in plain tomato sauce no seasoning. The next item was the ravioli they were covered in corn and the cheese was sweet and made me gag. Next we ordered the muscles the came with squash, and honey drizzle tasted horrible. Honey was over powering. I don't know who the chef is here but I don't recommend coming here until they change the menu. I do recommend the petit sirah read more

The Restaurant at Ponte - New American Near Me - Temecula, California

I've been to the restaurant for the past few years, and it's always a great experience! Recently went there for Sunday brunch! Who can say no to unlimited mimosas, bellinis and moscato! The scones are great and I had the eggs benedict which were great on a Sunday morning. Not only is the food great, but so is the service and the atmosphere outside. The outdoor patio is great, and I've been there on cold weather and they do the best to accomodate your comfort level, even if it's cold or hot out. Plus save room for some wine tasting either beforehand or afterward. It's a must here. The reds are great, and I'm a big fan of their Super Tuscan and Beverino (make sure to try it at room temp and chilled). read more

The Restaurant at Ponte - Yummy Sunday Brunch at Ponte Winery's Smokehouse Restaurant! - New American Near Me - Temecula, California

This food was beyond amazing! My friend and I stopped for dinner right after our tasting at Ponte! Can you stuffed! The bread with the dipping sauce was out of this world, I filled up on it! Next we ordered the Brussels which you can never go wrong with! For the main entree I ordered the bolognese! The sauce was incredible and even tasted great left over! Dessert included the chocolate soufflé with a white chocolate sauce on the side! read more

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Very beautiful vineyard, well taken care of and not too crowded if that's what you like. We sat for lunch but the food was nothing to rave about. https://www.pontevineyardinn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/menu-fall-lunch.pdf The CALAMARI was clearly already made and it was tough and dry. Warm but not hot. We asked to have a fresh batch made and the second batch was decent but the coating was still too thick and hard and it tasted re-fried. Low quality frozen calamari. $19 The CHEESE, JAMS AND BREAD: okay. The cheeses were forgettable as well as the bread. The jams themselves were great. $18 (3 cheeses) The most amazing part of the lunch was the comp BREAD. It was just heavenly and we wished we had more of it. Excellent. Got a flight of 3 wines. We did not love the wine and headed off to Wilson Creek soon after. Nice service and the basket on the floor for your purse is a nice touch. read more

This is my favorite restaurant to hit when I'm out wine tasting in Temecula. The food is usually quite good for the price and the atmosphere can't be beat. It's also handy that you can make reservations in advance because the restaurants at the wineries can get very busy on Saturdays and Sundays. I also love that they have seasonal menu specials, although they do have their staples as well. Last time I was here I ordered the wine country salad and the chicken pizza. The salad was delicious and I felt like it was a great portion for the price. I will say, though, I was a bit underwhelmed by the pizza. It was under seasoned as well as a bit too doughy and not crispy enough. I've previously had their burger and chicken sandwich, both of which I prefer to the pizza. Luckily, their atmosphere and service made up for the unusually bland pizza I had this time. Next time I know to stick with their other dishes! read more

The food was just alright. Nothing too special. It was brought to my attention that you can buy a bottle at the tasting room and then drink it with dinner or lunch without a corkage fee. That sounds amazing. The service was average. The lamb wasn't the best I've ever had, it was dry. The brussel sprouts were really good. I'd come back just for the sprouts. The cheese and charcuterie plate is better than other places so I liked that. It's a nice place to have lunch. I don't think I would want to have dinner here. read more

The best part of the meal was the complimentary bread and dipping sauce :( but seriously, the bread was so fluffy. It takes a while to get seated on a weekend, even for a small party; they said about 1.5 hours but we got in after 45. They changed their pizza recipe so now it is more...ermm....floppy? Salad was delicious. read more

