Description: I wanted to pick a special place for our anniversary dinner. In my list of requirements was a restaurant that was romantic, close to our hotel, served great food that wasn't too over-the-top (my boyfriend is not too adventurous when it comes to food) and didn't require a suit and tie to walk in the door.
My final choice was Jardiniere. I did read mixed reviews about this restuarant, but found it to meet all of my needs. So I made a reservation about a month in advance through opentable.com. I was not disappointed.
The restaurant is a 5- to 10-minute taxi ride from the Pan Pacific and is located right next to the opera house. I believe the restaurant is known as a dinner spot for the opera crowd--before or after the show. We arrived about 15 minute before our reservation, so we were able to enjoy a drink at the bar and admire the beautiful decor--which was quite stunning. The restuarant consists of two floors and a gorgeous bar that is situated in the middle of the first floor. When we arrived, a three-person jazz band was just beginning to set up.
We were seated promptly at our reservation time. I had requested, through opentable.com, a table with more privacy and the host kindly accomadated that without having to remind him. I recommend sitting upstairs, where there is less commotion.
The food was fantastic! Very creative and delicious. I had the diver scallops to start and the halibut as my main course. My boyfriend had the pork chops. I must say that for being such a high-end restuarant, the portions were rather large. We definitely were not going to leave hungry!
We finished off our meal with two decadent desserts. I don't think you could go wrong with anything on their menu. We also enjoyed the ice wine tasting to end a magical evening.
Yes, this was an expensive treat, at $230 including wine and tip, but we wanted to splurge on a great dinner. Jardiniere did not disappoint. My only very minor complaint would be that the service seemed almost robotic - our server was not very personable. But I know some like to enjoy their meals without interruption.
I recommend this restaurant for any special occasion.
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