The view is great. The food is great The service is 5 1 My only complaint, they serve water by the glass. A significant amount of water is saved by serving water to the table in a carafe. A bonus people from all over the world that are dining. We'll say "ah, yes, we're in California" read more

Limewood Bar & Restaurant - Water carafe - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

We've eaten here a number of times over the years and food is usually quite good, ambience is great. We went for Mother's Day brunch this morning and everyone's food was disappointing. In particular, the avocado toast was exceptionally bad. The bread was not toasted, the avocado was a thin layer of brown to black smothered paste, and the eggs were cold and clearly not freshly made. It's not hard to have a beautiful sliced avocado, or nice guacamole type spread, but flavorless barely-visible thin layer that all you can see is that it's black and brown is just not acceptable in California. And when we're paying all-in $50/person (no alcohol, just breakfast and coffees), I'd expect a real avocado and the eggs freshly made. Also, every time the waitress came and poured more coffee she would pull the pot away while still pouring coffee, so just dripped across the tablecloth and across peoples chairs and onto clothes. Unacceptable for such a nice place and price level. I'm sure we'll be back, but maybe for drinks and appetizers. I think it will be a while until we wanna spend $50 a person for breakfast here again. read more

Stand by my last review. This is a hotel restaurant with a great view. Service was Meh. Food was a B. Had to pay ten bucks to park and the breakfast was close to $30 sans toast. Toast is $5 more. read more

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Beautiful views from this upscale restaurant in the Claremont Resort. Service was attentive. The food was very good. We enjoyed the French toast with berries and blueberry thyme syrup. The bagel with lox was a bit over toasted, but edible. The carnitas hash was delicious. Coffee was strong and was topped off regularly. read more

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This review isn't as much about the food as it is about the prices. $22 for a glass of brut rose bubbles, $28 for 2 pieces of French toast? Okay, I get it, you're at the Claremont. But I certainly wouldn't go out of my way to dine there again unless I was staying at the hotel! read more

Not sure why this isn't better rated, but this place is incredible. My friend brought me here to celebrate my birthday and I was amazed by the view and the food. The service was impeccable, and the waiter went above and beyond. Extremely attentive, and always asking us if we needed anything additional. We ordered quite a bit for 2, but we couldn't decide what we wanted to get so we got a little of everything. Branzino was a 10/10. Extremely fresh, flaky, and delicious. We got a pulled steak sandwich and that was also delicious. The grilled onion along with the sweetness of the bread, honestly burst in my mom. The mussels are so addicting! The garlic w the wine sauce reduction was so good. The crisp of the bread made it perfection! Also, fries is a must in my book! A nice little surprise - they brought me a cheesecake which I couldn't stop eating. read more

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So I apologize in advance for the lack of photos. Once I got my drink I completely forgot the assignment. However Limewood is a great time, the service was great only reason I gave 4 stars was due to the menu being a little lack luster for such a beautiful location. The items ordered were pretty good My drink was the Claremont surprise-delicious My husband had the mezcal magic it too was tasty We shared: the Parker house rolls An octopus dish the 24oz braised short rib The truffle fries We had the butter cake for dessert and I ended my night with the lime drop Everything was pretty good, not to die for but by no means bad I'd like to try their brunch read more

Limewood Bar & Restaurant - The cutesy bathroom - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Solid 4. Ambiance is fabulous! View if Berkeley, Oakland & San Francisco! Wait staff was kind and attentive. The man behind the closed bar at 11:25 Monday 10/13, was abrupt & a tad rude. On to the food: I had the Rock fish sandwich & my neice had the mushroom omelet. All dishes were beautifully plated! The cod was too thin, not very much fish. And the omelet did not have any cheese. I know not all omelets have cheese, but apparently this one needed it. Their complementary birthday cheesecake was very good! I highly recommend for a very wonderful setting, nice vibe & kind staff. read more

