FOOD I love the refined, purposeful menu. I'm excited to go back to try more. Duck: my favorite part of the plate was the kale-brussel hybrid, surprisingly! I loved it with the blackberry gastrique [which tasted like a Korean style teriyaki sauce- it has spice]. The duck itself was solid; I wish I got more of that sorghum glaze. The gnocchi were a good simple balance to the spicy gastrique. Salmon: Great, moist salmon. The lemon beurre blanc was a HARD miss. I truly would reconsider that choice. The risotto was AMAZING; large portion and very filling. To be honest, I think the bacon pea risotto would be a smart pairing with the duck. I also would consider offering an ala cart side option. Steak Frites: I love peppercorns/pepper so I was a huge fan of this marinated steak. To be transparent, this steak is marinade/flavoring forward. If you prefer a classic meat-salt-pepper steak, I would try a different option. For me, I LOVE IT. Mousse Cake: Give. Immediate. We went for my mom's birthday and she is a chocolate-peanut butter FIEND. No notes, just keep doing doing what you're doing. Apple Pear Sorbet: A great option for gluten free friends! Absolutely the best sorbet I've ever had. I love the cinnamon flavor.
SERVICE Loved our server! She was communicative, attentive, and kind. I appreciated her clarity. For example, I asked if the Mousse cake slice was large enough to share or if we should get two. She contextualized by saying that she usually ate the full slice herself, but then represented the size using her notepad. It demonstrated that the size would be shareable, but I wanted my own. It may seem small, but it was very helpful as someone who has to closely monitor their sugar intake.
ATMOSPHERE I love the vibe. It's the perfect balance of upscale and casual. Note: the bar opens at 4pm, but the kitchen opens at 5pm.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Elaine Young
I have eaten here probably 5 or 6 times! Last night was the worse! I met a friend for a drink. I decided to order some food. BIG Mistake. Burger fell apart, then charged me for half. They brought out Bolaneza pasta/Was not good, had two bites, They changed me 17.00 for an Irish coffees. Hello?????what a rip. I lived in San Francisco for 40?years/ I was a Concierge for St Francis Hotel and Four Seasons Hotel. Never in a million years would they treat a customer the way I was treated., My bill was over $ 68.00 for one person so I would Never Go Back. Bad news hotel: Maybe stay there for a night or two but don’t order certain things. Hopefully breakfast is better. Over all I rate them a 2z. They are not or will never be a Diamond Hotel
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
Peter Wosnik
Wonderful food and service. Chris was an excellent server and took great care of us.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Scott Holland
My daughter and I had a wonderful Thanksgiving meal at this place. Every dish that we had was awesome! The food, atmosphere, and service were all impeccable! I hope to eat here again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jennifer Burgener
No issues, but the food is not great. We would not dine there again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Karen Corson
Great brunch place! Even on a Saturday
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Ashton Anderson
Jorge is the best. Always take his recommendation. The scallops were amazing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Daniel Podratsky
Mixed feelings about The Vandiver. The atmosphere is modern and clean, but it still has a bit of a hotel lobby vibe. No complaints about the service or cocktails (the old fashioned was rich and concentrated).
The food was a mixed bag: Corn Bisque - excellent Bread Service - good Scallops - ok - could have been seared better, but the couscous and sauce were good Duck - not good - skin wasn't cooked properly so it was not crisp, the outside was also totally over salted anyway. the meat itself was surprisingly bland as was the rice beneath it. tasted like straight out of the rice cooker with no seasoning. the sauce was the only thing that made me want to eat. Collards - good flavor, but needed to be cooked much longer
All in all, I wouldn't recommend a friend to visit The Vandiver specifically, but if someone is already in Clayton I wouldn't avoid it. I would be willing to give them a second chance if I dined in town regularly.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Jesse Pollom
The menu has changed a bit since our first visit a year ago. The food quality has really gone downhill.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 4
Chris Nelson
Olivia was our server and she was the best. She did a stellar job of handling our party of 8.
Incredible and memorable food. Warm and helpful staff. Beautiful and comfortable atmosphere! Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
seagull0313
This was our first time at The Vandiver, and we were completely blown away by the atmosphere, service, and food. We pass by frequently, yet were amazed that we did not know of this restaurant. Our server was knowledgeable, attentive, and quick to ensure we had all,we needed throughout our meal. The food was delicious and presentation was excellent.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alex Hall
The food was very good and the service top notch. A resident pastry chef and some farm to table. The duck, scallops and crab cakes are all good dishes.
Dave Vosseller
Went to the Vandiver for our anniversary dinner. The food was excellent, and they have a lot of glute-free options, which made my wife’s choices much easier (and safer). Olivia, our server, was outstanding - genuine, attentive, and fun. She was knowledgeable about the menu and about the ingredients (again, helpful for people with food allergies). And, they did not charge us for the homemade ice cream (yum) in honor of our anniversary. If we are in Clayton again, we will definitely return!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Christy Parker
Y’all. This is a place is great!!! Olivia was THE BEST server ever!!! And the bartender TT was phenomenal!!! Highly recommend!!!
