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Heron's is a lovely spot to spend a special occasion at. My husband and I have been twice now for our anniversary and are wowed each time. (They also knew it was the second time we spent our anniversary with them since they keep track of that type of stuff). The food is artful and inventive, but also delicious. The tasting menu has a enough variety where even if you don't love one of the dishes plenty more are headed to you. I also love to do the wine pairing and hear the spiel from the sommelier about each of the vineyards. You will be paying a lot, but it will certainly be a memorable celebration.
I was really looking forward to it since this place came so highly recommended. The service was excellent, we were welcomed with complimentary sweet bread and a savory scone along with a welcome drink, which was a nice touch. For mains, we ordered the NC Coastline and the Chicken. The presentation was great but both dishes were a bit dry and slightly lacking in flavor. Thankfully, they came with a sauce and broth that helped bring everything together. For dessert, we had the Citrus and Tiramisu, both were fantastic and didn't disappoint.
Impeccable lunch. Made reservations here for lunch on my birthday. We split the beet salad and the butternut squash soup, and the kitchen pre-split all the plates for me and my partner which was much appreciated. For my entree, we split the Umstead smash burger which was extremely tasty. They brought out complimentary cookies with a happy birthday piece of chocolate, and we ordered the stick toffee as well. Service was excellent and I would definitely return for a nice meal.
We came to celebrate our 11th year anniversary! We heard so much about this place, we had to splurge. We were treated immediately like royalty. We were seated in this cute corner both with pillows and cozy setting. The decor is dark woods, masculine, kind of old fashioned. Our beautiful waitress kacey was very accommodating, knowledgeable, and friendly. We started with drinks. I ordered the grenache blend, and my husband: the ol fashioned. My wine was absolutely beautiful in color. Our sommelier, Jake was very knowledgeable. That wine tasted better and better throught out the meal. We decided to try the 5 course chef selection. First course was absolutely mind blowing. Oysters with caviar, a champagne sauce, and something i couldn't recognize. There flavors i never had, presentation I've never seen! I've only studied food and wine. But experience this Michelin star quality cuisine is just another level. Every course was creative, direct, and left you with enough intrigue to want more. Every one was so nice including Diane, who had so much pride in the restaurant, she could have been the owner and i would believe her. It was inspiring to see good ol fashioned high end service again. Such young vibrant servers who made you feel human, loved, and cared for. Thank you all for the best dinner of our lives may God bless you with a Michelin star ;)
Our server Pam was AMAZING! We come for our anniversary and brought our new baby and she was so attentive and sweet. Food was amazing and the ambiance of the place is so relaxing.
I went into Herons Christmas dinner with high expectations, and the experience fell well short. The creativity and presentation were strong. Every plate was visually impressive and thoughtfully composed. Unfortunately, that is where the positives largely stop. The food was bland or oddly prepared, with flavor combinations that did not work. There was not a single dish on the menu that I enjoyed. I could have prepared a better tasting meal with my hands tied behind my back. The hamachi was described as having wasabi, yet there was no heat or spice at all. The beef was cooked perfectly from a technical standpoint but completely under seasoned. The beet dish, described as a celebration, was unpleasant. The quail was mediocre and forgettable. Service was polished but incomplete. At no point during the delivery of each course did anyone ask how the food was. In a fine dining setting, that absence is noticeable. Part of me was relieved not to be asked, but it also gave the impression that the staff already knew the meal was overpriced and under delivered. By the end of the evening, I was eager to leave and questioning whether I would ever return. The experience leaned heavily on concept and presentation while failing at the most important element: flavor. For a restaurant of this reputation and price point, this was a major disappointment. --
We did the tasting menu at Herons for our anniversary and had a delicious meal! All of the servers were very friendly and knowledgeable about the food. The table next to us also had the tasting menu and had gotten there before us. Some of our courses were delivered before theirs and vice versa. The only negative aspect was consistency with timing between courses. Sometimes we were still eating one course when the next was brought out and other times it felt like we were waiting a while. Overall loved the food and the decor. The plates were handmade and a very pretty color. All of the food came out beautifully presented.