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Beautiful views and good service! We have enjoyed dinner before. Tonight dishes seemed to lack a little something compared to other nights. We started with the Parker house rolls which are always a must get! Huge fluffy rolls With marrow butter. The octopus was the best dish of the night!! Tender and flavorful! The burger was good but not as good as past times. We upgraded to truffle steak fries- wedges of potato covered in truffle aioli. The pasta was ok- not as good as past visits. It just seemed to lack something to make it special. The Cobiq was good but again lacking in anything amazing. Martinis are great but over priced at $27. Past experiences have been better so we will be back. read more

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Come for the view and to enjoy the festive decor during the holiday season. If it's a weekend and especially if you are a large group, make sure to have a reservation. Even so, our party still had to wait at least 20 minutes before our table was ready. Food was decent but could have been larger portions. It honestly took me a minute to even remember what I had and it was just a couple of weeks ago. Skip the shrimp and grits and just go for your standard breakfast fare if you're there for brunch. With so many other delicious options in Berkeley, I'd probably skip this place next time. read more

The brunch menu lacks options and creativity. I was disappointed that there was only one salad option, more so it was greens, cheese and croutons. I would not recommended the Brunch. The view was awesome. The presentation of most plates was average see photos. read more

Limewood Bar & Restaurant - Breakfast Plate - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

The fourth star is for the view, otherwise would have been three only! We made a reservation for outdoor. The table for two is a really small table. Our request for a bigger table was frowned upon and ignored, even though the place was only about half full. The weekend brunch Menu is super limited. A few more options would be greatly appreciated! After ordering drinks, we ordered a gem salad to share and a smash burger to share. The kitchen did send the salad in two plates and sliced the burger in half. However, both were brought to the table at the same time! So, do we eat the salad first, and let the burger get cold?! Ahhh! Would have been so nice to get the burger 10-15' after the salad! Fortunately, the burger was yummy, the fries were meh! The view is amazing! It was a little chilly (in July!} and the tiny heaters were useless! The service was ok, nothing memorable. At this price point, the customer deserves more! read more

Limewood Bar & Restaurant - View of the Bay. - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

Amazing restaurant in Claremont Resort & Club! We made a reservation & arrived early. We went to the adjacent bar to grab cocktails & watch the game. When our table was ready, we were greeted happily by Em who took us a to a table near the window with gorgeous views of the property & Berkeley. They have an outdoor seating area & we will definitely come back to dine there for brunch. The menu is overwhelming because everything sounded so good, we could not decide! Thankfully, Em recommended a few of her favorite dishes. Sliders: OMG! Amazing! A must order. The prime rib was tender & juicy (& they give a generous portion), the garlic aioli was loaded with flavor & the roll was buttery & fluffy. Braised Oxtail: The oxtail literally melts in your mouth, wow! Seasonal Cake: Make sure to order this with ice cream! So delicious & the perfect amount of sweetness. We were lucky enough to meet Chef John who came by our table to ensure that we were happy we our meal & we gushed about how lovely every dish was. read more

