In my personal opinion:
I am disgusted after my latest experience with Chaz on the Plaza. My husband called and made reservations for their mother's day brunch. When he made the reservations (in advance) he made them for 2 and a high chair. When we arrived we were told they didn't have a high chair because they were not used to having children. (What kind of people did they think would come to a MOTHER'S day brunch?????) She told me they would try to 'find one'. I told her I was upset that one was not ready since when we made reservations we stated we needed a high chair. If we could not be accommodated then they should have told us in advance. They kept asking us to wait another 5-10 min until 20 minutes later our daughter was near a tantrum. The manager offered to "take care of" our brunch but what good does that do us if my daughter has no place to sit???? Â I am livid they were not prepared after giving them plenty of notice, I am livid that if they knew they were not going to be prepared that they did not let us know in advance. I am livid they ruined my mother's day. I left crying because eventually we couldn't wait any longer. We had to get my daughter home to eat and nap. WE WILL NEVER BE BACK!!! My advice go somewhere else!
My friend and I made the fantastic decision to enjoy Easter brunch here. I cannot believe and completely ashamed in myself that I had never been before. This place is a GEM! Everything I want in a restaurant- Local, Menu fit for a Foodie, Vegetarian/Pescatarian Friendly, Romantic, Unique and great service. They also informed me of their awesome HH specials and that they offer lunch! The Raphael in itself is a Plaza piece of heaven and KC History but that is another review in itself. You walk in to this place and you just feel transported back in time where people are classy and everyone has manners and gentlemen tip there hats and say "Good Day". However with that being said it is in NO way stuffy or smells like a grandma. They have managed to keep it "French Modern" as opposed to Antique tacky. Their are all these secret nooks and cranny booths tucked away through the restaurant that are super romantic and make you forget the restaurant isn't reserved entirely for you and your sweetie. Our brunch was delicious. Lots of unique brunch options, Banana Foster French Toast, Wild Mushroom Ravioli in a white wine cream sauce, Creamy Polenta, an Omelette bar, salmon and cream cheese schmear. Then you can order from your waitress, Belgium Waffles, Eggs Benedict (they made mine vegetarian on the fly for me and it was amazing) and breakfast potatoes. The potatoes were amazing! Lots of chives and cream cheese or something inside that made it the best hash brown remake I have ever enjoyed. Our server was a charming sweetheart who although was swamped was attentive and really made our experience even better with her sincere desire to get to know us and give us the best experience possible. I am just in love with this place. Support local, support KC history. Go here!! Also in the summers they have a string quartet that plays on the lawn while you can sit outside and enjoy wine. If that doesn't sound like heaven I don't know what does.
Review Source:"Outside the snow is falling" etc...
Inside, the blazing fires occasionally shoots tiny bits of smoldering coal at your toes. You're sitting on your Grandmother's velvet carpet, wondering what Santa will bring you this year. While the rest of the world has "fallen on hard times" - whatever that means, you heard it on the radio this morning - your family has been just fine, save for the brutal East Egg winters. It's 1920, and you're ten years old. As your thoughts sway over to sugar plums and dancing faeries, your reverie is interrupted by the dinner chimes.
Slowly, you meander down the hallway, clutching your stuffed rabbit. Mr. Ears is quite content to go with you to dinner, though you know Mother will be none-to-pleased that those flecks of coal have besmirched your white dress..and that the ribbon in your hair is a bit untied.
You take a seat at the table, headed by Uncle Chaz. And immediately, you're served bread rolls - but not just the typical flour and butter kind, these are special...from Germany. Pretzel buns, pipping hot and freshly toasted! You grab for one...forgetting your lady-like manners, and not caring two whims as you embrace your childhood - along with the entire bread basket.
And then dinner comes, and you're only moderately impressed by the adult's scallops - they're raving about how tender the scallops are...and how beautifully pink the stuffed salmon is. You don't understand this nonsense - you're more interested in the bright yellow sauce oozing over the pine-colored asparagus stalks. This magic sauce made you eat something green. And it finally gave your dull white dress a splash of hollandaise color.
For dessert, while the elders crack through some custard dish called "brew-leee," you dive into chocolate cheesecake. It's dense and wonderful. And what's that? There's a bit of coffee in there? Now you're bouncing...jittery from the sugar and caffeine...and you and Mr. Ears are all set to romp around Uncle Chaz's beautifully decorated dining room much to the chagrin of your proper mother and stern father.
