I was disappointed when they didn't have black cod the night I was there!
Instead, they offered the snapper as an alternative. Â However, they could have at least prepared it the same way with miso and butter. Â The view was alright... but what's great about Long Beach beach view? Â Fortunately, it was night... Â
I love their selection... so I'll be coming back for that cod fish and the truffle! Â Hopefully then, my rating will change for the better.
I also want to give a high five to our waiter who made the big difference in our first time experience there! Â His flambouyant-like personality seemed to ease the newbie self. Â I also love the classic feel to the place.
Not only is the view amazing, the food and the service was one of the best I have ever had! My boyfriend and I went here for our 5 year anniversary. We had to order their Pomme frites (truffle fries) and it was DANGEROUS! We could not stop eating it! We also ordered lamb chops and their bison which was quite divine! Will definitely come back here!
Review Source:We put together a customer event at this location, which began at the Up Room. Â The location is stunning. Â The service was great. Â The appetizers we had in the Up Room were mediocre. Â The lump crab cakes were the only ones that stood out. Â I had a game hen dish which was very flavorful. Â The Napolian seemed gargantuan, but we all finished it, as it was light and fluffy.
Review Source:I think 2.5 is more accurate but I'll round up this time.
There wasn't anything glaringly wrong but at the same time there wasn't anything particularly superb either. Literally just OK, nothing special. The reason I'd say it's 2.5 and not 3 stars is mostly because of the price relative to the quality of the food.
At a place like this, I'd expect the portions to be tiny, but they were more generous than other upscale type restaurants. But again, the food was... lacking.
Parking... You can valet but I would highly recommend against it because I saw how the attendants park/handle the cars and if you saw what I saw you'd be worried too. Â There are other lots near by though so you won't have to walk too far.
The view from inside the restaurant was pretty nice, Â but a nice view can only go so far.
All in all, you can try it and see it for your self, Â but there are better choices out there.
Went to the Sky Room for a birthday treat. Â The food is amazing and the service impeccable. Â and the prices are what you'd expect. Â The ambiance needs some updating, however. Â What is the deal, for instance, with the Christmas lights on the inside of the dining area in September? Â It's tacky, especially when some of the strands are out. Â If anything, place those lights on the outside of the windows and keep those glares from imposing on those amazing views.
I would go there again. Â But not anytime soon. Â Our meal put quite the dent in the account.
This place has a great view and really friendly service, but the scene here on a weekend night is surprisingly immature and somewhat trashy. They play really bad hip hop music, it's very dark, and they have cheap club lights buzzing around. It's a contrast to such a potentially high-end and unique atmosphere.
Review Source:This place is absolutely AMAZING!
My boyfriend took me here this past Saturday for our two year anniversary. We had a table with a view of the city which was beautiful! 7pm is a great time to come in, there is still light outside and you are able to watch the sunset and the city lights turn on. Now, let's get to the food!!
Appetizers: Truffle frites were delicious! Perfect amount of seasoning and the fries were perfectly cooked! The crab cakes were divine! When the waiter brought it out, the aroma was heavenly. It was cooked just right where you could taste the delicacy of the crab.
Main dish: I got the rib eye and he got the filet mignon. The filet was good but the rib eye was the best choice. I had it made medium plus which kept it juicy and tender. It was paired with truffle mashed potatoes.
Dessert: Creme Brûlée. Omg please take me back now! It was so creamy and delicious, the right amount of sweetness.
All in all I had such an amazing time. The views, food and live jazz band was great! There's a dance floor which many couples were on. I myself it in a slow dance with my boyfriend. The waiters were very attentive and the food came out quickly which was refreshing. The bill was $220, a rather pretty penny (thanks babe!) but the memories are priceless. You can get a nice meal for two around $100 minimum, the drinks and appetizers do add up.
I cannot wait to come back here! :))
Note: Expensive dinner date.
Valet is cheaper than parking in a nearby public lot.
The Sky Room is romantic fine dining and set like another era overlooking Long Beach. They also have a bar on the roof top!
You enter the building and take the elevator up to The Sky Room. The elevator has an attendant. We never had to press a button.
