First time here and it was delicious. Stopped in right as they opened. Greeted by the courtesy valet, and seated quickly. The bread to start was incredible. Delicious, warm and flavorful. The filet, brussel sports and caccio Pepe were all amazing Don't forget to try the a Smokey woodford old fashioned too! read more

Il Lusso - Smokey woodford old fashioned - Steakhouses Near Me - Tallahassee, Florida

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I'd wanted to try IL Lusso for a long time. Finally decided to give it a whirl. Anticipating having a steak (they're known for). My friend and I met at the restaurant and were shown to a table. We wanted something a little quieter so we were moved. A large party of 10 came and sat adjacent to us, so, we asked to move once more. Once settled, we were served bread and water, then ordered a cocktail. The bread was nice and crusty. The cocktails were as ordered. We ordered an appetizer to share - squid ink pasta with seafood and fra diablo sauce. Quite tasty! For entrees, the fish of the day was red snapper piccata. Q We both ordered the snapper with sides of carrots with a brown sugar pecan glaze and Brussels sprouts with a balsamic drizzle. Our entrees arrived. Traditional Piccata is floured then sautéed in butter/olive oil, drippings are made into a lemon butter sauce with capers and parsley. What was served was a breaded the fried piece of snapper with what looked like a thin lemon parsley white sauce to pour over it and some fried crispy capers. The fish was nice white flesh, a thick breading, slightly overcooked. The almost green parsley laden lemon sauce was mediocre. The The The capers would have been better warmed in the skillet and not fried. Side dishes - the carrots were a platter of multi colored sautéed or blanched. The brown sugar glaze was scant and there were a Few nuggets of glazed pecans. Not as described by our server. The sprouts were crispy and had a tasty balsamic glaze. I felt the dish was mediocre and wished I'd ordered a steak. For dessert, I ordered the spumoni ice cream. Nothing like traditional layered spumoni I've had in the past. This seemed to be chocolate ice cream with some nuts and chocolate bits in it. Cherries non existent. I never mind spending money if the food quality is commensurate to the price. Our bill came to $200 + $40 tip. Far below my expectations. read more

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My girlfriend and I went here for a date night and it was genuinely an awful experience. I want to start this review off with the only positive aspect of our visit. The server was impeccable. Our server was excellent. She was efficient, attentive, and accurately committed our orders to memory. Not only was she exemplary with our table, she brought the same energy and commitment to all of her other guests. She was impressive and it was a delight to sit at her table. If the experience was isolated to this specific aspect of the dining experience, I would have rated this restaurant a full five stars. Unfortunately, I can't simply consider the excellent service in this review. I must now talk about the quite frankly, disappointing food. My girlfriend and I started our meals out with a salad and the soup of the day. The soup was one of the only edible parts of our meal. The salad was like every other salad, except for the fact that the portion was pitiful and the price was unjustifiable. We were anticipating our entrees. Since this restaurant has such a wonderful reputation, we thought maybe the main courses would be better-- we thought wrong. I got the Cacio e Pepe and she got the 8 oz filetto. The pasta was disgusting, oily and quite frankly, slimy. I felt like I was eating mac and cheese made by an illiterate five year old who mixed up the pasta, added oil instead of water, and then forgot to add any flavor. The filetto was bland, not a hint of salt, pepper, or even rosemary to be seen. Additionally, part of it was overcooked, adding a charred flavor to the otherwise insipid meal. However, there was still hope: desert. The best part of any meal. A Baked Alaska and Tiramisu. I'm going to be completely honest, the Baked Alaska was good. Not amazing, but still very enjoyable. The flavors completed each other very well and it was one of the few things that left me without the painful feeling of disappointment. The Tiramisu is another story; it tasted like cream and stale liquor. The coffee flavor was absent and the ladyfingers were soggy, the texture comparable to soft baby food. Overall, the food was what made the dining experience so terrible. Il Lusso proves that even the highest quality ingredients can be ruined by poor preparation and an inadequate ability to assemble aforementioned ingredients in an edible manner. A stuck up attitude by the hosts greeting guests does not automatically deem a place as sophisticated. The best service can not make up for repulsive food that leaves guests sick to their stomach, despite how dull the taste is. A high price point does not automatically make a fine dining experience, the food has to have the merit to match. read more