An obvious contender for Michelin recognition (when the new guidebook comes out later this year) is likely the best fine dining restaurant in the south. And it has the many accolades to prove it (notably its five-star rating from Forbes). So I had high expectations, which were tempered by some all-over-the-map reviews on Yelp (read the three- and four-star reviews for context). So despite my anxieties, my high expectations were all met. While it's definitely not a three-Michelin-star experience, it's very much worthy of its frequent accolades. The most impressive part of the meal is the food itself. Yes, service is wonderful, but it's the food that makes this so special. The opening trio was wonderful, particularly the standout dish of the evening, a modern fine-dining take on a corndog (this time made with duck and coated with a truffle ketchup). Most of the other dishes were wonderful - the lobster and the duck were particular standouts, and the potato accompanying the lamb was inventive. The foie gras was an addition - it didn't come with the tasting menu - and it was as savory as one would hope. The cons: the restaurant looks dated. Which really contrasts with the modern sensibility of the food. The carpet looks like a relic from the 1980s, and the artwork is very 1990s New York. An upgrade could also improve the kitchen window - it's too small to really enjoy seeing what magic is going on inside.
I went with my husband for a birthday dinner, on a Tuesday. Upon entry, the hostess was extremely welcoming and noted the note about his birthday, and wished him a HBD. It was wonderful to be welcomed that way. The service was very kind, and personable, and we were well attended. We had the chef's tasting menu along with the wine pairing. I did really enjoy both and the local thought put into each menu and ingredient. I do wish we had a consistent sommelier thought the pairing experience. Overall, a wonderful place. We look forward to going to a few courses and sharing a few of the cocktails soon!
8/6/25 the three chef special tasting- sublime! Opened with the Krug champagne, a cut above those I had tried heretofore- with the canapés; a three- layered tomato dish, which was the winner of the night for me. Duck, by Chef Lee- fantastic; lamb with Pommard- perfect. This was a Michelin 3-star meal for sure. I felt so privileged to be here, served wines by the two Hannahs, perfectly plated dishes served by Carlos, Gregg. Thank you!
I've been here three times now, and I can officially say that this is one of my all-time favorite restaurants! The presentation is so impressive, the dishware is unique, and most importantly, the food is always delicious. I love that they have their own farm so that they can showcase all their seasonal produce too. My favorite bite was the scallop this time, and it wasn't even my entree (big mistake). It's one of the best scallops I've ever had; I wish they gave you five more. My second favorite bite was the duck confit corndog. The presentation was so creative - it really did look like a cattail. For the desserts, our server said that the glassware was custom made to match the colors of the painting behind us. You can just tell that they put so much thought into every single detail here. The bread courses are also amazing! I've dreamed about their bread, and I'm not even a big bread person. This is a great special occasion restaurant in the Raleigh area, and I'm definitely coming here whenever I visit NC!
Herons was amazing. It lived up to the hype. This is one of my top two restaurants in the Triangle. The other is Fearrington House in Pittsboro. When it comes to fine dining, these are among the best in North Carolina. That said, they're expensive and not everyday restaurants. (For "everyday" restaurants in the Triangle, a couple of my top picks are M Sushi in Durham and Tesoro in Carrboro). My wife preferred Herons to Fearrington House. For me, it's a push. She thought Herons had both better food and service. Food-wise, she thought the dishes at Herons were better composed and balanced. Service-wise, she felt the staff at Herons, from our bartender to the hostess to our server and the food runners, were warmer and provided more seamless service. Regardless, both places deliver exceptional dining experiences. I've dined at six Michelin-star restaurants to date (I'm not saying that to humble-brag, I'm saying it to give context) and I think Herons is Michelin-star quality. It's on that level. When the Michelin Guide hit Atlanta in 2023, I correctly predicted several of the restaurants that got stars. While the Michelin Guide hasn't covered North Carolina yet, Herons still has impressive accolades. I saw 2024 Forbes Travel Guide Five Stars and 2020 AAA Five Diamond awards during our visit. Herons is located inside the Umstead Hotel and Spa, a luxury hotel and spa situated just off I-40 exit 287 (Harrison Ave). For parking, you can use the hotel valet or self-park for free in the dedicated lot off Woodland Pond Dr. Use OpenTable to