Syrah

I have been always told that I should visit this restaurant, and when I did I got the worst restaurant experience ever. There were only few tables during dinner time, yet, our food took as long as 40 minutes. I decided to ask my waitress about the long wait and she replied with attitude that the chef is busy even though there was no chef, only few Hispanics in the kitchen. When we finally got our food, we ended up spending over $ 95 and were still hungry and we ended up going to Shusi to Die for :)
I am sure that I will never go back to Syrah

Delicious Delicious Delicious!
Syrah Bistro is somewhat out of my regular price range, but anytime I have an opportunity to go, I jump on it. I’ve been for Work Christmas Parties, Anniversary dinners, and most recently a week ago for my fiancée’s birthday. The food is ALWAYS great. This last time in particular we ordered the roasted beet with horseradish appetizer, and the duck. AMAZING. My fiancée and I never get the same dish because we want to share and try different things. Neither of us were willing to share the duck so we both ordered it. Not a single iota of order-​regret.
I’ve heard that Syrah is looking to change their format to more of a tapas menu. Do what you need to do, but be sure to keep the duck!
— Aaron

Okay, what did we do wrong? I used to love this place. We made a reservation at the restaurant, but ended up in the hallway where other stores are located. Well, maybe the food is so good I won’t mind (NOT!). So much for ambiance! The starters all were great. There were four of us and we had the crab cakes (excellent), beet salad (very good), and a house salad (nice). The wine was good, but a bit over priced. When the entrees came; they looked great, but god were each of them salty! Not only was the protein salty; so was the grain. Plus, the server does not drop off the food. Some other person does, so no feedback was requested (nor did we ever get a chance until desert). As for desert we had the Chocolate Cream & Espresso Torte. Except for the ice cream it was a flavorless slab of gunk. This place is out for me. I prefer Flavors. At least their cooks still have taste buds.
We eat out a lot, but never again at Syrah Bistro. At $ 275 for four people plus 15%; it was money poorly spent.
I understand that Syrah is now closed and called Petite Syrah. If all they did was redecorate; merde!

Oh Syrah… what a night!
The closest restaurant to my house and I’m in love.
We ordered the chef’s tasting menu with wine pairings.
Amuse-​Bouche was steelhead trout tartare on a homemade cracker. Great acidity making my mouth water with anticipation. Glass of J Cuvee Sparkling.
First course was sturgeon on top of risotto with seared capers, celery and a lobster sauce. On top. So so good! Best dish by far. Paired with Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc/​Viognier.
Second course was Petaluma Liberty Seared Duck with fingerling potatoes, shitake mushrooms and a spring salad. The duck had the perfect sear. This dish was all about how perfect the meat was cooked. Paired with Siduri Pinot Noir.
Third course was Lamb with couscous and a couple different dipping sauces. It just wasn’t working for me with this dish, but it was my husband’s favorite. Paired with Levendi Stagecoach Vineyard Syrah.
Lastly the dessert round, which I usually pass up was incredible. There was a chocolate cream & espresso torte, whisky bread pudding, and a deconstructed version of lemon meringue that was just delicious. Paired with Cambria Late Harvest Viognier
The service was outstanding.: friendly, attentive, and sincere. Our server even comped one of our wine pairings because the food came late. It really wasn’t even a problem, but very generous. Also, Josh Silvers came out and explained each dish. It was really nice that he talked with every table.

For Valentine’s day, MB and I enjoyed what I will call my best meal this year. We didn’t go for the ($ 85 per person!) special V-​day menu, but we did gorge ourselves properly, and, true to form, I came armed with a coupon.
MB had: Trout with bulgur, califlower purée, hen of the woods mushrooms. The combination was divine! I’ve never had bulger this tender and flavorful, or mushrooms that packed so much flavor in so little space.
I had: Gnocchi in black garlic broth with brussels sprouts. I have to say, I was skeptical about the broth. But it was just such a good choice with the brussels sprouts, really an outstanding concoction. The gnocchi were unfortunately just a little too dense for the task of soaking it up (I had expected the opposite). Maybe these flavors would have been better showcased in a risotto?
We split: Celery and potato soup with white truffle oil. It gives me insecurities in soup making, it was just so impossibly delicious.
No dessert on Valentine’s day? I had a flight of wine instead. Excellent variety of pinot noir (yeah, not Syrah).