The restaurant serves sustainable, farm to table dinners.. Starting with bread and butter. They have a full bar. We had great service. There was live music and room enough for you and another to get up and dance if you should choose to.
We have been to the Sky bar a few time. Â It was fun just the right amount of people to have a good time with a DJ and small dance floor. Â The drinks are pricey, but so what haha. Â Always have a good time there. Â Don't drink too much or you may fall down the steps, but don't worry if you tipped the elevator operator you'll make it down safe.
Review Source:Amazing! Celebrated our anniversary here and had the most wonderful time. The atmosphere, food, drinks and entertainment were all superb. The Sky Room deserves every bit if five stars. I would give them a 10 if I could since my husband left stating we should take dancing lessons so we could share a dance next time. A perfect evening!
Review Source:My parents were in town and wanted to take my husband and I out to a fancy dinner. I did some searching on yelp and found this place! The views were amazing, our waiter was very professional and funny! The food was outstanding! All four of us had different appetizers and entrees and everyone loved their food! We went on a Sunday night which was a great night to go because they are not as busy and we were able to make same day reservations and had a table next to the window! I would definitely come back!
Review Source:Classy, fun, delicious, and great service!
It was easy to make a reservation for 7 for a Saturday even though I called 2 days before. We had the most hilarious waiter, and he took the time to strike up conversation, and made us feel well taken care of. Three of my friends all wanted the Bison Short Rib but the waiter recommended we spice things up! Haha. So one of my friends ordered the Scallops. So good, so tender - I'm talking about all the entrees!
The view is spectacular!!! Lights everywhere, you can see so much of downtown long beach. I giggle when I think about how the Breakers Retirement home is the majority of the building since I'm only ever here to visit my grandma! Haha.
Even the elevator ride was awesome, with a man giving is a quick run down of the history of this hotel once belonging to Hilton I believe.
The dance floor and live music was amazing! Ill need to find me a man and make him bring me here! ;)
I took my girlfriend here for a birthday dinner and was NOT disappointed. The service was excellent from the hostess (I believe her name was Yessika) down to the food runner (bernadino) this was a class act for service and wish other places were like this.
We had the filet mignon and it was so good! Expensive but worth it. Meat was so tender we barely had to cut it with a knife. The filet mignon is served with garlic mashed potatoes and when paired with some
Moscato it's the perfect meal.
I had the salmon and although it was prepared wonderfully it was kind of well basic. I got salmon over some vegetables. No potatoes (which I think should always be served with salmon. I'm from Seattle originally so I may be spoiled lol) it had too many mushrooms and not enough tomatoes or greens as advertised. I was pleased but felt that for 27 bucks I would get more.
Try the gold rush drinks. Pretty good and deceptively strong. Ask for Dan and be prepared to watch people dance. There was a live band and it made me wish I knew how to salsa.
Overall I give this place two thumbs up and highly recommend checking it out for a special occasion with your loved ones.
NO complaints. For a special night out, this fits the bill. Â Spectacular views of the port and the city. Cool music. Great food. Elegant, relaxing atmosphere. Can I really complain if the service is a bit slow when it's busy? Getting there via a retirement home and rickety old elevator is just part of the experience. Standard, long time Long Beach favorite for me.
Review Source:We watched fireworks from here on the 4th of July and it has some great views. We went to the rooftop bar, not the restaurant.
The bartenders were nice, and they had specials on beers, only $4. They also had Hanger One on special for $7 in a cocktail.
I was a little bit bummed though because they did not have any wine available, and I was looking for a good Merlot or Malbec to cap the night off.
It is a little weird getting to the bar, because you have to go through the 100 year old building that is a retirement home apparently. Old elevators and weird smells for sure, but the bar is pretty cool.
Waitstaff was little sassafras, which put a damper on the special occasion evening. When I asked for a food recommendation/most popular dish the waiter all but reprimanded me and my seemingly reasonable question.
Food is a hit or miss. (Fagottini was bad. The rib was good)
Staff... eh.
Views are pretty nice.
Probably will not eat here again as there are a ton of other spectacular and special Long Beach restaurants to try out first.
