Terra

Heard they closed! Definitely a loss for charlotte. Impeccable service and food. I wish we had a chance for another glass of wine at the bar. Thanks for all the great memories.

Had high hopes but our experience didn’t match other reviewers. One in our party ordered the Osso Buco which was tough and chewy instead of the expected fall-​off-​the-​bone tender. To the management’s credit, the bad dish was taken away and a different entrée was offered. Neither appeared on the bill.
Alas, the replacement dish (Veal Saltimbocca) was rather tasteless and one of the two pieces of veal was raw in the center. We guessed that the meat was frozen and, in the rush to get the replacement out, wasn’t cooked properly.
The Duck Confit was overcooked, but the flavor was excellent. The fish was well cooked but the dish was under-​seasoned and bland.
Service was excellent. The first bad plate was handled gracefully and with class. We didn’t mention the quality of the replacement.
Overall, we wouldn’t be in a hurry to go back to Terra.

We were looking for a new place to try for our anniversary. My husband took to Unilocal to see what area eateries were earning some high marks and he found Terra. It’s next to a Starbucks tucked away and it’s very intimate – we liked that. I think perhaps the ambiance inside could use some warming up – that’s the only reason I took off a star. It’s not the most inviting place on the inside, but they use very clean linens (that’s kind of a pet peeve of mine – I hate paper), so there are definitely points for that.
A very friendly gentleman greeted us at the door and seemed genuinely happy we were there. The service was the best I think we’ve had just about anywhere – before we even thought to ask for something, it was quickly in place (water, fresh napkins and knives, etc.). Our server was friendly, professional, and knowledgeable about the menu. They run a very tight ship – each course was served at the very moment when you began hoping for it to show up.
We had salad, apps, entrees, and dessert. I had the Caesar salad. It was slightly warmed with just the right number of anchovies. My husband loved the pear salad, as well. He had escargot (they are very hard to find anymore) and I had the fresh mozzarella and prosciutto. My husband at first thought there was a bit too much pesto on the escargot, but he said it was delicious. The prosciutto was the best I’ve had since leaving NY – paper think, just salty enough, and buttery.
For the entrees, I had the grouper on ravioli with what I think was a Pernod sauce and my husband had the scallops. The portions are not large but with so many courses, we didn’t feel cheated. The grouper was a bit overcooked but still tender. The scallops were cooked to perfection and the ravioli must have had truffle or some other mushroom in the filling. They were absolutely incredible. For dessert, we shared a chocolate gelato sundae with fresh fruit and homemade whipped cream.
We put great stock in fine service and enjoy it when the staff and chef or owner appreciates that we enjoyed the meal. The same man who greeted us saw us out, shook our hands, and asked us to return. This is the kind of personal touch you want from a small, neighborhood restaurant. The food is simply prepared, fresh, and delicious. We will be back!

(4.1) — An initmate little French (and some Italian) locale tucked away next to a Starbuck’s off Providence road in Charlotte, quite authentic with a French owner. The wine list was well curated. we found a nice Loire Valley Cabernet Franc (unbeatable at that price point), and also finished off the meal with a lovely Sauternes. The black grouper (caught fresh from the Atlantic) was the star of the show. The duck confit was good, but the leg was a little on the small side and the brussel sprouts paired with it were not really a match made «au Paradis» — that was the only blemish. The apple tart dessert was delivered warm and delectably delightful.

Fantastic fresh, simply prepared food with an emphasis on local ingredients. Paired with friendly, professional service, Terra is a great place for both a special occasion or just a lovely evening out. Owner is often there and is incredibly kind and generous. Great wine selection also.

Went back recently for dinner. I’ve been a few times before and always wonder why I don’t come more often. Service is always great, the location and décor are intimate without feeling cramped and the food is excellent. Feels like you are in a European Bistro. Had the mussels and burrata to start –both always great. Then I had the veal. Everyone got something different and nobody was disappointed except I think everyone wanted what everyone else had– good problem to have. Highly recommend.