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With my bestie in town staying at the Claremont Resort & Club for a work conference this week, we were just going to meet downstairs in the lobby for a drink before heading to Shattuck for dinner. It was almost sunset and pro tip, you can order drinks from the Claremont lounge and take them outside to watch the sunset (the hotel has outdoor furniture) to vibe and imbibe. With Limewood Bar & Restaurant opening at 5pm, we figured why leave these views and brews when we could keep the fun going without having to leave. For a weekday, the restaurant filled pretty quickly and felt alive. It had me wondering if this was a mix of guests from my friend's conference, other guests, or if locals come to the restaurant too. Regardless, without a reservation we grabbed a high top and service was quick and efficient ~ we split a bottle of wine and the Gem Salad to start. What I loved and appreciated from our amazing server was that she made a note for the kitchen to split the salad to serve to us. While splitting a salad with one other person is usually the norm done at the table, it was so nice to sit back, relax, and have the salad cut already for us by the kitchen ready to consume. Also for a mom to not have to cut anything additional when out with a friend is really nice :) We then shared the Steak Sliders and Truffle Fries. Our server asked if for the truffle fries we wanted regular thin fries or the russet wedges that come standard with the dish. She mentioned the truffle fries are served with a few thicker potato pieces on a plate ~ we wanted to sip on our wine and nosh on regular truffle fries and not the thicker cut, so pro tip..ask for the regular fries! Again, much appreciated tip from the server to ensure our meal was to the standard we wanted. Lastly, the Steak Sliders. Man, I've heard about these 'Parker House Rolls' served here from a Check, Please! Bay Area episode, but truly these rolls and this shareable app which turned into a meal for us, drove it home to 5 stars. From the menu, the Steak Sliders include 'shaved prime rib, black garlic aioli, mushroom escabeche, and fiscalini cheddar' ~ they did not disappoint..decadent, photo-worthy (check my snaps), and the perfect close to a long day with comfort in every bite. The rolls actually come by themselves as a starter app served with bone marrow butter. I've been to this restaurant a few years ago and had the smash burger (still on the menu) ~ def. recommend if the tour de smash throughout the East Bay is your thing. Looks like Limewood does breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, and a late night menu served until 10:30p including these epic sliders. You can validate your parking by the host stand or taking a ride share if not staying on location, can't beat it! Post meal there was music playing in the lounge so naturally we gravitated that direction to end the evening with some tunes. Overall, an amazing evening and worth every splurge. Because at the end of the day, who knows when I'll be back..but man did it feel like a nice escape to wine and dine with my bestie at such a historic spot in the East Bay! read more

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The views and vibes. Located in the Claremont Hotel, this is an upscale, but hip hotel restaurant with incredible views of SF. They have comfy booths, but also tables with epic window views of the City below. We caught the sunset and it was beautiful. The food is solid. I wouldn't rave, but I wouldn't say anything bad about it, per se, except, yes, it's expensive. Some would say over priced, but again, those views and vibes. The place was busy on a Wednesday night. A mix of a hotel bar scene and patrons for dinner, mostly looking corporate. But I do need to add: the place was well staffed and provided really good service. I was with the family and the kids ate chicken tenders from the kids menu. Bonus: kids under 5 eat free if you're staying at the hotel. I enjoyed my $18 cocktail, but it was small. I ordered the vegetarian dish which was a broccoli steak in a Thai curry sauce with quinoa. It was healthy, which I was going for and solid, if not a wee boring. My husband's fish was good. It was slightly overcooked, and could have used a little side dish action for the price, but overall a solid dish. We ordered gelato for dessert and I mean no complaints there. In the end, while the food isn't going to blow you away, it is good, but it is quite expensive. You're paying for that view, a high level of service and atmosphere. I 100% will return. It felt like a night away from our lives, perched up on the hill enjoying a luxe night out. read more

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We enjoyed our dinner at the Limewood restaurant this week, to celebrate our anniversary. A beautiful view of sunset over San Francisco from our table by the window am- the internal ambiance and views are a definite high point of this location. We loved the rockfish starter and the pasta but the Cordia fish entree was interesting, not our favorite. Our server was kind and gracious as you would expect at the Claremont Hotel. read more

Limewood Bar & Restaurant - Delicious vegetarian pasta - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Ate here while waiting for my room to be ready at the resort, and the food was delicious! The service was also good despite being busy, there were runners filling up water constantly and checking in. The hosts & hostesses were also great, addressing me by name after my meal which made me feel special haha. I had a chicken sandwich which was also great mix of sweet and savory, with the doughy bun and sweet glazed chicken. The chicken was thick and juicy, with the perfect crunchy crust all around! I loved the honey sauce it was glazed in, and the coleslaw was a good touch to balance out all the flavors. I had gotten truffle fries which were nice and crispy! The truffle flavor was there and light, not too overpowering. I was seated on the patio facing the bay, which was nice and the weather was good! There are quite a bit of tables out there which is nice, but felt myself almost staring at people trying to look at the view...It was also mainly covered, so no worries about the sun there! There are also space heaters for the area if needed for the cooler nights. It looked like there was a lot of seating inside as well. read more

