This restaurant has a modern Spanish flair with incredible views of the city—especially at sunset. The atmosphere and decor were stunning, and the presentation of each dish was truly impressive. The food was good, but the flavors were a bit overwhelming for my taste—I think I just didn’t fully understand what “modern Spanish” meant going in. We came back later for dessert, which was equally creative (and a bit unusual). All the cocktails are Spanish-inspired, and while my first-ever espresso martini wasn’t for me, I’m sure others would enjoy it. Overall, I’d recommend trying it for the experience, but I probably wouldn’t go back myself.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Bridgett B
The atmosphere and service was great, however the charcuterie board was not. The cheese squares were as hard as a rock (literally) so you couldn’t bite into them. The paella also came out in a pan and the food was burned from the sides to the bottom of the pan. Overall the food was bland and not worth $100+ aside from being old and burnt. 10/10 dessert at MDRD though
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 4
mark nethers
Took wife for birthday dinner. Every single aspect was fantastic. The food was amazing. Her drinks were great. The view of the Grand River was beautiful. Paid the $50 for the La Buena Vista experience. It was worth it. We can’t recommend it highly enough.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Richard Ensinger
Great Atmosphere, Drinks, and Service — Food Was Hit or Miss
I want to start by saying that nearly everything about the restaurant was excellent — the atmosphere, the service, the location, and especially the drinks, which were spot on. We were seated at a decent-sized table and really enjoyed the overall vibe of the place.
Now for the part that mattered most: the food. It was honestly hit or miss. Some dishes were absolutely amazing and really stood out — truly impressive. But others, unfortunately, fell flat. For example, the $70 steak and $50 pork chop were major disappointments. The octopus also missed the mark. I watched more than one steak or chop go half-eaten into to-go boxes, with people joking about turning them into sandwiches just to make use of them. There were comments about the lack of flavor, and it just didn’t live up to the price or expectations.
For example,nthe next day, we ended up grabbing $5 tacos, and those were a bigger hit with the group. People were laughing about how much more flavor they got out of a basic taco than the cold, flavorless steak from the night before.
That said, I will try the restaurant again. There was enough good to make me believe it could have just been an off night for the kitchen, however, based on this first visit, the food was the weakest part of an otherwise excellent experience
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Sarah Andrews
We came here for our 20th Wedding Anniversary. This was hands down the best meal and service we’ve ever had! Thank you, MDRD, for such a special celebration experience. 💕
Valerie
Elegant dining, excellent drinks, appetizers and dinner. Never felt rushed; simple enjoyment.
Mike Light
Views are breathtaking and the service is amazing. Gin and Tonic was out of this world. The food was good, but honestly the reason you dine here is the view. Fantastic place to watch a West Michigan sunset.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Jennifer Culler
This evening I visited MDRD for the first time and it was my birthday. I'm so glad I did. The food was out of this world and hard to accurately describe just how delicious the food was. The layers of flavors and the amount of textures with each dish made this culinary trained soul very happy. The staff, was beyond stellar and Meghan was the best server anyone could ask for! She was so kind and caring and I really appreciated her attention to detail and listening ear. The number of servers and food runners stopping by my table to wish me happy birthday made me feel so special and I needed that boost of love today. Thank you, MDRD for training your staff to go the extra mile and for hiring highly talented chefs who clearly care about local, quality food. It was a dinning experience I will never forget and plan to visit again and as often as possible!!
Maureen
Wow! Consistently outstanding food, cocktails, wine selections and service! Shout out to Marley and the chefs! Do not miss the grilled octopus and wild boar empanadas. Wow!
Meredith
Food was great. Our server didn't really listen about gluten allergies and kept recommending non GF items. We were headed to a show and drinks took a long time, and then all food came out at once. Would go back/ just an off night.
Service & cocktails were excellent! We really enjoyed the stone fruit salad & salmon puffs. Atmosphere is beautiful and the limon dessert was picture perfect! So delicious and truly stunning.
Rafael
Overall I would say the experience was different because I never been to a restaurant like that it felt really well put together it felt good escaping and just feeling executive for a day or even for a bit the food is phenomenal never had anything like that I ordered the chicken bonuelos and empanadas and they were both phenomenal recommend going there next time I want to try to dessert
Stephen
My goodness. What a great spot for a celebration dinner. The staff accommodated a late-addition to our group (despite being fully booked), and was amazing throughout. The server was extremely knowledgable about the entire menu, had great recommendations, and guided us through the entire service. Drinks were exquisite, the tapas were flavorful and exciting, and the main dish was wonderful. Highlights included the Gin Tonic, Pork Belly, Pork Chop and the Lemon Dessert. (Apologies for not remembering the exact names of each meal.) This is the type of place where you don't rush, you cherish the ambiance of the room, and you watch the sun set over all of Grand Rapids. Cheers!
Briana Burke
Had an amazing experience. Food was good, cocktails were strong but the server blew it out of the park. She made me feel like a million bucks. Thank you Tonia! We will definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
DemiLuna DeWinter
Beautiful setting. Outstanding view. Attention to service very slow. Tapas 3 shared dishes. 1/ octopus lacked flavour. Oddly warm. Not hot. 2/ pork belly a little too fatty.