Eat here!!!
So I’ve been to the bar a few times before tonight and the food is always first-​class. The service is always great. I always want to come back.
We came to Terra tonight to avoid restaurant week and celebrate a birthday. We sat at the 4-​top in the bar area. We were sooo looked after. Amazing service. The food was amazing — really amazing. Just the specials were unreal …
Eat here!

We were privileged to have dinner here to celebrate an important milestone. The food was excellent, the service above average, and all at a great price thanks to a coupon from Living Social. We had the mussels+fries appetizer, both were excellent. Main courses were scallops with spinach ravioli, and veal scallopini. Everything was delicious; our server did a great job. The air conditioning was not working very well but it was otherwise a great evening.

This restaurant is phenomenal. The food was excellent. We had the mussels for an appetizer, I had the fish special with spinach and mushroom ravioli, and finished the an apple tart for dessert. It is a tiny restaurant and a little loud, but the food was top notch and so was the service.

This was my first time visiting Terra and was impressed with the service. The owner was very cordial and the wait staff went out of their way to make us comfortable. The lamb shank was really good and was reasonably priced. The restaurant is fairly small so it may be best to go back when its not a holiday.

Incredibly poor customer service. Made a reservation 3 – 4 months ahead of time for Valentine’s Day. Called about a month later to confirm the reservation. Confirmed. No issues. Called February 10 again to confirm. No reservation. Wait, what now? Apparently our reservation had been lost. At this point every restaurant worth going to is full so it’s too late to get an alternate reservation.
When I was finally able to get in touch with the management (after 3 phone calls and 1 email) I was told that they were sorry, but there was nothing they could do. I was also told that «several other people» had called with this same issue. No attempt was made to reconcile the situation. Not squeezing us in that night, not even such a small gesture as a complimentary app should we choose to come another night. A heartfelt apology wasn’t even issued. It was literally the words, «Sorry, there’s nothing I can do.»
At this point I was frustrated. I asked what the gentleman’s name was and for his position at the restaurant. «Why?» he asked. I told him I wanted to speak with his superior. He answered, «I am the superior. I’m the owner,» (still no name given). I asked if he had ever run a restaurant before (in a calm and non-​confrontational manner). He literally said, «That’s none of your business.» Not, «I’d prefer not to give out that information,» nor, «I’m sorry, but I would prefer not to say.» No. «That’s none of your business.»
And so I asked if his restaurant was in the habit of not making amends when they messed up and ruined people’s plans. Admittedly, I did sound snarky, but I wasn’t being belligerent. He said, «It’s your word against mine.» That is verbatim, folks. «It’s your word against mine.» I laughed (because if I didn’t I would shout), and wished him, «Good luck.» He replied, «Good luck,» as well and hung up.
Unfortunately, he’s not wrong. He has no incentive whatsoever to make this situation right. It IS my word against his. However, if I EVER spoke to a guest in such a disrespectful manner at the hotel where I used to work I would be fired faster than I could blink. I’m astounded by the lack of customer service knowledge displayed by this owner (if he was indeed the owner; remember, no name was given).
Its my word against his. I can only hope that the word of a potential customer is worth more to you, reader, than it was to Terra.
EDIT: Perhaps it would be beneficial for this restaurant to not only take reservations over the phone as their website says. Then there would at least be some sort of record so that problems could be more effectively addressed.

When we arrived at Terra, we were warmly greeted by a happy, smiling man. Not sure if he was the owner, manager or chef, but it was as if he was welcoming us into his own home. And what a lovely, cozy place it is. The lighting was perfect, and French café music played in the background.
Our server offered us samples of the wines by glass. We settled on the montepulciano, which was a bit like a Cabernet Sauvignon. We were given an amuse-​bouche, which was a smoked fish spread on a crostini. I don’t typically eat fish, and It tasted a little fishy to me, so my husband devoured both of our servings. We were served bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Very enjoyable, and the server spontaneously brought extra bread.
We both ordered the scallops served atop spinach and cheese ravioli. The presentation was beautiful. Rare for me to order seafood, but these scallops were perfectly seared and seasoned. The ravioli needed a bit of salt. I did note that this restaurant is not too proud to have salt and pepper shakers on the table. An appreciated touch.
The happy, smiling man who greeted us checked on us to see how we were enjoying our evening. We were all smiles. What a charming place.

