This is the third world’s attempt at tapas. If you’re European, or have been to Europe, don’t come here hoping for anything resembling authenticity.We came here hoping for a vegetarian choice but in retrospect, we’d have been far better off embracing the tacky Americana of Gatlinburg.If you want to be horrendously overcharged for what is bland (even by Eastern Europe’s standards) slop, then give it a go.It was the stand-out worst experience of a two week trip and I was insulted by what they attempted to serve me.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Morgan R.
I really wanted to like this place; I love a good tapas menu! It was a nice ambience, with a decent wine list and away from the busy atmosphere of the main gatlinburg strip. However, the food was quite expensive given the portion size, quality, creativity, and flavor of the tapas. Our party of 4 would have needed 10-12 dishes @ $20(-$100?!) each to be satisfied, and even so, I'm afraid it was a super limited and unimaginative menu. The evening ended on a sour note when our wait staff commented inappropriately / out of the blue about who (apparently the man) should be picking up the tab... We salvaged the night by having a second dinner at a fantastic nearby sandwich shop.Take a look at the other low-star reviews, which very much echoed our own experience. Not sure how there's such a wide divergence in reviews here!
gopher81
Great food! Schooner malbec was great. Engaging hosts with a wonderful menu. We loved the small plates and just kept trying more. The best restaurant we visited in Gatlinburg. A great place for foodies.
Marian Emanuelson
This meal was the highlight of our trip! It was such a nice change of pace to what you find along the main strips in Gaitlinburg. The food was delicious & the owners were so kind, warm, and welcoming. It had a great selection of wines. It’s a must stop!Vegetarian options: About half the menu was vegetarian, which was amazing!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bistro Sampler
Natalia Iwanyckyj
Enjoyed a wonderful dining experience here. The food was fabulous, truly exceeding expectations with its flavors and presentation. What made the experience particularly memorable was the exceptional service provided by the husband and wife team who run the place. They struck the perfect balance of being friendly and helpful, enhancing the overall atmosphere. Their passion for what they do shines through in every aspect of the dining experience. I'm already looking forward to my next visit and would highly recommend this place to anyone seeking a delightful culinary experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Stan Butler
Went there with a group for a birthday celebration. A cozy dining experience away from the crowds. Tapas style menu with plenty of options for everyone. The food and service were excellent and the owners came out to visit with us. Just a wonderful dining experience!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
D Rossi
We went here for dinner on our wedding day. The staff was very nice & very attentive, the food & wine were wonderful. This is a true bistro serving appetizer type foods, from cheese to caviar. Wonderful experience!
Our dinner at the Red Oak was, by far, our most enjoyable dining experience during our week long stay in the Gatlinburg area. The food was excellent. The wine list, while limited, was high-end and reasonably priced. The service was friendly and very attentive. Olga met us at the door and lead us to our table on the patio. Our group of six spent 2-1/2 memorable hours relaxing and enjoying the perfect autumn weather and the fall colors. A rare dining experience!
This is no cookie cutter restaurant where everything is in duplicate down the street. This is such a special place where you feel like family. The menu changes as the fresh local produce changes. Do not miss culinary experience!!
If your looking for an exceptional dining experience off the beaten path you need to check this place out. Make sure you call ahead a make reservations as your chance of walking in and getting a table last minute are slim.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
RonaldC2219
We had a delightful meal. The sampler, Bulgarian sausage, and the butternut squash/quinoa all hit the mark. Plus great wine and hosts. Will definitely return again.
Troy Simon
Researched through yelp to find this little gem.Cute place. Bathrooms are very nice.European feel.Showed up at opening on Fri evening and sign out front said no walk ups. We asked anyway, as we didn’t have reservations, and they said we’d be good if willing to eat outside. We were fine with that, and actually was our preference. However, we took our time eating and drinking a bottle of wine, and, when we left, the place was still relatively empty.Our waiter was somewhat brusk at first. I was checking menu pics on yelp and he told me that wasn’t helpful. Then, he said we probably didn’t know the difference between Bulgaria (his home of origin) and Bolivia. Once we got that all straight, he chilled out and we had a fun time with him. Maybe it was his shtick.Drinks were good and good wine.Food was great. We had in my order of preference, Kebache, Salmon bruschetta, bistro sampler, then the oyster flatbread. There were 4 of us, and that was good. The first three were great. The oyster flatbread was meh.We then had deserts. Baklava and choc torte were excellent. The Affogato (ice cream, espresso, and bourbon) was different. Not my style. It wasn’t as cold as I would have liked.We’ve never been to Gatlinburg previously, and we’re there to hike. I admit I was afraid this place might be a tourist trap, but it wasn’t.Not a place for kids.Kid-friendliness: Not
Red Oak BistroThis was our first time at this restaurant and we will most certainly be back. The food was *chef's kiss* exquisite. We requested a bottle of wine, a red Zinfandel named Earthquake. A light dryness, not much sweetness, and great with the plates we ordered. We started with baked Brie that came with craisens, dried apricot, walnuts, and some type of sweet sauce of which the name escapes me. Next we went with the Banitza - spinach, feta, and eggs in crispy phyllo. Our third plate was duck foie gras with sautéed apples, balsamic glaze, and toasted bread. All of the plates we ended with dessert - baklava. I cannot convey how much we loved this restaurant. The service, the ambiance. Food, wine, everything. We never felt rushed or like we just needed to hurry and eat to turn tables. If you did not have a reservation you were not seated. I do believe the menu does change frequently so be aware of that. As mentioned above, we will absolutely be back next year. Thank you for having such an amazing place, we loved it.