The Restaurant at Ponte - Bread - New American Near Me - Temecula, California

Came here for lunch on a Sunday afternoon with the hubby after we made a reservation through OpenTable. I really liked their outside terrace. Seating is not too close to each other and there is plenty of shade, including blinds that can be rolled down on the sides. They also have adorable bag-baskets so your purse doesn't get grubby. I liked taking a walk through their garden at the end as well. Our waitress, Cassandra, was friendly and attentive our entire lunch. She informed us about the chef's specials of which I picked one: the seafood pasta. My hubby had the veggie Bolognese, which was an interesting take on the real deal. We had the Peanut Butter Mousse Cake for dessert, which was amazing! Although I must admit that I did miss seeing ye old faithful tiramisu on their Italian menu. I had their moscato wine, which had quite a kick to it compared to others I have tasted (or maybe it was the winter sun?). To conclude: We very much enjoyed our lunch here! read more

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We had actually been driving around the area looking for balloon rides, then happened to pass the Ponte Winery which a number of my friends have raved about......so, since there were no balloons in site, we came here just to browse around.....and eventually stayed for and early lunch. What an amazingly beautiful resort this is, but what really moved me was how truly beautiful the gardens surrounding the restaurant and views of the grape fields and mountains beyond were....wow! The gardens reminded me so much of an English garden with the restaurant being outdoors, but covered by a trellis and falling vines....a simply wonderful setting to enjoy a very pleasant lunch. It was a pretty heavily cloudy day so there was very little sun and a bit cool on the temps, but they had heat lamps ready for us. Walking up to the check-in desk ....also located outdoors....we were greeted by a hostess who asked how many people in our party, if we had a reservation, what the occasion was, etc.....and we were then immediately guided to a very nice table for two......I don't think there are any bad tables here as all have a wonderful view......oh yea, it seems there's only outdoor seating available. We were immediately attended to by Laura who's a really nice, friendly, and helpful server......she made her honest recommendations and advised us on sizes of dishes so as not to over order or over stuff ourselves. Started out with some of their home made artisan sun-dried tomato bread...which was to die for!.....so fresh, fluffy, and yummmeeee! And I believe the dip for the bread was some champagne oil concoction of their own.....yum! Warning though! This bread is so yummy, it's addictive....and I had to actually put a temporary hold on my carb-free diet to finish the loaf!....it was that good! We were going to be driving home after lunch so didn't want to stuff ourselves with a heavy lunch, so I went with the server recommended special soup of the day.....oh gosh, I've forgotten if it was a sundried tomato bisque or something like that.....whatever it was, it was absolutely d'lish! Then, I ordered the Wine Country Salad and added a grilled chicken breast to it. My friend ordered the special recommended by our server, the Seared Ahi Tuna on a bed of cold soba noodles, served with a soy vinaigrette. Ok, I'll start out with the positives on these two dishes......the vegetables are locally farmed, so fresh, and so delicious......so my friend's cooked veggies were wonderful. My salad was so fresh, light, and went just perfect with the mix of candied pecans, feta cheese, tomatoes, dried cranberries, oranges.....and I took the balsamic vinaigrette dressing on the side. Ok, now for the not so good. My friend had asked for medium rare ahi tuna......half of it was seared just right, but the other half was fully cooked, and we all know what happens to tuna when it's cooked through?......yep, dry. Speaking of dry, my grill chicken was a bit dry too. I think both these need a bit of work to make this place truly perfect. To finish off our meal and our last day in Temecula, we ordered a Pumpkin Tart to share.....served over a cranberry coulis with a side of white hot chocolate and spiced marshallows. The pumpkin tart itself was delicious and not too sweet, which was good because the sweetness of the cranberry coulis made up for that. Yum! Overall, a truly wonderful experience here at the Ponte Winery Restaurant.....such a beautiful winery resort.....and even more amazing garden restaurant. If not for the tuna and chicken issue.....and oh....that pesky fly that kept bothering me, this would have been a perfect ending to a wonderful long weekend in Temecula. My friend told me that this was the absolute best holiday she's had in many years! :) read more

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Great time at Ponte. Ambiance was great, as it was all outdoors. Service be Cassandra was outstanding, and she was very friendly. The food was good, but not out of this world. Please don't think it was not good, but I decided to try the bacon wrapped meatloaf, and it was ok. My wife had the cauliflower pasta and she thought it was quite tasty. Will we be back, yes. We decided to take a walk around the vineyard after dinner and we loved it. read more

