Ambiance: Service: Food: The view alone is worth a visit. The staff were very friendly and attentive. The food tasted good overall and our favorite was the crispy potatoes. NY was a bit under-seasoned. read more

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Everything was delicious!!! I chose this restaurant because it's basically the only one on the Sonoma county coast that serves chicken with a view. Everything was top of the line from the flavors, plating, service, chairs, view, and ambiance. Not all the reviews on yelp are great & I rolled the dice with going here and I am so glad I did. Can't wait to go back! read more

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My fiancé and I came here for the first time to celebrate our anniversary, and we were both incredibly impressed from start to finish. The ambiance was unforgettable. The restaurant's large windows provide beautiful waterfront views no matter where you're seated. Our waitress (whose name I unfortunately forgot) was fantastic. She mentioned she'd been there for 14 years, which says a lot in itself. She was friendly, knowledgeable about every dish, and gave us excellent recommendations. I know Caesar dressing contains anchovies, but I was hesitant about having actual fish on my salad. I'm so glad she encouraged me to try the cooked anchovies on the side--they were delicious. Perfectly salty and a great complement to the salad. The pork chop entrée was perfection! The pork was cooked beautifully, and the bread pudding side was just as memorable. I'm not entirely sure what was in it, but it reminded me of garlic bread in the best way. The applesauce was also a nice touch. The halibut was cooked perfectly as well, and the mashed potatoes practically melted in your mouth. For sides, the grilled asparagus was exactly what you'd hope for, and the crispy potatoes lived up to their name, perfectly seasoned with a great crunch. The soup of the day was a creamy spring onion soup with crispy pancetta. Although just as delicious as everything else ordered, its the one plate we wished the portion was bigger for the price it was going for. We've eaten at plenty of restaurants, but this may be the first time where every single thing we ordered--from the entrées to the sides and sauces--was a 10/10. Needless to say, this won't be our last visit. It was absolutely worth it and such a memorable part of our anniversary trip to Bodega Bay. read more

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We had reservations on a busy Saturday night and it looked like the restaurant did not have its act together enough to handle the volume. No tables were ready on time and most people were waiting 30-60 minutes after their reservation to be seated. We were directed to get a drink in the lounge/bar while waiting for our table, but even that space was a bit crowded as it was standing room only and took about 10 minutes to get the attention of the bar staff. The staff did very little to acknowledge the insane wait that we had. What Drakes did have working for it was the incredible view. The drinks and food were good, but average for the price point and the ambiance. Both the salad and main I had were good, but not great. Presentation was beautiful and while they used fresh, seasonal ingredients, I think they could have done more to highlight the freshness of the ingredients. The root salad was good, but tasted like something I could make at home. I really appreciated the crispy skin on the black cod and while it was tender and not dry, it was drier than other black cods I've had especially given this is a high fat fish that's very forgiving when cooked. All the individual components of the black cod dish were good - perfectly cooked beans, shiitake mushrooms, and broth, but it wasn't a combination that felt like it was meant to go together. Overall, a middling, if not a little frustrating experience for a place that has so much potential. read more

Drakes Sonoma Coast - Root vegetable salad - New American Near Me - Bodega Bay, California

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The appetizer was the star of the night. It was delicious, and had lots of flavor! The bread has a lot of garlic but it surprisingly pairs well with the dish. The garden party drink tasted a lot like a lemonade but was refreshing nonetheless. Service was good for the most part, at times it was a bit hard to get our servers attention. I got the halibut and it was fresh! Surprisingly good, just lacked a bit of salt for my taste, it did have a lot of the squash puree, which made it a little overpowering. My partner did get the grilled ribeye, he asked for a medium, and we got medium rare. So we had to return it and it took a while to get it back. (By the time we got it back I was done with the halibut dish.) I will say the location is fabulous, you are next to the coast, and it is a bit chilly. But inside the restaurant it is beautiful! Definitely a cool place to try out! read more

