Beautiful ambiance, with food exceptional lunch options. Perfect for a special occasion or a destination meal. I enjoyed the vegan options on the menu and recommend the quinoa remoulade. read more

went here for our anniversary dinner - did not live up to our expectation. the ingredients were fresh, and we understand that they were trying to be inventive with their menu, but the concoctions just weren't palatable - everything was very dry. flavors clashed, and accompaniments overwhelmed the main dishes. nothing that I'd ever want to order again. the environment was fantastic, but that doesn't excuse the cuisine. it's hard to imagine such a restaurant surviving beyond a few months of it weren't for the one time tourist visits. I really wanted to like this place, and I hope they can reinvent the menu without letting it be a experimental playground for the chef. read more

Wonderful! The entire setting is absolutely charming. The glassblowing was amazing to watch and the artisans very fun to interact with. And of course, the glass and other art work was amazing! Great experience!! read more

This restaurant is as good as it gets. The presentation and quality of the food is outstanding. If you get a seat to watch the waterfalls you made it. Great place. Can't wait to get back. read more

Excellent experience, from the ambiance to the service to the cocktails to the food! We went on the recommendation of our innkeeper and we were so pleased. The service is friendly and professional, the food is expertly prepared with amazing layers of flavor and artfully presented. The signature cocktails are a departure from the ordinary and are properly priced and delicious. Save room for dessert because they are wonderful. Did I mention the beautiful full glass windows overlooking the river and waterfall? We went in casual dress attire but there were some diners in shorts as well so the attire was hard to judge. Those diners were treated with the same respect and professionalism that we were. This is a DEFINITE must stop for anyone who visits or lives in the central VT area. We will definitely return and would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone. No wonder it is described as one of the "Most Romantic Restaurants." One more thing: If you are looking for a special gift for a wedding, birthday, anniversary, or just for yourself, you must stop by the adjacent glass-blowing shop where you can see the artisans at work and truly appreciate their talent. So many beautiful items to choose from. read more

I love eating in the main restaurant, but recently I had dinner in the bar which is just as good...more fun, quick service and friendly atmosphere. The food was just as excellent as in the restaurant...love the Bibb, Bacon & Blue salad. It was quite busy, but the waiter did an excellent job taking care of all of us. read more

We came here on Friday and the food and service were really outstanding. We both had salads to start and the chicken special, which was delicious. One of the people in our group was not feeling well, and they gladly accommodated by making her a simple pasta dish. Highly recommend coming here if you are in the area! read more

Wonderful experience. Be sure to make a reservation and ask for a waterfall window view. You want to enjoy the view while dining here. Friendly staff. Our appetizers were great! The grilled shrimp was tasty and fresh. The octopus was seasoned and cooked perfectly. We had the bibb blue cheese and bacon salad - delicious! As for entree I wish I had read the menu better- we thought it was New York strip steak.. It seemed more like sirloin ( 2 slices) and was unfortunately very dry. The sides with the dish were great. I would try again if we visit in future and order a different entree. Worth trying! read more

Simon Pearce was underwhelming at best. We were visiting from out of town and had to try the famed restaurant after so many acclaimed reviews; however, it was just average in terms of food and below average for customer service. Our dinner reservation was for 7:15 and we were seated at 7:25, even though we arrived at 7:00. The restaurant was busy, so that is okay. The waitress took our drink order and then took at least 25 minutes to return to take our food order. W did not actually get food until after 8:30, and we never saw our waitress again during that hour. When she returned after getting the food, she asked 1 person at the table if they wanted another glass of wine, but did not ask any of the other patrons if they wanted more drinks. The food was very small portions. If you are going to pay so much for a meal, I expect quality food with substantial portions and excellent customer service. View was gorgeous, but overall, it is an overhyped restaurant. Go to the store and take some pictures, but then save your time & money, and eat elsewhere. read more

My uncle, husband and I recently visited Simon Pearce Restaurant. The cheddar soup is really as good as the reviews say. My uncle had the calamari salad, which he loved, and my husband had the braised pork shoulder. I had the grilled chicken sandwich, which was so good, that I made it as soon as I got home. This restaurant had great lunch food and beautiful ambiance. read more

French Malbec, mixed greens salad topped with naturally sweet cherry tomatoes which I'm positive we're all picked a few hours before it was served.... and the tenderloin with a unique smokey reduction sauce.... The service was perfect, and the meal was perfect....that's all.... read more