This morning I awoke to my leftover scallop and lobster mashed potatoes for breakfast: Â divine! I always order too much at the sky room so that I can take some home.
We began with drinks from the bar and these are old fashioned REAL drinks--perfect!
Then the orgasmic lobster mac and cheese followed by the veal chop and the scallops. Then port and the berry napoleon.
The service, the ambiance, and  most importantly the food is the best in Long Beach. Our server was Marty who is always helpful and fun.
Beautiful view of long beach. Intimate wedding, life of the party photobooth is here (<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Flpphotobooths.com&s=da5d7cb8b0d99209b8e620a5b9751037ff12bea7d587d594f62911191d779750" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://lpphotobooths.com</a>). Fun times, surprisingly good banquet food.
Cute place for a very intimate wedding of less than 100. Parking is$10. Seems like a great place for a date too. Its walking (tennis shoes) distance to dt long beach.
I would definitely get lamp here again.
Mother's Day at The Sky Room in Long Beach for dinner since my mom has been bugging me to take her to The Sky Room since I went twice last year.
-Lobster Mac&Cheese, fresh maine lobster, gruyere, cheddar, bechamel sauce.
I was not too much of a fan, but my younger brother ate the whole portion fairly quickly.
-White Asparagus, fried egg, prosciutto di parma, sabayon sauce.
This was the fancy version of green eggs and ham, and I loved it.
-Baby beet salad, golden beets, watercress, herb goat cheese, pine nuts, pear vinaigrette.
Nice and light salad
-Fagottini Pasta, walnuts, gorgonzola cheese, creamy pesto sauce.
Great vegetarian option.
-Fresh Diver Scallops, lobster mashed potatoes, roasted beet beurre blanc.
The scallops were very fresh and tasty
-Oysters Rockafeller, spinach, tomatoes, parmesan cheese, hollandaise sauce.
I'm sure we could have had 2 more orders of this
-Sky Room Hot Fudge Sundae, vanilla bean ice cream, nuts, hot fudge, whipped cream, cherry on top.
The ice cream was delicious. I love vanilla bean ice cream.
Everything was delicious and not too overly priced. Small portions, but these portions were delectable.
Valet parking was $7
There is a bar above the restaurant that has a magnificent view, and the view from the restaurant was breathtaking as well. The restaurant was not too loud and would be a perfect date spot.
Definitely will go back!!!
Dinner at The Sky Room is an experience - a pleasant step back in time. Â I booked reservations for four as I was entertaining some Korean customers. Â I'd heard this is a great "romantic date" place, but was a bit concerned how it would serve as a "business" venue. Â Well, that concern turned out to be completely unfounded.
Our server Marty, obviously a seasoned pro, quickly 'read' that we were hoping for efficient, attentive service, but otherwise preferred to be left to our business. Â Throughout the evening, he and his team provided an exceptional dining experience for us.
The menu is nicely varied, and would seem to have offerings suitable for everyone's taste. Â All our food was beautifully prepared and presented, especially the Filet Mignon and Rib Eye which were cooked precisely to order. Â Also - an added value - our entrees included both a vegetable and potato offering.
This place is the very definition of ambiance - a trio of live music provided a nice backdrop to our conversation. Â The decor is warm and inviting, and really seems to come into its own as the lights dim, night falls and the spectacular views outside come to life.
Anxious to come back...I need to explore the bar...
Absolutely perfect! Went to the sky room to celebrate our anniversary at 7:45pm. When we got there we were greeted by the valet for parking, which was $7. As we were walking down the hallway towards the elevator, there was a bunch of historical artifacts. Very vintage! Took the elevator to the top sky room floor and was amazed by the design of the restaurant. It definitely had a romantic and nice ambience as the host was walking us to our table. We got seated towards the corner of the room, which had a gorgeous sunset view of the rainbow harbor and rest of the city. For a Monday night, we basically had the place to ourselves that made it more intimate for us.
Server came out promptly to bring us bread, butter, and sea salt. The creaminess of the butter and the saltiness of the sea had a pretty good combination with the bread. First time trying it like that. Ordered our drinks, but one of them tasted quite bad, so it was cool that our server gave us a different one.