You have to drink to like this place. The food is too salty. And I mean EVERYTHING was salty — brined meat, salty sauces, oversalted sides.
Anytime you look over and one of the chefs is swigging from a bottle of beer, you know what kind of food is going to come out of that kitchen. Upscale TGIF execution ruins some good ingredients, and sheer carelessness damages the rest.
Drive a little further, and get a whole lot better food elsewhere.

My husband and I went to the Syrah Bistro a few days before our wedding. We wanted to have a nice dinner together in a cozy environment.. . we got exactly what we were looking for.
It felt a little crowded and cramped for a Wednesday night but the food and service was great. More importantly, their dessert was delicious. I really wanted to have a cobbler instead of a wedding cake… since that didn’t happen, I was eager to order some for dessert.
Our waitress put a nice candle with ‘congrats’ written on our plate!
Scrumptious!!!

My parents and I had an absolutely terrific meal here. After letting them know that my mom eats next to nothing, they served us two tasting menus family style for the three of us. Our waitress was incredibly sweet, and very helpful.
We had:
Amuse 1. Some-​kind-​of-​fish-​i-​forget tartare.
Amuse 2. Celeriac soup.
Appetizer: Not-​salmon-​but-​looks-​like-​salmon over chickpea and carrot stew. Extremely tender.
Entrée 1: Roasted duck breast and seared foie gras. Breast was super flavorful and smoky with a lentil purée (and I don’t even like lentils), and foie gras had absolutely perfect texture with huckleberry compote.
Entrée 2: Sliced beef steak over cocoa sauce and chanterelles with spinach, with fingerling potatoes on the side. Also very flavorful.
Dessert: Blood orange and pear sorbets, chocolate torte, and pumpkin bread pudding. All delicious.
All in all, a fairly light but extremely tasty, flavorful meal. Pity we don’t live close by.

Very nice.
Wait Staff– Attentive, knowledgeable, and friendly.
Ambience– comfortable, lighting was just right. Only slight negative is you are siting in the hallway of a shopping center, not at all like the food court at the mall… just enough for you to look around and smile at your location.
Food– Excellent! We had the Foie Gras and Pork belly for starters. Both were that decadent melt in your mouth goodness… supa yum. Entrees-​Duck breast and Lamb Sirloin; which were both perfectly done and delicious.
Wine List– Excellent balance between price and selection with a couple of surprises like the bottle of 2002 Corison Napa Valley Cabernet we had.
Definately worth a visit if you are heading to Sonoma.

Syrah is a hidden gem in Santa Rosa. Every time we are up North, we try and make a stop here. The food is excellent and on par with the best in the City. As usual, you have to go with the tasting menu and let the chef take you on a journey. The atmosphere is great and I really like the casual setting of the restaurant… not too stuffy like some places in SF.
Highly recommend you check it out when you are up that way. One thing about parking… don’t park near the overpass.

Excited I was about my weekend trip up the North bay, I did nothing to prepare what to do or what to eat. Thanks to one of my friends and a new Unilocaler I might add, did justice by Unilocaling and researching this restaurant for our first meal of the night.
Located in Santa Rosa, I was surprised to find a really good restaurant in the mid of town. The reviews for this place were mixed but always lead to some skepticism. We made reservation couple of weeks prior to coming here to guarantee our spot here without the wait. I was a bit surprised how the décor of a place is. There was practically two entrances. One leading to the actual dining area and the other was an open area outside the restaurant what you might call a plaza-​like for a more open feel. We were seated outside.
The ambience is warm and inviting eventhough we were out in the open. The hostess as well as the waitresses were very nice and very knowledgeable of the menu and the pairing of wine selections. Between the four of us, I had the chicken, my three other friends got the duck, lamb sirloin and a fish dish. They were all delicious and what made them extra yummy was that they had a good sizeable mixed greens in a very tasty vinagrette. We chose to have a Cab to compliment our meal selections. Very good for the age as well as price.
By the time we were through with our meals, we did not have run for desserts. But we end up getting them anyways. We got the crème brûlée and chocolate cake to share. This is one of the most delicious meal I had in a while that I can honestly give it a 5 stars rating. The services as well as the meal itself was impeccable. Although it may be a bit of a stretch and pricey to get here, it is well worth it.