Truly disappointing dinner experience. Reserved weeks ahead for anniversary. They gave us a great table and then the wheels fell off. Wanted to love this place. Ordered pork loin appetizer that was like leather, had to return it as inedible. Once we did that , we were clearly going to suffer the wrath of our server who essentially disappeared for 30 minutes. Had eggplant salad that was undercooked, rubbery and had strong vinegar taste? My wife had halibut that was, to be generous, fair. I had Gnocchi for $23.00. 5 tasteless, rubbery Gnocchi and a few vegetables made the culinary disaster complete. Service; They tried to serve us main courses right after our appetizers, forgetting about our salad and as a topper, they weren't even the right entrees. Then our terrible eggplant salad arrived a full 30 minutes later, no exaggeration during which time our server wouldn't make eye contact. Another full 30 minutes waiting for entrees. Declined dessert to limit the damage. They brought us a scoop of sorbet with a candle in it for our anniversary. Manager did take off the two most inedible items. That is good , but the night we had looked forward to had long ago been ruined by poor food and even worse service. Beautiful location, but beware if you are expecting this restaurant to match the natural beauty, you may be sorely disappointed . Suggestion to Simon, stick to glass and ceramics or get someone to run this restaurant that knows what they're doing. read more

I had an unpleasant experience at Simon Pearce over the weekend. In the "seconds" area, I found linen napkins marked 50% off and was about to buy them when my friend pointed out that in the full price section of the store they were marked $3 less than they were on the sale table. I very politely called this to the attention of the manager and young sales clerk by the counter. Even after volunteering to follow me to the two sites, the young sales clerk told me that there was nothing that could be done about the discrepancy. Mind you, we were discussing what would amount to a mere $1.50 per napkin at a very high end store. It would have been so easy for them to say, "Goodness, our mistake." instead of being a cheapskate. The only conclusion we could draw is that Simon Pearce uses cheap dishonest strategies in its dealings with customers. Awfully disappointing from a store that should know better. Walmart would have behaved better. read more

Myself and my guest were going out to dinner expecting a nice evening, we were very wrong, what we got was a truly memorable experience that we will remember for a long time. We both work in the industry (he is a pastry chef and I am a sous chef), and we were both blown away by the whole experience. I have worked in Michelin star kitchens in Napa and can honestly say that the overall experience would have been the same only if they crumbed the table, everything was that amazing. The staff was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and attentive without being overbearing. We skipped appetizers so we could splurge on desserts, but the table next to us got the scallops, which looked great. We had the roast duckling with a tabbouleh salad, currants, some veg, and a demi sauce that I think had some cassis flavoring added to it that worked amazing with the duck, very generous portion and the skin of the duck on both the duck breast and thigh was so incredibly crispy it was perfect. The duck breast I usually eat more rare than what was served, however due to the preparation of the duck in general it was not an issue because it was still moist, flavorful, properly seasoned, and most importantly, crispy skin! We also got the short rib with smashed potatoes, kholrabi slaw and fried brussel leaves, again, killer. I made short ribs every day at a Michelin star kitchen in california and as much as I hate to admit it, these were better. They also sent us out the cashew and broccoli dish with chive aioli and peppers which was a really amazing accompaniment to our entrees. We literally left nothing on any of our entree plates. I had asked if they had a glass of wine I had seen on there list by the glass, unfortunately they did not, so I asked to see the wine list. They come back not just with the wine list but also with 2 samples she thought I might like that would pair well with our meal, I took one of her recommendations and was very glad I did. Very good service points. Dessert we got the Apple cake with vanilla ice cream and salted caramel, which was good, but was nothing compared to the panna cotta and the creme brulee. The brulee was simple, yet perfect. Texture silky smooth and perfectly caramelized sugar on top. The panna cotta was with cranberries and a Graham cracker crumble which was great. The first thing I did when I stepped out of the restaurant was text my friend who works at the James beard house and told him this isn't a place that is good for dinner, I said this is a place that's good for a memory. 5 stars all around. Not a place to be missed. read more

I've tried Simon Pearce twice -- first for my mother's birthday last year with the family and kids, and just today on a lunch date with my wife. While the location, scenery, glassware shop, and service are all great, my wife and I decided today the food was just not acceptable for the price, and agreed not to return for a long time (hoping they read this review and make some changes). I felt obliged to write this review because the restaurant doesn't even seem to make an effort to make it's food special. For example, the side of fries (for which they use the French "frites" on their menu) tasted like frozen Oreida fries, their pork shoulder was slathered in ketchup-y bbq sauce, and their "sesame seared chicken" was in fact fried and literally tasted like McDonald's chicken strips with sesame added to it, with apricot sauce that reminded us of generic sauce found at a supermarket. And we spent over $90 for 2 on this with desert and gratuity. If you're going to half-ass your cuisine, just call them "french fries" and "chicken fingers" -- don't piss on my back and tell me it's raining. I'm taking the time to write the review because it angers me that they are relying on their name and location to charge higher prices, while not even making an effort to make the culinary experience on par. I hope they read this review and replace their head chef so we can eventually have better food to match their ambience. Tourists who come by once might be too distracted by the scenery to comment on the food, but for those of us who live in the area, we could really use a decent restaurant around here. C'mon guys -- I'd rather you charge me $200 for 2 instead and show some self-respect for your name and make an effort with the cuisine. read more

