Cyrus Restaurant

12/14/2007 Posted by giga3339

This was one of the worst experiences I have ever had. To begin with we were not told of a dress code. As wine country tourists, we were dressed nicely but casually; shorts, summer trendy filp flops, nice shirts, etc. We were told that we could not dine in shorts or our expensive flip flops. We then wanted to cancel our reservation as our hotel was 30 minutes away but we were told that we would have to pay a $250 fine! Have you ever heard of such a thing?! So the four of us hurried back to our hotel and made it back for dinner. We chose the wine paired dinner and began with champagne and caviar, the only good thing. The menu was disgusting and poorly thought out. The three first courses were all sesame oil based and tasted the same. The three following courses were foie gras, kobe beef, and pork that was in fact a chunk of fat in mayo. All of us were grossed out by the degree of fatty foods served to us by then and only the foie gras was somewhat good. The wines paired with the meals were nothing special and we never got the Wow! effect we usually get from paired menus. Never did any of the multiple waiters ask us if we were enjoying our food and some courses were served without explanation or introduction Then came the $1200 bill for a mediocre meal and we regretted not taking the $250 fine. I have dined at many other restaurants of the sort such as Le toqué, The Herbfarm Restaurant, and others in the US and Canada and this was by far the most expensive and the worst. Lesser star restaurants surpass Cyrus easily. I think people just feel they should write a good review to justify what this place charges for a poor showing. I would have been happy to pay $1200 if I walked out feeling like a million bucks but I left feeling like a loser that had been conned and manipulated. If you can avoid this place, you should.

11/25/2007 Posted by scbudd

Without a doubt this was the best food, service and ambience my wife and I have experienced. Without a reservation we expected to have drinks and a couple of dishes at the bar. Thanks to a last minute cancellation a table was available. From the moment we were seated until the end of the meal 3 hours later we felt completely taken care of. The service, though formal and attentive, was never intrusive. The servers demonstrated their knowledge of the dishes, their ingredients, the preparation, etc. in a throughly unpretentious manner. At the beginning of the meal they inquired about any food allergies or particular ingredients we would want to avoid. We had the seven course chef's tasting menu that was so beautiful and delicious that words really can't do justice to. Though quite pricey, we felt we received a tremendous value for what we had. It was simply a memorable experience that we will savor for years to come. I couldn't recommend it more highly. We hope to dine at the French Laundry early next year, I cannot imagine Cyrus can be outdone. I look forward to them trying.

Pros: Everything

Cons: Nothing

10/12/2007 Posted by sherrywt

The cooking, service and ambiance of this place are all truly special. We live in Petaluma and go to Sooze for what we generally think is unsurpassed food and wine but then get reminded at places like Cyrus and La Folie (and Fleur de Lys etc) that Petaluma is in fact Small Town- if still Our Town. This is a special occasion restuarant, but truly, just going to Cyrus is occasion in and of itself. We always do the tasting menu and hold our breath and spring for one of the better bottles. Then we sell off our car and hitchhike home, me in my best shoes, with our takehome goodies, spent but happy. Desserts are to die for here.

03/30/2007 Posted by hsager

Cyrus offered that perfect combination of making you feel at home yet giving you a fine dining experience to rival the best of them. We've eaten in highly-regarded restaurants all over the world, and this more than holds its own food-wise (and beats many of them). The portions were generous, given it was a tasting menu, and we loved the fact that you could truly create your own 3- 4- or 5-course tasting menu, which is quite rare in restaurants of this caliber. To go with this experience you'd expect stuffy service, no? Not here. The wait staff and sommelier were friendly, yet perfectly attentive. We were there using a package deal and were not treated differently in any way (we did order beyond what the package included). The extras, like truffles to take home with you, are a lovely touch. Finally, while it was pricey, it is less expensive than many restaurants of this level, and the course options allow you to control the price more than at some other places. We also noted that the wine list included some mid-priced options. Overall, it was a great experience and we look forward to returning.

Pros: Ability to create own tasting menu, quality of food, service

Cons: dining room could offer a bit more privacy/ambience per table

01/20/2007 Posted by malia707

Dining at Cyrus has to be at top of my list for the best dining experience, the food was impeccable; the service attentive and friendly; the ambience was elegant yet comfortable. I highly recommend the 7 course meal truly experience the wide range of flavors, each course was different yet it came together with perfect execution. Even before we started with the tasting course, we were given canapes and amuse bouche to kick-start our palatte. My favorites include the seared foie gras ala pineapple baba au rhum, the slight bitterness of the foie gras tempered well with the sweetness of the pineapple and the rum. I also like their pen shell w/ matsutake mushroom, glass shrimp and pickled watermelon rind, dried scallop broth- the flavors were so good. I was blown away by their artisanal of cheese- we really liked the fact that he tailored the type of cheeses to our liking, bread and nuts were the perfect compliment. For my dessert, it was caramel soup with kettle corn sorbet and chocolate filigree, very decadent but a little on the sweet side for me but it was still delicious. And as for the wine list, it was like a novel- wonderful regional wines. I am blown away with Cyrus and hopefully I will get another opportunity to dine there again.