We were married at Ponte and are always wishing for the best. The food was delicious but has been the trend for the past couple of years..: service is lack luster. The front of the house definitely needs to be trained. For a $50 a plate you would think the staff would check to see if your food was ok. We waited 20 minutes for our waiter. Order was taken food was delivered and then check was given. No one checked on us the entire time. This meant if we wanted more water or drinks it did not happen. What about dessert??? This is our third strike.... We will not be back. Such a disappointment. The last visit we talked to management and it was useless. Here we are a year later and it hasn't changed. read more

Absolute perfection! It has taken me awhile to get around to reviewing this restaurant as it was a few months back that we came here for dinner and drinks. The ambiance is dark and cozy. They had music being played by musicians in the main area so the sound traveled and was quite loud in the restaurant. So if you come on a Saturday night make sure you don't mind loud music. There was also a wedding party having their reception here. The place is crowded. Not a huge restaurant but they sure do pack people in there. It's still very comfortable, but if you struggle with being in smaller spaces with lots of people you may not like the environment here. It's a very popular place and you do need a reservation to get a table. So make sure you call ahead and get your name on the list. Dinner was immaculate! Since this is a higher end restaurant expect small portions and $$$ for your bill. Everything tasted wonderful. The 4 of us shared appetizers (the bruschetta was our favorite), and sampled different types of wine (I think we went through 5 bottles between the 4 of us lol) and had salmon and steak for entrees. We all enjoyed our entrees very much. We were all pretty smashed afterwards and retired at the Ponte Inn. I believe our tab for the table was around $500 for dinner and drinks. Well worth it though! read more

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Setting is very pretty. Although we were seated right next to the building so no view and the black shades were down. So ask to be seated in the main section which is much nicer. Food wise below average. Slightly above diner quality. Burger was decent but way well done and not medium, but tasted quite well and was eatable. Mussels were decent but tasted microwaved. Bolognese was horrible. That bad that my husband actually sent it back and he never really does it. My sons kid meal was actually very good. We got him grilled chicken and fries. I would probably eat here again for the setting but play super safe food wise. read more

The food did not disappoint! The Braised Beef & Risotto was perfect. We will be back to enjoy dinner again.

Location was beautiful, however; the food was not. I'm vegan, what did I get to order ? Pasta primavera . That was my choice from 1980. Come on people, so many plant based items now a days. They start you with a giant loaf of cheese bread. Nice but not necessary. If you ate it, you'd be full before your meal came. My husband had margarita pizza. Wasn't cooked enough and tomatoes were 1/2 ripe. Wouldn't go back to dine. Bummer, it was our anniversary read more

Booked in for an anniversary lunch on a Saturday. Overall the atmosphere, staff and food was good. We only had one glass of white wine, which was hot and just okay. The beers and craft sodas were cold and nice. Food was good but was a bit cold when it arrived and the sweet potato fries were not fully cooked. This place has a pretty setting, along with a winery and an Inn so it's understood the restaurant gets really busy. We were going to order more wine and a desert for our anniversary but our server (which all of them, were very nice) didn't return to our table for 15/20 mins. after we finished eating so we just decided to go, since we were over it by then. I would definitely visit again because the staff, scenery and vibe is pleasant. read more