Limewood Bar & Restaurant - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

The "steak" slider was surprising as it was just a huge pile thinly sliced fatty roast beef between 4 large rolls. The gem salad with fried chicken was over done and dry. We REALLY miss the Meritage restaurant here and will not eat at the Limewood again. Sadly the Claremont has slipped over the years with the new management. read more

Came for a work dinner. The portions are large but all the dishes we ordered were odd and not as expected. The steak fries felt way too large and basically like eating a baked potato instead of fries. I ordered the sunchoke dish and was very unpleasantly surprised by a plate of what looked like two heads of broccoli instead with hidden sunchokes somewhere. Drinks were good but overall not impressed. read more

It's sad to see this restaurant's decline over the years but now it's not even worth the view. We were seated outside at a table that needed to be wiped down and was not set. As you looked around many of the tables had dirty dishes or no settings during peak brunch time. My $9 latte was undrinkable. My partner's BLT had raw bacon and a unripe tomato slice. My eggs were a dry but not bad. It's diner food at this point and your local diner does it better. Best part we asked if we could move to a table under the heat lamps it it was dirty and the busser moved the dirty dishes to a clean table that was set did a quick wipe and left the dirty dishes on the clean set table. We had to move our own dishes to set the table he wiped and left. Every time this hotel is sold to another chain hotel company it just gets worst. This will be my last time after 30 years of going. read more

It was my birthday weekend so we went and what an awesome experience. We had reservations for brunch so the Hostess immediately had us seated at a table with sweeping views of the East Bay Area all the way to SF. Then we were greeted by our Server who's service was impeccable was attentive, friendly and helpful with menu suggestions. I ordered the Smash Burger which was cooked to perfection. Compliments to the chef! My drink was equally delicious. Parking was affordable and easy to find and the entrance is accessible. Looking for to my next experience. read more

Limewood Bar & Restaurant - Menu - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Recently dined at Limewood, and the experience was fantastic! I started with an Espresso Martini, which was delicious and perfectly crafted--a solid drink to kick off the evening. For appetizers, I tried the Black-Eyed Peas Fritters paired with a spiced tomato sauce. Fully vegan and incredibly flavorful; the combination was delightful. The Parker House Rolls, served with chives and bone marrow butter, added a rich touch and had great flavor that really set off the meal. Highly recommend the Crispy Rockfish. The hot sauce, buttermilk, and pickled onion added a spicy kick and complemented the fish beautifully. The hot sauce was especially flavorful and packed some heat, making the dish stand out. Overall, I suggest pairing the Espresso Martini with the Parker House Rolls and finishing off with the Crispy Rockfish. Limewood did not disappoint! ‍ read more

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I would just rather direct you to all the other 1 star reviews below, since they pretty much sum it up for me. I want to like this place, because the decor and views are pristine. I've been visiting and dining here for a few years now, and each time it gets worse. Plus, the way people "dress" to go out whether for lunch or dinner, looks like they think they are in their own home. Could you please at least try to not wear your sweaty athletic gear and pj's? That's not the view I would prefer, while being charged $30 for a glass of wine. Other than that, I will never be coming to eat or drink. Service, please get your act together. Waiting time to get anything there, is ridiculous. Ruins what should be a beautiful spot to dine. read more

The food and ambiance is great. The deck with sf/bay views is great. It's a touch pricey, but mostly justified. My only gripe is the bar TV. It's blue and dim, basically broken. I would otherwise come here often to watch sports. I work in technology and entertainment, so I have a bug up my butt about it. read more

Limewood Bar & Restaurant - The broken blue and dark tv at the bar. - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

I found the vegetarian options to be limited and quite bland. I feel they could do a better job offering some vegetarian and vegan dishes here especially given the price and prestige on the Fairmont. I've had better at other Fairmont hotels across the US and Canada. read more

Limewood Bar & Restaurant - Salad on the lunch menu - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