What's that? It's 2013? I'm not 10? Oh...chute...well the food descriptions were spot on...and there might have been some frowned upon romping too.
Chaz on the Plaza.... Â Few names sound any more elegant than that one. Â And it turned out to be a very nice experience when Hubby and I met Sis there for lunch on a bright, warm and sunny Friday in the middle of March. Â Sis arrived first and we found her just getting herself settled in at a corner table by a window overlooking Ward Parkway and just across Brush Creek from the beautiful Country Club Plaza. Â "Perfect start", I thought. Â But after we were seated and began looking over the menu, Sis explained that the primo seats were thanks to her. Â We were told that "they tried to seat us back in the back where it was dark and smelled musty but I asked that we be moved." Â So thanks Sis!
Now to the menu: Â Chaz' lunch menu is not overwhelming in it's length but, instead, offers a nice variety of options that include a couple of appetizers, Â half a dozen salad or soup options, and about the same number of sandwiches and entree choices.
I wanted to be able to try more than one menu item, so I started with a cup of She-Crab Soup. Â It was quite lovely both in flavor and the smooth, creamy texture and came with a perfectly crunchy, thin-sliced piece of toasted bread. Â We were off to a good start. Â Being that our visit was on a Lenten Friday and I wasn't really hungry enough for any of the meatless entree choices, my only sandwich option turned out to be the Crab Cake Sandwich. Â I would most definitely like to go back another time to try any of the other choices -- the Grilled Sirloin, a BLT or a Reuben all caught my eye as well as the Chaz Burger, a Cuban or even the Grilled Turkey but I'm not complaining. Â My Crab Cake Sandwich was very tasty served on a nice pillowy egg bun topped with spicy greens, marinated tomato and finished with a really good Chili Remoulade that was the perfect finishing touch. Â
Sides are Chaz chips, french fries or fresh fruit. Â All three at our table ordered the fruit sides and they came with a very good variety for this time of the year. Plus all were fully ripe and very tasty. Â The bowls included two kinds of melon, strawberries, raspberries, pineapple and blackberries. Â It would be a kindness to mention that there is an up-charge for ordering the fruit which our server neglected to mention. Â But, when Sis challenged her bill at the end of the meal, the charge was cheerfully adjusted and she even changed our bill, though I had not requested she do so. Â Sis also ordered the Crab Cake Sandwich and Hubby went with the Cuban sandwich, braised pulled pork, sliced Black Forest Ham, Dijon mustard, dill pickles on a long sliced Italian bread roll. Â Hubby only ate half and he did not care for the pork, but since it was Friday, I wasn't able to taste it and weigh in with my opinion.
That brings me to the last part of my review. Â Chaz is a charming place to have lunch and seems to be quite popular with the ladies who lunch group. Â The space is tucked into the northwest corner of the Raphael and accessed by stepping down several steps to the door which tends to give it a somewhat cozy, hide-away feel. Â Our Server, indeed all the staff we encountered on our visit, made us feel welcome and special. Â Service was unobtrusive but still personable and friendly. Â "Chaz on the Plaz" will surely make my list of favorite places to have an elegant lunch and I look forward to return visits.
Great food, not mind-blowing but solid. Service was excellent. Warm, intimate atmosphere. I had the Chaz salad, prime rib steak dinner followed by creme brulee. All delicious. Live music on Sunday nights in the bar. It's two brothers who play the violin and cello. They are fun and like taking song requests. I plan on spending many Sunday nights having a cocktail and listening to music. A must try.
Review Source:The food was very good - not great. I reserve 'great' for restaurants in which the food is the most memorable of the experience. About the food: My steak was well cooked and the crusted potatoes were a very unique and excellent touch. I had a well paired pinot noir with my meal and the waiter was nothing short of what you would expect from a 4/5 star experience. He was well educated on both the food and drink menu, and was very accommodating to our requests - like moving to the bar area for our desert.
Now, onto the best part of the night - the music. We were there on a Sunday evening (which, if you get a chance, is THE time to go) and it just so happens a wonderful cellist and violinist are there each Sunday. They played everything from The Beatles to Debussy. They were fun, interacted with the crowd, and encouraged requests. Â Their last bit even involved a little trivia!