First I was mad, then I was angry, now I am PISSED. I am SO GLAD I waited to write my review - after seeing their even poorer customer relations regarding one of my party member's review.... FIRST ISSUE: Me and 3 girlfriends came to wine taste/have lunch this past Saturday (8/10) at noon. The place was bumping, so it was understandable that when we put our names in to eat, they quoted us at 50 minutes. We thought, that stinks, but we are here and we will just spend an hour wine tasting. We gave them our cell # and went inside to taste. Cut to an hour later when we are like, okay, table should be ready by now let's go ask. The girl tells us that it's going to be at least another 20 minutes. So we go enjoy the scenery for a bit. 20-25 mins pass and we ask again. The girl now tells me "We quoted you at 1hr 15 but it is looking to be 1hr 30. There are still 3 people ahead of you." I was annoyed that we were actually quoted 50 mins and that we had seen open tables the entire time, but whatever, what were we going to do about it at that point? So we wait some more - 2 HOURS after we put our names in they finally seat us. Our server was great, so not going to say anything bad about the actual service, BUT here is why I am glad I waited to write this review: SECOND ISSUE: Took my leftovers home to eat later (got the Med Wrap) and two bites in I find something hard. Pull out a piece of broken plastic!! I get hair or a nail because hands are on food, but what is plastic shards doing anywhere near food?! STILL I am glad I waited to write this review.. THIRD ISSUE: One of my party members wrote a review (Samantha M.) and their Marketing Manager Chelsey had the AUDACITY to reply and say that we were only quoted an hour and sat 45 minutes later when we FOR A FACT WERE NOT. HOW DARE you call us liars. How dare you tell us something that is NOT TRUE IN THE VERY LEAST. That is insane customer relations! I cannot believe this crap. We had to figure out what we wanted to eat so when we were finally sat we could order fast. We asked for the check immediately so we would not be late to our next tasting. Thankfully the wines were over-priced and mediocre so there is no reason to ever go back. Will be telling everyone I know about this INCREDIBLY TERRIBLE experience. read more

The Restaurant at Ponte - Piece of plastic found in Mediterranean Wrap - New American Near Me - Temecula, California

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I love the wine. But WOW was my arrive absolute trash. Today 6/3 at 10am the host was extremely ...weird? I showed up early for my reservation & not a SINGLE person was at any table and she acted like it was a burden to give me a table 30 mins before my reservation time. The server came to our table MAYBE 3 times. And when asked if we wanted a dessert menu and we said not she was like offended lol. Food was OK. Salmon burger the bread was sooooo dry. Asked for my burger medium and got it well done ( not a big deal) very unhappy with my time here. This is my go to winery When I'm in town. Very bummed. read more

A bit pricey for the quality but still worth it for the setting and the service. Very busy so get your name in early and say yes to the bread, it's really good. Eat on the patio, take in five sites, finish your wine from the tasting room and you can't go wrong read more

Ramon was amazing. He was very kind, accommodating and knowledgeable. The Wine Country Salad was very good; light and refreshing with many flavors. I debated a protein and decided to get the steak with it. I ordered it medium rare and it came well done (extremely, well done) and it was tough. Ramon ordered me another one and it was cooked medium Rare, but it was still Tough. Just wasn't a good cut of. meat; Full Disclosure; I did eat the steak. But I should have followed my instincts and not ordered a protein. read more

Really beautiful property and ambience. Ate outside on a gorgeous day. Food and service were very good. Prices are very good. Portions are very good. If you come here ya definitely want to eat outside to enjoy the view read more

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Great views, great food, and great service from Joshua. Great ambiance with a garden feel. The bread they provide with the avocado sauce is amazing. Live music during our late lunch. All staff were friendly and sociable. This place is highly recommended if you are in Temecula. Will be back tomorrow for lunch. Ask for Joshua, he provides amazing service! read more

The Restaurant at Ponte - Outdoor Eating! - New American Near Me - Temecula, California

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Every time, you can count on the food to be excellent. The bread and sauce - yes!! They have lots of good gluten free options and the wines are good. Service is always excellent as well. Nice, relaxing garden experience. read more

The restaurant at Ponte use to be one of my favorite restaurants before COVID. We went back recently after reopening and everything we ordered was subpar. read more

The Temecula wineries. This place is bad ass bad ass I'm telling u want to come here you want to get yourself some good eats we had the salmon with a winter salad along with the Caesar salad and chicken service here was excellent the people here the environment was bad ass too come with your mouth ready because you're going to get a fuller you're gonna love every bit of it shout out to the following: Ericka excellent at the bar- she knows her drinks and upsells the customers! I know the managers must love this! Great job Ericka!! Scott- Manager greeted us coming in and acknowledged us immediately. He was very responsive to our needs. Aida- Excellent server we are glad you were our person for the night. I'll be back!!!!!!! read more