book your reservation. Unlike Fearrington House, which I also booked via OpenTable, Herons awarded dining points. I used OpenTable's messaging system to communicate with Herons staff and make a change to our reservation. It worked well. Herons serves breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. My wife and I had a 7pm reservation on a Saturday. We showed up early and had drinks at the Umstead's Bar & Lounge. It was really nice (the entire property was) and set the tone for what turned into a magnificent evening. The Bar & Lounge was busy before and after our dinner. The Umstead is a happening place. For dinner, we went with Herons' standard four-course prix fixe dinner at $170 per person. For comparison, four courses at Fearrington House was $150 per person. Both offer $100 drink/wine pairings and supplements for certain courses. Both also offer more elaborate tasting menus. At Herons, it's the "Art Tour," consisting of 8-15 courses at $250 per person. We got to choose from 4-5 selections for each course. My wife and I chose different things for each course so we could try many dishes. Here's what we got: Cocktails * Lilac ($16) - Cathead vodka, creme de violette, blueberry, lychee, yuzu * Ruby cocktail ($16) - Lunazul Reposado, rhubarb, One Oak Farm beets, citrus Non-Alcoholic Infusions * Drinking Vinegars - Strawberry-Basil ($8) Before First * English pea macarons with creme fraiche and Siberian caviar * Buckwheat baguettes and butter from Marietta, Georgia First * Oyster - poached, Charleston Gold Rice, Champagne Sabayon * Wagyu - asparagus, egg sauce, finger lime, kosho, sauce Japonaise Before Second * Chef's play on bacon, eggs and toast; quail eggs, bacon mousse, edible nest * Chive croissants with garlic butter Second * Egg - 62-degree egg, One Oak grits, mushroom, Iberico ham, shrimp. * Foie Gras ($20 supplement) - strawberries, sudachi, salted Marcona almond creme; Carolina pineberries Before Entrees * Duck confit corn dogs, made to look like cattails * Milk bread with honey butter Entrees * Tuna - ossetra, miso, chive, Meyer lemon, brown butter dashi * Beef - two styles (strip steak and short rib), farm carrots, sea buckthorn puree, Shaoxing sauce Before Dessert * Elderflower pickled rhubarb, lime (and other ingredients I forgot) * French press decaf coffee (large, $9) Dessert * Honey - milk ganache, kataifi, orange blossom, nitro labneh, bee pollen * Cheese - Fromager d'Affinois espuma, air baguette, mostarda, English peas After Dessert Gifts * Dark chocolate, yuzu gummies with blueberry centers, housemade Red Hots, and caramels The four-course was an "art tour" itself. It was truly a culinary adventure with neat surprises along the way. And for those wondering, we left the restaurant completely stuffed. The timing and attention to detail was almost impeccable. For example, the butters that accompanied the bread courses were consistently themed. The garlic butter that came with the croissants looked like leaves and the honey butter that came with the milk bread looked like honeycomb. The quail eggs in the edible nest and the duck confit corn dog cattails were creative and fun. The 62-degree egg was served in/with wooden bowls and a wooden spoon rest made from fallen trees on the property. The dishes were unique and the flavors and textures were superb. The entire Herons and Umstead staff were terrific, including our fantastic server Mike.
I previously gave Herons a five star review. However my most recent visit this week left me extremely disappointed. There is a seasonal chef's choice menu which is uber pricey for this area but I felt well worth the money the first time I tried it. That was the spring menu. I was excited to return for their summer menu. Imagine how irritated I was that it was the same exact menu only with some variations of the seasoning and presentation. The oyster appetizer looked amazing but was dangerously close to the taste of an oyster in Campbell's condensed cream of chicken soup. And the Crudo entrée did not taste extremely fresh. Admittedly, the second seafood dish was amazing. Then let down again with the tired Duck Duck Quail and Lamb with braised Romaine? You can't find a better vegetable to put on the side of the plate than Romaine Lettuce for this price? When you're dropping this kind of money for the experience and flavor you expect it to be on point. Sadly, it was not. I will say the service was great and the view is pretty.
We were there for a free lunch with Radon Stancil for Peace of Mind Retirement Strategies. We were a group of 12. Service was excellent, presentation and taste outstanding, and the restaurant is absolutely beautiful. We had a view of outdoors through a wall of windows. Very comfortable environment, served at a casual pace. The gazpacho was my appetizer and hubby had young lettuces. I had salmon and hubby had tenderloin as entree. Dessert was cherries and goat milk mousse for me and cream brûlée for him. Great meal! read more
2 years ago
Business owner information
Steven G.