Needless to say, we will be going back on many a more a unday evening. Not for the food (albeit good), but for the entertainment!
One word: A-mazing! I was treated to this tasty place by my family for my birthday. I have always enjoyed the chef, Charles, since he worked at Webster House, but I feel he is even better If that is possible) at Chaz. The food is a southern style with a fine dining twist. Make sure you have room for every part of the meal: app, entree and dessert or you will surely be missing out. The grilled Caesar salad is like nothing I have had before. A salad but with a hint of smoky flavoring. The crab cake was overflowing with crab meat as the Chef doesn't use fillers on the inside such as breadcrumbs: those are only on the outside. And finally, don't miss the fried green tomatoes where the juicy tomatoes and the fried exterior go perfectly together.
For the entree we all had something different and all of us were pretty unwilling to share too much considering how good the meals were. The deconstructed tamale, Â grilled salmon, etc were all cooked to perfection. You cannot go wrong here.
Finally we topped off the meal with a Chianti and two desserts: the chocolate peanut butter torte and vanilla bean creme brulee. What a finale!
My last tip is to get a table by the window where the view of the plaza and Brush Creek is beautiful!
Delicious! Â The deconstructed berry parfait was absolutely amazing! Â The entire dessert menu looks phenomenal and I can't wait to come try another one. Â I had the veal oscar for dinner which was delicious but again, the dessert... Wow. Â The live jazz music, wow. The service was very attentive and the atmosphere was comfortable- good setting for professionals, for romance, and even casual enough at the bar just to have drinks. Â
I also came here for breakfast two mornings. Â I had the bananas foster French toast as well as the Belgian waffle and both were delicious and absolutely fattening. Â Love that breakfast is included with your stay.
While staying with my family at the Raphael, we ordered breakfast from Chaz's twice. Â The food was good but missing some of the things you might expect from a high priced restaurant. Â The ham served with breakfast is sliced Black Forest deli ham. The oatmeal was the consistency of baby food and was only served with milk and a very small portion of blueberry compote. Â Traditionally oatmeal is served with nuts, raisins, sugar or honey or something to make it more substantial and interesting. Â Something to justify charging $9 for 25 cents of oats. Â The salmon and traditional eggs Benedict were quite good with perfectly poached eggs, nice sauce, fresh muffin and a hearty portion.
There is something wrong with the room service to kitchen logistics. Â The first meal we ordered had coffee cups with no coffee and lox, cream cheese and capers with no bagel for the bagel and lox meal. Â The second meal took an hour to deliver the above mentioned oatmeal. Â It was only delivered after we called down to check on it. Â We were informed that the kitchen was backed up.
Despite the issues, they were resolved politely and quickly on both occasions. Â We really did appreciate that. Â
We are going to try eating in the restaurant next. Â The food is quite good.
The service was great. Â Our waitress was attentive and talkative but not intrusive. Â We went for bruch and had the filet and eggs. Â The food was good, but the attitude and atmosphere was just relaxing and fun. Â The coffee was hot and good. Â The portions were a good size and everything was fresh and good. Â For the age of the hotel, the restaurant was very clean and well maintained. Â I don't know if it has been refurbished, but it doesn't look "new", just well cared for. Â And, the restaurant is on our passport card so BOGO!
Review Source:My wife and I had dinner at Chaz On The Plaza, a first time for us. Â The restaurant is part of the Raphael Hotel but a separate outside entrance greets guests from the circular driveway in front of the hotel. Â We did not have to wait to be seated for our 7:30 Saturday evening reservation. Â A three person band was playing near the bar and we asked to be seated in an area opposite where the band was playing but I would say that the loudness of the music would not have been a problem even if we had been much closer.
The waiter was cordial and informative. Â He explained that the menu had just changed for the spring season and they were therefore were not offering anything that was not on the menu. Â The waiter said that the menu changes four times a year with one or two popular items repeating themselves.
The wine list is pretty good with European and American wine options listed. Â Prices are moderate and you can by several different wines by the glass, which we did. Â
For appetizers, we ordered the "crab cake" that had a spicy (a little heat) remoulade on which the crab cake sat atop. Â It was very good!