Beautiful ambiance but disappointing food. We like to try several items from the menu when we dine, but after the first two items we decided to go else where for the rest of our meal. The mussels were extremely bland, the brussel sprouts were mediocre. Now if I go to Panera Bread my expectations are in alignment with where I am dining so I don't expect great food at Panera. After all, there is no chef in the kitchen there. But if I go to a restaurant at a winery I have different expectations. The mussels in tomato sauce tasted like mussels in Panera tomato soup. They were not fresh, they were over cooked and they had no flavor! Unacceptable on any level. We finished our bottle of wine and left. read more

Our group had a phenomenal experience here. Best meal we had on our Temecula trip and absolutely gorgeous property. We loved all the gf options, and especially appreciated eating things like calamari that we normally can't have. The filet was amazing and the chocolate soufflé was also gf and SO good. When we make it back to Temecula, we will absolutely eat at Ponte. Thank you for giving us the ONE meal we loved in Temecula! And I wish I could remember our server because he was truly the best to our group. read more

Excellent food and service! The Sea Plate is the best dish! Crab cakes were excellent. We had reservations and were promptly seated. The dining area is outside, but covered. Decent pricing too. read more

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Amazing service, food, wine and scenery. This has become one of my favorite spots to take my friends and family to. It showcases Temecula wine country so well. It's beautiful outside seating is refreshing. They have a ton of gluten free options as well. read more

I dined here yesterday with my husband and one year old child and had the most fantastic experience! The bread they initially serve is exquisite. We ordered the summer fresh salad with strawberries and candied pecans which was also refreshing and delicious along with the mushroom pizza. Plenty of options for vegetarians. they are also extremely child friendly they provided us with a high chair immediately and in fact we were celebrating my son's first birthday and they brought out a dessert and sang him happy birthday which was such a thoughtful surprise. read more

Ambience was pretty good. Food was subpar- from appetizers to dessert, everything was pretty flavorless.

Located in beautiful Temecula wine country, The Restaurant at Ponte is the perfect example of a great restaurant lead by mediocre waitstaff. Our reservation was at 7:30. Being the punctual people that myself and other 3 family members are, we arrived on time. We were very impressed with the all outdoor seating. It's unique and allows you to take full advantage of a beautiful summer night. Live entertainment from a great upcoming artist, Micheal LeClerc, helped set a lively and fun atmosphere. The bread and water came out first. The soft fresh sourdough bread with one of the tastiest scallion dips I have ever eaten was a perfect way to start off the dinner! It wasn't until 8:00, that our server came to take out order. That was the first thing that rose frustration. Next, when I asked her a question about what was served with the lamb, she replied "exactly what is stated." That did not sit well with me at all considering the customer service should be great at a pricier restaurant. Our food came out and I will admit, it perked us all up! It was presented beautifully and smelled divine! I began to eat my lamb and realized that only 2 chops came with it for $40! I felt a little ripped off. My husband ordered scrimp scampi and the rations on his shrimp servings were meager as well. One person in our party ordered the tri-tip. The portions served were appropriate and it was very good. Another person ordered the Margarita pizza and she enjoyed it very much. It was my birthday celebration and our server brought me an ice cream and a brownie. It did surprise me that it didn't come with a lit candle, considering it was a celebration. Restaurant chains do a better job of celebrating than that. All in all, the food was great! Other factors make up a restaurant experience. That's why I deducted 2 stars. When people are paying good money for a meal, it should be portioned for an adult! Secondly, nobody wants to be snapped at by their sever. I might come back, I might not. read more

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Soooo I've been for several times. Stayed and had meals ie lunch and dinners. I must say it's been too long since my last, the food IS 5 stars! Order the wine country salad, margarita pizza and the seafood pasta! I also Rec their beverino 2017 and moscato 2018 sparkling wines girls! Definitely book yourself a private wine tour. Oh oh Da room! 225 Bc double French doors opens into the vineyards! Yes now I need to come my 6th time with my final date with a 2 carat ring :) propose to me in vineyards OR in their beautiful court yard. And who will HE be :) you will thank me later. read more