You can't beat the location. Great place to have a meal with friends or family. Amazing view beautiful weather. Service was good. We had smash burgers, rockfish sandwich, garlic, prawns, and the piccata for dessert was really good. After seeing the fried chicken plate on someone else's table, I kind of wish I would've had that. That being said, I was happy with my meal. read more

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I've lived in Oakland for two years and somehow have never been to the Claremont Hotel. We drive by often and I check the Limewood menu every so often. My dad was visiting so I suggested lunch on their patio. We hadn't event started eating and we already had a dinner reservation for the next evening. So, this is a review for lunch and dinner! Lunch, we sat right away on their patio. It was a little chilly but gorgeous views, comfortable and they offer blankets. We enjoyed some very delicious cocktails, a Roasted Chicken Salad and their B.E.L.T. The service was lovely. Our waitress was so cute and bubbly. She spotted us when we arrived for dinner the next night and came over to say hello. Very friendly and comfortable space. For dinner, we arrived around 6 and sat inside this time with my husband and toddler. Kid friendly! So appreciative. Our server Robert was also really kind and took great care of us. We started again with cocktails and later shared wine. We shared oysters on the half shell and shishito peppers. My husband and I shared the fried chicken, a side of mushrooms and truffle fries. We really enjoyed our meals at Limewood this week and can't wait to return! Thank you all at Limewood for your hospitality and great menu. read more

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We made reservations for Christmas Eve. The service was great and really fast considering how packed they were. We had the Buddha Bowls and my one friend got the avocado toast. The food was fresh and delicious. The appeal of this place is certainly the view and the service. We were very happy with it! read more

Limewood Bar & Restaurant - Buddha Bowls and Avocado Toast with Tuna - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

Best smash burger ever! Caramelized onions inside and bun were great. Meat was tender. Flavor was amazing! Comes with thin fries which were also devoured. I will be back for it. Had a good "mocktail" to go with it, along with the great view of the city..... perfect. read more

I sent to Limewood with my good friend's family for Christmas dinner. It was packed. We were fortunate. Our party was large enough to be tucked away in a banquette. That distanced us just enough to make for a serene dining experience. We tried several of the starters. The cheese plate came with three cheeses, lavash, some honeycomb, and a berry jam. One of the cheeses was my favorite Humboldt fog. Yom! The black garlic hummus, also with lavash, was delightfully vinegary and has a thicker texture than I am used to. It was delicious. The Spanish octopus was extremely tender. The P.E.I. mussels (my pick) had a really flavorful broth. All of the things mentioned so far were really well balanced and had generous portions of garlic, which was really delightful. We also tried the blistered shishitos. The nasturtium crema was lovely. I, fortunately or unfortunately depending, only got mild ones. We also tried the Parker House rolls. Not sure how I feel about bone marrow butter, but they were yeasty and pillowy soft. For the main most of us split several dishes of the pappardelle. The portion size was huge. The red pesto was delicious. I am looking forward to my leftovers. Another person at the table had the burger. It looked amazing and it was huge. The "fries" were actually potatoes wedges. There was at least 1 1/2 potatoes on his plate. I was too full for dessert, but the folks who had it seemed happy. Beverage-wise, a member of our party brought a magnum of wine. Everyone drank that, so I can't comment on the cocktails or wine list. Service was pretty good. I would definitely go back. BTW, Limewood is just inside the entrance, which is super convenient if you use the valet parking. Recommended. read more

We were very impressed by the venue, the food, and the service! We appreciated how above and beyond our waiters took care of us. We were initially sitting outside in the balcony enjoying the view and wine, but a little bee decided to follow us around. The restaurant quickly moved us inside, and we ended the meal with a gorgeous branzino paired with great wine. The service was spectacular. read more

Limewood Bar & Restaurant - Branzino - tender, fresh and flavorful. - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Great view, ambience; the usual lackluster service and below par food. Even with 30% off the bill was high for the quality.