We also had the "braised shrimp and grits accompanied with a tomato beurre blanc sauce and crispy spinach on top. Â It was a large dish and we could not finish it. Â But I have to tell you that it was one of the best appetizers I have ever had. Â I'm not normally a huge fan of grits, but their creamy texture and the sauce made it an "over the top" appetizer. Â The shrimp were generous and tender.
For the next course, my wife had the Chaz salad. Â It was good, but not something you'd particularly remember. Â I had the "She-crab" soup. Â Good consistency. The flavor was interesting (in a good way), but not what I expected. Â I would order it again.
For the entree, we each had the Chilean Sea Bass. Â Sauteed and perfectly cooked. Â Light crust on one side. Â Delicate taste. Â A hit.
I substituted the zucchini for  asparagus.  It may have been the freshness or the season for this vegetable, but I've never had asparagus quite like this accompaniment.  It was firm on the outside, like you'd expect, but the interior was almost creamy.  I eat asparagus regularly and never had anything like this.  I'm going to have it again to see if it is prepared in the same way and tastes as good.
We did not order dessert.
We will definitely go to Chaz again. Â The atmosphere is what you'd expect from a high end restaurant. Â The overall quality of the meal and the ambiance exceeded what I've experienced in most restaurants that are within a hotel. Â
P.S. Â I hope the "shrimp and grits" are on the menu when the next season's menu is crafted.
We had a very nice dinner here, and recommend this cozy, romantic corner of Europe to be found right near Brush Creek.
A jazz combo was playing gently - at a volume that enhanced conversation instead of overwhelming it. Â We had a wonderful waitress by the name of Carrie - just the perfect amount of friendly attention. Â
The food was great. Â Best fried green tomatoes I've ever had, and I have sought them out whenever I'm in an area that might have good ones. Â In fact, the appetizer was so good that, for my dinner, I chose to have two more appetizers and a bowl of rich, creamy, she-crab soup, that came with a surprisingly deft touch of cayenne. Â I also tried the crab cake, which was as good as I've had on any coast, and veal cheek sliders, which fell short of great only because they were served on rolls that were too big and dry. Â The meat itself was perfect.
My wife enjoyed the divers scallops - she said they were among the best she's had in KC, but the remarkable lime corn they were served on was a revelation. Â It's that kind of attention to detail that makes a good restaurant great, and Chaz is certainly great.
The wine list was nice, with a good selection of wines by the glass.
Dessert sounded nice, but the meal made it unrealistic!
In sum, Chaz is a great place, and I'm happy it is there for the upscale travelers who stay at the Raphael. Â It is sophisticated and European, but the Kansas City jazz being played made it clear to everyone that KC has its own charms.
I picked this place because it was close to my hotel and apparently had a good following. Â Boy, was it the wrong choice.
Rushed, off-putting service, a horrible wine list (very California-centric with very little variety), and food that was marginal at best.
Even though I was dining alone, I was looking forward to a nice, upscale, liesurely dining experience. Â I was in and out in 45 minutes, and that was with a pre-dinner cocktail, a starter and a dessert.
The best part of the meal was the very ordinary house salad (I had ordered fried green tomatoes, which previous reviewers had loved. Â But they didn't have them, despite my waiter initially telling me everything they had was on the menu).
The stuffed chicken with crispy polenta sounded great, but was horribly overcooked. Â It was a lot like the rubbery airline business class chicken I get when flying to London, except I had to pay $25 for it. Â The polenta would have been crispy if they hadn't piled a blob of "wilted" spinach (which was really boiled to death) on top.
The dark chocolate stout cake wasn't too bad, and the brittle with a hint of cayenne was tasty, if a bit gooey (I'm still trying to get it out of my teeth). Â The brown butter ice cream that came with it and should be the star of the plate, was awful. Â Icy, tasteless and just something to push out the the way.
The service was rushed and not at all memorable. Â I encountered my waiter, the greeter and the restaurant manager on my way out -- and not a single one of them asked how my meal was.
I didn't think the prices were too bad (I live in a big west coast city where we pay out the nose for most decent meals). Â But $85 for a bad glass of wine (which I was charged for even though I took one sip and sent it back) and a meal not worthy of Applebee's? Â No, I won't be back.
Chaz is one of my favorites for breakfast/brunch, especially on a weekend morning. Â This is the spot for a leisurely breakfast since Chaz is never overly crowded in the morning.