Thank you for the 5-star review. It is wonderful to learn that you…
7 years ago
A very special meal with flawless design and almost flawless execution. This was our 3rd visit to herons and I was happy that most of the menu (I had previously only tried the quail eggs with bacon mousse, pheasant corn dog (which had a richer corn flavour and better pate texture this time) and the chefs signature dish, the shrimp and grits before). Just because i always need to rank things, my order for the full courses would be 1, 4, 8, 6, 2, 5, 3, and 7 bringing up the rear by a wide margin. They have a special vacuum tea maker that's pretty cool to watch (we did inquire and were told you can purchase them online) which sucks the water up into a higher area with the herbs and spices to steep before descending back as a brew). However, the actual tea was just ok with a very strong toasted rice (amaranth) flavor. It came with some honey at the bottom too. Canapes: pheasant corn dog (was more of a pate inside, corn was phenomenal enough that the picture was of their fields where it's grown) with truffled ketchup and some kind of mustard. Very tasty but feel like the sauce could have elevated the dish a little more. Perhaps some acid in the form of an aioli? Pickled quail eggs with bacon mousse resting on phyllo pastry nest. Very pretty but my least favorite of the openers. Slightly off ratio wise, normally has more phyllo and isn't as egg white forward. My partners' favorite bite, maybe my second favorite after the crab. Chocolate with foie gras inside on a basil soil. Fatty but sweet, little bitter, rich but clean, very excellent. We once had a muscadine grape stuffed with foie and vanilla at herons that I preferred but I would still put this flavor slightly ahead of the cotton candy foie bite at bazaar in la. Reality good oyster with trout roe and 8 other things on it. Not that into oysters generally but was fun presentation and looked very clean. Little muddled flavor wise since chawamushi, shitake relish, char roe and sudashi Pearl's were all strong components. 1st: Coconut ice was really refreshing. Crab had coconut puree on top and was a buttery, delicate and amazing bite. Underneath was more crab, in salad form with passionfruit and macadamia nuts for sweetness, crunch and a little tartness. The top crab blended perfectly with the melting (in your mouth) refreshingly pure coconut snow 2nd: i surprisingly liked it since I'm not normally very into beets. The thinly sliced and lightly pickled beets laid on top of a thin slice of pear which was placed on top of fromage blanc. At first I wanted more salt but the tanginess of the cheese(almost more of a cream cheese/queso fresca) went really well with the cilantro oil and beet juice. Also little texture with some seeds on top and some curry accented the beety and creamy flavor of the main ingredients. 3rd: An amazing scallop, forget the spices but the rest of the dish was just ok. Kumquat sauce and nicely sliced veggies looked pretty but added little to the scallop. Sweet pepper jus/ahi dolce was the most disappointing sauce of the evening but the scallop was still sublime. 4th: carolina shrimp and John haulk grits with 62 degree egg, edible gold, shaved truffle and a ham sauce poured at the table. The other bowl had a grit cake you could dip into the dish. Second favorite course of the night probably, very warm and hearty little bowl. Almost more of a soup when mixed together with the wonderfully soft egg. The truffle was restrained, the broth wasn't too salty or Umami strong and the creaminess of everything made it last about 30 seconds, my only complaint of this round. 5th: Honeycomb topped duck with hibiscus sauce and puree, plus kohlrabi, poached apple and red beet. Duck was amazing, tender and fatty but rendered well too. Sauce was good but puree too sweet for me. 6th: Thinly sliced elk (pretty rare but an amazing spice/salt crust with onion consomme (brown ish sauce), vanilla-parsnip puree (sweet but not overly so) and a parsnip crisp. Pretty tasty, very good dish that had great creamy farro antiqa for a nice nutty texture underneath that paired excellently with the parsnip. Salty and dark almost marmalade-y onion sauce went very well when paired with the sweet puree on the not gamey at all rare elk. 7th: Japanese shaved ice with sliced muscadine grapes, sherry and creme fraiche Had more frozen grapes and a cream underneath but prolly my least favorite course of the night. Good but not enough flavor coming through the ice or the cream. 8th: The acorn thing was sweet potato ice cream, very firm texture too. The little dots are cinder ice cream, not as smoky as it sounds and had a much lower melting temperature than the other ice cream which made for interesting bites. Candied edible leaves, candied sweet potato, a little espresso cake that brought a bitter note to the dish, frosted cocoa and bits of spun caramel throughout. Last bite: Sesame donut with red bean paste inside. Pretty tasty, interesting savory levels. read more
5 years ago
I made these reservations in 5 months in advance because I just knew I wanted ART for dinner on my 36th birthday. And ART was what I got. Herons was superb -- from the adorable, kind, and knowledgeable staff, to the creative and delicious food -- it was an experience worth having. read more