Love the food, service and ambiance. The petit steak was delicious with the peppercorn sauce. read more

Limewood Bar & Restaurant - Slider - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I write this review with love and hopes they'll improve. Food: Overcooked, dry fried chicken, oily mushrooms with no depth of flavor (tasted only of garlic), starchy fries. My date said his burger tasted good. Drink: Bartender forgot to add spice to our spicy cocktail. It was also sickly sweet. Service: Our server did not know the menu well. Like, we asked if a particular sauce came on the side, and he said "I can ask for it on the side, if you'd like." When the sauce arrived, it was basically a fancy ketchup that was clearly intended to always be on the side. (I can only imagine what I would have gotten if I'd said, that's ok, leave it on there!" lol -- maybe it would've helped with how dry the chicken was.) I also asked for a cocktail recommendation (giving some basic criteria of what I like), and he seemed genuinely baffled. He also didn't notice or ask about the fact that we only drank half of our drink. Otherwise, he was nice and timely. Atmosphere: lovely but loud. Like, cacophonous level loud. They should genuinely look into options for sound dampening. Overall, I really wanted to like this place and sincerely hope they'll get better. But it just did not meet expectations on any level for a place charging $30-50 per entree and $20 for a cocktail. read more

The location and views is great, but the food was just okay. We started with the shishito peppers and grilled carrots, both of which were decent. The pesto pasta was fine, but didn't stand out. We finished with the Earl Grey crème brûlée, which was quite good. Overall a 3/5 experience but probably wouldn't return. read more

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What a great spot for a late afternoon charcuterie board, sparkling wine, polite staff and killer view! I arrived at the hotel around 2pm and hadn't eaten since breakfast. This was the perfect spot to grab a bite to eat and enjoy the spectacular view. The cheese plate was delicious and perfectly sized. The sparkling was perfect. Our server was friendly and made us feel quite welcomed. read more

View spectacular! drinks great. Food just blah to terrible. I emailed a poor review and was given a voucher. I went back. Still Terrible food. There is NO excuse for how bad this food is. The burger and fries are safe but there was something wrong with every dish I have tried over the last five years. The Limewood is surrounded by truly great restaurants. No excuse! This is a high end historical hotel. The food is either overcooked or undercooked. Always! I have been coming here. For 40 years. Always memorable til about 6 years ago ish. read more

We were a party of 9 for a pre-Christmas family gather. Everything went seamlessly. The F2 drink from the bar was delicious & non-alcoholic with an undertone of lavender. The F2 name stands for fermented twice & it is similar to Kombucha, refreshing & slightly fizzy. The food was delicious, my fish (Copia) was divine. Crispy onions , buttery meaty fish & some very good sauce. The steaks were tender, juicy and cooked perfectly to order. My nephew ordered the Smash burger & said it was the best one he's ever had. Our waiter was very personable, efficient & on point throughout the entire dinner. Great atmosphere, beautifully appointed & a very memorable meal. Thank you for providing such a wonderful evening for us. read more

I've been to Limewood for dinner before, so was excited to try their brunch menu. Staff and Service: - I was a little confused as there were about 4 staff members that walked up to me as I was at the table mentioning they would be my server. I wasn't sure who to ask for what and when. - All staff members were very kind Food and Drinks: - Berkeley Smash Burger: tasty burger with a lot of flavor! The pickled green tomato was much better than I thought it would be - it was more of a subtle taste where I thought it would overpower the burger. The mustard aioli was also flavorful. - Claremont Sunshine: I enjoyed the kick from the jalapeños and Tabasco in this drink. Miscellaneous: - Parking lot available with ticket to pay when leaving. Limewood validates up to 3 hours, so don't forget to get your ticket validated before you leave! - Bathrooms are located outside of the restaurant and in the hotel - Indoor and outdoor dining available (weather permitting) read more

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The service is super classy and kind. The views are awesome . The indoor seating was perfect for my wife and I to have a date lunch together. The rest of the hotel is fancy and once you're here it's a relaxing resort in the middle of hustle and bustle . Everyone needs to meet the helpful concierge ladies as they know the deals and shortcuts to enjoying this place . read more