Absolutely hands down one of the best dining experiences I've ever had! Family style was a blast, we sat with our group, but were able to chat easily with the other guests. The owner/chef is personable and hilarious, the front end manager is fantastic and every person we encountered from the business were professional and friendly. The wine and food pairings were like no other, and allergies/aversions were handled in a way you'd never know were any different from the other guests. Cannot say enough about this experience, worth every penny!
Kristie
This was the most amazing unique experience in fine dining that we have ever had. We loved it. We highly recommend this establishment.
Lauren
Worth every penny. The food is unique and incredible. A real culinary experience. Nothing like it anywhere near here and even in most big cities honestly. Make the reservation (3-6 months in advance), you won't regret it!
Liz
As always, Connor & entire staff are attentive, fun, engaging and delightful! Maddie presenting a wine for the first time was awesome! Echo did a fabulous job with her presentation of wines and foods! Overall it was a night to remember!
Alicia McGrew
We celebrated our 15th Anniversary at Candle in the Woods. It was a very unique and special dining experience - unlike anything we’ve ever encountered! We live over an hour away, and it was well worth the drive and cost. We loved trying new foods and combinations of food (*steak s’mores*). The wine pairing was expertly selected. If you’re celebrating something, go try Candle in the Woods!
Ted
Dining at this restaurant is an unique experience. I mean unique as in good. Or in this case very, very good. It seems that the owner/chef has the process pretty well dialed in. This is a case if “you get what you pay for”. Suggest any patron be casually aware of what to expect i.e. time allocation, size of portions, number of servings, etc. Communication with the restaurant was easy. And it appears that they go out of their way to accommodate dietary needs. I wholeheartedly recommend Candle in the Woods.
Dan
Without a doubt, Candle in the Woods is a unique and superb dining experience in Northern Idaho---and well worth the short drive up the freeway. The food is phenomenal, the wine parings are wonderful and the service makes the experience! Connor, who is now in charge does a fantastic job, and the rest of his staff are better than you'll find anywhere. This is a can't miss experience you will never forget!
Denise
It is an interactive dinner arrangement. One of our guests requested no beef or pork and ended up with the same vegetarian sausage in 3 of the courses.
Alana
We took my brother there for his 60th birthday and we had the most amazing time. The food was incredible!!!! Every single dish was made with such creativity and excellence!!! don't hesitate if you are not a drinker because the alcohol free mocktails were delicious!!!! The experience was indescribable. This is a must for everyone who loves good food, fun, laughter, and great people We will definitely be back time and time again 
Cristine
Second time dining here; once with the original owner and now with his son, the new owner. It is definitely a unique experience for a prix fix expensive dinner. It vacillates between classy and casual throughout the night, which makes it unusual. All of the “courses” we had were excellent, and we happened to have a wine distributor walking us through the wines that night and it added to the experience for sure. There was an air of arrogance at times from the owner and staff but nothing that would keep us from going again. I think it's worth the money for the food and experience for sure, as well as appreciating the whole story of how it got started. We are happy to be “Candle cousins”.
Dirty wine glasses at table setting/no hand soap in upstairs restroom/watered-down hand soap in downstairs restroom/sticky substance on bottom of chair/dead plant in dining room/cheesy outside lounge. Ambiance can ruin your dining experience and it did for me and others in our party. So not worth the price and I cannot recommend this establishment to others.
Danielle
From the reviews, we thought this was going to be a sophisticated, classy, high dining experience, but the location which was a former steak restaurant in a former house smelled of a combination of must and a fragrance to cover up the must. The decor was tacky, confused, and looked like an old lady and frat boy had teamed up and thrown it together last minute. Upon entry, we were served something that was supposed to be sangria, but tasted like watered down fruit punch (assuming it was pre-bottled and not freshly made) and sent upstairs to play pub games. Worst of all, the host/ chef used the dinner service time as his own personal stand up comedy show with us as his captive audience for 4 hours. Some of the jokes even seemed to be rehearsed with the other staff setting him up. On top of all this, when they pushed our chairs in at the table, we were told to put our hands up and say, “Weeeee!!!” as they slid us in.... like children. For the price we were paying, there should have been a trained Sommelier on the premises making wine selections. The food and wine pairings were average at best and not worth the awkward encounter. Food was presented cold and the dessert was melted. And if you are going to serve us sangria and Bellinis, they had better not be from pre-mixed bottles. They were nice people, but altogether one of the strangest evenings I have yet to experience.
Karen Lewis Mikels
We had a group event and it was absolutely amazing !! Beautiful restaurant and food. Such a fun atmosphere. I loved all the courses and the upstairs pub feel and the outdoor patio in the back and the elegant dinning room. Thanks so much!
Annette
Amazing one-of-a-kind dining experience! Do yourself a favor and book your reservation. It is worth it!
msusprtn1 sparty
A very unique dining experience and format. Small bite dining is a lot of fun, especially with wine pairings for each course. What makes it unique is the setting and the interaction with the owner and staff. The restaurant has recently changed hands and has been passed down to the original owner’s son. The quality of the food and attention to detail in the food in my most recent visit has declined a step or two in my opinion. The son tries to give the same hosting experience as his father did but in doing so, at times, lacked authenticity to me.