Does not disappoint again. We try everything except the steaks. The octopus is the best in town - so tender. The pastas all excellent! And the bar knows how to make a great cocktail read more

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I had a wonderful dining experience! I ordered the carbonara, Caesar salad, carrot side dish, and a few glasses of Elk Cove Pinot Grigio--everything was fresh, flavorful, and clearly well prepared. The carbonara was rich and perfectly balanced, and the sides complemented the meal beautifully. The staff were friendly, attentive, and genuinely helpful, which made the experience even better. Overall, the food was excellent and the atmosphere high end and welcoming. I would highly recommend this restaurant and will definitely be back! read more

We went to Il Lusso to celebrate my husband's birthday, expecting a high-end experience. What we got felt like an overpriced joke. Sure, we were seated right away and the wait staff was polite -- but that's about where the positives end. The food is wildly overpriced for what they serve. Do NOT order the short ribs with risotto. For nearly fine-dining prices, we were given two tiny, greasy ribs slapped on top of what looked like brown cafeteria mush. No vegetables. No garnish. No presentation. Just brown-on-brown slop. And the "risotto"? Completely undercooked. Crunchy rice disguised as gourmet. It honestly felt like something rushed out of a microwave, not a kitchen charging hundreds of dollars for dinner. To top it off, at the end of the meal the waitress brought my husband a random plate with a lit candle stuck on it. No dessert. No effort. Just a candle on a bare plate. At a place that markets itself as upscale, that was embarrassingly cheap and awkward. When you're spending several hundred dollars for a birthday dinner, you expect quality, presentation, and attention to detail. Instead, this felt like a budget restaurant pretending to be fine dining. We absolutely will not be back. Save your money -- almost anywhere else would be better than this. read more

Il Lusso - Steakhouses Near Me - Tallahassee, Florida

Traveled all over the world only to find the BEST PASTA at Il Lusso. Stopped in while passing through the Capital and had a perfect experience start to finish (not easy as a solo diner). Christian was a friendly and engaging server - found me a pour of Amarone. Divine! Food is expertly prepared but not pretentious. Beet salad was attractive and perfect. But the Truffle Pasta- wow!!! The sauce was so nuanced and layered, I could have enjoyed it ad soup! Homemade ice creams and pizelles for dessert. I will fly back here for this meal! read more

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Great food. We had several pastas and shared them. The meatballs with polenta - great! The arancini - great. Cocktails were solid. The staff was great at helping us select a bottle of wine. Would live to go back soon! read more

My sister was excited for a chill 21st birthday dinner here (6 of us, nothing crazy), her first fine dining restaurant. We were seated immediately with our reservation. Service was very slow, for a "fine dining" restaurant they do not have their timing down at all. Waiting 15 minutes for a glass of wine after ordering. Waited 30+ minutes for any food to come out after ordering. One affogato (ice cream with espresso) took 23 minutes to come out. They knew it was a birthday at the table and we watched a couple of birthday desserts go to other tables but never got one at ours for the birthday. Very disappointing. Would not go again for a birthday or special occasion. Were there for almost 3 hours when it could've been 1.5 hours. Octopus was 5/5 amazing. Brussel sprouts were 5/5 amazing too. Carbonara 3/5. Pasta was okay, nothing to write home about. Gluten free pasta was good but you can only have gluten free pasta with 3 of the dishes, if you want the others you're out of luck. read more

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Upscale restaurant with good menu. Waitress was very informative and helpful. Always came by and checked on us. We had the octopus and wedge salad which were good. I ordered the grouper which was good. I'm giving them 4 stars because it was good but not a 5 star good. read more

Il Lusso - Octopus - Steakhouses Near Me - Tallahassee, Florida

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My wife and I love Savour and Sage, but neither place had availability tonight for our anniversary at the time we wanted, so we gave Il Lusso a try. We were not disappointed. The service was unparalleled--Thank you Brittany! Great job! The wine list is phenomenal and has some incredible and rare choices including a long list of 100 rated wines. We chose a Rosso di Montalcino from 2020 that Wine Spectator gave 91. The mark up was very reasonable. Only $75 for a wine that released at $66. Less than 150 cases came to the US, but this place offers it as a by the glass option. Wine lovers will appreciate this place. We loved the risotto balls and the tuna appetizers. The exotic mushrooms were also outstanding. The mezzaluna lobster was tasty and filling. Their tiramisu is among the best. What a great restaurant! Terrific atmosphere. Delicious food. Impeccable service. Give this place a try. For the budget-conscious, it may be a great spot to stop for dessert. Our meal, with wine, Cuban coffee, dessert, and limoncello was $300 for the two of us. It was a good value for the experience. I'm looking forward to next time at Il Lusso at the corner of Park and Monroe. read more

