The food was absolutely delicious. Top notch service. Tasty drinks. Locally sourced. I highly recommend the sea scallops if they have them on the menu - they were out of this world.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
damon erickson
We took the family (and my daughter’s girlfriend) to Zynodoa for a late-night Valentine’s dinner, and it was absolutely fantastic.
From the start, the drinks were on point and the service was warm, attentive, and effortless, made you want to settle in and stay awhile. You can taste the local sourcing in the food; everything felt intentional and thoughtfully prepared.
The tomahawk steak deserves a special mention. It’s rare to find a place that actually seasons a steak properly. I find myself perfering my perfectly cooked home steaks. 😋 . Not here. This one was balanced, flavorful, and confidently done.
The scallops and fried oysters were standouts — perfectly cooked, bright, and packed with flavor. And the 100-layer (maybe 50?) potatoes? I could have happily made that my entire meal. Crispy, tender, rich — pure comfort with finesse.
Biggest compliment of the night: my son completely cleared his rainbow trout plate and was still looking for more. That says everything.
And the peanut butter ice cream to finish? It made me want to cozy up with a glass of milk and a good book. Nostalgic, indulgent, and just plain perfect.
Loved this place. We’ll absolutely be back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gary Scott
Last night we had a family meal at Zynodoa, there were 11 of us. There are many restaurants who like to say they are Farm to Fable sourcing locally. Zynodoa is Farm to Table! Starting with the excellent service by Sarah and the wait staff. The starters, the main dishes, the sauces. "Par Excellence"
Justin Margerum
We sat at the bar around 6:00 PM on a Saturday. There were at least three staff members behind the bar at all times, yet it took about 10 minutes just to get water and another 5 minutes to receive menus. It wasn’t particularly crowded, so the delays were noticeable. The cornbread was extremely dry — honestly disappointing. As someone familiar with Southern food, it missed the mark badly and left my mouth dry for the rest of the night. Desserts were also underwhelming and felt overpriced for items that appeared to be brought in rather than made in-house, which didn’t match the expectations set by the restaurant’s reputation. Overall, the experience didn’t quite live up to the hype, and it’s probably not a place we feel the need to return to.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
syxtoe70
First visit. Great atmosphere and service. Overall the food was good. I had the biscuits and gravy with home fries, and added two eggs. Good flavor and cook in everything except the biscuit. It was a little on the tough side. May be due to eating during the last hour of brunch. I wish it would have been more tender. Overall a good experience and I'll go back to try some other dishes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Linda P
On a dark night and unfamiliar with the town Google had us driving in circles and the sign was hard to see. Very glad we didn't give up. An amazingly well cooked steak and fish entrées, delicious desserts, not to be skipped, and very friendly wait staff. A great experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Adam Denton
Moved over from Charlottesville and haven't had too many good meals since I've been here in Staunton but we went here for brunch and it was delicious. We will be making Zynodoa apart of our date location rotation.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sharon DeBiasi
We loved this place. Great farm to table food and amazing cocktails. It can get a bit loud (acoustics, not roudy crowd) so we always ask for a booth. The menu is not huge with most items being a bit adventurous. I always try to get some Autumn Olive pork, as it is the best! Oh, and the chocolate torte was unbelievable on our last visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Trix Lee-Rainwater
Had dinner here when we visited Staunton and it was good. I got the pork schnitzel with herbed spätzle. The schnitzel was crispy. My husband had the crusted fish with parmesan mushrooms and he liked it a lot. Their menu apparently changes every week
The vibe is nice for a nice dinner and they have a big wine selection. They also offer a chef’s tasting menu with an optional wine pairing if that’s something you’re into. Overall, solid spot for a good dinner if you're visiting this town
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bob Boester
This is an excellent farm to table restaurant with a convenient location in downtown Staunton. I recommend the cocktails, bruleed cornbread, steak, and dessert menu. The noise level is conversational. What made Zynoda stand out for our table of four was our server, Layla, who could not have been more friendly and helpful. This restaurant is a particularly good choice for dinner before the theater.
