Victoria & Alberts

[praisehim5]

Has any one had dinner there? What was the cost? We will be celebrating our 25th anniversary in September and would love to have a special dinner there. Planning the budget is difficult and would like to have it put in our plans.
Thank you for any information you can give me.

 

[Micca]

Paging Uncleromulous...V&A help needed

 

[cjnix29]

If you go to allearsnet.com and go to dining, it will give you sample menus with prices.

 

[Uncleromulus]

Uncleromulus to the rescue!!!
Here's a link to a recent review I did:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1116564

You'll find a # of others on the board as well. Price is $100 per person--wine pairings at an additional $55 per person.

 

[skunkvette]

DW and I had dinner ther 5/13/06. With cocktails, wine flights and a few extras like Kobe beef, the bill was $480.00 (including tip).

We have dined at many five star restaurants and we were not impressed with V&A.

We thought that overall the food was average and plain. Service was slightly overbearing and the atmosphere was dark and heavy. Just not our style.

I sent back my dessert (Creme Brulee - under cooked/runny soft) and was not even offered a substitute. Disappointing.

 

[scanne]

We thought that overall the food was average and plain. Service was slightly overbearing and the atmosphere was dark and heavy. Just not our style.

Wow. I think this is the first poor review of V&A's that I've ever read! Sorry you had a less-than-magical dining experience!

My DH and I dined at V&A last summer and we thought it was just wonderful! The service was outstanding, the food was excellent and the atmosphere was very romantic. I had the creme brulee and thought it was perfect (and I do love my creme brulee ).

There are a bunch of reviews floating around the boards. Just do a search for Victoria and Albert's reviews. You should get several hits.

Our total bill was A little over $250. We didn't have the wine pairings, just 3 glasses of wine (I had one, DH had 2) and we didn't order any of the extras (like Kobe beef or caviar).

Hope this is helpful.

 

[skunkvette]

Not to hijack the thread, but our comments were sincere. V&A did not have 'it' for us that night.

Sometimes a restaurant (or the patrons) have an off night. Maybe that was what happened when we visited. But for that price range, an unacceptable dessert should have been replaced, or at least offered.

 

[mugsy]

My wife and I ate at V&A last week for our 10th anniversary dinner. We had extras on the foie gras, the abalone and the Kobe Beef. I had the wine flight, and my wife had two glasses of wine. Our total bill, with tip, was approximately $450.00.

As for the food and service, neither my wife nor I would characterize either as "ordinary" or "disappointing." We have dined in Michelin-starred restaurants in France and in top restaurants throughout this country and in other countries, and agreed that both the food and service were comparable to the food and service at our favorite and most memorable meals. That said, it's a matter of taste, and your impressions could depend on what dishes you order that night (I tend to order some dishes that I know I will like, and some dishes that I want to try for the experience -- like the abalone). If you like simple seasonings, familiar food, or have a problem with creative combinations of ingredients (i.e., you look at the food prepared on "Iron Chef" and shudder with horror), this is probably not the place for you.

As for the creme brulee experience, it is disappointing that it wasn't replaced. Our own impression of our "Alberts" was that, if we had asked, the dessert would have been replaced with a smile and an apology. My own experience, especially in a place such as V&A, is that if I speak up and ask for a replacement (based on the faulty preparation of a dish), then it will be provided. I do not expect, however, if I leave a dish uneaten and do not complain about the way it was prepared, that the server will know that I had a problem with the dish. Good servers may seem to be mind-readers, but they are not.

BTW, I did comment on how one of the wine pairings did not work, but that was more of a discussion with the server about a failed but noble attempt of matching food and wine, instead of a complaint. The wine was fine, but didn't compliment the dish I had (abalone). My "Albert" told me that he would pass my comments on to the sommelier, but I did not expect a new glass of wine or something extra because I spoke up (it would have been different if the wine had turned bad).

 

[skunkvette]

Mugsy,

Agree with your wine pairing comment, that was one of the issues that fell short of our expectations that night.

I told our server that the reason I did not eat the Creme Brullee was that it was not cooked completely and even showed her the consistency of the custard as runny. Her comment. "I will let the chef know" and with that said she left the table.

I would have liked to have been offered something else given the fact that the dish was not prepared properly. I could have persued the point further, but at that point I was not in the mood to agrue. I still tipped 20%, I almost always do that or better. Having been on the other side of the table, I know how hard most food service people work and how hard it is to deal with the public (sometimes).

To quote my original reply, we found the food ordinary in it's preparation, not the service.

There was no distinctive character to many of our dishes. We love Iron Chef et al. And we have also dined in many four and five stars both domestic and aboard. Love the exotic food and my list on things I want to try grows short. Loved the Blue Zoo, Flying Fish and California Grill last trip.

Maybe the chef at V&A was off pace that night, or maybe it was us. Maybe a bunch of small things just did not fall into place right (like the wine pairings or having to ask for bread twice). Regardless we only offer our opinion of our visit. Cheers.

 

[mugsy]

Sorry that your experience was so different from mine. Out of curiousity, what dishes did you order? My favorite was the Poulet Rouge with Wild Mushroom Ragout, Truffled Eggs & Morels, and my wife's favorite was the Foie Gras with the Fuji Apple Tart and the Apple Cider reduction. I also really enjoyed the cheese course, as well as the Lamb Roulettes I had for the meat course. Frankly, the only course that did not work for me was the abalone (although I'm glad I tried it -- it's that Iron Chef influence). And I had the Kona Chocolate Souflee for dessert.

