The Grandview Restaurant and Lounge

I HATE BEING LIED TO … ESPECIALLY WHEN I AM SPENDING MONEY!!!
For more years than I can remember this has been among our favorite restaurants. For family gatherings we would have people come from Milwaukee, Rockford, Chicago and Indiana. We would also come for special occasions and any other time we wanted an exceptional meal with a great view and relaxing atmosphere. Our last meal here was one of the greatest culinary disappointments we have ever had.
First, the not so bad stuff. There are new owners who appear to think their customers are culinary morons. The salad is no longer included with the meal which is OK but this salad is now ordinary, at best. The rest of the meal was less than memorable. In all, the food was a total disappointment.
Now the real bad stuff.
LIE 1:
After about twenty minutes of sitting at a table with no food we asked for our bread tray. The server said he «would put the order in.» Twenty minutes later I asked again and he said he would «check to see if it was out of the oven yet.» I know enough that restaurants don’t bake fresh bread for every order. Another ten to fifteen minutes passed and I asked again about our bread. His next excuse was that it was out of the oven but another server took it. Finally, when we were almost finished with our meal, our server brought us a basket of stale and room temperature rolls.
LIE 2:
We had coffee with our dessert. I asked for more coffee and the server said he would be right back. I had to hunt him down to ask again. Fifteen minutes passed and I asked again about the coffee. The server said he is making a fresh pot for us and then asked if we wanted to wait for it. I was so angry that I just wanted to get out of there and told him just to bring our check. We complained to the manager who listened politely and offered no explanation. The only explanation I can think of for this kind of behavior in a fine dining restaurant is that the server was instructed to lie to cut cost.
We may try this place again … just to see if it has improved … but it will be a long time before we return. I will conclude with my opening statement:
I HATE BEING LIED TO … ESPECIALLY WHEN i AM SPENDING MONEY!!!

Food absolutely delicious. Spot on !!! Service was awful! We didn’t even get greeted for 15 min after we sat down. We only had water to drink and our water went empty several times. If you know your busy give us a pitcher of water !!! When u spend good $$$ 4 food you expect good service. I was very disappointed. The waitress said she had been there since they opened, and now I see why they have continual bad reviews. I was not happy. She wasn’t personal at all and was slow. I won’t be back.

Fantastic service, food and atmosphere at the Geneva Inn Restaurant (Grandview).
Best service in Lake Geneva area.
This moved into the top spot for our Lake Geneva fine dining favorites including:
1. Geneva Inn (Grandview Restaurant)
2. Abbey Springs
3. Hunt Club
We need to come here more.

My husband, 11 year old daughter & I came here for my birthday dinner on a gorgeous Monday night. We made reservations the day before for 6:30pm. When we arrived I asked about sitting outside. The hostess said something about how there was only one server out there running back and forth and seemed to be discouraging us from sitting there. I said indoor right by window would be fine. There were only a few tables but it was almost 10 minutes before we heard from another waiter that our waiter was outside with those tables and that he would be there shortly. We were thinking at that point that it would have been better to sit outside! So once our waiter arrived, we asked if we could do that and he was very happy to have us all outside.
We ordered an appetizer (fried calamari salad) and drinks once we were seated again. And by drinks I mean diet coke & a kiddy cocktail. They took a really long time to arrive and it was actually right after we got our appetizer. However, the appetizer was really yummy and plenty for the 3 of us to share. My husband ordered the 10 oz steak in cream pepper sauce & my daughter & I shared the blackened salmon– both very delicious. (Kids menu btw was the typical burger, hot dog, chicken tenders, etc for $ 10. Thankfully my daughter can appreciate real food!) We also ordered the crème brûlée & chocolate raspberry crunch cake. All really good.
The entire meal was just over 2 hours. We actually did not mind the wait because our server was very nice, and the view was outstanding.

Salad not fresh, my high school cafeteria was doing a better job.
Half a bottle wine served in glasses. Clueless waiters.

We’ve been wanting to try this place out and did so recently. Huge disappointment. Service was awful, décor is from the late 70’s and it was expensive for the experience. We had appetizers in the lounge due to a party in the dining room and they were ok but nothing memorable. View is the best on the lake but doesn’t make up for everything else. Could be outstanding with a renovation and attention to detail. We won’t be back until then.