Arrived at 5:45pm for a solo dinner. Was looking forward to trying Zynodoa's menu given the great online reviews. The beet salad was great. After that, the kitchen clearly struggled to deliver the fettuccine ($26) with added scallops ($16). It was the first dish that I've ever sent back in my life. While the scallops were amazing; the fettuccine was completely undercooked, i.e, crunchy and starchy. (Of note, the manager agreed with my assessment.) That said, it took between 20-25 minutes for the replacement dish to arrive. While the (new) scallops continued to be incredibly fresh and tasty, the (new) pasta as served was still on the crunchy side of al dente. However, it was edible and I was really hungry and had to move onto my next engagement. In retrospect, paying $42 for the small dish especially when the kitchen missed the mark twice, didn't sit well with me. I plan to try the many other rising chefs and kitchens in Staunton when I visit again. (That said, I look forward to visiting Zynodoa at some point when the kitchen can match its chef's magical vision.)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
KatInNewYorkCity
The reviews are accurate... what a gem! Amazing farm-to-table cuisine in a vibrant but cozy atmosphere with a good bar and attentive service. It was fun to have chicken from Polyface Farm, which was featured in "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan (a book which had a huge impact on the way I shop, eat, and dine). The location was also extremely convenient to the Shakespeare theatre, where we were headed after dinner. Overall, a delightful evening!
Jesse Salvatore
It’s hard to love Staunton. I just paid extra to stay at the Blackburn Inn because they have a restaurant, but it turns out it’s closed because it’s off-season. So I went downtown to Zynodoa… and sat at the bar for dinner and drinks. And while the cab was fine, my trout never arrived. Pretty sure it’s because the bartender was busy playing mixologist with a couple of drunk ladies at the end of the bar…. Or maybe my superpowers is just invisibility. Anyway, I’ll be leaving Staunton without ever having eaten anything. Your mileage may vary.
Service: 2
Seth
Stopped in for a Sunday brunch. Was very pleased with the service and food. The cornbread was amazing, probably the best I have ever had. A small foot print of a restaurant but they do everything so well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Terry Obenchain
Brunch was absolutely delicious! Great atmosphere and very friendly staff. We will definitely be back.
The food was absolutely delicious. Top notch service. Tasty drinks.
Locally sourced. I highly recommend the sea scallops if they have them on the menu - they were out of this world.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We took the family (and my daughter’s girlfriend) to Zynodoa for a late-night Valentine’s dinner, and it was absolutely fantastic.
From the start, the drinks were on point and the service was warm, attentive, and effortless, made you want to settle in and stay awhile. You can taste the local sourcing in the food; everything felt intentional and thoughtfully prepared.
The tomahawk steak deserves a special mention. It’s rare to find a place that actually seasons a steak properly. I find myself perfering my perfectly cooked home steaks. 😋 . Not here. This one was balanced, flavorful, and confidently done.
The scallops and fried oysters were standouts — perfectly cooked, bright, and packed with flavor. And the 100-layer (maybe 50?) potatoes? I could have happily made that my entire meal. Crispy, tender, rich — pure comfort with finesse.
Biggest compliment of the night: my son completely cleared his rainbow trout plate and was still looking for more. That says everything.
And the peanut butter ice cream to finish? It made me want to cozy up with a glass of milk and a good book. Nostalgic, indulgent, and just plain perfect.
Loved this place. We’ll absolutely be back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Last night we had a family meal at Zynodoa, there were 11 of us. There are many restaurants who like to say they are Farm to Fable sourcing locally. Zynodoa is Farm to Table! Starting with the excellent service by Sarah and the wait staff. The starters, the main dishes, the sauces. "Par Excellence"
We sat at the bar around 6:00 PM on a Saturday. There were at least three staff members behind the bar at all times, yet it took about 10 minutes just to get water and another 5 minutes to receive menus. It wasn’t particularly crowded, so the delays were noticeable.
The cornbread was extremely dry — honestly disappointing. As someone familiar with Southern food, it missed the mark badly and left my mouth dry for the rest of the night.