This is the type of rustic style restaurant I like. Interesting layout of dinning room connected to an open plaza for more spacious seating. Mary, our waitress, was amazing, attentive and knew how to perfectly divvy a bottle of wine among five people. Everyone in my party thoroughly enjoyed their selections that ranged from duck, liver & onions, lamb risotto to NY steak. Dessert was a Pistachio Crème Brulée w/​Orange Shortbread Cookies, Blackberry Panna Cotta and Tropical Sorbet (b-​day offering) of guava, mango and raspberry. Why the three stars? Despite all this, my Grilled Montana Legend New York Steak ordered medium well, came actually medium rare. Very disappointing and heavily reflected in the rating. Otherwise, a spectacular place.

After a fun filled day at the Barrel Tasting, my boyfriend and I were ready for a great meal in wine country, and Syrah did not disappoint. Our server Mary was impeccable, she understood our pace and somehow knew exactly what we wanted. We ordered 2 four course tasting menus with a flight of Syrah’s. 4 courses felt like 6, starting with an amuse bouche that was much larger than a single bite and good thing because it was delious (large shrimp, citrus and spring salad). Then our real first course of Scallops and Cauliflower Purée, followed by Seared Duck and Grilled Lamb. Lastly just when we thought it was soon over, our cheese course came out with homemade crackers! Oh but dinner wasn’t over… for the finale, hazelnut crème brûlée, trio of homemade ice cream and a lemon bar with vanilla whipped cream :)
A definite must while in Santa Rosa.

To top off thanksgiving weekend, we chose Syrah to be our «nice» dinner. The inside was nice enough, nothing too extraordinary and nothing bad at all. Before we came, I had a few dishes in mind that I wanted to try, but my mom thought getting the four course tasting would be better, so we all did that. We also opted for a single wine pairing for us all to share.
The amuse was a chantrelle and truffle cream puff pastry. The crust almost reminded me of Beard Papa’s but a tad more savory. It was lightly dusted with cheese, which added a nice extra note, and I quickly learned this dish should be eaten in one bite. On my first bite, the creamy-​buttery center almost exploded on me, but I skillfully got it all down. Very rich, very buttery, pretty good. Served with J Sparkling wine.
Next was the low for me of the night. A pan seared white California sea bass with saffron cous cous, and a lemon sauce. The cous cous and sauce were both good and the skin of the fish was very nice, but the fish itself was a little overcooked. It probably needed a minute less on the fire. It was served with a 2007 Qupe Marsanne, Santa Ynez Valley.
The next offering was pan seared duck with bacon braised greens. Mine was cooked perfect, while others were very rare. I was gracious enough to help eat some of the rare bits. The duck was very flavorful and tasted like duck. The skin was also nicely done, and had some good crispy bits on it. The greens had hints of bacon, but wanted more of punch in the face from the pork. Served with 2006 T.R. Elliot Pinot Noir.
The last savory course was my favorite of the night, braised beef short ribs with truffle mashed potatoes, baby carrots, cippolini onions, and horseradish crème fraiche. The meat was some of the most tender I’ve ever had. The horseradish crème fraiche worked perfectly with each element of the dish, the potatoes, the meat, and the sauce. I really enjoyed this dish. Served with a 2007 Jelly Roll Syrah, Santa Ynez Valley.
At this point we were all pretty full, but then an unexpected twist (the best kind). Not one, not two, not three, but four HUGE dessert plates came out. Each more delectable than the last. First was a very rich whiskey bread pudding. A few bites of this alone would have been enough sugar for me, but of course I kept going back for one more. Dessert was served with a 2005 Royal Tokaji.
Then there was the pumpkin cheesecake, which was good, but was outshined by the pumpkin seed brittle that came on the side. Such a nice treat!
The lightest of the sweets was an almond and pear tart with mascarpone cream and pear sorbet. It was light and refreshing and really good.
And finally was the coup de grace, a towering chocolate-​espresso layer cake with espresso ice cream. It was so rich, so moist, and ever so delicious. I’m pretty sure it had some peanut butter in it too, but my mind could have been playing tricks on me by that point.
We had a few chunks of dessert leftover that we took home and had for breakfast the next morning, best way to start a day. Overall, for the price and quality of food, Sarah was a pretty good deal. While nothing was «WOW!!» there were many little pleasant surprises. I wouldn’t say no if you asked me to go back.