I guess I had high expectation for this place since we've been here a few times for wine tasting, so finally, I made a reservation for Saturday's dinner at 5. I've come to realize, you can enjoy the ambiance and setting of the restaurant OR the food and not both. We were seated after waiting 10 minutes for them to find a seat. I didn't care where we sat, it was a beautiful location. A wedding was going on at the time so it was nice to see that. We were seated at a table for 4 and the chairs were uncomfortable and I couldn't tuck my legs under the table since the table had a piece of wood blocking your knee, so I sat kind of far away from the table due to this. Our waiter was nice and he had the typical surfer dude look going on and was rather nice. He didn't tell us the daily special but he did for the table next to us. The table next to us had 6 people and they were really loud, I mean, EXTREMELY loud! There were points when I had to turn around and see what was going on because sometimes the girls would scream bloody murder or the guys would argue about the situation of the house they're living in. I thought about being asked to move but my husband didn't want to bother the waiter or wait another few minutes for a new table. We ordered the mussels for an appetizer and it was cold. It had sausages in it as well and everything on that plate was cold. We just dealt with it and ate it. We got two pieces of bread each and the table next to us got unlimited bread. I thought that was rather weird. I wanted to have the veal but it had mushrooms in it so I asked the waiter if we can remove the mushrooms and he said it was in the sauce, so I ordered the Butcher's steak instead, which was good, but wasn't the best. Hubby had the lamb and he liked it, but it was lukewarm. All of our food was just lukewarm and not hot. While we're eating, the table next to us were still screaming and more people arrived to join their table. We had 2 other couples sitting near us that would look at us and agreed that they were obnoxious and loud. They noticed us looking at each other and one of the guys at the table yelled "we're Ponte members, bitches, we can do whatever we want!" ummm, ok. Well, I guess now I won't be a member here. So much class, let me tell ya. My husband turned to me and said "let's do dessert somewhere else, I don't want to stay longer than I have to and I don't want to be disappointed anymore by the food." I agreed and we asked for the bill and left, paying $78 for a meal we wished we enjoyed more of. BUT....the view was nice....and I guess you're paying more for the view than anything else. read more

Order the lamb chops. The two people in our party who did, said they were out of this world. Definitely 5 star for the lamb chops. I had bacon wrapped meatloaf with mashed potatoes and green beans. The bacon was fatty and not at all crispy as I like it. The rest was quite tasty. The fourth person in our party had sand dabs and really didn't remark on them. The clear winners were those who ordered lamb! Aside from that, the bread was amazing. If I was there alone, I probably would have eaten the whole thing.! read more

I think the winery is really lovely and the people are very friendly. The food is good but not great. The price is steep, but the atmosphere and the surrounding may be part of price you pay for. Now, the meal: 1) Calamari - lightly breaded, fried, kalamata pepperoncini relish, roasted bell pepper aioli. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bQFaIRMvmUpIcxT1Cpf-ZQ?select=z8teZ6V9qTJusy-MO22ubQ Loved this! The portion is big and the calamari very tender and not overly breaded. Only wished they could have gone easy on the salt. 2) The Rib Eye Steak ($44) - seared with red, green and black pepper crusted, chimichurri, German butterball potatoes, haricot vert.http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bQFaIRMvmUpIcxT1Cpf-ZQ?select=xg3Csfg98JiqYanHDka7Cw Don't think it's prime meat, however the seasoning was great and tasted good. 3) Artic Char ($22) - seared, fruit salsa, Ponte Isabel lemon butter, summer vegetables. This is basically salmon, but not a very tasty salmon that I usually like. I don't know which ocean it was from but definitely not from Alaska. Skip this. Sensing that I didn't care for it, our server was nice that she took the plate back and took the bill off. However, I also realized that she charged $9 more for the Rib Eye Steak. I didn't call her on it because I did eat 1/2 of the salmon. 4) 3-Flavor Ice Cream - for $9, you would expect them to be a little bigger. They were the size of ping pong balls. http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bQFaIRMvmUpIcxT1Cpf-ZQ?select=cWbeN0oVex1hs7V-8Vmcww But then again, I probably wouldn't finish them anyway because they were really mediocre. 5) Donut Holes ($9) with 3 dipping sauce. I didn't care for these, either but my fiance liked them and ate them all. :) http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/bQFaIRMvmUpIcxT1Cpf-ZQ?select=gKFN1v2VLnB2Yq2EkpQM9Q The verdict - it was a nice experience but probably won't be back if I didn't have a gift card. read more