Great neighborhood gem with an intimate atmosphere. Everything we ordered was perfect and the specials were fantastic. The scallops were my favorite along with the mushroom fricassee side. The chef greeted us at the door and also checked on us after the meal; great guy with a passion for the food. Service matched the caliber of the food; very knowledgeable servers that have been at Terra for years
This is the place to impress your friends and family.

I came here for a friends birthday, and off the top, I love a place that knows what they do right! I mean this place doesn’t even open until 5pm! So dinner is all they serve… I looked at the menu a head of time cause I am a picky eater, I first ordered the Terra Cesar salad, I must say, the most amazing Cesar I have ever had! I also order the NY strip streak, it was the biggest NY strip I have ever seen, and it was cooked perfect! Medium rare how I love it! The service was amazing! My water never got more then half way! The only thing, this may just me being a nag but they have chef special daily which is great, but I wish the waiter would have remembered it or at least wrote it down cause he lost me when he was stumbling to remember the specials… But other then that it was great and the atmosphere was nice quiet and warm!

The Bottom Line: Of the finest meals that I have ever had in Charlotte. I can’t even bring myself to hold the broken cappuccino machine against them.
We were a party of four that included a meat lovers, a part-​time vegetarian and someone who only eats chicken… Not an easy crowd to please but every course, irrespective of what we ate, was perfection. Quality, flavor, portion size, service — superb.
Um, yes, I’ll be back.

Excellent. My wife and I went here a few months back and it was delicious. Nice cozy place, that’s easy to miss if you’re driving on providence.
The seafood salad was quite nice. The lamb was outstanding. I thoroughly enjoyed the lamb. Lamb is something that I enjoy, but since moving to Charlotte I haven’t gotten into the habit of ordering it here. But you can’t go wrong with the lamb here. My wife ordered the mussels since she loves mussels and they did not disappoint there either.
The service was top-​notch. They were very attentive and very knowledgeable. It’s a little pricey, but the quality of the food is up there as well.
Overall I’d recommend this place for a date.

Dining here is a life experience. Thierry and his staff deliver outstanding personable service and quality food. I researched for an appropriate place to celebrate my Daughter’s graduation and I kept coming back to Terra.
The Menu is not extensive but the selections are impressive and diverse.
I started with the Escargots de Bourgogne, followed by the Lamb Osso Bucco and then finished with the Apple Tart topped with homemade ice cream. I complimented my meal with a nero d’avola. They have a good selection of by-​the-​glass wines.
The Pan Seared Scallops over Risotto, the Duck Confit and Grilled Lamb Sausage were all equally delicious. We did a lot of sharing because it was all too good to keep to ourselves.
The waitstaff was available if we needed them, but did not interupt our meal and we were never rushed, which I appreciate. Chef Owner Thierry Garconnet spent time greeting us and ensuring we were satisfied. He even came over to us as we were leaving to thank us. This type of personal service is rare and welcome.
I walked away feeling very good and very satisfied by our experience at Terra. I will definitely be back.
Interestingly, I noticed that as intimate as it is, the place was filled with regulars. The staff and owner seemed to know many of them by name. I think it says a lot about a place that has such a devoted following.