This restaurant has a modern Spanish flair with incredible views of the city—especially at sunset. The atmosphere and decor were stunning, and the presentation of each dish was truly impressive. The food was good, but the flavors were a bit overwhelming for my taste—I think I just didn’t fully understand what “modern Spanish” meant going in. We came back later for dessert, which was equally creative (and a bit unusual). All the cocktails are Spanish-inspired, and while my first-ever espresso martini wasn’t for me, I’m sure others would enjoy it. Overall, I’d recommend trying it for the experience, but I probably wouldn’t go back myself.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
The atmosphere and service was great, however the charcuterie board was not. The cheese squares were as hard as a rock (literally) so you couldn’t bite into them. The paella also came out in a pan and the food was burned from the sides to the bottom of the pan. Overall the food was bland and not worth $100+ aside from being old and burnt.
10/10 dessert at MDRD though
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 1
Service: 4
Took wife for birthday dinner. Every single aspect was fantastic. The food was amazing. Her drinks were great. The view of the Grand River was beautiful. Paid the $50 for the La Buena Vista experience. It was worth it. We can’t recommend it highly enough.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great Atmosphere, Drinks, and Service — Food Was Hit or Miss
I want to start by saying that nearly everything about the restaurant was excellent — the atmosphere, the service, the location, and especially the drinks, which were spot on. We were seated at a decent-sized table and really enjoyed the overall vibe of the place.
Now for the part that mattered most: the food. It was honestly hit or miss. Some dishes were absolutely amazing and really stood out — truly impressive. But others, unfortunately, fell flat. For example, the $70 steak and $50 pork chop were major disappointments. The octopus also missed the mark. I watched more than one steak or chop go half-eaten into to-go boxes, with people joking about turning them into sandwiches just to make use of them. There were comments about the lack of flavor, and it just didn’t live up to the price or expectations.
For example,nthe next day, we ended up grabbing $5 tacos, and those were a bigger hit with the group. People were laughing about how much more flavor they got out of a basic taco than the cold, flavorless steak from the night before.
That said, I will try the restaurant again. There was enough good to make me believe it could have just been an off night for the kitchen, however, based on this first visit, the food was the weakest part of an otherwise excellent experience
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
We came here for our 20th Wedding Anniversary. This was hands down the best meal and service we’ve ever had! Thank you, MDRD, for such a special celebration experience. 💕
Elegant dining, excellent drinks, appetizers and dinner. Never felt rushed; simple enjoyment.
Views are breathtaking and the service is amazing. Gin and Tonic was out of this world. The food was good, but honestly the reason you dine here is the view. Fantastic place to watch a West Michigan sunset.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
This evening I visited MDRD for the first time and it was my birthday. I'm so glad I did. The food was out of this world and hard to accurately describe just how delicious the food was. The layers of flavors and the amount of textures with each dish made this culinary trained soul very happy. The staff, was beyond stellar and Meghan was the best server anyone could ask for! She was so kind and caring and I really appreciated her attention to detail and listening ear. The number of servers and food runners stopping by my table to wish me happy birthday made me feel so special and I needed that boost of love today. Thank you, MDRD for training your staff to go the extra mile and for hiring highly talented chefs who clearly care about local, quality food. It was a dinning experience I will never forget and plan to visit again and as often as possible!!
Wow! Consistently outstanding food, cocktails, wine selections and service! Shout out to Marley and the chefs! Do not miss the grilled octopus and wild boar empanadas. Wow!
Food was great. Our server didn't really listen about gluten allergies and kept recommending non GF items. We were headed to a show and drinks took a long time, and then all food came out at once. Would go back/ just an off night.
Restaurantji Recommends
Service & cocktails were excellent! We really enjoyed the stone fruit salad & salmon puffs. Atmosphere is beautiful and the limon dessert was picture perfect! So delicious and truly stunning.
Overall I would say the experience was different because I never been to a restaurant like that it felt really well put together it felt good escaping and just feeling executive for a day or even for a bit the food is phenomenal never had anything like that I ordered the chicken bonuelos and empanadas and they were both phenomenal recommend going there next time I want to try to dessert
My goodness. What a great spot for a celebration dinner. The staff accommodated a late-addition to our group (despite being fully booked), and was amazing throughout. The server was extremely knowledgable about the entire menu, had great recommendations, and guided us through the entire service. Drinks were exquisite, the tapas were flavorful and exciting, and the main dish was wonderful. Highlights included the Gin Tonic, Pork Belly, Pork Chop and the Lemon Dessert. (Apologies for not remembering the exact names of each meal.) This is the type of place where you don't rush, you cherish the ambiance of the room, and you watch the sun set over all of Grand Rapids. Cheers!
Had an amazing experience. Food was good, cocktails were strong but the server blew it out of the park. She made me feel like a million bucks. Thank you Tonia! We will definitely be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Beautiful setting. Outstanding view.
Attention to service very slow.
Tapas 3 shared dishes.
1/ octopus lacked flavour. Oddly warm. Not hot.
2/ pork belly a little too fatty.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 3
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