Prime rib eye with asparagus and truffle pommes frites - Right when the prime rib eye came out, it was tender and juicy that melted like cotton candy when I ate it. The seasoning was a bit salty in addition to the truffle pommes frites, but had the perfect amount of garlic to balance it out. The prime rib was cooked to the correct temperature I asked for. As for the asparagus, it was great having that to balance out all the flavors and sodium.
Filet mignon with haricot vert, truffle infused mashed potatoes, and bordelaise reduction - The sauce for this plate was delicious. It complemented like gravy for the truffle infused mashed potatoes and went good on the filet mignon.
Sky Room Hot Fudge Sundae - Vanilla bean ice cream, nuts, and whipped cream topped with a cherry. Damn, the best finisher ever. 5 minutes into this cup of sweetness, fireworks started going off at the rainbow harbor that created the grand finale moment of our anniversary. I couldn't have expected and asked for a more picture perfect romantic experience. So lucky!
Overall, I would love to come back to the sky room again. Amazing location and property. Quite the pleasure and was as great as it gets!
WOW! This place is worth it! I took my girlfriend of 1.5 years here last night just before proposing to her (she said YES). She had always wanted to go. We showed up to the kind Valet ($7) and walked in. You go to the last of like 4 elevators and wait for an employee to come down and take you up. They are very nice and full of information. Once upstairs they seat you quickly and we were lucky to get the window view. It was a Thursday so the place was not too busy. Our server was Kit and was very nice. It was stunning right at sunset at 7pm.
My date ordered the Fagottoni Pasta which was pesto and a walnut based stuffed pasta. It was $27 and large serving and tasty. I had what many others said they liked, the Filet Mignon for $43. It came with delicious garlic mashed potatoes and a large serving of green beans. One of the BEST dishes I have ever had. WOW! After we had the Extreme Supreme Chocolate Cake ($13). It was massive with chocolate on top and vanilla ice cream. It was very good!
Overall, very nice staff and classy place. The view is amazing and the restaurant is clean and romantic. The staff called me the day before to confirm the reservation and everyone was extremely friendly. This is the perfect place for an anniversary, wedding, proposal, or birthday dinner. I think Kit was an amazing waitress and gave us space to talk and think about our orders. I have no complaints at all. Â And the entire time there was a very happy and professional piano player setting the mood! Great job Sky Room!!!!
So, I normally don't like fancy schmantsy restaurants... I'm more a cheeseburger while sitting on the sand type girl. Â But when asked out on a date, what's a girl to do?
Gorgeous, beautiful view! Â Very romantic, very nicely laid out. Â Several tempting items on the menu too. Â I opted for seafood, fresh scallops. Â Very good and went along nicely with the suggested wine (thank you). Â Cooked to perfection and the sides complimented EVERYTHING. Â Decent proportion, but I knew I needed to save room for dessert, so I didn't finish it all.
We split a dessert, carmelized pear tart. Â Like nothing I've had before! Â Nice ending to a great meal. Â Would try this one again, but it was nice to see that there were plenty of selections.
Wait staff was very friendly and attentive, but still left us alone (as should be). Â
Made for a very pleasant date and perfectly located to take a little walk after. Â
I still prefer cheeseburgers on the sand at sunset, but this was a really awesome change of pace. Left a good impression for a first date. Â =]
Cheers!
(if I go back, I'd like to catch the live music!)
Ok, we love this spot-Gnocchi again because it's that good and a lovely salad of greens and gorgonzola followed by their Salmon with a lemongrass sauce. Easily the best staff in Long Beach (we were lucky enough to have Shaun as our server) and arguably the best views too.
They have a wonderful drink menu with inventive twists on classic cocktails like the Sazerac! Â A pianist keep us entertained as we watched the sun set on the Pacific. . .
Wow so sad that such a high end place can be so bad. We went for our anniversary dinner, reservations were for 8:15 we were early, got seated right away, the room was beautiful the band great BUT the service was horrible. Â After watching 2 tables around us get bread, drinks their 1st course, our order had barely been taken. Â After 2 hours and a complaint our dinner arrived at 10:10! Kitchen closed as 10PM, my lobster mac and cheese was dried out on top, running in the middle and sour! The diver scallops were cold and also dried out. Mario the manager was beyond rude to me stating that at "our restaurant we do not bring out the next course until the first is complete" really Mario, as for the support staff, it was not their fault our server and manager were rude and treated use like second class citizens.