Il Lusso - My wife and I with a plate of mezzaluna lobster. - Steakhouses Near Me - Tallahassee, Florida

THE fancy italian spot in tallahassee, come for a night of ambiance and good service. The food is also great, small portions for the price but 100% expected at this kind of place. read more

Il Lusso - squid ink pasta on the right, i forgot what was on the left. both great! - Steakhouses Near Me - Tallahassee, Florida

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Travel for work almost every week and usually try to go to at least one highly rated restaurant each time. The good: vibe was great, food was fantastic. Great wine/cocktail selection. The bad: it's always hit or miss when dining alone. I get it - the guy on his computer working is annoying to the vibe of the restaurant, but I don't feel as if that warrants neglectful service. My waiter, though kind, checked on me 1. When I sat down 2. When I glared at him with an empty plate and wine glass. He walked by my table several times without a thought of swinging by. Price point is similar to a normal middle tier restaurant but I've had better service at a chili's. Checking to see if the food is good is, and should be an industry standard for a restaurant of this caliber. Asking if someone would like another glass of wine (or maybe dessert) should also be a standard. I would've ordered much more and tipped way higher if the service matched the price tag and expectation read more

Is the bar for dining this low in the Tallahassee area that this place warrants such high ratings? That is a rhetorical question because obviously the answer is yes. Saturday 8/16/25: Our first hint that something would be amiss was when we called to move our party of three from 7:30 to 7PM. The girl that answered the phone was unprofessional and rude and told us "no" in the most condescending and scolding way. Do a Yelp sort here for lowest rated and you will see similar comments about the front desk. We arrived at 7:15, were seated immediately and there were THREE empty tables next to us all night, so obviously NOT "Fully Committed." This is where the fun starts. In summary, an absentee waiter who took almost 30 minutes to step up and say "hello." He forgot one of our initial drinks and disappeared for another 20 minutes. When I reminded him of his folly he apologized and then took way too long to bring what was nothing more than a Diet Coke. I was on the verge of going to the bar myself to order one. Appetizers (Charred Octopus and Calamari) not bad at all. Calamari portion is way too small. At this point I was keeping track of time. From the moment our appetizer plates were cleared, it took over 45 minutes to bring our entrees and it was brought out by a busser. Our assigned server never again reappeared until long after we finished eating. No check ins for more drinks, "how is the food", "do you want grated cheese, or fresh pepper?" Because we wanted ALL of the above. Anyone who knows what Cacio e pepe is knows it is simply Cheese and Peppered pasta. Mine had literally no pepper flavor at all and I did not see any specs in the sauce or pasta. Also, it is not supposed to be served in a puddle of soupy sauce and the pasta is supposed to be Al Dente - fail. The bone in Veal Parm was a sizeable portion but the sauce was about as good as something from a jar - underwhelming. And the Roast Duck Agnolotti was a ridiculously small portion for $28 dollars - so small, I wonder if our server mistakenly ordered the appetizer option of said dish from the kitchen. I would have asked him if he was somewhere to be found. After a disappointing and quite frankly frustrating evening we tipped accordingly and left to never return again. read more

Visited IL Lusso tonight and it was nothing short of impressive. We arrived early, without a reservation. The hostess was kind enough to accommodate us, even though it was a busy night as the Christmas parade was happening right in front of the restaurant. Our sever was extremely polite, knowledgeable, offering suggestions based on our preferences. We had the arancini as an appetizer. It was perfectly fried while remaining creamy inside. For entrees we had the special ravioli filled with mortadella and Gorgonzola cheese. It was seasoned and filled properly. My Mom had the bucatini carbonara. Pasta was al dente and the sauce delicious. Desserts were tiramisu and a brown butter baked alaska. Beautifully presented, not overly sweet. Ambiance was chic, lively, but not overly loud that it was annoying. Service was impeccable from everyone that came to our table. I wish I lived in town so I could visit more often. read more