My wife and I enjoyed breakfast at the Grandview this weekend! Janelle, our server was very polite and attentive, and the food was very good! We enjoyed their croissant french toast… tasty! And we were most pleased with the price… unexpectedly affordable, especially for a lake view in a quiet part of Lake Geneva. And the restaurant was very quiet and relaxing, not loud and busy. Definitely visiting again!

Worst steaks ever! Went there with my girl last night. We ordered a filet and a NY strip. Mind you, this is not an inexpensive place. The steaks here cost $ 40 and $ 42, respectively — and a good steak should cost that. However, these steaks were awful. It was like they bought the cheapest meat from Aldi and then had a «chef» with the skills of an Applebee’s line cook prepare them over a «searing» 68 degree grill. I brought to the attention of the manager that the steaks were lacking. Her answer: Ketchup!
I thought about taking the steaks home to my dog, then I thought, what did my dog ever do to me.

I recently visited friends in Lake Geneva to get out of Chicago and see the beautiful colors of Fall in the trees and countryside. We decided to go out for breakfast and my friend recommended the Grandview Restaurant and it was a wonderful suggestion. Besides having a great selection of yummy breakfast choices, we had a spectaular view of the lake and hillside with gorgeous trees in full Fall colors. The breakfast was very reasonably priced and the quality of food was excellent. I will definitely come back here next time I visit.

We met friends there for dinner. The dinner salads were fresh with tasty dressings. I loved the creamy cucumber dressing. We had the duck (which was a special that night), salmon and bacon wrapped pork tenderloin. The duck was excellent — not over cooked, very moist and tender. There were also rave reviews of the pork dish. The salmon was not my favorite. It was a bit dry.

Old fashion supper dining. Twist on tradition in preparing food. Fantastic. Halibut and Scallops were our main dishes. Yum. Dessert was happiness on a plate. Crème brulé and chocolate gelato. Mmmmm. Our server Rebecca was delightful. The staff was attentive. Fine dining at it finest! You will not be disappointed!

Just finished a superb lunch here served aptly by Andrea. We had the burger and the sliders followed by coconut sorbet. Absolutely wonderful! Coconut sorbet comes in a coconut shell, mango in a mango, peach in a peach… you get the idea. First time and first meal at Lake Geneva and we Californians are impressed! Little classy details — instead of refilling iced tea from a pitcher, Andrea brought over a tall glass full of ice, a short glass of fresh lemon slices, and a carafe of iced tea for the refill. Very cool! The view across the lake and the gardens are fabulous.

We had stayed at this hotel and figured we should go to the restaurant. We started our evening at the bar, Larry the bartender is very accommodating, friendly, and makes a mean dirty martini! He was the best part of our night.
We decided to get a table in the dinning area. We ordered the crab and artichoke dip with bread. It was very rich, but tasty. The menu selection was disappointing.
My husband had the bow tie pasta with shrimp. He enjoyed it. I ordered the Shepard’s pie, it wasn’t worth $ 28. The house salads and fresh dinner roll were the best part. Our waitress wasn’t attentive. My water glass was empty several times, and I found myself looking for her. Most times she was over at another table just chatting. Our food came out and our salad plates hadn’t been cleared. The view was amazing, looking over frozen lake.
The food and service just wasn’t worth the money.

I’m surprised by the negative reviews on here. My boyfriend and I had brunch here this morning. The view is truly magnificent. Especially today with the peak fall colors around the lake, I think we spent more time staring out the window than talking haha. We sat right next to the window. The live pianist made the atmosphere even nicer.
For $ 16, you get champagne (or sparkling grape juice), some fruit, a slice of breakfast bread (today was cinnamon almond) and daily cream cheese (today was strawberry) in addition to your entrée. We both opted for the Grandview breakfast, which comes with 2 pancakes, 2 slices of bacon, a sausage link, eggs, and an amazing potato casserole with bacon and onions. The service we had was fantastic from the hostess to the busboy.
I know it’s pricey for dinner, but for brunch, I think it’s an excellent value. The clientele appeared to have $$, so don’t come looking like a bum. They are not targeting a young roll out of bed crowd. Recommended and will return!