Celebrating our 10 year anniversaries here last week. - reservation - easily done on open table - they do take $50 ppl but applies to the meal. - valet- super easy and friendly. - restaurant - it's inside the hotel and not big very nice settle. - service - very attentive , not overly done either. - meal - we opted for 4 course. My fav is the foie gras, my husband loved scallop. First course - he chose the beet which came out in diff colors, he said it's good. Mine was the crab with coconut milk ice and crab salad. Very good. Tasted refreshing and creamy. Second course - the scallop presentation was really nice and super fresh and seared perfectly. My foie gras melted in my mouth. Third course - entree - my duck was very yummy. Tender and flavorful. I am not crazy about the veggie in the plate. Some kind of turnip. My hubby's steak came out black. He was nervous to try but it was just great. Tender and juicy. Desserts - I had chocolate one and hubby tried sweet potato. Both were great. His has coffee flavored candy in the shape of a maple. Very neat. In between course there small bites. Hubby loved corn dog, I love the quail eggs. So it was a wonderful meal (a break away from my son). Will come again. Maybe next anniversary. read more
I've been to Herons once before and really loved the ambience. When coronavirus fear led me to cancel travel plans for my anniversary, my husband and I decided to spend the day at the Umstead and have dinner at Herons. We chose a three course meal and honestly it's one of the best meals I've had ever. It's expensive, but it's definitely worth it for special occasions. We tried the wagyu beef with peppers and radish, turbot, elk, snow crab for our meals and while I don't think I'd too a great job of describing each of these because they were all so creatively made and presented, each of the items was beyond perfect. I don't eat radish or cabbage or celery yet I managed to consume all of these and move it too. We also indulged in the chocolate ice cream dessert and the sweet potatoes dessert. Both were superb, each little element was designed to complement the taste on the palette. We were quite full by the end but ordered some teas too which I loved. We don't drink so we ordered the parsnip horchata and blood orange soda, both of which I could go back for. We were also pleasantly surprised by the small bites they presented to us during our meals ( probably part of their tasting menu)- this included four grad lollipops, potatoes filled with custard, pheasant corn dogs which were divine, mini mint chocolate macaroons and also an anniversary dessert which included chocolates and fruit jellies. Honestly I'll be thinking about this meal for a long time to come cause the creativity blew me away. It's definitely an experience to be had. read more
4 years ago
The food quality of this place is one of the best in Raleigh. The courses they provide gave an artistic and elegant feel to the experience. Each course is based on the season this was the spring menu. The service here is also excellent the staff were super friendly and is always there to take care of patrons. Will probably come back to try the winter menu. read more
5 years ago
Wonderful dinner experience! I was in Raleigh visiting my father from San Francisco and we both had low expectations based on the hype this restaurant received and our previous experience at fine dining restaurants. I am happy to say we were very wrong and we enjoyed our dinner through the entire experience. We did the tasting menu with the accompanying wine pairings, which were done perfectly. Each coarse was spectacular, and the service was wonderful as well. This was such a treat and I cannot wait to return next time I am in town. read more
3 years ago
We had an amazing birthday last nigh. The flavor profiles on everything was out of this world! read more
3 years ago
I really hate to brag on a place.. but I have never had an imperfect meal here. Perfect perfect perfect. Service, perfect.. ambience perfect.. cleanliness perfect.. freshness perfect.. tailored requests.. perfect. I mean there are harps playing in the background. How can you not enjoy a meal here? I order a lot of the same exact thing in different places.. one of the best Caesar salads on the East Coast. read more
Business owner information
Leah G.
Oh my goodness, Miracle K! This is going to be a hard review to live…
This is a chic restaurant; this is a beautifully decorated, stylish restaurant; this is an expensive restaurant with polished, seasoned wait staff; but this is not a great restaurant, at least not from my experience. The menu is not one that excites. It is a seasonal menu, changing 4 times a year - and the seasonal aspects effect the Chef's Tasting Menu, in particular. The current tasting menu is "A Celebration Of Heirloom Tomatoes" - and while I like tomatoes, this menu was not one that gripped your attention, or peaked your appetite, certainly not at $85 per person. The menu is available on line, and one may peruse it at will, and opinions may vary. We ordered from the regular menu - choosing the Foie Gras Terrine and the Salmon Belly as starters. The Salmon Belly was dull, and tasted of over processed fish.. The Foie Gras was not at all memorable - the Foie Gras flavor was lost in the terrine approach - several ridged rectangles of matter, with no sweetness, no softness of texture or taste. We followed with Chilled Corn Soup and Herons Signature Caesar. The corn soup was splendid - I did not know lobsters had knuckles, but they are very tasty. The Caesar was just strange, and unwieldy - a thick roll of lettuce, adorned by several crispy yolks, meant to supplant croutons, I guess - with a single, tiny white Anchovy to the side (the posted photo pictures better than I can describe), and a blanket of cheese on