The pancakes are light and crispy, some of the best that I have had. Â The French toast is also very good.
The omelette's are stuffed with fresh, high quality ingredients.
My personal favorite is the chicken fried steak with biscuits and eggs. Â Of course, the entire dish is smothered in sausage gravy. Â
Ask for a window table with a view of the plaza. Â A relaxed morning of coffee and breakfast at Parisian-esque Chaz is a true treat.
Took the family for dinner and found the food excellent - slightly pricey but not out of range for the setting etc. The service was below par for the price. It wasn't bad per se but definitely not top shelf. The other reason I won't rate it higher is the cocktails. Naturally they weren't cheap but they were on the small side. I don't mind paying up at a really nice restaurant but hate when they resort to the small glass with lots of ice trick.
Review Source:I would love to give Chaz five stars, as I can honestly say that every soup, appetizer, entree and dessert my husband and I have consumed there is always prepared to perfection. It has a lovely ambiance and the live music is always delightful. But the past two times we have gone the service has been TERRIBLE. In both cases we were served by a woman named Carrie. Last time we did not see our server for 25 minutes, and other staff members were kind enough to bring our bread, entrees, and refill our drinks. When a manager asked about our experience I stated that the food was incredible even if our server was MIA. Although she did quickly reappear, there was no apology and she would literally not respond to my husband and I's thanks for refilling our glasses,etc. To be perfectly honest with restaurants like Michael Smith, Blue Stem, Webster House and Le Fou Frog all in the same price range, we will not be coming back as all of those restaurants have always delivered impeccable service as well as food.
Review Source:flawless.
i stayed at the raphael upstairs and walked down to the chaz for breakfast. Â the food was fantastic, flavorful and served at the right temperature. Â if you've been in kansas city for any frequency, you know that the city is considered a culinary authority. Â this restaurant ranks with the best of them. i do not know who the chef at the chaz is, but she or he knows what their doing. Â the management, too - the hospitality here was top notch. Â the host, server and bartenders all executed their jobs with absolute professionalism. Â
one could easily expect haughtiness at the chaz, which exudes old world charm and refinement. Â i encountered none of it as i enjoyed a fantastic breakfast (and a damn good bloody mary). Â A+
The food does not disappoint.  I am a long time fan of Chef Charles d'Ablaing's fried green tomatoes...which really influenced  my decision to dine there. Â
My dining guests and I tried a variety of items such as the Crab Cakes (the best I have had) the seasonal Asparagus soup (with a delicate creamy texture), The unusual Reuben sandwich with thick sliced corn beef (my friend from NY gave a nod to the quality of the corn beef-said it rivaled Katz's deli in NY). The apple wood smoked bacon sandwich was a hit as was the extra extravagant Meyer lemon cheesecake with blue berry sauce. Â
Food so good deserves Five Stars, but alas the service was not what it should have been. The server approached our table immediately upon our arrival and wanted to take our drink order right away. Â She was very nice and personable- a bit too personal. Â
She commented on a topic we were discussing and proceeded to tell us her personal history. Â We explained we wanted to have a moment to discuss our menu options before we decided on a beverage. Five minutes later she was back.... still not ready to order entrees and deciding upon wine, we requested an order of the Fried Green Tomatoes and shooed her away. We ordered a nice bottle of wine, and then our entrees. Â When asked about one of the menu items a companion was thinking of ordering, she said 'oh, it's okay'... she then went on to say that the chopped salad had a dressing that she did not like (deviled egg vinaigrette) and that the former vinaigrette was much better... Since the former vinaigrette that she highly recommended was not available my companion went with the deviled egg version. We then asked her if one could order a crab cake sandwich with the lunch special and she told us no- that she had gotten in trouble for letting another customer order it. Â Really? Â We did not find out her birthday, but pretty much everything else-whether we wanted to know or not...
Service timing was spotty and the plates sat forever-which is my pet peeve. Â When she finally picked up our plates, she asked if we wanted dessert. Â We said we wanted to think about it. Â She returned shortly with our check. Â We told her we would like to see the dessert menu. Â She obliged and then told us that the desserts at Chaz are made from fresh ingredients, not like some places where the desserts sit around for months... Really??? Â The dessert was 'fresh' as promised. Â
I will go back, but will make sure we do not have the same server.