* I started this review a year ago and somehow missed it in my draft section till now!*
I just had my surprise bridal shower today at the grandview, this place is absolutely gorgeous. When we first pulled up to the Geneva Inn I loved how beautiful and bright white it was, it looked elegant and yet inviting. We went into the restaurant and unfortunately the hostess blew the surprise when I said we were here for a brunch my grandma was having for my parents, she said «oh your here for the bridal shower?» So I laughed and said I guess so. I walked into this beautiful restaurant with huge windows looking out onto the lake I was so excited to see my small group of family and friends! I was given a menu and it had a small special menu for our group with a congratulations to Carolyn and Will message on the header which my grandma pointed out she had told them there was only one L in Wil’s name but no biggie. The waitress came and took our beverage order and told us she would also be bringing us each a glass of champagne or a mimosa which I thought was lovely except after another half an hour we had to ask a second time to actually get it. We ordered our food and when it came, as the guests were handed their food some of the ladies pointed out things that were missing from their order or I had asked for a refill on my beverage and the waitress snapped at us to wait til she was done. The waitress for some reason continued to bite my best friends head off every time she asked for anything! I had asked for extra bernaise sauce for my eggs Benedict when I ordered my meal so when she didn’t bring it with the food my bestie took it upon herself to ask politely for it and the waitress flipped her lid. The food was delicious and the place was beautiful but between the hostess blowing the surprise and the waitress with the major attitude problem I would say they need to check their staff!!! I would return based on the food and the view.

It was beautiful. Well, the view was. The interior was very nice but not quite my style. That’s okay though and I really am not holding it against the restaurant.
There was a live piano player at a grand piano. I am so thankful that he came because the restaurant was awkwardly silent before he came. We saw two other tables of people eating in silence.
Our server Jackie was really splendid. She spoke in a calming voice and provided really quick service. She also noticed me having a hard time with my entrée and took it back to the chef to be recooked. Later, she accommodated M when she requested a plate of olive oil dressed pasta. We loved her!
M also loved her lobster. She shared a bite with me and I agreed — it was scrumptious! Jackie served it to M with a small dish of butter kept warm with a flame underneath. That entrée was the BEST and definitely the shining star of our food experience at Grandview Restaurant & Lounge.
My entrée was lamb chops. The flavor was good, but they were terribly challenging to eat. The meat was fatty and chewy. I had a hard time cutting and eating it. Jackie noticed my turmoil and had the chef recook and re-​plate it for me. I was touched by the effort but it was still hard to eat afterward.
I decided to have the key lime pie dessert. I liked the whipped cream on top and the graham cracker crust. I did not care for the inside part. It tasted like eggy custard to me, but that is probably more a reflection of me and my preferences than of the quality of the pie. I don’t like eggs and hate the taste of them.
Lastly, I had two martinis: the banana and the chocolate cherry. The banana tasted like cough syrup. The chocolate cherry was clear with chocolate powder around the rim. I *know* that I can made a better chocolate cherry martini. In fact, I’ve made them better myself.

This place is all about the view over the Lake; it doesn’t get better. We went during the off season, the Lake was frozen solid, and not many people were dining that night… which is never good. The last negative comment I’ll make is the hotel was built around the same time Seinfeld was still coming out with live episodes… and they haven’t updated the décor since. It’s nice, it’s fancy, but it’s a little dated… a little 90’s…and if you think that’s not so bad, look as some pictures of Hillary Clinton in the 90’s. The food isn’t trying to be risky, it’s probably aimed at an older, more conservative patron, so it can seem a little boring compared to a popular restaurant in nearby Chicago. But the food is good, especially the steak & lobster we ordered… never had better… and everybody still loves Seinfeld reruns!