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If it wasn't for the view. I would have changed my mind. Thank goodness we arrived early, the drinks took 38 minutes to come out and mine was wrong. They did bring me another one, very nice of them. We finally got seated and ordered a cheese plate. The cheese was dry and the lavash was stale. We were starved so we ate it all anyway. Our caesar salad arrived at the same time as the cheese plate which was off for good service and when we tried it, it was wilted and warm. Not for me. My dinner was very good, I ordered the mussels with frites and it was done perfectly. My husband order the pesto and he was not happy with it. It tasted like they put vinegar in it, but I had plenty of mussels to share with him. Would I recommend? Probably for cocktails and the sunset but that's it. The staff was very friendly but I think they might have been extremely short staffed. read more

We had a late reservation on a Saturday night and started with a few drinks by the cozy fire by the fireside lounge. The staff at the fireside lounge were so kind and made us feel right at home while we were waiting for outable (shoutout to Cody). Once we were seated, our server was also very attentive (thanks Chelsey!) Halibut: excellently cooked, tender, amazing honey nut squash puree that balances out the balsamic of the brussel sprouts. All the flavors worked together really well with the light halibut meat. All the fresh produce gave this dish that iconic California "farm to table" vibe Pork chop: I haven't seen a pork chop this THICK yet so tender and juicy in a long time. Yet somehow the highlight of this dish was the SAUCE. So fresh and pear forward. Literally had pear chunks in it. The flavor worked so well to balance the heaviness of the meat. The oyster bread pudding was also very unique and soft and delicious. Ribeye: an incredibly juicy and tender steak. We ordered it medium rare and it actually came out... MEDIUM RARE. Exactly how I like it and yet so hard for many restaurants to execute. The Chimichurri sauce was the perfect complement but not overpowering Clams: yes the clams were great but once again the sauce was the best part and I loveddduding the garlic bread to soak up all the delicious flavors of the clam / sauce duo. Overall, this is probably one of the best meals I've had in the north bay. Everything exceeded our expectations and we truly enjoyed every dish! read more

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Service was amazing, although it's best to make a reservation. The views are beautiful and the food is perfection. We went to other restaurants along the bay but this is the spot for the best HIGH QUALITY FOOD and it was actually a little cheaper than the other places. We will definitely come back! read more

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Warmly greeted. Very nice atmosphere. The BEST poached eggs ever! (Maybe the fresh, local eggs have something to do with it.) It's not easy making the perfect poached egg. Both the Farmer's Omelette and Salmon Benedict were perfectly balanced, just the right amount of seasoning, and nicely presented. The French Toast and Belgian Waffle looked good, too, but, for me, I'll stick with any dish with poached eggs. read more

Drakes Sonoma Coast - Farmer's Omelet - New American Near Me - Bodega Bay, California

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You have an excellent view of Bodega Bay. For dinner, while the service is friendly, however not particularly attentive, the food is at best average. We had the pork chop and bucatini. The pork chop was well made and flavorful but a little fatty. The bucatini however was drenched in oil and essentially inedible. We scraped off the shrimp and left the pasta untouched. I was a little surprised the waiter didn't notice this, however they seemed too busy with other customers. read more

Nice decor, great view and excellent service. We are vegan do we were able to order a few things. Veggie burger, rice bowl, tapioca pudding is what we ordered. The rice bowl was my least favorite. The rice is warm and everything else is refrigerator cold and to me it was missing something to bring it all together. I did not send it back but I did not eat much of it. read more

Busy Sunday night dinner: food was delicious! Sticky pork rib was the best : very tender finger liking not too sweet- perfect. Root vegetables was great too. Highly recommended !!!! Price is very reasonable too. read more

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Great place to visit as staying on the property delicious food, friendly staff, and wonderful ambience and moderate prices read more

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Beautiful restaurant with delicious, reasonably priced brunch! The views and furnishing create such a warm, comfortable environment. I came with a group of friends for Sunday brunch-we got seated immediately and received very attentive and friendly service throughout our entire meal. I loved the Farmer's Omelet I ordered. The potatoes were so crispy and well seasoned, the omelet was packed with veggies, and the sourdough toast was a lot of fun to eat with all the jams provided at the table. read more