This is the worst dining experience I've ever had.
I walked in with a dining companion for dinner on a Friday night. Since we had no reservations (although there were tables that stayed empty for the entire two hours we were there) we were seated in the "lounge" area, right next to the keyboardist in the band. No big deal. Our waitress came over several minutes later, asking if we would like drinks, only to realize that no one had given us a wine list or a cocktail menu. Another several minutes later, she returned with water, and several minutes after that, she finally dropped off drink lists. It took her a while to come back to take our order, and another 10 or 15 minutes for the drink and glass of wine to arrive. Yes, there is a pattern here - this is the slowest service I have ever had in a restaurant. A third companion joined us, and after we placed our entree orders, we were given a basket of bread. The waitress forgot both the butter and the bread plates, and we had to flag her down about 10 minutes later to bring both. When our entrees arrived (duck $26, braised ribs $37, steak $41), I found that my duck was extremely tough and was served with flavorless, mushy rice that was strangely mint green in color. My companions were forced to saw through their meat with the same knives we used to butter our bread, and the steak was NOT cooked to order - what should have been medium rare was definitely medium well to well done. As we chatted and made it through our disappointing meals, a very ballsy friend of the musicians approached our table and asked me to keep my voice down! Keep in mind that we were not loud or rambunctious at all, and were simply having a normal dinner conversation. Completely stunned, I simply assured her that I would be quiet. Apparently unconvinced, she went on to suggest that I should scoot my chair closer to my friend, or that maybe we should switch places altogether! WOW! It took us another half hour to get out of there, and halfway to the door we realized our server never brought our leftovers back. Once again, we had to find her and ask for them. She had left them sitting on the bar halfway across the restaurant and had to retrieve them and bring them to us. My dining companion made sure to thank the rude lady on the way out for being so considerate and adding to our pleasant experience.
To recap, and in case no one wants to read my very long story:
1. Extremely poor service at an extremely slow pace. Forgot butter, bread plates, and steak knives. Took 2 hours for dinner, and that was only with entrees - no salad or appetizers.
2. Terrible food that was both bland and overcooked, which shouldn't be the case considering you're paying $30-40 per entree.
3. EXTREMELY rude lady that wasn't even a patron but was a friend of the band that interrupted our dinner to suggest that I sit somewhere else.
As close as this place is to me, I will never return. If you are looking for a nice place to have dinner, I would suggest you drive right past Chaz on the Plaza.
We cellebrated my 58th birthday here. They were so generous to comp my entre' Thank you Chaz we will be back. The food is very good the service was friendly which is'nt always the case in some up scale resturants I don't know why with tips at least $10 per person and up you think they  would all be smiling! We shared a bowl of safron bisque  they brought it in 2 bowls it is very delicious. Enjoyed the veal cheeks and the ceazer salad was grilled which was a interesting  twist, my wife had the chellian sea bass beautiful 2 inch pice of delicious fish w a wonderful sauce I had the short ribs which were flavorfull and tender w rosted potatoes tomatoes and carrots dlish, but the desert was a creame brule' which has orange slices carmalized with grand marnier and the regular sugar crust you are familar with I had a cup of coffee with a shot of grand marnier and kalua which paired well with this wonderful desert try it you will love it
Review Source:Old world atmosphere greets you at Chaz on the Plaza where your entrance into the restaurant is serenaded by an instrumental quartet, illuminated by twinkling tree lights. Â Once you enter, you are transported to a different time and place by the live jazz musicians and throaty vocalist. Â This all sets a lovely ambiance for the true event...the cuisine. Â
We decided to start our reverie with the Savannah crab cake, tender and delicate crab, yet crisp and buttery on the outside. Â Probably the single best crab cake I've ever had the pleasure of inhaling. Â
Next, we opted to indulge in the silky smooth fennel and saffron bisque with fried rock shrimp. Â It is important to note that the waiter was more than happy to split all our choices for two...sans the condescending attitude that you can sometimes get from waitstaff that forget their place in the Food Chain. Â I just can't eat that much, yet I want to taste everything. Â Nothing warms the cockles of my heart like a multiple course meal. Â Chaz excelled at splitting our options, and all the while, continuing the art of a beautiful presentation. Pictures are on the site if there are any lingering doubts as to the quality of the presentation.