So much for "hidden gem".
The good: the view, the food, the bussers. The not so good: noise level, restaurant spacing (tables too close together), service (main waiter).
My boyfriend and I went here over the weekend and were pretty excited. However, was slightly disappointed to find that the dining room was pretty over crowded, and we felt like were having dinner with the folks next to us. I also had no idea that the live music was so loud - we either had to yell to hear each other (from across a small table) or wait until in between songs. On the flip side, the dancing was great and everyone was having a good time - I guess I just wish I would have known and been prepared.
Another disappointment was our waiter. Not the bussers or food runners (they were fantastic), but our waiter was a bit odd - he didn't seem to have his timing down right and he would be standing behind us as if he was waiting until someone needed him, and yet we were right there, menus closed and ready to order. He also forgot about our drinks twice (not a huge deal) - but all in all, I would have expected more from a place at this price point.
Altogether, a decent place. Like I mentioned the food was great - but dining out is much more than the food. I'd probably go back for a happy hour or just to get drinks, but if you're looking for a nice quiet evening out, I'd look elsewhere.
This place was just ok. We went on a Saturday which should be their prime time.
The positives:
Great view and excellent service. I really can't say enough good things about the view and really saves this place from a 1 or 2 star review. The Ceasar salad was excellent, though I hate when restaurants serve a half cut head of lettuce for you to cut up on your plate, which is how it is served here.
The negatives:
The menu and the rest of the food we ordered were not good. To start, we ordered the #2 from the "raw" bar and at least 1, maybe 2 of the fish were cured and poor taste. When I think of raw, I think of sashimi, not cured meats.
The rest of our food was bland and tasteless (Risotto for my wife, and I ordered the short ribs with gnocchi.) The whole place just has a 1980's vibe and I'll bet the menu has barely changed in 20 years.
When I drop $200 on a meal, I expect excellence. This did not come close to meeting my expectations.
Coming here without much expectation for a friends birthday dinner, I was pleasantly surprised. The four stars goes for the ambiance and atmosphere combined with the food, but the food alone would have only been around 3 stars.
It's on the top floor of an old building, supplying a beautiful view during dinner. (I've heard that its even better during sunset. So if possible, make your reservation around 6pm or so)
Food: Triple Carmliet (beer), Crab Cakes, Duck Confit w/ bread pudding, and Chicken Paella. The beer was EXCELLENT, as was the crab cakes. Paired together, they were almost like a match made in heaven, The crab cake was one of the best I've tried, without much breading, mostly crab, giving you the bang for your bucks. The complimentary bread with butter was also very good.
The duck was definitely a winner. It was juicy and flavorful, and complemented perfectly with the bread pudding that was warm and not too sweet. Although I personally enjoyed the Chicken Paella, my boyfriend wasn't much of a fan. He said it was too bland, but I thought it was delicious. After a few dash of Tabasco, Â it definitely gave it more flavor, but compared to normal paellas, it was a bit on the dry side, especially the chicken.
Other than the food, what really stroke me was the live band playing jazz music and lovely couples prancing away on the dance floor. The entire restaurant was filled with class and elegance, making the celebration spectacular.
I do have one complaint though, and of course, our food came out over an hour after being seated. But one of the reason this happened was because our birthday girl left the table for a while to change. So maybe it would have been shorter if this didn't occur.
Overall, a restaurant filled with style and grace, if you are a fan of jazz and class, this is the spot for you!
The Sky Room is deservedly a 5-star restaurant. Â The entire meal is an experience, beginning with the ride up the elevator and some back story on the building's history. Â Upon entering, the dining room itself has a bit of a cruise-ship feel with casino carpets, colored uplighting, and outdated 80s decor, but it contrasts with breathtaking views out both sides of the restaurant. Â I found the contrast quirky and charming.
