101 Lounge + Cafe
Cuisine(s):
Features:
Ya'll Said
My favorite place to pick up quick lunch and/or dessert treats. Catering rocks, too.
Damn good pizza. Great gourmet selections although it has become more mainstream over the years and left rock and roll/funky.
It’s been several years since our last visit, so when we got a coupon for a free entrée, we jumped at the chance!
Located in the bustling Five points area inside the I-440 beltline of Raleigh, Bloomsbury Bistro is a small, intimate dining room and bar, with linen tablecloths and experienced waiters. The chef “stretches the boundaries of traditional French” cooking by infusing his dishes with ethnic influences from around the world.
To start, I had a grilled tomato gazpacho with jumbo lump blue crab, a scoop of cucumber sorbet and a drizzle of olive oil. Very refreshing.
Also, a lobster ravioli “Thai style” over stir fried Napa cabbage and enoki mushrooms with basil and Florida oranges in spicy red curry-coconut milk broth. Excellent.
#1 had a salad of mixed field greens and garden herbs tossed in blackberry vinaigrette with grape tomato and shaved Pecorino cheese. Light on the dressing and she said it was good.
For her main dish: sautéed NC cobia over a bowl of white corn and shrimp chowder, with apple wood bacon, haricot verts and sour cream mashed red potatoes. The cobia was served crisp on the outside, moist inside, and the chowder was corn-sweet and a great combo.
#2 pigged-out on the warm, whole wheat bread and herbed butter until his entrée arrived: New York strip steak Argentine style with Chimichurri sauce. The chef was gracious enough to allow a substitution for the grilled vegetables and roasted garlic mashed cauliflower, and #2 chose the accompaniment for the cobia (which, I thought, was an even better pairing for his steak): the bacon, haricot verts and mashed potatoes.
The lamb shank had my name written all over it: North Indian style lamb hind shank over toasted almond basmati rice and mashed chickpeas with mint chutney, cucumber sauce and aromatic tomato. I devoured it.
No dessert, two glasses of wine. Total was about $130 for three (before coupon and including tip), which I thought a tad high, all things considered. Better deal: ask for the Tasting Menu. You get two appetizers, two entrees and a dessert sampler of four treats to end the meal. $50 for two. Can’t beat it!
Why don’t waiters write down orders?! Ours had to come back and verify mine.
Other than that, the meal was flawless. Still cranking out great food since 1995.
The menu is very limited for the price- $10 for simple sandwich.
I went to Solas with my girlfriend for a 9:30 PM dinner on a Saturday. I asked for a table outside and upstairs on the third floor, after being initially told that it would not be a problem to accommodate, we arrived, on time, in front of the restaurant. The valet said that they could not park our car, because they were full. Full? I think not, I paid over twice the normal valet rate, and magically, a spot for me was found. Considering that I drive a higher profile vehicle, this elitism classification does not surprise me.
We arrived and asked for our table upstairs from the host. She said we would have to wait. This was understandable. We floated between the bar and the outside patio on the first floor for almost 30 minutes, checking in with the hostess every 5 minutes. After waiting 30 minutes for our table, they informed us that they could not seat us upstairs. We ended up sitting on the outside patio, our server did not arrive until 10 minutes after we were seated, with 60% occupancy on the dinner tables, and very few people actually eating, this level of service was unexpected and obviously undesired.
We were not offered water. We bought two glasses of champagne which ended up coming AFTER the meal. I repeat, we did not receive water. Our bread came to the table, with no olive oil, or vinegar (as some of the other tables had). The food was acceptable, even if the menu did seem like a complete rip off from more popular gastronomic eateries in D.C. and Manhattan, not saying much for originality, but with that said it was well prepared.
The quality of service enough is alone for me to never step foot in this dump again. I have never felt so small while paying so much money. My girlfriend and I wanted to see the third floor. We were unable to do so, because people had reservations on the third floor. Which to me is rather interesting, because, we could NOT reserve a table, it was not that the tables were full, we simply could not reserve one, it was their quote “policy”. So I find this elitism rather interesting, what I believe, is that the owners/management, cater to those they know, i.e friends first, and ignore other well, generally better paying customers such as myself.
This social elitism is absurd, and is the worst way to run a business. I repeat, I would never step in this place again, there are significantly better places to eat, the only attraction to this venue is the third floor, which…no one except friends and management can really get up to anyways.
Once the hype dies down and the management and owners realize that they have to take care of their customers and not treat everyone like crap, then perhaps this place will be worth going to.
But beyond its decor and aesthetic attraction, there is nothing here to stimulate a good night out.
My advice, stay far far away.
Damn, it is so delicious! The quality of the ingredients is unmatched. Organic, hormone-free, local, artisinal, fresh! A lot of people don’t realize that their pizza has all of these attributes. Salads are great, too! Dressings are made in-house. Great beer on tap. And the place is fun and funky!
Quit complaining about not having a good thai option in Raleigh and go here!! After three amazing visits, this place has won me over. Beautifully redone and fun. The food is fresh, delicious, and gorgeous on the plate.