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Love this place! Kathleen was the nicest server we've ever had! Very nice place and great vibes. Food was excellent and will come back for sure read more

3 times have I been here for lunch. Disappointed, I was not. Eaten here when hot, I have, but cooled down by misters we were. When cold out, eaten here I also have. Warmed by the heaters we were. Lots of wines I have tasted, very good most were. Enjoyed fish, scallops, salads, crabcakes, stuffed mushrooms and bread I have. Satisfied I was. Back soon, I will be. May the food & wine be with you... read more

The Restaurant at Ponte - Mmm. Delicious the bread was. Eat it again I will. - New American Near Me - Temecula, California

This review is primarily for our server, Spencer. When we came to Ponte, it was pretty crowded, but it was also a clear blue Saturday in the middle of July, so that was expected, and the crowd that came with that seemed to fit. We didn't have a reservation, we were told the wait was 50 minutes, but we waited maybe 35-40 minutes instead. As a backstory, I recently had surgery when my parents wanted to make a last minute venture to Ponte. When I say last minute, I mean I had surgery like the day before. So I could really only stomach liquids. Ponte has a soup of the day, which was a minestrone soup (I believe). While I was in the restroom, my dad explained the situation to Spencer, who graciously brought out a sample serving of the soup for me to try. It was unfortunately too thick and chunky for me to stomach (but it tasted great!), and Spencer was super kind. He went to the kitchen and spoke with his manager, and was able to give me a few options off the menu, and bring me something specialized to my diet. Spencer went above and beyond for me and my needs, and I am so grateful. This is how every server should be! He was great. On top of attending to my pickiness, he didn't hover over our table, but made sure we were satisfied with everything, and checked in just enough to make us feel important but not smothering us or forgetting us. Spencer was incredibly kind and went above and beyond his job to make sure I was comfortable and able to enjoy my first time at The Ponte Restaurant. Thank you, Spencer! read more

The Restaurant at Ponte is one of our very favorite places to dine when in Temecula Wine Country, especially for dinner after a day of wine tasting. This particular occasion marked our third time here, yet this is my first review for our dining experience, so needless to say this review is long overdue! This particular trip we dined here over the summer in July while we celebrated our 2nd Wedding Anniversary. Our server was very attentive, allowing us several complimentary samples of various wines before we each selected our chosen favorites by the glass for enjoying with our selected meals. At the end of our meal she brought out a dessert created especially for our Anniversary which really added to our over all experience. I also love how they provide a basket for ladies purses so that they are protected from the ground. Something to keep in mind it that the menu here is seasonal & is continually changing so even if you eat here during the same season the entree items can be completely different from the last time you dined. This aspect certainly allows for keeping things fresh & new so its always a bit different of a dining experience every time you come, which my husband & I like a great deal. There is always something delicious & new to try. I also suggest making a reservation to dine here so that you are able to be seated in the main patio area overlooking the gorgeous gardens. If you are a party of 2 request a seat closest to the gardens as they are very good at honoring such requests, which I have made in my online reservations with the restaurant on all our previous visits. Having a dinner reservation right around Sunset is the best time so you can see the garden transition, it is a beautiful ambiance to enjoy with your meal to be sure. Our staple favorite item to enjoy as a starter is their 'Cheese, Bred +Jams' which is served in a 5 or 3 assorted cheese spread, and for us cheese enthusiasts it is a must every time we dine. The pairing with the cheeses combined with wine is a heavenly experience for us. We could spend almost a whole hour just savoring & languidly enjoying this one menu item. We highly recommend ordering this to all the fellow cheese loves out there. We will undoubtedly be seeing The Restaurant at Ponte and their wonderful staff again, and hopefully Very soon. read more

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