Absolutely hands down one of the best dining experiences I've ever had! Family style was a blast, we sat with our group, but were able to chat easily with the other guests. The owner/chef is personable and hilarious, the front end manager is fantastic and every person we encountered from the business were professional and friendly. The wine and food pairings were like no other, and allergies/aversions were handled in a way you'd never know were any different from the other guests. Cannot say enough about this experience, worth every penny!
This was the most amazing unique experience in fine dining that we have ever had. We loved it. We highly recommend this establishment.
Worth every penny. The food is unique and incredible. A real culinary experience. Nothing like it anywhere near here and even in most big cities honestly. Make the reservation (3-6 months in advance), you won't regret it!
As always, Connor & entire staff are attentive, fun, engaging and delightful! Maddie presenting a wine for the first time was awesome! Echo did a fabulous job with her presentation of wines and foods! Overall it was a night to remember!
We celebrated our 15th Anniversary at Candle in the Woods. It was a very unique and special dining experience - unlike anything we’ve ever encountered! We live over an hour away, and it was well worth the drive and cost. We loved trying new foods and combinations of food (*steak s’mores*). The wine pairing was expertly selected. If you’re celebrating something, go try Candle in the Woods!
Dining at this restaurant is an unique experience. I mean unique as in good. Or in this case very, very good. It seems that the owner/chef has the process pretty well dialed in. This is a case if “you get what you pay for”. Suggest any patron be casually aware of what to expect i.e. time allocation, size of portions, number of servings, etc. Communication with the restaurant was easy. And it appears that they go out of their way to accommodate dietary needs. I wholeheartedly recommend Candle in the Woods.
Without a doubt, Candle in the Woods is a unique and superb dining experience in Northern Idaho---and well worth the short drive up the freeway. The food is phenomenal, the wine parings are wonderful and the service makes the experience! Connor, who is now in charge does a fantastic job, and the rest of his staff are better than you'll find anywhere. This is a can't miss experience you will never forget!
It is an interactive dinner arrangement. One of our guests requested no beef or pork and ended up with the same vegetarian sausage in 3 of the courses.
We took my brother there for his 60th birthday and we had the most amazing time. The food was incredible!!!! Every single dish was made with such creativity and excellence!!! don't hesitate if you are not a drinker because the alcohol free mocktails were delicious!!!! The experience was indescribable. This is a must for everyone who loves good food, fun, laughter, and great people We will definitely be back time and time again 
Second time dining here; once with the original owner and now with his son, the new owner. It is definitely a unique experience for a prix fix expensive dinner. It vacillates between classy and casual throughout the night, which makes it unusual. All of the “courses” we had were excellent, and we happened to have a wine distributor walking us through the wines that night and it added to the experience for sure. There was an air of arrogance at times from the owner and staff but nothing that would keep us from going again. I think it's worth the money for the food and experience for sure, as well as appreciating the whole story of how it got started. We are happy to be “Candle cousins”.
Restaurantji Recommends
Dirty wine glasses at table setting/no hand soap in upstairs restroom/watered-down hand soap in downstairs restroom/sticky substance on bottom of chair/dead plant in dining room/cheesy outside lounge. Ambiance can ruin your dining experience and it did for me and others in our party. So not worth the price and I cannot recommend this establishment to others.
From the reviews, we thought this was going to be a sophisticated, classy, high dining experience, but the location which was a former steak restaurant in a former house smelled of a combination of must and a fragrance to cover up the must. The decor was tacky, confused, and looked like an old lady and frat boy had teamed up and thrown it together last minute. Upon entry, we were served something that was supposed to be sangria, but tasted like watered down fruit punch (assuming it was pre-bottled and not freshly made) and sent upstairs to play pub games. Worst of all, the host/ chef used the dinner service time as his own personal stand up comedy show with us as his captive audience for 4 hours. Some of the jokes even seemed to be rehearsed with the other staff setting him up. On top of all this, when they pushed our chairs in at the table, we were told to put our hands up and say, “Weeeee!!!” as they slid us in.... like children. For the price we were paying, there should have been a trained Sommelier on the premises making wine selections. The food and wine pairings were average at best and not worth the awkward encounter. Food was presented cold and the dessert was melted. And if you are going to serve us sangria and Bellinis, they had better not be from pre-mixed bottles. They were nice people, but altogether one of the strangest evenings I have yet to experience.
We had a group event and it was absolutely amazing !! Beautiful restaurant and food. Such a fun atmosphere. I loved all the courses and the upstairs pub feel and the outdoor patio in the back and the elegant dinning room. Thanks so much!
Amazing one-of-a-kind dining experience! Do yourself a favor and book your reservation. It is worth it!
A very unique dining experience and format. Small bite dining is a lot of fun, especially with wine pairings for each course. What makes it unique is the setting and the interaction with the owner and staff. The restaurant has recently changed hands and has been passed down to the original owner’s son. The quality of the food and attention to detail in the food in my most recent visit has declined a step or two in my opinion. The son tries to give the same hosting experience as his father did but in doing so, at times, lacked authenticity to me.
Loading...