FOOD
I love the refined, purposeful menu. I'm excited to go back to try more.
Duck: my favorite part of the plate was the kale-brussel hybrid, surprisingly! I loved it with the blackberry gastrique [which tasted like a Korean style teriyaki sauce- it has spice]. The duck itself was solid; I wish I got more of that sorghum glaze. The gnocchi were a good simple balance to the spicy gastrique.
Salmon: Great, moist salmon. The lemon beurre blanc was a HARD miss. I truly would reconsider that choice. The risotto was AMAZING; large portion and very filling. To be honest, I think the bacon pea risotto would be a smart pairing with the duck. I also would consider offering an ala cart side option.
Steak Frites: I love peppercorns/pepper so I was a huge fan of this marinated steak. To be transparent, this steak is marinade/flavoring forward. If you prefer a classic meat-salt-pepper steak, I would try a different option. For me, I LOVE IT.
Mousse Cake: Give. Immediate. We went for my mom's birthday and she is a chocolate-peanut butter FIEND. No notes, just keep doing doing what you're doing.
Apple Pear Sorbet: A great option for gluten free friends! Absolutely the best sorbet I've ever had. I love the cinnamon flavor.
SERVICE
Loved our server! She was communicative, attentive, and kind. I appreciated her clarity. For example, I asked if the Mousse cake slice was large enough to share or if we should get two. She contextualized by saying that she usually ate the full slice herself, but then represented the size using her notepad. It demonstrated that the size would be shareable, but I wanted my own. It may seem small, but it was very helpful as someone who has to closely monitor their sugar intake.
ATMOSPHERE
I love the vibe. It's the perfect balance of upscale and casual. Note: the bar opens at 4pm, but the kitchen opens at 5pm.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I have eaten here probably 5 or 6 times! Last night was the worse! I met a friend for a drink. I decided to order some food. BIG Mistake. Burger fell apart, then charged me for half. They brought out Bolaneza pasta/Was not good, had two bites, They changed me 17.00 for an Irish coffees. Hello?????what a rip. I lived in San Francisco for 40?years/ I was a Concierge for St Francis Hotel and Four Seasons Hotel. Never in a million years would they treat a customer the way I was treated., My bill was over $ 68.00 for one person so I would Never Go Back. Bad news hotel: Maybe stay there for a night or two but don’t order certain things. Hopefully breakfast is better. Over all I rate them a 2z. They are not or will never be a Diamond Hotel
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 5
Wonderful food and service. Chris was an excellent server and took great care of us.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My daughter and I had a wonderful Thanksgiving meal at this place. Every dish that we had was awesome! The food, atmosphere, and service were all impeccable! I hope to eat here again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
No issues, but the food is not great. We would not dine there again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great brunch place! Even on a Saturday
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Jorge is the best. Always take his recommendation. The scallops were amazing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mixed feelings about The Vandiver. The atmosphere is modern and clean, but it still has a bit of a hotel lobby vibe. No complaints about the service or cocktails (the old fashioned was rich and concentrated).
The food was a mixed bag:
Corn Bisque - excellent
Bread Service - good
Scallops - ok - could have been seared better, but the couscous and sauce were good
Duck - not good - skin wasn't cooked properly so it was not crisp, the outside was also totally over salted anyway. the meat itself was surprisingly bland as was the rice beneath it. tasted like straight out of the rice cooker with no seasoning. the sauce was the only thing that made me want to eat.
Collards - good flavor, but needed to be cooked much longer
All in all, I wouldn't recommend a friend to visit The Vandiver specifically, but if someone is already in Clayton I wouldn't avoid it. I would be willing to give them a second chance if I dined in town regularly.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
The menu has changed a bit since our first visit a year ago. The food quality has really gone downhill.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 4
Olivia was our server and she was the best. She did a stellar job of handling our party of 8.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Incredible and memorable food. Warm and helpful staff. Beautiful and comfortable atmosphere! Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This was our first time at The Vandiver, and we were completely blown away by the atmosphere, service, and food. We pass by frequently, yet were amazed that we did not know of this restaurant. Our server was knowledgeable, attentive, and quick to ensure we had all,we needed throughout our meal. The food was delicious and presentation was excellent.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was very good and the service top notch. A resident pastry chef and some farm to table. The duck, scallops and crab cakes are all good dishes.
Went to the Vandiver for our anniversary dinner. The food was excellent, and they have a lot of glute-free options, which made my wife’s choices much easier (and safer). Olivia, our server, was outstanding - genuine, attentive, and fun. She was knowledgeable about the menu and about the ingredients (again, helpful for people with food allergies). And, they did not charge us for the homemade ice cream (yum) in honor of our anniversary. If we are in Clayton again, we will definitely return!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Y’all. This is a place is great!!! Olivia was THE BEST server ever!!! And the bartender TT was phenomenal!!! Highly recommend!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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