top (only on top) of the log of lettuce. As you sliced through the salad, you tasted lettuce and cheese, and not much else - the dressing was missing in action, the fish too small to influence the flavor, one way or the other. A Caesar Salad is a classic for a reason - mess around with it at your peril. We settled on Rainbow Trout and Meyers Beef Ribeye as our entrees - seemingly the best of breed of the limited main courses. The trout consisted of 2 very thin filets (again the posted photo will do better to show), neither of which was fresh tasting, at all. There was to be Frog Legs as a part of this dish - and it came in the form of several, chewy cubes of meat - I'd never encountered frog legs in a cubed form before - and trust it will be a onetime occurrence. The Fried Okra and the Succotash were nice, but for $34 this is a skimpy entrée - definitely not a Value Meal. The ribeye was not served intact, but rather cut into chunks, the total of which was rather small. The meat had no marbling, and little flavor for this type of steak. The potato terrine was under cooked. For $40 this was even less a Value Meal than the trout. We finished with a dessert, but at this juncture it was a moot point. Bottom line: this was one of the most disappointing fine dining meals I've ever experienced. The food was ordinary in flavor, at best, downright dull, and stale at worst. The portions were painfully small for the cost. The service was efficient, but remote, with no personal engagementl. The menu was limited, and had no imagination or creativity. I cannot fore see a possibility of returning to this restaurant - there was not the quality or the value there to warrant it. read more
7 years ago
We had our anniversary dinner here last night, everything was Perfect!!!!!!! We love and appreciate the services there, waiter and waitress were giving us so much attention and very sweet! We also enjoy the high quality of the food! Please see attached photos and you will see!!! Next time we would try the food tour for sure, I think that's $150 per person but you can try pretty much of everything!!! read more
Herons is one of two AAA 5 Diamond restaurants in North Carolina and one of 67 in the world. From the sommelier service to the choices of dinnerware that the food was served on, this restaurant should be michelin star rated. We had the chef tasting menu, which I recommend if anyone goes to these types of restaurants, always do the chef tasting menu. It gives you the broadest overview of what the chef has to offer and will not disappoint. If you're a wine snob, this is the restaurant for you as they take wine pairing very seriously. Prepare to spend some money here, it won't be a waste. read more
5 years ago
My friend took me here for a birthday lunch and it was wonderful. The portions are light but the quality is incredible and the dishes are unique. I highly recommend! read more
8 years ago
I can't say Enough good things about this place. I would suggest making reservations. Once they sat us we immediately got water and they came around with a choice of lemon lime or cucumber to put in your water. We started with a nice cab recommended by the sommelier - and let me say the decanter we had was SUCH a presentation (see pics). They give you a menu that you choose from and we did the course menu. They do serve bread. They gave you pallet cleansers after each meal which was a nice refresher. Our drinks were never empty & we were never waiting a long time for anything. Overall our experience was amazing & i highly recommend this place. read more
I'd been wanting to hit this place for a while, so finally took the opportunity for my Mom's birthday. It was worth the wait. It's a splurge and definitely an event meal (plan on 2.5 hours) so you wouldn't pop in every night, but it's totally worth planning an evening around. The room itself is sort of generic luxury, but there are some interesting pieces with views across a patio to the "nature preserve" beyond. (This is their euphemism for "swamp", but no matter. It looks fine at night.) The service is smooth and highly professional, but not stuffy. There are plenty of extras, like an amuse bouche and a "pre-dessert", as well as a roving bread waiter who has such orgasmic goodies as goat cheese scones. For an appetizer, I had the seared sea scallops with flash-fried apricots and juniper tea ($18), which I can recommend most highly. In fact, I'd stab a nun if necessary to have them again. Seriously, one of my favorite appetizers in a long, long time. Entree was the lamb dish ($38), which came with a piece of lamb belly, a little stack of lamb sausage, and then four or five perfect little discs of lamb loin. It came with roasted apricot (must have been in season), carrots, fava beans, and tiny potato cakes. Dessert was the dark chocolate cake presentation. Ah, heaven. The bar at the hotel is adjacent and is a great place for some pricey pre-meal cocktails. The whole feel of the place is sort of Four Seasons--hushed and classy, but comfortable. For the record, on a Saturday night everyone did seem to have dressed for the occasion, so pull out some nicer duds or you may feel conspicuous. read more
10 years ago
When my husband and I want to celebrate a special occasion with 5 star service, our only choice is Herons! We even love cocktails on the patio in the Spring or Fall. From the chef's 8 course tasting menu to a 3 course meal to Sunday brunch, Herons never disappoints! Our most recent occasion was our 20th anniversary, and the staff at Herons rose to the occasion! From our pre-dinner cocktails to after dinner sweets, the presentation was so amazing I almost didn't want to eat it...but I did savor every morsel! The Heron's staff was attentive to every detail. And every course satisfied yet left me wanting to try more! They even sent us home with devine dark chocolates! read more