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Very nice upscale restaurant in Tallahassee. Service was great, as was the food, def don't go dressed for a sporting event. Nice place. read more

Il Lusso - Steakhouses Near Me - Tallahassee, Florida

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This was such a beautiful place that we stopped at after a Candlelight Concert. We had to wait a little, but we ordered drinks at the small lounge area. The drinks were made amazing! When we were seated we ordered the mash potatoes which were delightful with a perfect splash of lemon. We both ordered half portions of pasta dishes and they were excellent. Prices were high for the half portions but we expected that going into it. Ambiance was sophisticated and cozy. We loved this place! read more

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Excellent meal- we loved everything about it. Wonderful service, nice ambience, and incredible food. We were a party of 5 and each got a different half portion of pasta- there was not a single miss. The steaks and short rib entrees were delicious, but the brown butter carrots stole the show. Dessert was a hit all the way around, but I was particularly a fan of the baked Alaska, largely because I'm a sucker for basil ice cream. We will definitely be back. read more

Food: 10/10 Service: 10/10 Ambiance 10/10 This place is a gem!! Every part of this dinner was incredible. Make a reservation before going, it is worth it. From the food, to the quality service, this place is definitely a dress up place. Date night, celebration or just a nice night out, give this place a try. I cannot say enough about the Caramel Mocha Baked Alaska! Definitely recommend you give this dessert a try! read more

Il Lusso - Caramel Mocha Baked Alaska - Steakhouses Near Me - Tallahassee, Florida

Amazing food. Very consistent and flavorful, but the waiters are very hit or miss. Some of them are very helpful and professional while many of them are rude. read more

Our experience last night was perfect. Every staff member was professional and courteous. We had a minor issue with one menu item which was handled with grace and was quickly remedied. Kudos to our server, Syre, and manager John. This is the place for elegant dining and we will definitely return. read more

This place is a solid 4.5. Ordered calamari, grilled squid with pork bacon, orenchini, pasta bolognese, and short rib risotto. All excellent. Great place and my son found it on Reddit! read more

When in Tallahassee there is no better Italian dining experience than you will find at Il Lusso. The staff is professional and attentive, the atmosphere is exceptional and the food is phenomenal. I recommend visiting this restaurant every chance you get. read more

Excellent service, atmosphere and food. My out-of-town guest said it was the best meal he'd had in a long time.

Decided to try out a new place I have never been for my birthday. First off I recommend making reservations cause this place is very popular. When we arrived we were immediately seated, due to having a reservation. This place is very nice and if you are looking for fine dining this is it. We were given complimentary bread which was tasty and it is served with olives. The waitress gave us a full overview of the menu once we let her know we was first timers. We ordered the calamari for an appetizer and it was fantastic. For entrees most of my party ordered steaks so I decided to have the seafood pasta and ordered the chicken entree as well. Everything we ordered was great and the service was fantastic. Because it was my birthday they even put a candle on the dessert I ordered. While the food is a little pricey, eating here is an experience like no other. read more

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Made dinner reservations for my birthday with six of my friends. Super disappointed with the hostess staff and their attitudes. Mainly the black hostess and her snarky attitude. She insisted on knowing what size the cupcakes were to assess the cutting fee smh and and we were still charged the $20 per person cutting fee for the cupcakes after we were told we wouldn't be charged because it wasn't a cake that needed to be cut... the money isn't the issue it's simply about principle! THEY ARE CUPCAKES!!!! We're not going to get into the back and forth about the balloons. The ambiance is nice and our server Eli was great! But I don't see myself ever going back, the food isn't good enough to deal with some of the staff. I was at Savour the night prior and the food and treatment was a thousand times better! read more

