Veraisons Restaurant

I'm not sure where to start- other than to say we had high expectations as we were treating my parents to dinner to thank them for such a nice week long getaway to the Finger Lakes. My husband, parents and brother and I are all foodies. But- food alone will not sell us, we are pretty particular about service and ambiance.  Veraisons has it all.  I was shocked to see the average review was anything below 5 stars.  My mom and I are vegetarians- we were immediately offered a special vegetarian menu that had been prepared for a larger private party. The entire table agreed the two vegetarian dishes were by far the most incredible vegetarian (and gluten free by the way) dishes we had ever tasted (and I lived in LA for several years where there are a plethora of gourmet vegetarian options). My brother ordered the duck and my husband the fish-- both commented on the unique preparation and tastes. My Dad ate the ravioli and said it was some of the best he has ever had. Our waitress was always there (but not in an annoying way) to refill waters, get drinks, etc. The service was impeccable. However, the scene from the large back patio was amazing. We all stated throughout the meal how delicious everything was and how beautiful the scenery was. We will absolutely be returning to this restaurant. Thank you for such a memorable evening.

Nice restaurant at the Glenora Winery.  My girlfriends and I had lunch outdoors overlooking Seneca Lake.  That's a pretty good start.  The menu had several options from salads to sandwiches for prices between 8.00 and 12.00 -- very decent prices.  I opted for the caesar salad with flat bread topped with cheese and pesto.  It had a suggested pairing with their Signature white wine, a blend of Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Riesling.  I was very satisfied with the salad and the wine combination.

When walking into an establishment on a beautiful property with such pretty views of Lake Seneca, and upon entering a restaurant which touts itself as "fine dining," one would expect that food and service would meet certain standards expected of "fine dining." Given such expectations, we were very disappointed.

To start, my husband and I were not greeted by the hostess upon walking in. She was terribly unfriendly and seemed inconvenienced to find a table for us.

We were seated downstairs in a small dining room since there was a wedding at the time. Fine. A small disappointment, but one we could gladly overlook if the food was good.

We started with a cheese plate for 2 and a glass of wine each.  The wine was acceptable, but not spectacular. The cheese plate featured a sharp cheddar, a goat, a bier meck, and a chive cheese spread. The cheeses were fine, but the grapes that accompanied the cheese seemed old - wrinkly and soft, overripe. There was 2 grapes that were obviously spoiled, missing parts of the peel, with white specks that looked suspiciously like mold. Gross. To their credit however, they gave us extra crackers when requested.

We each had a salad. I had the grilled flatbread Caesar salad.  My Caesar salad was tasteless, and the dressing was thick and gloppy, and completely lacked seasoning or any flavor that resembled Caesar dressing. The grilled flatbread was a flatbread cracker smeared with pesto and covered with melted cheese, but was completely cold and soggy.

My husband had the spinach and artichoke salad, which was described as featuring fresh artichokes, sun dried tomatoes, fennel, feta, and a roasted red pepper sherry vinaigrette. The artichokes were actually poached in oil, which left them soggy and soaking with oil. Plus the artichoke hearts were not properly prepped, with layers of inedible leaves that had to be spit out. Certainly frowned upon in a fine dining restaurant. The salad itself was also soaked in oil, both from the artichokes and from the dressing, which had been added with a very heavy hand. All in all, the treatment of what may once have been fresh ingredients completely took the freshness and flavor out of the ingredients, rendering them lifeless, flavorless, and greasy.

Needless to say, we were very disappointed by our meal. Service was poor and the food was beyond lacking. It's too bad considering how beautiful the property is. We will not return in the future.