Desserts were also underwhelming and felt overpriced for items that appeared to be brought in rather than made in-house, which didn’t match the expectations set by the restaurant’s reputation.
Overall, the experience didn’t quite live up to the hype, and it’s probably not a place we feel the need to return to.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
First visit. Great atmosphere and service. Overall the food was good. I had the biscuits and gravy with home fries, and added two eggs. Good flavor and cook in everything except the biscuit. It was a little on the tough side. May be due to eating during the last hour of brunch. I wish it would have been more tender. Overall a good experience and I'll go back to try some other dishes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
On a dark night and unfamiliar with the town Google had us driving in circles and the sign was hard to see. Very glad we didn't give up. An amazingly well cooked steak and fish entrées, delicious desserts, not to be skipped, and very friendly wait staff. A great experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Moved over from Charlottesville and haven't had too many good meals since I've been here in Staunton but we went here for brunch and it was delicious. We will be making Zynodoa apart of our date location rotation.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We loved this place. Great farm to table food and amazing cocktails. It can get a bit loud (acoustics, not roudy crowd) so we always ask for a booth. The menu is not huge with most items being a bit adventurous. I always try to get some Autumn Olive pork, as it is the best! Oh, and the chocolate torte was unbelievable on our last visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Had dinner here when we visited Staunton and it was good. I got the pork schnitzel with herbed spätzle. The schnitzel was crispy. My husband had the crusted fish with parmesan mushrooms and he liked it a lot. Their menu apparently changes every week
The vibe is nice for a nice dinner and they have a big wine selection. They also offer a chef’s tasting menu with an optional wine pairing if that’s something you’re into. Overall, solid spot for a good dinner if you're visiting this town
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is an excellent farm to table restaurant with a convenient location in downtown Staunton. I recommend the cocktails, bruleed cornbread, steak, and dessert menu. The noise level is conversational. What made Zynoda stand out for our table of four was our server, Layla, who could not have been more friendly and helpful. This restaurant is a particularly good choice for dinner before the theater.
Food: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Arrived at 5:45pm for a solo dinner. Was looking forward to trying Zynodoa's menu given the great online reviews. The beet salad was great. After that, the kitchen clearly struggled to deliver the fettuccine ($26) with added scallops ($16). It was the first dish that I've ever sent back in my life. While the scallops were amazing; the fettuccine was completely undercooked, i.e, crunchy and starchy. (Of note, the manager agreed with my assessment.) That said, it took between 20-25 minutes for the replacement dish to arrive. While the (new) scallops continued to be incredibly fresh and tasty, the (new) pasta as served was still on the crunchy side of al dente. However, it was edible and I was really hungry and had to move onto my next engagement. In retrospect, paying $42 for the small dish especially when the kitchen missed the mark twice, didn't sit well with me. I plan to try the many other rising chefs and kitchens in Staunton when I visit again. (That said, I look forward to visiting Zynodoa at some point when the kitchen can match its chef's magical vision.)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
The reviews are accurate... what a gem! Amazing farm-to-table cuisine in a vibrant but cozy atmosphere with a good bar and attentive service. It was fun to have chicken from Polyface Farm, which was featured in "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan (a book which had a huge impact on the way I shop, eat, and dine). The location was also extremely convenient to the Shakespeare theatre, where we were headed after dinner. Overall, a delightful evening!
It’s hard to love Staunton. I just paid extra to stay at the Blackburn Inn because they have a restaurant, but it turns out it’s closed because it’s off-season. So I went downtown to Zynodoa… and sat at the bar for dinner and drinks. And while the cab was fine, my trout never arrived. Pretty sure it’s because the bartender was busy playing mixologist with a couple of drunk ladies at the end of the bar…. Or maybe my superpowers is just invisibility. Anyway, I’ll be leaving Staunton without ever having eaten anything. Your mileage may vary.
Service: 2
Stopped in for a Sunday brunch. Was very pleased with the service and food. The cornbread was amazing, probably the best I have ever had. A small foot print of a restaurant but they do everything so well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Brunch was absolutely delicious! Great atmosphere and very friendly staff. We will definitely be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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