Drakes Sonoma Coast - Beautiful view from our table - New American Near Me - Bodega Bay, California

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Beautiful view and setting at a classic hotel restaurant at Drakes Sonoma Coast. We had a nice breakfast with the basics, toast, eggs and all. The setting is the best part of Drakes and includes views of Bodega Bay from every seat, and on the cooler Spring day we were here, a roaring fireplace. Service was also excellent and extremely thoughtful. The larger dishes were all in the $20 range: a reasonable offering for this setting. The food was good, but average. No fruit or color on the plate, but straight-ahead breakfast dishes, omelette, eggs Benedict, factory sliced bread made into toast, etc. The view, service & strong coffee and good breakfast make this a worthwhile experience on the coast. read more

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Breakfast was so good we came back for dinner! Great upscale restaurant near the Sonoma coast. Was delighted to see an affogato on the menu - plus the coconut tapioca pudding. read more

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Came to Bodega Bay for my husband's thirtieth and decided to make Drakes the birthday dinner spot. We started with the bread basket for two which had a delicious butter. Our favorite bread had olives in it! I ordered an espresso martini and it was absolutely amazing. Rich, foamy, and creamy with a strong coffee taste paired with vanilla vodka. It was great and priced well. For dinner we ordered the mussels cacio y pepe and the steak with seasonal potatoes, mushrooms, and chimichurri sauce. The pasta was great! It was creamy and perfectly cooked with plenty of mussels! The greenery was a nice addition that added freshness and crunch. The steak was well cooked (medium) and had a very nice marble to it! We used the butter from the bread to add extra creaminess to it and it was a great addition. The potatoes were a bit bland - but that is that style of cooking the potatoes. The mushrooms were delicious and unique! I could've just eaten a plate of those. The service was amazing! It was attentive without over attentiveness and they knew descriptions of the dishes and offered professional and custom recommendations based upon what you like. They also gave my husband a free dessert and while it was hard to choose between the panna cotta and lava cake we went with that as it was the chef special this month! It was well made and hot all the way through which can be tough to do while still staying gooey and soft. The visuals were beautiful and we could watch the sunset from any angle in the restaurant or from any seat. It had beautiful views of the ocean and marsh lands that surround the bay and made for absolutely beautiful dining views! This is a must visit. read more

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Best home fries I have ever had. We had the Salmon Benny and omelet. All were excellent, great value, I would highly recommend going here. Enjoy! read more

Mother's Day Brunch was overall very good, and uncommonly reasonable. Out of 4 dishes we ordered, 3 were excellent; we found the pancakes to be a bit tough in texture. The time between ordering and receiving food was lengthy. It is possible that they were understaffed for a Mothers Day brunch. However, our waitress did check in before food arrived, to let us know the status of our order. Almost everything that we ordered was under $20. This was as opposed to a place like The Flamingo, which was charging $70 *per person* for its Mothers Day brunch. Drakes has a great view, but the most comfortable booth seating is on the wall, farthest from the windows. The tables at the windows are only for 2 (our party was 3). read more

Did not live this visit....from the beginning of ordering a glass of sparkling a they were out of 2 of the 3 on the list - and then received our wines by the glass and they weren't totally chilled.... Had the soup of day - Minesteone - it was the worst soup I think I have ever had - I should have sent it back. My husband had the halibut and it was good not great - and I had salad that was OK. Service was ok - not great. I would not return. read more

Window table and comfortable chairs with a view of the watershed. Need I say more?! Thoughtful and engaging service. Started with the fantastic heirloom tomato buratta arugula salad which was enough to share. And, flavorful pesto bucatini and halibut entrees. Yes, please! High marks for Drakes for going above and beyond as a hotel restaurant. read more