My boyfriend and I went here for dinner during our weekend getaway to Wine Country. We decided to come here after hearing from out hotel staff of what an excellent meal experience it will be.
For starters, we had the crabcakes– FABULOUS! For our main course, I had the seafood risotto and he had the steak. Both dishes (especially mine) was phenomenal! We didn’t have dessert because we were both too full, but from looking around, the dishes look really tasty!
On the other hand, I have to admit– I was a bit disappointed. Being someone who does go out to eat a lot, atmosphere is very important to me. The restaurant itself is rather small, but apparently at night, they sit tables in the plaza hallway. This was unappealing to me. The area was very noisy, and I was looking for a nice, quiet and relaxing meal. I did not find that here.

Always a great meal. And they change the menu every month.
After eating here, we try to re-​create the dinner at home, just to see if we can. Weird, I know. But it’s lead to some killer additions to our home menus.
Favorites: Crab cakes, any fish, Fava bean purée, lamb, hell… everything Josh cooks is incredible.
If you haven’t tried Syrah, you’re missing one of the best in Sonoma County.

There are two things wrong with this restaurant.
1. It’s too far from Redwood City
2. It’s too far from Redwood City.
Syrah is one of those special spots that is worth planning a weekend around. From start to finish your dining experience will be amazing. The staff is polished and the attention to detail is spot on. The menu is well thought out and usually includes several vegetarian options as well. The quality of the ingredients in each dish is evident.
One thing you do not want to miss is the cheese course. Like most restaurants of this caliber they stock many fine cheeses from all over the world, but what sets them apart is the little extras they include. Like the floral honey or nuts and the amazing selection of thinly sliced breads
If you are looking for that special occasion that will knock your dates socks off, you need not look any further.

For the class of restaurant Syrah touts itself to be (Zagat rated, Michelin noted), it fails on many levels. I’m always skeptical of high class restaurants because more often than not, the food does not live up to the hype or the price.
Service: 2 stars
The waitstaff were so preoccupied with running around, cleaning glasses, putting things away that I was distracted by their busyness. They would come by and ask a quick, «everything ok?» before rushing off again. I could barely flag them down just to ask a quick question. It was frustrating and didn’t make the dining experience pleasant.
Food: 2 stars
My BF ordered the 28 day New York Steak. The steak itself was cooked well but the thyme sauce they poured over the steak was waayyy too overpowering… it actually enacted my gag reflex. The potatoes and green beans accompanied it was okay, nothing special. My BF ordered a red wine to pair with his steak — it was quite good… gotta give them props for their wine selection.
My tasso and onion stuffed roasted quail wasn’t impressive either. The quail was tender, but the stuffing of ham and onions was too salty. The quail sat on a bed of more chopped ham (tasso) and white beans. It was so salty I could only pick at pieces of it.
We also ordered a 3 cheese sampler plate — it was good here but I wouldn’t rate it more than 3 stars. One of the cheeses tasted identical to Brie. Surprisingly, they actually gave a good chunk of cheese — I’ve had other cheese plates that give you very small portion sizes. Came with some whole almonds, fresh honey, ground pepper, and fried crackers. I was a bit disappointed that there were no dried fruits on this plate like I’m used to.
I wasn’t impressed by this place by any standard. They seemed to miss the mark on all levels (ambiance, service, food). Maybe I ordered the wrong thing, but for a restaurant of this caliber, every dish should be perfection.

We had a wonderful night at Syrah. The service was friendly but laid back — they were even very nice about giving us a table with room for a baby carriage, despite wine country typically not being the most family friendly place.
The prosciutto, figs, and marscapone platter was soooooooo good. They figs had hard sugary crust — it seemed like they had taken a kitchen torch to the top of them. Yum!
I requested to replace one of my sides with another, because I typically do not care for spaetzle — they said they would be happy to but strongly suggested I try them and so brought me a side of my preferred side in addition. Well, the spaetzle was how I usually find spaetzle — tasteless — but the rest of my meal was delicious. The duck was juicy and cooked perfectly and the apple glaze served with it was the perfect touch.
For dessert we shared the warm chocolate and chili empanada — holy hell. That was GOOD!
In an area where the same few places get all the buzz (and are difficult to get into), Syrah was a real find.

We were so lucky to get a table on Friday night after Valentine’s day.
Very nice restaurant with good wine list, of course.
Roasted mixed blood orange beet salad was very refreshing. I love beet and blood orange so I loved the combination. Lightly dressed with vinegrette and blue cheese. The mint oil adds a nice touch.
The entrée, the duck breast, was cooked to perfection. How much else do I need to say, other than, it tasted exactly like a medium-​rare fillet mignon?