Yes this place is beside a Starbucks in that crappy parking lot where no one can figure out where the out is. But, you should ride your bike to get there, or walk or skip. Actually, I recommend biking or skipping because Terra’s food is rich and succulent and you will be glad for the exercise after. My dining partner and I decided to share four appetizers to get the full Terra experience. Our meal began with complimentary bruschetta which was the freshest bruschetta I have ever tasted. I can not even put my finger on what made it so amazing but I wanted ten more. The bread was crusty and fairly standard. I had a great dirty martini with blue cheese stuffed olives (sigh) and my dining partner was recommended a glass of wine which surprising was only $ 9 when the check came. Not bad for such a ritzy place.
We split: Duo de Canard «Traiteur» — $ 12 Duck Pâté and smoked duck breast, served with a truffle honey emulsion.
Very smoky and decadent. The smokey flavor of the duck breast was a bit much for me but he loved it. We also shared:
L’Assiette de Charcuterie et de Fromage — $ 18 Selection of meat and cheese plate
Large and varied– some soft, others semi-​soft. Olives, pickles– etc.

Ravioles de Veau au Beurre de Truffe — $ 12 Homemade veal raviolis, served with a truffle cream sauce.
Dramatically increased my waistline. So rich. So creamy. So well done.
Petites Merguez Grillees au Couscous Israelien, à la Menthe Fraiche — $ 12 Grilled lamb sausages served on bed of Israeli couscous with fresh mint
This wasn’t my favorite but my friend cleaned this plate.
This was an ample amount for two people to share and be able to sample their unique menu.
What an amazing special occasion place. White glove/​napkin service ⁵⁄₅ there. or if you are well-​off I would eat here weekly.

I visited Terra Saturday for dinner and overall I was impressed though they still have some work to do to earn that 5^th star.
Food–
A complementary seafood salad amuse-​bouche started the meal off on a highpoint. It was light, fresh, and extremely tasty. Next we moved on to some french bread which I found to be disappointingly dry though the olive oil and balsamic were high quality.
The Ravioles de Veau au Beurre de Truffe (homemade veal ravioli with cream sauce) was outstanding! By far some of the best homemade pasta I have ever eaten, the flavors were both delicate and complex. I may purchase two of these as my meal next time!
Our main course was the filet and it wasn’t as memorable unfortunately. The filet had a reduction with cherries in it (though it didn’t mention this on the menu) but the flavor was too sweet for my taste. I opted for garlic mashed potatoes which were very creamy but lacked salt (coming from someone who is a known under-​salter this says a lot).
The dessert was the main reason for a non-​five star review (since the ravioli absolutely earned 5 stars) we had salted caramel ice cream with puffed pastry and apples. It sounds mouthwatering but honestly the caramel was either burned or their was a liquor that wasn’t cooked off… I couldn’t even eat it though I will say my boyfriend did.
Service was excellent — friendly and knowledgeable.
Wine list — only bottle prices are listed, if you drink by the glass you have no idea what you’re going to end up with… which was my case.
Atmosphere– As others have said it was a bit stark. They need to dim the lights, play some soft music (they were playing something you might find at Azteca) and perhaps make it a little more cozy.
I will return for the ravioli because it was THAT good!

I am so glad I was told about this place. It does not get the «hype» it deserves but I am sure some of the regulars/​locals are happy about that. It had almost an old world feel inside. I couldn’t quite place the atmosphere… was it old school Charleston? New Orleans? Or Europe? It was quaint, classy and intimate. The people around me were in bow ties, suits and dresses. Most of my fellow diners were 50 years old or older. One of the prior reviews said it felt like going to a rich relatives home for dinner and that was very well stated… I agree.
The food was phenomenal. You know when you are eating things that you normally wouldn’t eat but you are really enjoying them that someone has done something extremely well! That was my experience at Terra. I was eating fish, veal raviolis, heirloom tomatoes, etc. Everything I ate was absolutely unreal. My husband and I absolutely CLEARED our plates. I don’t think we even left any residue. The desserts we chose were the chocolate mousse and the salted carmel pastry puff… both were scrumptious. Everything is just so well done. The flavors are perfect but the quality of food was what truly impressed me. Everything was fresh and the presentation was done to perfection.
It was truly a culinary dream! I would go back again and again. It has a unique feel that I don’t think I have seen anywhere else in Charlotte. Hats off to chef and owner… well done!!!