Viognier
| Address: | 222 E 4th Ave, San Mateo, CA 94401, USA |
| Phone: | +1 650-685-3727 |
| Site: | viognierrestaurant.com |
| Rating: | 4 |
| Working: | 5–11PM 5–11PM 5–11PM 5–11PM 5–11PM 5–11PM Closed |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 25
JO
Johnny Chau
This review is a couple of years old, so take it with a grain of salt. This place was good, but not quite good enough for me to want to drive all the way to San Mateo on a regular basis. I opted for the three course tasting menu. (FYI Part One: If youre in the mood for a lighter meal (even though its not noted on the menu), I was told you can opt to order items a la carte.) (FYI Part Two: The portions for each course are pretty decently sized. If you pace yourself the stretchy waist pants can stay at home. They arent like Cheesecake Factory large, but theyre also arent one bite snacks. As Goldilocks would say, "Theyre juuuust right.") -Amuse Bouch: Crostini topped with a soft cheese and a strand (or two) of roasted red pepper. Just ok. -The Bread Basket: Soft croissant roll, Cranberry roll, Cheese Roll, every possible roll you could imagine AND MORE! This part of the meal was delumptious. + The room temperature butter = heaven. -First Course: Heirloom Tomato Salad with Arugula and Ricotta Cheese, drizzled with EVOO. The tomatoes were so sweet. A good seasonal offering and a refreshing way to start off my meal. -Second Course: Lobster with Fresh Pasta. Also pretty good. The most impressive part of this dish was the perfectly cooked lobster - not an easy feat. -Third Course: (I was in a savory mood so dessert was skipped.) Pork Tenderloin on a bed of Hominy Grits. While the pork (like the lobster) was perfectly cooked, the grits were not. I know the protein should be the focus, but I place equal balance on both the protein and the carb combination. Im also a fan of al dente, but these grits were just plain crunchy and under cooked. So disappointing! -French Pressed Coffee was a nice end to the meal, warm and fuzzy. -Complimentary Dessert: French Macarons in two flavors, Raspberry and Hazelnut. These were like pillows of air with a slight eggshell thin crunch filled with the respective cream flavors. It almost made up for my pork :) Overall, the meal was an ok one. The highs and lows balance my overall rating to three stars. Theres a classroom for cooking school if you are feeling academic and if you need groceries the restaurant is also connected to a really nice grocery store. Side observation, there were a handful of empty Far Niente bottles placed around the restaurant for decoration. Not quite sure what to make of that one. For a restaurant titled Viognier, why do they feature bottles of really expensive Cabs.
EL
Elizabeth Tseng
Ive known of Viognier and passed by it several times in the last 3 years but always skipped on dining there. Im really not sure why I ever did that because I was very impressed with their food. You have the option to select a 3, 4, or 5 course meal with or without paired wines. I went with 4 but soon found the portions to be so hefty that I had to take my entire 3rd course to go! For someone who has been searching for a good "faux gras" now that foie is banned, Viognier served up an alternative that was almost as good as the real thing. Every one of the dishes I tried was delicious and the sommelier, Hailee has some great wines picked out. She even recommended a couple places to try in Napa (Arroyo and Von Strasser) and she was spot on with what I would like! They also have quite an extended list of wine options for your to peruse over. Viognier is now one of my favorites along the Peninsula and new favorite fine dining restaurant in San Mateo (sorry All Spice!).
JO
John Deeney
upstairs in a busy gourmet market (with lots of parking), this surprising place is a delightful find for excellent food. service is attentive and cheerful and the dining space itself is attractive and spacious. huge colorado lamb chops must come directly up the stairs from the gourmet market below, and the salads also glisten with freshness. the casual california clientele seems happy with every part of the meal, including the interesting wines.
WE
Wendy Day
The food is great. I loved the hot borscht with truffle cream and candied bacon. The pork was cooked well and the pork sausage delicious. The presentation was without flaw. The service was great but the staff a bit mismatched but they knew what they were doing and "enjoyed being a part of the artistic environment" (a quote from my waiter). The Brie dessert was a nice cheese touch after a good meal!!
DA
David E. Weekly
Who knew that the mid-Peninsula had such smashingly good haute cuisine? Excellent in 2009 and now mind-blowing in 2010, Viognier offers a classy (if pricey) place to take a date, with brilliantly executed courses, kind service, and a luxurious atmosphere -- even if you do have to climb above a grocery store to get there! Absolutely my favorite swanky spot on the Peninsula.
A
A Private User
"Great food. Nice to kids. Great service. Fine dining restaurant. We often take our kids out dining be it casual or fine dining. We went w/3 kids 10, 7, 4. They sent our table complimentary dessert for our children. It is atop of Dreagers Supermarket. but there is no mistake, it is fine dining. Great waitstaff very knowledgeable servers, re: wine cheese etc."
SC
Scott Giambastiani
Chris Aquino has worked his way up the ranks at Viognier over the past few years to head Chef. His menu boasts both creativity and confidence, while showcasing the bounty of refined, seasonal California fare. Nestled in the top of Draegers market, this restaurant is a destination stop of the San Mateo downtown strip.
JE
Jeffrey Castaline
Went twice. Once for our anniversary and once for a New Years dinner party. Wouldnt recommend it to my worst enemy. Snotty inattentive staff. Had to chase the waiter on both occasions for bread and water refills. Also, way over priced. I dont know why Dregers puts up with them on their second floor.
SE
Sebastian A
Unbelievable food. Delightful service. Everything on he menu is to die for. You order separately for bread but I highly recommend you dont let that put you off. This place is a hidden gem in the bay. Even more hidden on the second floor !
SE
Sean Blumberg
Very good food, but over-priced in my opinion. There was also a very loud and very likely drunk cooking group in the attached school/observatory that ruined the ambiance of the restaurant.
AN
Anton Chuvakin
Creative presentation, awesome food (everything with duck, mushrooms or both was stellar) and service that (for whatever strange reason) insists on serving women in the party LAST.
DA
Dave Marmaros
I was expecting a nice night out, boy was I mistaken. The restaurant was nearly empty, but they staff mostly sneered at us and took forever to take orders. Skip!
AL
Alex F
Expensive, but well worth it for a very nice meal. The sommelier provided excellent pairing recommendations and the service and presentation were spot on.
AX
Axel Martinez
We had an excellent dinner. The food was fantastic and the service was very good. I had a fantastic corn bisque. The pork belly was outstanding.
CH
Chloe Prescod
The pork belly was is really really good has an amazing taste that anybody at any age would love. Definitely worth the trip (:
CA
Carter Maslan
Expensive but really nice for a slow, fine dining conversation without being stuffy.
AN
Andrew Sisolak
very elegant if pricey-weird location lingers in your mind above supermarket
A
A Private User
Not great as a date night spot, but good food and service.
A
A Private User
the food is great, the waiters can be a bit too much.
BE
Benjamin Tang
Downtown San Mateo, nice food, connected to store
A
A Private User
Best cheese selection on the peninsula
BR
Bruce Bales
sommelier is great
SI
Siqing Wei
fit for foodies.
GL
Glenn Krochmal
top notch.
AR
ARAM Fayez
ARAM