The Chaz house salad is next, served with  Gorgonzola , grape tomatoes, baby greens, pistachios, and topped with a champagne vinaigrette. Â
The entree  was Chilean Sea Bass with saffron broth, risotto, and fennel. The fish was delicate, yet firm with a pleasantly crisp skin.  Easily more than enough to share, considering all the other delightful courses in which we indulged.
All in all, a wonderful evening filled with wonderful music, pleasantly attentive staff, and sumptuous food.
My husband and I decided to go to Chaz on the Plaza for breakfast...something rich in atmosphere. We were greeted very well and promptly brought to a table. It took just a bit longer than expected but our waitress showed up...she did not seem happy to be at work and looked like she had partied a little too much the night before. We asked for coffee and told her we were actually ready to order. We both had Filet and eggs with some kind of cheesy hash browns. ($17 a plate). She brought the coffee and poured it.... and crazy as this seems...the coffee had no taste. I was surprised because it was from a local coffee company. Being a person who roasts my own beans, I know a little about taste. When the waitress was passing by our table to somewhere else...I kindly requested a cappuccino instead explaining that the coffee just had no taste for me...she replied, (drum roll please)... "Are you sick?" Â
Since my husband and I were really trying to have pleasant experience, I made the decision not to puke on her, not because I was sick, but because at that moment, she made me sick of her. She left and came back with a cappuccino and took my coffee cup and her irritation and left again.
Within a fair amount of time, a food runner delivered our food. Four minutes later, a water boy asked us if we needed any kind of sauces. No check back from her personally. Â Our steaks were cooked to perfection, the eggs were creamy, the cheesy potato hash browns were excellent... the cappuccino tasted as bland as the coffee. When she did come back and ask how it was, I was done with her and replied, "Fine." .... I found my self yearning for much better service but not better food ~ it was fabulous. When she brought the check, there was a slight smile and she mumbled something but we couldn't understand her and didn't ask. Â So, "3" on service and "10" on food, minus the coffee. Our bill was around $48. We probably won't go back for that price... we'll take a chance somewhere else.
Went here at last minute and thought we might hae been too casually dressed, but were not made to feel so at all. Â Staff very friendly -- not overly so.
Our waitress made great suggestions; ambience was great (live voilin). Â Had one of the chicken dishes, flavor was phenomenal. Â We derfinitely will go back.
UPDATED: Â 5/1/2013
Unfortunately the Chaz has lost is glamour and everything else. Â Should you be lucky enough to get three of the only good servers that they have, then you will get wonderful service, but otherwise forget it. Â The food has gone from bad to worse.
Their BLT sandwiches for lunch are a total joke.  They do not ever use real tomatos but rather tomato PASTE !  and not cut into quarters!  The other sandwiches for lunch as gone downhill also.  Their entress for lunch has also gone downhill.  Dry chicken and pasta dishes that are not fit to eat. They seem to have a hard time keeping staff.  In the past two years that we have been dining there, the staff comes and goes.  It is such a shame because being on the  Country Club Plaza should bring them a lot of business.  Usually when are there we either the only people there or at most one or two other tables of guests.  We would really giving this restaurant a 5 STAR but in all honestly we will never dine there again.  We have so many other businesses associates and friends who have stopped going there for the same reason.  They really do need to start all over again from scratch.  The best of the best there are Sida, Omar, Edgar and Lenny.  But sadly the rest of all of their good staff has gone to greener pastures.
We have lunch on the Plaza about 8 times a month and this is the ONLY restaurant that is never busy. Â Somebody needs to tell them why that is so. Â WAIT ! Â We tried contacting the home office and they are not interested.
If I create a "splurge" or "pricey" restaurants list in the future, Chaz will be on the list (with Pierpont's, the American, etc.).
In some ways, it's to be expected. Â Chaz is in the Raphael, one of KC's classiest and most historic hotels. Â They have to have "that kind of" restaurant downstairs. Â With higher prices come higher expectations...
And Chaz delivers. Â You're going to find knowledgeable waitstaff, great appetizers and entrees, a sort of hushed quietness that allows everyone to feel that his/her conversation is a prized secret, yet with some wonderful live jazz playing in the background (at least on Friday and Saturday nights). Â
This is a great place to also just sidle up to the bar and get a drink, as Joi says, away from the "nightlife" that is the Plaza.