When Jamie W and I headed up to Bodega Bay for a weekender, we were attacked by a flock of seagulls who pecked our heads when we ran home from the schoolhouse. Oh wait, that was the movie, right? Yeah, we didn't confront birds, just traffic and only because the weather was nippy enough to cut down the number of tourists in the area. We didn't stay at The Lodge here, just came here for lunch in their dining room. We booked it in advance, but the restaurant turned out not that busy. They gave us a window table which afforded us a nice waterfront view of the surrounding marshes. The brunch menu was a pleasant selection of dishes, not adventurous but certainly proven popular items. We started with cocktails, of course. Jamie had the $12 Mimosa, while I went for the $12 Bodega Bellini with their own peach purée (photo: https://yelp.to/PHre16qE5r). Nice refresher especially after a long drive from the city. We both decided to get the $28 Dungeness Crab Roll with salt & vinegar chips. It had nice lump meat mixed with sauce gribiche (cold egg and mustard) and stuffed on top of a soft brioche bun (photo: https://yelp.to/YK79UNxIse). A good start to our weekend. FOOD - 4 stars...the crab roll was sure satisfying AMBIANCE - 4 stars...country clubbish feel in here SERVICE - 3.5 stars...polite and unobtrusive TOTAL - 4 stars...a nice, risk-averse way to start a Bodega Bat weekend RELATED - Exploring north of San Francisco? Here's my collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2tIHlkV read more

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Thomas (Tom) is a friendly and sweet server. He had great recommendations and was just the right amount of engaging with conversation. The staff helped one another. The food was impeccable. We will return. read more

Drakes Sonoma Coast - Pork chop with pear butter and broccoli rabe - New American Near Me - Bodega Bay, California

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I came here with my family a year ago, and the food is to die for I remember having fish and going over to the fireside lounge for some salmon sliders which were to die for! I would definitely come here again! I even remember tasting fresh vegetables of the season perfect representation of Sonoma cuisine read more

We were staying at the Bodega Bay Lodge for a short weekend getaway and had reservations for dinner after a long day out. Reservations would be recommended as the hotel can be pretty busy with guests. The restaurant itself is beautiful, with commanding views of the ocean. If you are able to reserve a window table, that would be ideal for a date night The service was prompt, and our waitress was very nice and attentive. I enjoyed my pan seared black cod. The crust was crispy, and the meat was still flaky and juicy. To go with my dinner, I had the Oaxacan Fire elixir cocktail, kind of like a mezcal riff on a negroni. If you like smoky flavors and classic negronis you will enjoy this. While dinner and drinks were great, the desserts sadly were a little lacking. We had the carrot cake, which was just okay. The cake was a little dry and the cream cheese frosting was a little sparse. My partner had the panna cotta, which tasted and had the consistency of runny yogurt I think that given the views as well as the delicious main entree and drinks, the desserts being lackluster can be forgiven. Give this place a try if you are in the area. read more

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Came here for our anniversary/babymoon last week and it was so wonderful! It was a bit hard to find because we didn't realize it was so small. I think that made the ambiance much more intimate. We came right when it opened and had reservations so we got to sit right away. I believe Lizette was our waitress. She immediately asked if we were celebrating anything and my husband really appreciated that! We had gone somewhere else the night before and was basically ignored the whole time so it was really nice to be acknowledged. My husband had a cocktail that he loved before dinner (forgot what it was). For the meal, he had the pork chop with bread pudding. I was huge! I stole a bite and it was really good! But my dish, the pound of clams with sourdough bread, was just sensational! I'm a big fan of seafood and it was the best meal I've had all year. And we finished off with the mocha chip ice cream and Lizette put a little candle on it for us to blow out. Side note: I have gestational diabetes and was soooo excited the sourdough and ice cream didn't spike my blood sugar. read more

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Horrible place but works well if you want to spoil your day. It reminds us of a cramped cheap place with restaurant prices. The service was horrible: two of our party of six were brought food. The third person got his ordered menu 10 minutes after. We asked them to eat while their food was warm... Time passed by and three of us finally got their salads and soup of the day... We have NEVER experienced such a situation... Usually we start eating together. Our day was spoiled... After such a unique service 20% for a Large party was added... read more

Drake's is an amazing experience from start to finish. The view alone makes it worth the visit, creating a perfect atmosphere whether you're there for a casual meal or a special occasion. The service was excellent friendly, attentive, and professional without feeling rushed. Most importantly, the food was absolutely delicious, with every dish full of flavor and beautifully presented. I'll definitely be coming back and highly recommend it to anyone looking for great food, great service, and an incredible view. read more