The meal started off wonderful! Great service, very classy ambiance. Amuse-bouche was a corn soup with bacon- so much flavor! really good Bread basket- super good and unique! a bacon cornbread and a feta-cheese scone- super delicious! had to resist stuffing my face. The appetizers: Roasted pork belly- SO GOOD! the crispy skin was perfect and the mushrooms with pancetta- very flavorful! Scallops with violet yam- disappointed- scallops were cooked perfectly, but the violet yam had a weird taste and the sauce it came with wasn't good. The entrees- super super disappointed:[ Ribeye- it was good, i liked their special steak sauce. but the sides were awful! the creamed spinach was so watery and the potato gratin.. i have no idea what it was. it was a hard block of potato..... so odd Salmon- salmon was good, but again, their sides were awful. friend did not like the carrots which were super sour. and the rye bread pudding also was weird. the sides of the entrees just seemed like fillers that were there to take up space... On to dessert.. Asked one of the servers what she recommended and raved about how the malt chocolate parfait was amazing. when it came out, my friend said "i feel like this is something they would serve on chopped" literally, it was INEDIBLE! first it was like a deconstructed parfait, the chocolate cake part was HARD the malt part inside was HARD. the rum bananas, weird. everything just tasted like nothingness- i wanted to spit out what i ate because it was an awful waste of calories- literally, they should take this OFF the menu. don't understand how dessert can be that awful- probably the WORST dessert i have ever had in my entire life. so our server took it back and brought us her favorite which was a white chocolate parfait type dessert which was actually pretty good. it had lavender, apricot, lots of yummy flavors that made it sweet but not overly sweet. overall, a roller coaster meal with lots of ups and downs. read more
4 years ago
10/10 highly recommend. From the service to the food, this place couldn't be better. The attention to detail in each dish is was impressive read more
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3 years ago
WOW. Just wow. I should start by saying I am very picky. I am a chicken tender and california roll kind of girl. The courses I chose were the crab, scallop, duck, and chocolate. The crab was EXQUISITE. Who knew sea urchin custard would actually be good? The scallop was cooked to perfection, the duck was the perfect cut, and the passionfruit and chocolate combo was to die for. The small bites in between were amazing too- wonderful breads and the best corn dogs you could ask for! The service was amazing as well. Our fabulous server Casey explained everything in great detail and made sure we were well taken care of. The presentation of food and drink as well as the clearing of plates were so smooth and clearly well practiced. Each staff member I interacted with was full of knowledge and so amazing helping! Megan made the best hot chocolates, Carlos followed up with perfectly foamed and decorated lattes. Kacy, Lizzie, Mari, Josie, Mike, and Tim were fantastic about clearing exactly on time and so incredibly kind in my brief interactions with them. Kalyn was a fantastic hostess and so incredibly accommodating. Another fantastic part of the evening was meeting the wonderful Chef Spencer! He and all of the other kitchen staff put SO much care and effort into making our dishes wonderful. The atmosphere was very cozy with lovely music playing just quiet enough for conversation but just loud enough to set an uplifting mood. I'm sure there are many other names I forgot to get, but truly the experience was wonderful and one I will never forget. Thank you to the amazing Heron's staff for making my birthday so special! If you're looking for a place to have the *perfect* fine-dining experience, Herons is definitely the way to go. read more
3 years ago
I'd love to give Herons 6 stars if it was possible. This place is the epitome of what fine dining looks like, feels like, and tastes like. A friend recommended this restaurant for us to celebrate our 9 year anniversary. I could write about the service and food here for hours, but it still won't do this place justice with the amazing food and service we had. They really showed why this restaurant is a 5-star restaurant. They pulled out all the stops from knowing the different wine pairings, the small appetizers before each course, the plating was outstanding. I'm just glad my wife and I chose this restaurant to celebrate our anniversary. You will not leave the hotel or restaurant disappointed. read more
I don't have the words to describe how amazing our meal here was! Delicious! Delicious! Delicious! But those 3 words are totally inadequate because they don't speak to the unparalleled artistry of the presentation. I had 62 degree eggs for my first course. Yum! They came with shrimp & grits, which is a dish I'm usually not drawn to. But here it's magnificent. For my entree, I had the elk. It was wonderful, too, as were the beets & rutabaga that came with it. For desert, I had the pear sorbet that was inspired by the Chihuly sculpture in the bar. Totally awesome. In addition to these three courses, our waiter Scott also brought us tastes of other items, including quail eggs. It was a meal unlike any I've ever eaten in any of the 60+ countries around the world I've visited. read more