Dined in the lounge, different menu from dining room. Excellent diver scallops and great live jazz music most nights. Keep drinks under control and it's affordable.
Great live jazz-restrained enough for you to have a conversation while they play. Â The music made the difference between three and four stars.
Very nice.
Tucked down in the lower level of the Raphael Hotel this is a very cool atmosphere kind of place. They have a small bar area and elegant seating all around. Not too many starters to choose from, but all very good. The crab cakes, scallops, and pumpkin bisque are all delicious. As far as entrees go, our server told us you basically can't go wrong with the KC strip. All the entrees are quite expensive, however. The service we received was very attentive and nice.
Review Source:If you have not been here recently, you should try it again. Â The hotel has new management, and there is a new chef. Â All is better than it was before. Â In addition, the atmosphere of the restaurant is excellent, but that was always the case here. Â However, having dinner at Chaz is still not a flawless experience, and for these prices I expect better. Â Too bad, since I think the new chef is very good.
For example, when we had dinner there this evening, we had reserved a particular table on <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2FOpenTables.com&s=d1d4f36220bbd69136d5f871ee62e80d9183607be515c6b182eebfdd6c4f5ba7" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://OpenTables.com</a>. Â When we arrived, the hostess looked at our reservation slowly and carefully and then took us to a different (far less desirable) table in the empty restaurant. Â We refused the table, ignored her, and took the table we had reserved. Â In short, she didn't do her job at all. Â We did it for her. Â To add insult to injury, she then seated the next group that arrived (4 loud people) as close as possible to our table, needlessly disturbing our privacy, when in fact all of the rest of the restaurant was entirely empty.
In short, the service at Chaz is far from professional. Â It was much worse under the previous management, but is still amateurish, at best --- except for the new chef, who is really good. Â He should be somewhere better, and I have no doubt he will be, sooner or later.
Last week, we also had dinner there one evening. Â Everything was fine. Â No complaints at all from us. Â That's why we returned this week. Â But one good dining experience does not a fine restaurant make. Â We won't be back next week.
Keep in mind that I ate breakfast here, no late night bar experience at all...
Upon walking in, the decor and ambiance would suggest that this is a relatively nice restaurant. Service was prompt and the menu seemed decent. Right away one can tell that this is a "mature" spot (and I can say that with confidence, as I worked at a country club the summer after undergrad), but that doesn't matter to me one way or the other.
Normally I order eggs and bacon at breakfast, but I was feeling a little celebratory (two Yelp events in two nights - woot!) and decided to try the blueberry pancakes instead. Oh, how I wish I had gone the traditional route... Pancakes were bad. Really bad. Pretty sure they used frozen blueberries (why bother at that point?) and my side of bacon was tired... and fatty. Not good!
Oh, and my grapefruit juice was definitely not fresh squeezed. It looked (and smelled) like grapefruit Kool-Aid. Bleh! And at $3 per glass, come on people.
Breakfast for one person - juice, pancakes and bacon - was over $20. Yikes! And it wasn't good... I wouldn't have even flinched if the meal was edible, but it really wasn't. Which is too bad because the restaurant itself is in a great location and like I mentioned earlier, the decor is very pretty.
From what it sounds like from other reviews, come here at night for the music and wine. Pass on breakfast in the a.m.!
Oh how I love hotel bars. Problem is, these days they've turned into mini discos at places like the W and many boutique hotels (Hotel on Rivington, I'm so looking at you). That, my friends, is definitely not my scene.
Chaz at the Raphael is an exception. They keep it real! I went in twice and was amazed by the fact that my favorite types of people surrounded me: older people! When you reach a certain age, it's nice to feel like you're not ancient. Plus I prefer people to be as old as possible. Let's be real, I do yearn for a past I never had (preferable pre- 1965, thank you very much).
One evening, I walked in late to find the jazz musicians after they finished their set. What an awesome environment. The bartender was an older (tired) gent who was nice but you could tell he wanted to get out of there. I love that! It just felt really authentic and that's a rarity these days when everything is so damned fabricated.
If you're seeking refuge from the nightlife "scene" taking place on the Plaza, walk over to Chaz in the Raphael Hotel and be prepared to be enthralled. You may never want to leave!
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