Il Lusso - Steakhouses Near Me - Tallahassee, Florida

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Last weekend we had the pleasure of attending Cleaver & Cork a fundraiser for TCC. Il Lusso was there and I was so impressed with their eggplant parm I made a reservation for this evening for my husband and I. We arrived at 7:15pm and sat on the patio. Took a few minutes for our server to come by, but we got water right away. We ordered drinks & they brought us some focaccia and olives. Another couple arrived and was seated by us about 15 min later. We ordered a ceasar salad and two pasta dishes - I ordered the bucatini carbonara (half order) and my husband got the porcini tortellini (full order). Our salads came and were pretty drenched in oil, but we added salt and pepper and moved on. We patiently waited for our pasta as we watched the couple next to us get their meals. We waited some more. They did refill our waters several times, so there's that! The table next to us has now finished their meals and we are still waiting. Our food finally arrived at around 8:50pm. My half order of bucatini was spaghetti and my husbands full order included 10 very delicious tortellini. $27 for 10 tortellini seemed a bit steep and I'm not sure if they thought maybe we wouldn't realize that my dish was spaghetti (bucatini is hollow, spaghetti is not), but after waiting that long for food it wasn't worth asking. The manager must have been told we waited forever because he came out and offered us free dessert. We accepted and asked for coffee while we waited. Ordered a simple tiramisu - got our coffees, but they were gone by the time our tiramisu arrived 20 minutes later. Paid our bill, got our car and left at 9:30pm. Also, if you have bucatini on your menu - make sure that's what you serve Il Lusso, I really wanted to love you, but I think we are one and done. read more

Il Lusso - Steakhouses Near Me - Tallahassee, Florida

The restaurant is very nice , the vibe is cute , very upscale, makes me feel like i am in another city . That's why I used to enjoy coming here . My favorite place until last year for my birthday. I just gave birth early and a few days ago So i couldn't eat steak , I got pasta which has never let me down . This day I wanted to cry My carbonara tasted like i was eating bacon fat I couldn't eat it , then I chose a more simple dish cacio e Pepe which came out just straight pepper pasta and once again i couldn't eat anything. Being it was my birthday i was so sad i didn't get to eat nothing at my favorite place . Fast forward to this past Saturday my drink was amazing made perfectly, my salad was good , calamari was great , my squid pasta made me sooo happy it reminded why i love this place . Then my steak my favorite steak i feel like it hasn't been the same and this time the gravy was flavored less . i was so unhappy that was what i was most excited about, my steak was i uncooked and i like my steak medium. They fixed the issue but im not sure what happened hopefully they fix it because that was my favorite steak. I will still give it a 5 star because of the customer service, and the ambiance, my other food items was great and so did my friend . We had a great time , we will be back . read more

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Service was pretty good but food was underwhelming. Portions are small even for the "bigger sized plates" the two pasta dishes we got had no flavor. Carbonara and lobster mezzaluna. I hate paying high prices for pastas that I could make better at home. The wine was really good and so was the free bread read more

Wow, I lived in Tallahassee for a number of years and could never find a restaurant that exuded class and prestige all in one. How shocked I was to find this! I was in town for a couple of work meetings and was treated to dinner at Il Lusso. All I could say is wow. The layout of the restaurant is awesome and it's located in the downtown area of Tallahassee. Although restaurants like Andrew's, Harry's or Level 8 are pretty, they don't really have that true "fine dining" experience. We came in for dinner and were served by a gentleman name Ser, I believe. he was an excellent server and was very knowledgeable about the menu and everything they had . I ended up getting the 10oz Wagyu Denver and the truffle potatoes. They were EXCELLENT. The meat was perfectly cooked and the potatoes were extremely fluffy and flavorful. We all split a bottle of red wine and had a great time. Next time I am in town with the wife, we are definitely taking a visit. read more

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The food was great, the service was outstanding! Nice ambiance, we had the lobster mezzaluna and the pasta bolognese, both were delicious! Started with the app special which was a scallop tartare dish. Had a yummy cocktail too, but it was seasonal so not on the regular menu but it was really good! For dessert we had the baked Alaska. It was good, but not outstanding. Overall, a great experience, we will be back! read more

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Great experience. Started with very good pre dinner drinks made by bartender Josh. When seated for dinner, Christian was the best waiter we've had in a long time. Made a great wine recommendation. Basic meal of shared Caesar salad, 16 oz delmonico ribeye, and mash potatoes was perfect. Nice ambience. Not too loud. Interesting crowd. Really nice restaurant, yet folks dressed super casual in shorts and tshirts. Not cheap but worth every penny. Not sure why we waited so long to give this place a try. Definitely recommend! Go!! read more