The menu offers grass-fed beef and a bevy of fresh seafood. Â I went for the Diver Scallops on lobster mashed potatoes while my wife ordered the filet. Â Both arrived nicely presented and were of high quality. Â Most impressive, however, is the restaurant's wine list, or rather, wine book. Â The selection can't be beat, and the manager will answer any questions you have or make recommendations.
Service, attentive and professional, is what I would expect from a high quality restaurant.
The Sky Room may be a bit difficult to find from street level because you generally have to look up to the top of the towers in downtown Long Beach to see if you're heading towards the art deco venue from the road. You can at least know if you're on the right track or not, I suppose.
First off, the valet is $10 here. Be ready to shell that out or walk a bit, if you want to try your luck finding street or structured parking. You can technically take the Metro Blue Line here too, however, you may stand out from the rest of the crowd on the train if you decide to dress formally for this venue.
Speaking of formal, either formal or business attire seem to be the norm here. It's recommended that you make reservations, unless you're like me and decide to just hang out at the bar. There will be dancing on the most popular nights, so probably dark colored something would be apt.
The elevator up to the Sky Room has a bellhop that limits the number of riders to 4 or 5, depending on people's weight, so there could be a bit of a bottleneck at the onset. Either consider losing some weight or arrive early, if you think this may be an issue during your event or party.
Once I arrived to the top of the building, the bellhop asked me and several others where in the Sky Room we were going.
"Where ever the drinking is," said one of the passengers.
The bellhop explained that there's also an additional upstairs bar, separate from the main dining room and dance floor, which is accessible via a flight of stairs.
I found it interesting that there are no buttons to recall the elevator, as, apparently, they "see us" and will come and get us once you've assembled at the elevator. I'm guessing there's a camera someplace.
The host/house manager during my first visit was really polite and offered to walk me to the bar, once I indicated that I wasn't going to be dining, but just here to enjoy the view and partake in an adult beverage. I arrived right before the band was going to be playing at 8pm, and once the music started, several parties got down on the dance floor. Though the crowd was older, it seemed the more popular times when the dance floor was poppin' were all when the upbeat ballroom style dances and big band era songs (cha-cha et al.) played.
The bartenders worked great as a team on the primary floor, but were progressively inundated as more and more drink orders came in. Apparently, the way to get people to dance is to liquor them up, and once on the dance floor, more drinks are required to keep them going and the good times rolling. I was immediately reminded of my own grandparents and parents, who were and are avid ballroom dancers. The extent of my ballroom experience is a bit of cha-cha, but that's about it. My party sat around the main dining room bar (which seats only about 10 people on one side), to listen to the music for a bit before going upstairs to the patio bar.
While the dance floor upstairs was just warming up (the DJ was just finishing hooking up his Macbook), there were several bartenders ready to take orders. They were attentive and looked professional. Though the drinks are on the pricey side, I suppose it discourages things from getting out of hand or messy. It also effectively prices out pretty much the ordinary drinker who can't stand paying for $12 gin and tonics.
Finally, the sweeping view is really the main reason many people go here, I think. You get the best view on the patio bar on the topmost level. I suppose you can also get a great view from the mens restroom, but it's really odd to have your back turned to the unadulterated window as you use the urinal or to have someone standing looking out the window while your back is turned to them as you answer nature's call. I'm just glad that there aren't any office employees left in the building across Ocean Avenue once dinner service starts and the mens restroom is being used regularly.
The rundown: There's security and valet service downstairs, so the place is definitely safe from hooligans. The fact that there are no recall buttons on the elevator only reinforces this. The prices for drinks and food are a bit high, but serve a purpose in keeping the crowds high-end and exclusive. The view is amazing and the feel of a bygone Hollywood era, complete with live American songbook music and dancing are the main draws. I can see myself having my family return here for an event like a birthday or anniversary and getting down to the sound of Michael Buble with a glass of bubbly in hand.
Great service is by far one of the hardest things to master. Â Without a doubt people are difficult to please and there is no way to please everyone. Â With that said, I had amazing service here. Â Request a seat by the window because the views at night are stellar.