Pros: Food, Service, Ambience, Wine list

09/18/2006 Posted by jeffthecanadian

I think GD lost a lot when Peyton left but fortunately the shifting of talents has resulted in a net benefit. As an act of faith ordered the red wine risotto. Fabulous. *ack of lamb, stunning. Only thing is the curry sauce on one of the dishes was a bit overdelicate, but I knew it would be going in. Great wine list, of course, without the stupid "we only serve Sonoma County wines" stupidity you encounter at a lot of Healdsburg restaurants. God this is ridiculous- I'm trying to say something about the lamb but Citysearch says I'm using an "inappropriate word (starts with "R", rhymes with "BACK")! This is my last review.

Cons: None

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful

06/12/2006 Posted by gevidge

Last week we had the opportunity to dine at Cyrus while staying in Windsor, Ca. All I can say is that it was the most fantastic meal I have ever, and probably will ever have in my entire life. Being from the NY Metro area, I have dined at many expensive and highly rated restaurants but none come close to this. I felt like a celebrity! We chose the 5 course selection with the 5 course wine pairing (why not go for it all!) and the food was exquisite!! We arrived at early and had a drink at the bar - I was slightly disappointed that the bartender did not know how to make a daquiri straight up and her specialty drinks were not to my liking but my vodka tonic was very good. Once we were seated, we all chose to sample some champagne and it was delightful! The food choices are excellent - the fois gras was delicious! It was almost a dessert it was so delictable. The rissotto was pure heaven in my mouth and my sweetie's duck was out of this world. The scallop dish was amazing as was the thai lobster salad (which my sweetie had). The lamb - cooked to perfection - I just don't know how to describe how wonderful everything tasted. The wine was good, though a few times we "disagreed" with the pairing choice. The service was spectacular - they made you feel like you were the only dinners in the place! I loved all the extras! Appetisers, intermezzo, desserts - it was so special. My only quam was the dessert. I had the peanut butter cloud and I didn't care for it - I would rather have chosen the duck course. This was not only a terrific meal but a wonderful experience as well. I HIGHLY recommend anyone who passes through this area to dine here - but be ready to pay. The bill was about $450 for the two of us - but that's not outrageous considering NYC prices and it was absolutley worth every bite! (and less $$$ than the equivalent French Laundry).

Pros: Food, service, ambiance

Cons: Dessert

05/30/2006 Posted by sf415

Definitely one of the best new restaurants in California. And a dining experience at that. The menu definitely caters to both those looking for lighter dishes, or who instead may want to eat a multi course meal of many rich foods. The service is very attentive and genuine. The wine list is great fun and if only those same cocktails could be found in San Francisco. A complete, very special, treat.

Pros: Service, Varied menu, Wine list

Cons: Far from SF

03/14/2006 Posted by amoncrie

My friend and I went to Cyrus for dinner and it was amazing! However, the recent review in The Chronicle may have gone to the bartenders head. We were less than impressed with his service. That aside, the rest of our experience was fantastic. You have to love a restaurant that has a rolling cart with champagne and caviar. The "menage a foie" course was to die for. The gnocchi with sweetbreads and shaved black truffles was a little piece of heaven on a plate. Overall a wonderful and memorable experience.

01/04/2006 Posted by tbumby

After reading numerous glowing reviews we eagerly anticipated our dining experience at Cyrus. Unfortunately, the extremely attentive wait staff was unable to compensate for the mediocre food issued from the kitchen. We found ourselves horribly disappointed by the unwillingness or inability of the chef to accommodate dietary restrictions (we were told we should have let Chef know in advance). The caviar and cheese service were the only redeemable moments of the entire meal. All other courses were inexplicably prepared with elements unsuited to each other (e.g. bacon wrapped fish with leek frothe and duck jus) making most of the menu unsuitable for pescetarian diets. Cyrus has a long way to go to warrant the high accolades we give to restaurants such as Tetsuyas in Sydney, Providence in Hollywood or Capo and Valentino in Santa Monica.

Pros: Wait Staff

Cons: Food