This place is absolutely amazing!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Kebabche, Smoked Oysters Flat Bread
Wonderful food, service, and atmosphere. Something for everything and totally unique for the middle of Gatlinburg.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Grape Leaves, Beet Feta and Salad, Cheese Board, Bistro Sampler
This is the third world’s attempt at tapas. If you’re European, or have been to Europe, don’t come here hoping for anything resembling authenticity.We came here hoping for a vegetarian choice but in retrospect, we’d have been far better off embracing the tacky Americana of Gatlinburg.If you want to be horrendously overcharged for what is bland (even by Eastern Europe’s standards) slop, then give it a go.It was the stand-out worst experience of a two week trip and I was insulted by what they attempted to serve me.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
I really wanted to like this place; I love a good tapas menu! It was a nice ambience, with a decent wine list and away from the busy atmosphere of the main gatlinburg strip. However, the food was quite expensive given the portion size, quality, creativity, and flavor of the tapas. Our party of 4 would have needed 10-12 dishes @ $20(-$100?!) each to be satisfied, and even so, I'm afraid it was a super limited and unimaginative menu. The evening ended on a sour note when our wait staff commented inappropriately / out of the blue about who (apparently the man) should be picking up the tab... We salvaged the night by having a second dinner at a fantastic nearby sandwich shop.Take a look at the other low-star reviews, which very much echoed our own experience. Not sure how there's such a wide divergence in reviews here!
Great food! Schooner malbec was great. Engaging hosts with a wonderful menu. We loved the small plates and just kept trying more. The best restaurant we visited in Gatlinburg. A great place for foodies.
This meal was the highlight of our trip! It was such a nice change of pace to what you find along the main strips in Gaitlinburg. The food was delicious & the owners were so kind, warm, and welcoming. It had a great selection of wines. It’s a must stop!Vegetarian options: About half the menu was vegetarian, which was amazing!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bistro Sampler
Enjoyed a wonderful dining experience here. The food was fabulous, truly exceeding expectations with its flavors and presentation. What made the experience particularly memorable was the exceptional service provided by the husband and wife team who run the place. They struck the perfect balance of being friendly and helpful, enhancing the overall atmosphere. Their passion for what they do shines through in every aspect of the dining experience. I'm already looking forward to my next visit and would highly recommend this place to anyone seeking a delightful culinary experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Went there with a group for a birthday celebration. A cozy dining experience away from the crowds. Tapas style menu with plenty of options for everyone. The food and service were excellent and the owners came out to visit with us. Just a wonderful dining experience!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We went here for dinner on our wedding day. The staff was very nice & very attentive, the food & wine were wonderful. This is a true bistro serving appetizer type foods, from cheese to caviar. Wonderful experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bistro Sampler, Chocolate Mousse
Our dinner at the Red Oak was, by far, our most enjoyable dining experience during our week long stay in the Gatlinburg area. The food was excellent. The wine list, while limited, was high-end and reasonably priced. The service was friendly and very attentive. Olga met us at the door and lead us to our table on the patio. Our group of six spent 2-1/2 memorable hours relaxing and enjoying the perfect autumn weather and the fall colors. A rare dining experience!
Restaurantji Recommends
This is no cookie cutter restaurant where everything is in duplicate down the street. This is such a special place where you feel like family. The menu changes as the fresh local produce changes. Do not miss culinary experience!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Smoked Salmon Bruschetta, Charcuterie Board
If your looking for an exceptional dining experience off the beaten path you need to check this place out. Make sure you call ahead a make reservations as your chance of walking in and getting a table last minute are slim.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had a delightful meal. The sampler, Bulgarian sausage, and the butternut squash/quinoa all hit the mark. Plus great wine and hosts. Will definitely return again.
Researched through yelp to find this little gem.Cute place. Bathrooms are very nice.European feel.Showed up at opening on Fri evening and sign out front said no walk ups. We asked anyway, as we didn’t have reservations, and they said we’d be good if willing to eat outside. We were fine with that, and actually was our preference. However, we took our time eating and drinking a bottle of wine, and, when we left, the place was still relatively empty.Our waiter was somewhat brusk at first. I was checking menu pics on yelp and he told me that wasn’t helpful. Then, he said we probably didn’t know the difference between Bulgaria (his home of origin) and Bolivia. Once we got that all straight, he chilled out and we had a fun time with him. Maybe it was his shtick.Drinks were good and good wine.Food was great. We had in my order of preference, Kebache, Salmon bruschetta, bistro sampler, then the oyster flatbread. There were 4 of us, and that was good. The first three were great. The oyster flatbread was meh.We then had deserts. Baklava and choc torte were excellent. The Affogato (ice cream, espresso, and bourbon) was different. Not my style. It wasn’t as cold as I would have liked.We’ve never been to Gatlinburg previously, and we’re there to hike. I admit I was afraid this place might be a tourist trap, but it wasn’t.Not a place for kids.Kid-friendliness: Not
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Grape Leaves, Smoked Salmon Bruschetta, Kebabche, Baklava, Chocolate Torte, Bistro Sampler
Red Oak BistroThis was our first time at this restaurant and we will most certainly be back. The food was *chef's kiss* exquisite. We requested a bottle of wine, a red Zinfandel named Earthquake. A light dryness, not much sweetness, and great with the plates we ordered. We started with baked Brie that came with craisens, dried apricot, walnuts, and some type of sweet sauce of which the name escapes me. Next we went with the Banitza - spinach, feta, and eggs in crispy phyllo. Our third plate was duck foie gras with sautéed apples, balsamic glaze, and toasted bread. All of the plates we ended with dessert - baklava. I cannot convey how much we loved this restaurant. The service, the ambiance. Food, wine, everything. We never felt rushed or like we just needed to hurry and eat to turn tables. If you did not have a reservation you were not seated. I do believe the menu does change frequently so be aware of that. As mentioned above, we will absolutely be back next year. Thank you for having such an amazing place, we loved it.