Drakes Sonoma Coast - New American Near Me - Bodega Bay, California

We are here 6 times. Everything from food to service was superb. The manager corrected a drink order for me & came to my table to show her concern & care. The professional attitude & attention to detail were top notch. Thank you to the excellent service. read more

We just got into Bodega Bay to celebrate our anniversary and wanted to grab dinner. They were busy when we went and the hostess said we probably can't get a seat but after she handed us off to another host, he asked if we wanted to sit outside and we were fine with it. It took awhile for the server to come. One took every table except ours. When we finally got a server, she was amazing. The food was good but it came out very very slow. The view was beautiful watching the sunset and only the fire pits had heat but the dining area had no heat. I had oysters, clams, the shrimp artichoke dip, and ribeye. I could've probably done without the ribeye--that was okay. Unfortunately I got food poisoning afterwards. It's our first and last time. I do recommend the Shrimp Artichoke Dip though. read more

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Came here for dinner a week ago and wow, they added a sous chef and updated the menu to something more innovative and delicious. Our server Cody was extremely attentive and we had a fantastic dinner. We've been coming here off and on for 10 years ( inside the property of the Lodge at Bodega Bay )and this was one of our best meals. I'm very glad they have updated the menu to catapult themselves to fine dining and to go along with them being awarded the hotel being awarded the best hotel in the world by conde naste! We ordered chilled oysters, perfectly shucked with a mignonette sauce, seared cod, shared a caesar salad and dessert, Great ambience and rustic seaside decor, come early to get a window seat for a view of the marsh and Bodega Head. read more

Drakes Sonoma Coast - Bread pudding - New American Near Me - Bodega Bay, California

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My husband and I had a phenomenal experience at this establishment ! This was our first anniversary trip this weekend so we wanted to eat somewhere nice and special. When I looked online, I saw that some tables were right by the windows overlooking the water, and so in the reservation notes, I thought I might give it a shot to ask for a window seat - which they gave us ! So we had the chance to overlook the marshland-looking scenery during sunset which was so stunning. Shout out to our waitress Kelsey as well ! She was so welcoming and so friendly. Because we had noted it was our anniversary, she even gave us some complimentary Champagne ! This was most of the alcohol my husband and I had that evening as we don't drink a lot. I also wanted something with no alcohol, which there was only one option by the bottle, but our waitress told us of their mocktails and I ordered this super pretty one with the blue butterfly pea flower syrup. We also ordered their charcuterie dish which had such tasty items on them. While I loved the cheeses (my husband ate most of the meat since I'm not a huge land meat eater), I was really taken by the clear honey and honeycomb and I totally forgot to ask the waitress where that was from. So if anyone from the establishment sees this post, please tell me where I can get some of the clear honey ! For our main dishes, I ordered a cod dish and my husband ordered the steak. The cod dish tasted as I expected but I don't think was too memorable - my husband really enjoyed his steak. For dessert, the waitress told us that they have this chocolate lava cake with ice cream that was not on the dessert menu, and my hsuband loves chocolate cake items so of course we ordered it and was delicious. Overall, this place was so tasty and we had such a pleasant experience here - would highly recommend ! read more

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Came for a surprise birthday and the staff were so kind and happy to help us hide from the birthday girl and even accommodated us since our party was larger than expected. While we waited, my friend and I got a few drinks at the bar which were very tasty and well balanced! We started off with charcuterie and salad which was very lovely- especially the salad! The mussels and pasta were cooked beautifully and so was the halibut. The latter was creamier than anticipated but still very satisfying. The restaurant has really beautiful view overlooking the water and just overall and very calm atmosphere. Would love to come back again! read more

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I was traveling solo and stayed at The Lodge at Bodega Bay for one night. I had dinner at Drakes on a Wednesday night, went at 5:30 and had the place to myself for a bit. I had a table at the window with a fabulous view. The servers were all very friendly and on top of everything. I got the Halibut dinner. It was bit overcooked but still really good, I loved the succotash but the broccoli rabe was way too bitter to eat. I had draft beer, a Russian River Pilsner which was great! This is a very nice restaurant with a fabulous view. I'd definitely return. read more