First of all we did get the prize and had Brittany as our server. We ordered the Frito Misto which was a very good dish but a little oily. Then the bread came which was also good. Then the Caesar salad arrived and it all started downhill. The salad had very little dressing and flavor we didn't eat it ...basically it was sad romaine lettuce with a few croutons. Then the pasta! My husband had the Cacio e Pepe which he said it tasted like mac and cheese with no pepper, oily with very little flavor. I had the Bucatini Carbonara....which was not Bucatini but spaghetti. Here I want to interject a complaint about their pasta in general. It is terrible and tastes like a thin German spaetzle rather than fresh al dente Italian pasta. Maybe their steaks are better? Won't be going back to find out. read more

We were in town for FSU graduation and checked Yelp for a nearby dinner spot. This place was less than 2 miles from our hotel and had the best reviews on the top 10 nearby restaurants. It did not disappoint! The filets were fantastic, the sides (carrots and Brussels) were so good and the drinks were fab! We even enjoyed the bread!! We wish this restaurant was back home but truly enjoyed our experience while in town!!! Nice atmosphere too! read more

Food, nothing to written hone about. Service not terrific . Wine selection was lousy. Truly do not understand how they stay in business unless it's the legislators. It's sub par & not worth the money or your time. read more

This place is legit. The food is absolutely top notch and their wine selection is great, even by the glass! Bartenders were very friendly and made good recommendations. They even have a solid bourbon selection at slightly-higher-than-reasonable prices, but not as bad as they could be. If I'm ever in Tallahassee, I'm eating here again! read more

Il Lusso - Cacio e pepe was excellent! - Steakhouses Near Me - Tallahassee, Florida

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Esperienza meravigliosa!! The ambiance was modern... pasta on point! I had Zuppa del Giorno and Casarecce Alla Broccolini... and also must try the Octopus- - creatively different! The server was friendly and attentive. Highly recommend for Authentic Italian! Cheers! read more

This was a very good steakhouse with a bit of Italian flair. It was elegant and they have a dress code, but it's not too restrictive. We were lucky to get a reservation on a football Saturday. It will remain on my short list when I'm in Tallahassee. The service was also on point. read more

I went to Il Łusso with a group of friends for dinner. The Ambiance and.cistomer service were great. I was a little disappointed that their.only birthday offering was to put a candle on a dessert I would have to buy. I started with.the Fritto Misto of calamari and vegetables. This was.the best calamari I think I have ever had! Cooked perfectly and.seasoned perfectly as well. I did not need the tomato and red pepper sauce that accompanied it. I also had the Caesar salad that was well dressed and tasty. My main course was a seafood mezzaluna. I'm not a big pasta person, but I liked this. The seafood inside of the pasta could have been softer, but the accompanying celery root mash was delicious and went well with the pasta. There should have been more than cute little dollops of the celery root on the plate. I asked for extra and got the world's smallest container with a tiny scoop in it. You have to laugh... One of my friends ordered the squid ink pasta and enjoyed it thoroughly. Overall, I enjoyed my experience and the food. I may wait for the next season to see what food is offered then. read more

I came in a second time (6/30/21) with my wife and youngest son. Service: Superb. We got a table close to the bar and Steven was very mindful of our dinner experience. Very thoughtful. The services is the BEST (from start to finish) I have ever had in Tallahassee. 5 stars. Springer Chicken: Chicken is chicken but the stuffing elevated this dish to another level. A tad more salt would have been nice. 4.5 stars. Little Pick Me Up: very nice coffee cocktail for after dinner. 5 stars. Meatball: No idea how you can take something as mundane as a meatball and make it scrumptious. OMG!! It has a very nice crunch to it. 5 stars. For me the big surprises were: Key Lime Tart: I was expecting s triangular shaped piece of pie and we got this light brown thing. Right off the bat I had s bad feeling. Once we dug into it, this tart is very good. Very nice lime flavour and the passion fruit gives it a nice acid balance. We were fighting over it. 5 stars. St. Teresa's Fire: rum cocktail with orange and cherries. As you will see from the video, it is hot and smoked. Steven made this drink in honor of his wife Teresa. Since I have a sweet tooth and I like rum, I ask Steven for a little more sweetness and he was accommodating. The cocktail is very good. The trick is to let it sit for like 20 minutes and let all flavours mix. 5 stars. read more

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