I came with two friends for Dine LA. Â Although the wait was long for our first course, it was well worth it. Â I had the Filet Carpaccio with baked brie on brioche and served with black truffles. Â I could totally eat a second plate of that immediately after the first. Â I love my friends, but I definitely did NOT want to share that dish. Â One of my friends had the oven baked Trumpet Royale Mushrooms with truffle oil, olive oil, and a balsamic reductions. Â The dish looked like a work of art, and the texture of the mushrooms were on par with scallops (clearly my friend is nicer than I am since she offered to share her dish).
I chose the Diver Scallops with lobster mashed potatoes and roasted beet beurre blanc. Â Everything was executed perfectly and I would be terrified to find out the calorie count on those lobster mashed potatoes. Â The butter content was off the charts and damn was it worth an hour on the treadmill.
Last course, I asked for our servers advice, he said I had to have the Chocolate Cake. Â I am an easy sell when it comes to chocolate and omfg! Â When the plate arrived I could instantly smell the fudge . . . and it was heavenly. Â
Going back to service, I really wish I caught the name of our server. Â He was amazing, kind, helpful, chatted with us in between courses, invited us back for drinks at the bar. Â Honestly, a wonderful experience all around.
Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky -- Rabindranath Tagore
Once the realization is accepted that even between the closest human beings infinite distances continue, a wonderful living side by side can grow, if they succeed in loving the distance between them which makes it possible for each to see the other whole against the sky -- Rainer Maria Rilke
The Sky Room is a Southern California institution that somehow has escaped me visiting until just recently thanks to the coupon service known as Groupon. Â It was not a fabulous deal, essentially $25 off what still was a $150+ bill but it was worth the experience to try this Grande Dame. Â And yes, in spite of a few hiccups I would still come back.
The Sky Room was opened in 1926 and sits atop a retirement community known as The Breakers. Â The building including restaurant was purchased by Bernard Rosenson in 1997 and at least the restaurant has been restored to a very cool Rat pack feel. Â Downstairs is a new Wine Bar as well. The awkwardness of being part of a Retirement Community is certainly felt at the beginning. Â The entrance is downstairs and you walk to a dedicated elevator. Â Me and Incredibly Special Woman Who Sidney Wronged (Don't even ask) were led upstairs by a very casually dressed hostess. Â Where was the 20's chic that we later saw in the restaurant? Â This introduction was just awkward plus the downstairs entryway frankly looks like an old folks home. Â They should refurbish this and polish up the staff professionalism.
Upstairs is different though. Â Beautiful views of the Harbor...full expansive booths (on a romantic date, I could certainly see a few lingering kisses occurring in those booths). Â A romantic dance floor...very nice. Â Well, except for the very loud country music that was blaring out of the speakers when we were seated. Â Incredibly Special Woman Who Sidney Wronged asked several times for music volume to be reduced and it took awhile for that to happen, and thankfully included a switch to jazz which was more appropriate. Â
I started with the wine list because a bottle of vino was desperately needed and I was handed a voluminous book of wines to choose from...and what an impressive list it was! Â Even better than the selection was the excellent pricing, usually only 2 times retail mark-up which is what it should be. Â ISWWSW is a white wine drinker and I was choosing between a Rochioli Chardonnay at $70.00 or an Arcadian Sleepy Hollow at $75. Â Both of these wines are usually seen at retail between $39.99 and $50 so those prices were very fair for a restaurant. Â The other selections also had very good pricing and with a sommelier on staff this is one of the best venues for wine in the area. Â I will come back for the wine lounge. Â
The food was much better than view restaurants usually are. Â The oysters were HUGE...tasty but these were nuclear radiation sized oysters...we did not finish. Â Cheese plate was excellent but our server, very stiff personality wise like a porn star trying to "act" like he was a waiter, did not explain the cheeses. Â We guessed them anyway fairly easily :) Â The hot bread accompanying cheese was excellent. Â My beef entree was cooked perfectly with a lovely flavor. Â The menu is certainly not innovative but on our dining night it was executed flawlessly. Â
So excellent food, a spectacular and fairly priced wine list accompanied by nice views of the harbor (and jazz on weekends) makes this a high end spot worth recommending.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
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