Drakes Sonoma Coast - My table with a view - New American Near Me - Bodega Bay, California

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Giving this restaurant 3 stars for a couple of reasons. We came here to celebrate Father's Day (a week early) while we were spending the week in Bodega Bay. We had a party of ten. The restaurant is super cute inside and had a good menu. We started off our meal with fresh oysters for the table, and an order of baked oysters. Both were delicious. Then my sister and I shared the beet salad which was really well done, too. For dinner I ordered the cod, which was very different, but delicious. I think they could've gone with a little less of the cream the fish was in, and I think others who ordered it agreed. My husband ordered the pork chop as well as two other people, and they said it was "alright". My husband said it was good, but not great and didn't compare to other amazing ones he's had elsewhere. For dessert, my sister ordered the sweet potato pie which was very enjoyable. Nothing like a traditional sweet potato pie, which we knew, but so good! Our server started off pretty strong, but quickly tapered off and didn't pay attention to empty drinks, got drinks mixed up several times, and just overall wasn't too attentive. Being that this is a nice restaurant and we had a big group, we knew the gratuity would already be included; clearly so did he. It seemed as if he didn't really feel like he needed to give us 5-star service because he was guaranteed 20% off the bat. We had to wave him down to order more drinks and/or request other things we needed. With a bill at $935, I'd say we left full but a little disappointed in the service overall. Because of that, I think we'd choose somewhere else next time. read more

Drakes Sonoma Coast - Cod - New American Near Me - Bodega Bay, California

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Came here on our honeymoon and Thomas was amazing! Super accommodating! Overall great experience! read more

Drakes Sonoma Coast - Food - New American Near Me - Bodega Bay, California

Drakes has a good ambience, however food is not that good. Halibut was smothered in sauce, which took away from the fish. The point of going to bodega bay is for fresh fish, not the sauce. Try again please read more

Gorgeous views, great service. We stopped by for a quick breakfast and ordered a latte, French toast, and some eggs. I recommend the French toast - it had a fun, crunch texture and went so well with the fruit and jam it came with! The latte was fine. read more

Drakes Sonoma Coast - French Toast - New American Near Me - Bodega Bay, California

Ambiance is five star (courtesy of the Pacific Ocean). Food? One of the worst meals I've had in a long time. The roast chicken couldn't decide if it wanted to be rubbery or undercooked. I decided it should be left uneaten. The fries were greasy sticks of potatoes. The mole sauce was unpleasant and inedible. The pickled cabbage was delicious but a weird accompaniment to this dish. The service was pleasant but not particularly knowledgeable. read more

I was so nervous booking a reservation here in order to celebrate a special birthday with my husband. We are not from the area and had nothing to go off of except for the reviews. Unfortunately, they were all over the place - subpar food, inattentive service, etc. However, what sold me were the pictures of the venue. I figured if all else fails, at least we had a pretty sunset view... and pretty sunset views make everything feel better. Our reservations were for 6:45PM on a Sunday evening. We were seated promptly and waited on in a timely manner. I wish we were seated in one of the bay windows, but they were reserving the last open one "for a VIP guest". What we ordered - bread and butter + the soup of the night (minestrone). Both were tasty IMO, but my hubby thought the minestrone lacked flavor and wasn't thick enough. He also didn't like that the grated parm was sticking to his spoon. For our entree we shared the Mussel Cacio e Pepe - a delicious pasta with mussels. It was truly so, so delightful. However, if it hadn't been for the bread + butter we ordered, the size of the entree would've left us unsatisfied. The end of our meal came with a surprise birthday dessert - a generous portion of a FANTASTIC cake. I have no idea what it was called, but it had flavors of chocolate, peanut butter, and wafers. We thoroughly enjoyed it. I'm so glad we got to visit this beautiful place and I hope this review reassures you to take the chance and go for it, despite the bad experiences Yelped about recently. read more

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