 

[skunkvette]

Started with welcome from chef, tuna appetizer, actually felt this was the nicest flavor presented during that meal. Cocktail was a Tanqueray Ten Martini that was served with an olive bottled in oil rather than brine. Not a good start. Oil just kills the drink.

Smoked Buffalo/Holland Tomatoe/Heart of Palm - very mild. DW had Peekytoe Crab, I should have gone with that.

Foie Gras/Apple Tart - foie was slightly under cooked and need pepper to balance flavor. Of course there was no pepper on the table, and the server did not return until the plate was finished.

Diver Scallop/Fennel/Artichokes/Blood Orange - ok, but not half as nice as the scallops at Blue Zoo the night before.

Kobe Beef Short Ribs - again, lacked a balance without any kind of reduction or sauce. Just beef on beef.

Cheese Plate - Comte Saint Antoine, Humboldt Fog and Pierre Robert. Matched with a port which just did not work well together.

Creme Brulee- see previous comments. DW had Kona Souffle, again a better choice.

All of this is just an opinion.

Was I glad we tried V&A? Yes. Is it a unique dining experience? Yes. Would I try it again? Maybe if there was an interesting menu change, but would rather explore other venues first.

Life is good, eat well and have fun talking about it!

 

[Threehearts]

We've also had many fine dining experiences both here and while we were living in Europe. We found the menu ordinary and the food quality, fair to good. I've never been the type of person who felt that being given a rose upon leaving a restaurant was a mark of excellence. My husband and I thought that the value was poor for an overall just okay experience. So see, there is actually one other so-so review. All that being said, it does seem like almost everyone who has eaten at V&A's has sung it's accolades so I'm willing to concede that it could have been an off night for the restaurant. Threehearts

 

[skunkvette]

We've also had many fine dining experiences both here and while we were living in Europe. We found the menu ordinary and the food quality, fair to good. I've never been the type of person who felt that being given a rose upon leaving a restaurant was a mark of excellence. My husband and I thought that the value was poor for an overall just okay experience. So see, there is actually one other so-so review. All that being said, it does seem like almost everyone who has eaten at V&A's has sung it's accolades so I'm willing to concede that it could have been an off night for the restaurant. Threehearts

Nicely stated, I was begining to think it was just me.....

 

[SandraVB79]

Of course there was no pepper on the table,

OMG!!!!
That's something that I hate!!! No pepper and salt on the table! I also hate it when they put too much salt and/ or pepper on my food in the kitchen. I like when they use a minimum, and allow everyone to add some (or a lot) to their taste.
I don't like my food very salty, but I do like a lot of pepper. other people have other tastes.

No pepper or salt on the table... if I ever go to V&A, remind me to bring my own!!!

 

[praisehim5]

We will be dining there our last night at WDW. We probably will not be ordering the wine or any extras but I'm sure our meal will be fabulous. It will be a night we will never forget. Can't wait to get there.

Thanks for all the information

 

[skunkvette]

I hope you have a great time, both at V&A and during your WDW visit.

 

[jarrdisney]

I will be dining at V&A's for the first time in a couple weeks. I can't say I am shocked to hear the less than stellar reviews. I am going in with an open mind and an empty stomach (iron chef reference) and just hope it meets my expectations. I am a huge fan of foie gras and am wondering how large (or small) the portion is. For the added fee I would not only expect a grade A quality peice, but also a nice portion. I have been to many tastings that offer a silver dollar sized portion and that is not enough. Hands down the best portion of foie gras I ever had was at DC Coast in Washington, DC.

 

[skunkvette]

Foie Gras was a nice sized portion, larger than a silver dollar by about 15 to 20%, and about 1/2 inch thick.

 

[allegracristina]

I will be dining at V&A's for the first time in a couple weeks. I can't say I am shocked to hear the less than stellar reviews. I am going in with an open mind and an empty stomach (iron chef reference) and just hope it meets my expectations. I am a huge fan of foie gras and am wondering how large (or small) the portion is. For the added fee I would not only expect a grade A quality peice, but also a nice portion. I have been to many tastings that offer a silver dollar sized portion and that is not enough. Hands down the best portion of foie gras I ever had was at DC Coast in Washington, DC.

I had the foie gras and I thought the portion was rather large. I LOVE foie gras, but my complaint was that it was served extremely rare. When we dine there again in November, if it is offered again, I will be sure to ask for it to be cooked longer.

 

[mugsy]

I remember my wife's foie gras as perfectly cooked (what little she deigned to share with me). I think it's a tricky meat to cook -- you don't want to overcook it, because then it would toughen up (like most livers will) and you would lose that wonderful "melting butter" quality in your mouth. Most preparations advise a quick saute -- a fast (30 second) sear on each side. If I had my druthers, I would rather have an undercooked piece than an overcooked piece -- you can always correct undercooking on a return trip to the kitchen.

My best foie gras memory -- a whole lobe to myself in Sorges, France at Le Maison de Truffe. Simply sauteed and seasoned, with apples, and I didn't have to pay a king's ransom for it. Of course, I had to eat salads for the next several days, but it was worth it.