4 years ago
Absolute must-visit! An experience unlike any other. Herons really does perfect every dish down to the molecular level. Every single ingredient harmonizes into the perfect symphony of flavor. The menu changes seasonally, but they never remove the Egg from the menu- served in a wooden bowl resembling a tree! They also bring out extra treats in between courses. This time we got to try their corn dogs, cookies, and cherries. Everything is spectacular and you will never taste anything like the dishes that come out of their kitchen. Cannot recommend enough! read more
7 years ago
Very upscale restaurant and bar located in the Ulmstead Hotel. Wonderful artwork and meticulous gardens abound on the property. Bar is homey and friendly. Dining is pretentious and underwhelming. Stop by for a drink and check the place out, wouldn't spend the $$$$ for dining experience. read more
4 years ago
9 years ago
All in all, a good experience. I was torn on whether to give three or four stars.. if I could I probably would have given 3.5 since I think that'd be more accurate. I decided to go with three since it wasn't overly memorable. Here's the gist: homey and pleasant ambience, fairly good service (although I would have expected better at the price point) and good but not outstanding food. Service: I felt like he was constantly trying to sell us the most expensive items. For the wines, he only recommended the most expensive wines. I asked about the kaiseki menu, and he essentially said it's the only thing that he'd do. Then I asked which dishes he'd recommend if we did the three or four courses, and he said "all of them. Everything is AMAZING" which I'm sure, but c'mon. Can't you tell me what's more popular or what personally prefer? I even pushed and said "I'm sure, but still, some recommendations?" and he still wouldn't give me any ideas. I got the impression he was just trying to get us to get the kaiseki (which is, of course, significantly more money). Some things I did learn from asking. The kaiseki menu's items are ALL on the regular menu. 3 or 4 courses can be done however you want (apps, etc). That part was nice. We ended up with the kaiseki. It was plenty of food, and I was stuffed. The best item by far was the salmon tartare (in the "firsts). The beet item (firsts), the egg (second), and the scallop (second) were ok, imo, although I should add in that my foodie bf loved the egg. It was a little too rich for me. The mains included were the turbot (delicious) and the duck (which was done well - but I'm not a duck fun). We also had the hummingbird (desserts) which was decent and the autumnal (desserts) which was so freakin' good. There were plenty of subtle and nice touches... some tea that was brewed in a super fancy contraption and explained to us as he prepared it... a few starter items that were great, and a menu to take home of the items we had and the wine pairings (in case we should want to buy bottles later). read more
9 years ago
Heron's is located inside the Umstead Hotel which is apart of the SAS property. The grounds, restaurant, and hotel are beautiful. There is a feeling of coziness in the lounge area with the Christmas trees and fireplace on a cold winters day. We had a reservation for four, at noon, but our table wasn't ready until 12:30 after being told it would be ready in five minutes. We posted up at the bar and enjoyed some delicious cocktails; a blood orange sparkling wine concoction and Bloody Mary. The mix is made in house and phenomenal, garnished with two pimento cheese stuffed olives. Yum! After some time the hostess took us to a table, that had been open the whole entire time. Looking back there were many tables available. The restaurant didn't appear to be busy. I ordered the duck hash. It had potatoes, roasted duck, arugula, topped with an egg. I enjoyed it. The rest of my party ordered shrimp and grits and a tuna kale salad. The shrimp and grits were delish. After we paid, a different server from ours approached us to close out our checks. At that point it was clear that it was time for us to go. This was my first visit and it was A-OK, however with the high ratings I expected a little more from them. Maybe the dinner experience offers better service or maybe they prefer you to be a guest at the hotel. The bar was lovely and Maybe someday I'll come back for that lobster roll. read more
4 years ago
4 years ago
7 years ago
Took my wife to dinner for a Christmas/anniversary by far this was an experience will never forget the service and food are impeccable it is definitely a meal that's worth a Michelin star the chef and team put together a breathtaking menu. Be prepared to take 3 hours for the total experience. read more
More info about Herons
Ask the Community - Herons
Do they have a la carte menu that we can order from?
Dear Samantha, dinner service in Herons is 4 course prix fix only. Unfortunately, we no longer offer a la carte. A la carte menus are available for breakfast and lunch in Herons, and throughout the day in our Bar and Lounge. We hope to welcome…
Can one have dinner alone without a reservation? Just a walk-in?
Depending on how busy they are it is possible to get a table in the restaurant within a half hour or less. Busier nights can potentially be fully committed. You can also generally get a table at the bar without a reservation.
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