This restaurant should be on the top of your list if you plan to be in the area. I spent a few days in Windsor, VT and decided to check out the restaurant for dinner. I called ahead to see if I could reserve a table for a Monday night near the windows to have the best view of the water. Unfortunately, seats next to the windows are first-come first-served, but the hostess kindly offered to make note of my request. When we arrived, we walked through the gorgeous shop to the restaurant and was warmly welcomed by the hostess. She remembered me from my call and told me if we waited five minutes we could have the most spectacular view in the house--and spectacular it was. We were seated right on the corner with the view on the river and the mountains as well as a view of the waterfall and the glow from inside the store. Our server was just as kind and helpful and the food was great. The only reason I am not giving this a five star experience is because the food, though very good, was nothing out of this world (although my boyfriend said it was the best cheddar soup he's ever had). Nonetheless, this was a fantastic experience and I highly recommend it to everyone. I can't wait to go back! read more

The setting of the restaurant is spectacular; the service was wonderful and the dining room beautiful; great wine list. In this respect, it's a great place for a special occasion. My issue with this place is the food. If I had to diagnose the problem it would be that Simon Pearce is going out of its way to serve Very Fancy Food. Most of the main courses on the menu feature Fancy Sauces (yuzu and ponzu vinagrette) and Fancy Ingredients (salmon from the bay of Fundy), but it might be better for them to do more with less. The ingredients are top notch, but the execution was lacking: overcooked and bland salmon, a tragically overcooked pork chop that you could tell would have been DELICIOUS if they had left it pink on the inside. The best main course is the short ribs: a cut of meat that cannot really be overcooked. I think that the attention to the details of fancy sauces might be distracting the kitchen from the simple tasks of properly cooking a pork chop and a filet of salmon. Sad face. I wanted to love the food. For the price, the food should be much better. I just moved to the Upper Valley, and I'm starting to fear that this is a problem that afflicts many of the restaurants here: great (and often local) ingredients that are not cooked to perfection. read more

Received a recommendation from a friendly local on the top of Mt Tom to visit Simon Pearce and we were lucky enough to get dinner reservations (but it was mid -week; I assume on the weekends they fill up well in advance). Everything was top notch. I definitely wanted to acknowledge our server Vanessa, who made the whole experience delightful. Beside all around great service, she specifically helped me navigate the menu with my allergy concerns. A tip for gluten free diners - they offer hot GF buns/rolls fresh from the over - a rarity and a treat! Both my boyfriend and I loved our meals; everything was delicious - the salad, the butternut squash soup, both entrees (I had fish, he had corn risotto), and the maple creme brulee. We definitely left feeling extremely full but it was worth it to taste so many things from the menu. Definitely arrive early to spend time in the Simon Pearce shop - it was gorgeous lit up at night. It was also very special to enjoy the meal at a table set with Simon Pearce glass pieces (both the drinking glasses/goblets and the decorative pumpkins). read more

Beautiful setting, very nice ambiance in the restaurant. We enjoyed coming a little early to watch the glass blowing, although had to watch an empty room for a majority of that time because the one person working was on a long break. For dinner I began with a kale salad. Terrific dressing and very fresh-looking salad leaves. Main course was the roasted duckling. Flavor (sauce) was good, but one of the pieces either had a lot of fat or wasn't cooked so well. Just seemed like it should have had more firmness. Dessert was ice cream with some sea salt caramel sauce. I didn't think the sauce or the ice cream tasted like anything that unique - seemed rather ordinary. So food was tasty, but felt like we paid a bit much for the overall quality of what we got. We enjoyed the evening however, and could see how this would be a good place for a special night out, as long as you don't mind if you end up burning through some cash to do it. read more

ROAD TRIP: To Simon Pearce in Quechee Vermont from Connecticut. One of our Favorite places in all of New England to stop for lunch.... Multiple stops over the years and we have yet to be disappointed. As always everything was excellent from the culinary experience to the entire staff, today all was spot on terrific! We always seem to start with the Vermont Cheddar Cheese soup and the Seasonal Greens w/ herb vinaigrette topped with warm Vermont creamery goat cheese, our entrees have varied every time we visit, some we have enjoyed more than others but all have been delightful. Superb location and so much to see, they do it all glass blowing, pottery making and a hydro generator right on the premises, in addition wondering around the store is an experience on its own. Not to mention the beautiful Vermont scenery, the water fall and covered bridge all seen from your table while enjoying your meal. For us worth the drive, If you get the chance take it! read more