I have not eaten at a more consistently delicious restaurant in Raleigh than Hayes Barton. If you have only had lunch here and haven’t had dinner here, you are missing out. Their filet is flawless. Grilled shrimp that reminds you of why we eat food from the sea. Coconut cake that is the best this old southern boy has ever eaten. And, they poor a strong cocktail!
I’d love to know what others have eaten here that is good. Three strikes, I am out. Never going back. Bad meatloaf the first time. Overcooked salmon on the second visit. Overcooked tuna on the third. Tiramisu is good, but this place is awful. The only saving grace is the photography of Cameron Village. Too many other great options close by.
I am sorry. This place is going out of business if they don’t get their act together. We waited 20 minutes to be seated with a confirmed reservation. It took the bar literally another 20 minutes to get our drinks to us. I was drinking Maker’s Mark on the rocks!! My brisket was overcooked and almost $20. Please. If you want BBQ, go to QShack or McCall’s. For gourmet southern food, go to Poole’s. They have finally gotten their act together. Well-prepared, reasonably-priced, and consistently delicious food.
A Taste of Spain in the Triangle. I spent a summer in Madrid and this restaurant takes me back there with fond memories of its food and music. I’ve had the chance to dine here many times—in the Cary location, the North Raleigh location and now on Glenwood South. The Paella es delicioso! The service is friendly and efficient. The owner is very knowledgeable and makes helpful suggestions. All the homemade soups are fantástico . The Gazpacho is great. The homemade desserts are mouthwatering. The distinct hot and cold entrees are delectable. I highly recommend this fine dining experience.
We have had nothing but great experiences at both Tasca Brava locations - The new one downtown is awesome. I’m guessing the ‘guests’ with bad reviews like to get their food in huge quantities within minutes of sitting down. Tasca Brava is al about relaxing, taking our time and enjoying the company of your partner (guests, etc..). The owner (Juan) can pick out great wine and food if you simply listen, he knows his kitchen and the cuisine he’s offering. If you insist on being annoying then I’m thinking your experience may be different from ours! We often question him regarding wine or food and he has always explained (sometimes slipping between spanish and english which is really fun) clearly and accurately the answer.
The best place to grab a coffee drink, smoothie, or muffin and people watch, chat, or read!
This place is one of my favorite restaurants in Raleigh. My partner and I are both dedicated foodies and we make it a point to visit Capri as often as possible. True Italian. No meat sauces, no endless salad bowls, and no pretense. Just divine food, crafted with care, and presented by Pino & Dino the operatic owners. Good luck finding it though, it’s buried in a corner, but well worth the adventure.
i don/t know why more people don/t realize how good piccola is. try their garlic pizza. the smell when it comes from the oven drives people crazy (even before the taste !)
i couldn/t agree more with the above review. i eat there once or twice a week, and every time i take someone from out of town anywhere, this is it. great food, and excellent service.
The Pit has a beer selection as varied and premium as it BBQ. While steadily busy, you can often catch a quiet afternoon meal for a relaxing, southern BBQ experience. The atmosphere and service also live up to the quality of the food, weather you are old south or a carpetbagger, the Pit should provide the upscale southern comfort food you are looking for.
I came in at about 6:30. Restaurant not particularily busy, but atmosphere good, lighting tuned down, etc. I was dressed appropriately for dinner anywhere in the city. I do not have any physical or speech deformaties. I ordered a glass of wine and a salad (after some discussion) and indicated I would order an entree in a bit after thoroughly considering the choices (they all sounded good; I wanted to get a bit of a look at what was coming out of the kitchen to help me make up my mind). It was a bit uncomfortable not to have a printed menu and to have to turn around to consult the chalk board as other diners/staff were walking by (it’s really not that hard to put out a menu even with a daily changing fare). My salad took a very long time to arrive despite the apparently snappy service to other tables, and of course my waiter did not serve my salad. As a matter of fact he didn’t speak or look at me again for 45 minutes. I thought I had on my invisible cloak. He chatted up the guy to my right and the guy to my left and never so much as checked in with me to see about the state of my wine or salad, or more to the point, if I had decided on something else for my main course. Am I way off here or do other single ladies in Raleigh like to be ignored when they are out alone for dinner? I was soooooo primed to love this place and unfortunately, the service ruined my meal and any taste I might have for coming back.
Best place in Raleigh for good authentic French-style pastries. I probably wouldn’t come here for a “quick coffee shop” trip. But for a relaxing, indulging dessert, you can’t go wrong here.
My new favorite Thai restaurant in the area. Great presentation and flavor. Absolutely delicious. Nice atmosphere and upbeat. I enjoyed it a great deal!
Share Your Review
Inside the Beltline Restaurants:
All Inside the Beltline Restaurants
Downtown Restaurants:
All Downtown Restaurants
Raleigh's Best Restaurants are on New Raleigh. Palate is local restaurant news, reviews, and recommendations for eating in Raleigh, NC. The restaurants listed here are all locally owned and operated- national chains are excluded. Register with New Raleigh to share or review your own favorite. Use the navigation on the left to find just what you are looking for, or something completely unexpected.