Dinner menu didn’t appeal to me much so we came for brunch. Champagne and sparkling grape juice, yes please! A bit of fruit and some cinnamon bread. The 3-​course also came with a little app — we chose the mushroom goat cheese strudel which was kinda soggy but tasted good. Then some tasty biscuits & gravy. A generous serving of bouillabaisse — so much seafood, just wish there was more soup in the bowl! A little chocolate brownie & ice cream for dessert, standard. Overall, food was pretty good, at least the entrees were. MMM bouillabaisse. There aren’t a lot of good restaurants in the area for some reason, so I’m guessing this place is still near the top of the list for Lake Geneva.
Their downfall was their service. We were quoted a 30-​min wait and the hostess nearly gave our table away. Good thing we were standing there when she was looking around as she «forgot who was waiting for a table.» Once we sat down, it took quite awhile to place our orders, then for drinks. Then as we were working on our entrees our waitress brought out the dessert. we didn’t have a choice I guess? I know other diners had a choice of sorbet, crème brûlée, etc. and it said so on the menu. And since it was ice cream we had to eat the dessert before finishing our entrees. Not cool. I don’t care if you’re closing, I don’t see you rushing the rest of the ¾-​full dining room.
The view was gorgeous, of course. We were definitely the youngest diners here by a couple generations.

Honestly, the only bad thing I can say about this restaurant is that the service was a little slow. They had a large private party in another room and so the kitchen was a tad behind schedule, luckily for me, I prefer dinner to be an event. If we are going to pay good money for dinner, I dont want it to only last an hour.
The food was great, they offer smaller portions, which was wonderful. We started our meal with the shrimp cocktail– which was excellent. Everyone enjoyed their entrees and even the dinner rolls were special and warm. This restaurant was great from the first bite all the way through dessert.
Even better than the food was the view. The restaurant is located right on the lake and the views are unbeatable. The décor is a little dated, but I think it gives the place a little added charm.

The Grandview Restaurant was remodeled a few years ago and its menu was overhauled substantially shortly after that. The Grandview has an outstanding view of the lake and nice décor, including live piano. The food is ok. Prices are exorbitant for quality offered.
The Grandview Restaurant targets an upscale market that is looking for fine dining and top class ambiance. It is somewhat successful in providing decent dining ambiance, unsuccessful in all other areas. I will elaborate below.
We came as a party of four. Notably, the Grandview has a large parking lot with many available spaces. A restaurant like that is hard to find in Lake Geneva. This means no searching for parking and no long walk to the restaurant.
The dining space is designed to maximize the view. Tables are laid out single file on several levels, like a theater, so that each table has a direct view of the lake through gigantic single pane windows. Live piano music during dinner is a big plus, or at least it was for me and for my friends. Tables are white tablecloth, floors are carpeted, and décor is classy-​looking, in an imitation of, say, the Ritz-​Carlton. The Grandview does not quite make it in this regard, but its ambience is quite nice nonetheless. Pretty good effort, and moderate success, on the ambiance axis.
The menu selections and daily specials are roughly comparable to what you might find in any upscale restaurant. Food quality is mostly unremarkable, even mediocre, compared with a similar such restaurant. We ordered salmon, prime rib and bouillabaisse. The entrees were unremarkable. The salad was very bad, fresh, but basically a lettuce salad such as you might get in any restaurant. The rolls were fresh, which is good, but exactly to be expected. Potatoes and vegetables were barely adequate in quality, and added nothing to the meal. We didn’t order dessert.
Our experience with service was adequate, but the server had some difficulty remembering our orders. The restaurant was not busy, so this was fortunate for us, but that does make me wonder about the capabilities of the staff in general. What if we had ordered a bottle of wine, for example? Would the server have committed a gaffe?
Prices were exorbitantly high for the quality of food, although the ambiance provided partial compensation for our expense. Along with a drink, coffee and dessert, budget around $ 50-​$ 65 apiece, perhaps $ 35-​$ 40 for dinner without any of these accompaniments.
Overall, the Grandview Restaurant makes a somewhat misguided try, and does not succeed, at being a go-​to upscale restaurant. That is a shame, but the restaurant might be worth a try next year to see if management has made any changes. The Grandview is ok for a date or any other occasion where food is not that important, but where drinks and ambiance carries great weight. Otherwise, I can’t recommend the Grandview at this time.