I debated writing this review because who has the timeeee or energy, but turns out, I do! This was my partner's and my 5 year anniversary, and we'd moved to the neighborhood a few months ago and were thrilled to have such a highly rated restaurant right around the corner. From almost day one, we agreed we'd save up to celebrate our anniversary here, since the price point is a bit steep.
We made a reservation, and the day came with pouring rain. We ran over, soaked but excited. The person we assumed was the host greeted us kindly and said they'd do something special once we mentioned the anniversary. The whole restaurant was full and everyone, guests and staff, were all watching the World Cup projected on the wall, which we honestly loved. That kind of community energy, everyone coming together over the game, is genuinely a great vibe.
The problem was there was only one server for the entire floor, and it took 15 minutes for anyone to approach our table, in a restaurant that isn't even large. Meanwhile, the host and chef stood by the door watching the game, seemingly unbothered by the one employee trying to manage a full room. We eventually asked the host if we should just order at the bar since we'd been waiting so long.
Our server finally came over, was warm and kind, and got our order out quickly, but every interaction after that felt rushed because all the pressure of the room was on them alone. We never received anything "special" like we were told we would, which honestly would've been fine either way, but overall the night had this feeling of carelessness in the experience. We ate, paid, and left not long after.
Honestly this isn't a knock on the laid back energy of the place, we loved that part. It's more that for a restaurant this highly rated and this pricey, we wanted the experience to feel like it matched the price point, especially on a night we'd specifically saved up for. That's on us too for not checking out the vibe beforehand instead of building a big occasion around it. We just don't get to treat ourselves to places like this often, so we were really excited to experience the food and atmosphere everyone raves about, and it didn't quite land the way we hoped.
Anyways, giving this four stars because obviously the food was great, and our server was clearly overwhelmed, not careless, so I have high hopes they'd shine on a different night. Just something to keep in mind if you're planning a specifically special occasion here to maybe rethink it and choose this for a fun Friday with friends instead. read more