Navio

Reviews 4

KR

Krishna Malleboina

We reserved a table 2 weeks in advance and the time we got was around 2:30pm which was very late. We kept continually checking with the restaurant to see if can be moved to an earlier time and it wasnt possible. So finally we checked in around 2:00pm and waited for half an hour to get seated. Grand buffet on sunday is $120 per person (excluding Tax + Tip). Waiter gave a menu for the cocktails. We were not interested in any cocktails. Each cocktail was $17.5 All the non-alocholic beverages like coffee, tea, orange juice are free. I have ordered chamomille tea and My friend ordered cappuccino which were decent. Grand Buffet was divided into the following sections 1) Typical brunch items-- You see these items as you begin entering the restaurant. You can get these items in a typical diner ( potatoes, bacon, scrambled eggs, eggs benedict, ....) I think there are around 10 types of breads and croissant, biscotti . I did not eat these items after I felt there are many other special items. 2) Asian section -- I started with this section. chinese cuisine items like Bean soup, chicken dumpling, pork bun, spring roll and sauces. Japanese cuisine items like sushis, raw fishes. Bean soup was delicious but rest of them were ok. 3) Savory section -- contains around dozen items like English pea soup, steamed vegetables like carrots, asparagus with feta cheese ..... I dont remember the names of the other items. But all of them were excellent. 4) Grill & Sea food Section -- There are grilled items like pork and salmon. I took couple of pieces of grilled salmon. The way salmon is garnished made me feel it is French style. 2 of servings Oysters and 2 servings of crab dish which were delicious. I dont remember the names. Different types of fish eggs are also available. I didnt try the other sea food items 5) Cheese section -- There are around 10 types of cheeses mostly from France (made with cow milk). Nuts, fruits as sides. I dont remember the names. I tasted around 1 table spoon of each cheese. I liked all of them. 6) DESSERT Section -- This is probably the largest number of desserts I have ever seen in a buffet. Didnt count but there should be atleast 50 desserts. I didnt know where to begin. Ignored the typical items like fruits.. Attached all the images of what I ate. I DONT THINK I CAN DESCRIBE IN WORDS. All desserts are of high quality. Many types of panna cotta, hot chocolate, cakes, ice creams, cookies, truffles etc..... Then there is a waiter / chef ready to serve the cake and ice creams with your choices. Service was professional because waiters were readily available to help you. Also all the items are immediately replaced as they got emptied. I never felt like I have to wait for a particular food item. Pricey Buffet -- But worth trying. I dont think any restaurant in the bay area will provide those many high quality desserts in a buffet. I forgot to take pictures of other foods I ate.

VA

Valerie

I enjoy food. Plain and simple. It can be your average sandwich or it can be unpronounceable and unrecognizable to the human eye. Some may call it a being a "foodie" others may say thats a fancy way of calling yourself a fat ass. Doesnt matter how you word it I am always down to try new things as long as I get my grubs on. Sometimes in life you have to treat yourself and spending a $100 a head....(YIKES) for some gourmet buffet then I guess Im down for the ride! On this Sunday Funday I found myself inside the Ritz. If you want to partake in some brunch they require some reservations. They give you a 2hr time frame and choose from 11:00 or 1:30. My party was seated in the back room which has large windows that let you take in the awesome ocean views. As I was walking towards the room I noticed how elegantly the desserts were individually perfectly placed upon the shelves. Navigating my way through the food stations I noticed how well done the food set up was, definitely a feast for the eyes. Set up in sections they had your sushi/sashimi (very limited selection) oysters, raw seafood that included snow crabs, green mussels, huge clams, shrimp and caviar. Bread selection which consists of muffins, croissants, rolls and flat bread. They had a limited selection of Dim Sum which I thought was slightly disappointing with mushy, oversteamed shrimp, chive dumplings and BBQ pork buns. Then they had the American brunch setup with eggs, applewood smoked bacon, sausages mini pancakes and waffles. They have a separate selection with fruit so you add those on if you want. So many things to list they also had chilled cucumber in shot glasses and a cured meat bar, Rack of Lamb with Fresh Mint Lamb Jus and a prime rib station. My favorite would hands down have to be the dessert selection. Lots of cakes including Devils food cake, white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, coffee éclairs, vanilla shortbread, chocolate almond and pistachio macadamia biscotti, Individually made crepes, dark chocolate mousse, high quality hot chocolate, flan, several types of candy, Yes thats right I said candy and crème brulee. Service was on point as expected. Our server replaced my silverware several times and refilled my water and fresh squeezed orange juice as soon as it was halfway empty but some would say the glass would be half full. For $100 a plate it was nice to have scratched that off my bucket list. On another note I accidently uploaded my photos in the wrong section in the Ritz Carlton page. Whoops my bad.

SE

Sebastian Fiedler

Located in the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay, Navio is one of the more upscale, popular restaurants in the area. Theyre quite famous for their brunch so it was on my list for a while. To be fair, this rating needs to be broken out into several pieces - LOCATION - 5 stars If you catch a day thats not gloomy, this is the perfect Northern California scenery. The restaurant overlooks the fantastic coastline and has a outdoor terrace to sunbath. Sounds like a perfect way to spend your Sunday? It sure is. SERVICE - 4 stars Top service, super friendly and very attentive waiters. A hiccup in the reservation was corrected quickly and without hassle. I like that everyone actually smiled and seemed to care about the guests. Great job. INTERIOR - 4 stars Two large, stretched rooms, with ocean views. The interior is warm and chic, dark wooden tables, chairs, and leather sofas. Very welcoming. Do patrons count as interior? This is definitely a people-watching place and youll see nicely dressed guurrlz and the occasionally well dressed guy there. The catwalk here is the way to the buffet - eye candy. FOOD - 3 stars I liked the variety with the focus on seafood (sushi, shrimp, cod, caviar), the dim sum and the lobster soup. The food, however, seemed to be sitting there for too long - especially the sushi and the pancakes, both tasted stale. The bread selection was weak and the desserts, although nicely presented in a special chocolate room, didnt turn my taste buds on. And Im a dessert guy. VALUE - 1 star This was branded as a "Champagne Brunch plus Chocolate Room" for the duration of two hours but asking $140 per person is a bit ridiculous even if the setting is right. For that price Id expect at least super fresh food, and that wasnt the case. In my opinion they went a bit overboard with the prices, otherwise this would be a 4 stars experience.

VE

Veronica Lujan

It was an excellent seafood dinner. Not terribly innovative and leaned a little too heavily on trends (so guaranteed not to be a critics darling), but the seafood was all expertly prepared and delicious. Service was friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. He made lovely suggestions that helped us build a wonderful meal. I had black cod that came from the very bay we were watching the moon dance along, and it was buttery but not greasy - Ive never had it executed so well. From the raw bar, incredible ahi tartare loaded with furikake - Ive never had better, and great oysters (biggest, best miyagis Ive ever had - Ive literally never seen them so large and never have they been more full of flavor). Uni lobster fettuccine starter was creamy and addictively tasty. For entrees, delicious salmon for him (I remember it was cooked just right, but I didnt necessarily love the salsify or sides, but he liked them) and the black cod in a dashi broth for me (again, the sides fell short, but the fish itself and the broth were amazing). For dessert I had a refreshing fruit ice and meringue thing that is exactly how seafood meals should always end. He had a rich chocolate raspberry something. Just a very very good dinner. Great wine and tea. Not perfect, but very good. They nailed the important parts, the seafood. As for the Sunday brunch buffet, WOW. Ive seen negative reviews, but we enjoyed it. Enjoyed so many things I cant even begin to get into them.