★ 4

We were staying at the Lismore (double tree) and decided to come here for dinner. We didn’t have a reservation and did have to wait a while - no problem as it was Friday night and busy at the hotel.

The atmosphere was excellent, open kitchen, beautiful decor etc. We started with drinks and fries for an appetizer. The fries were crispy and hot with a tasty bernaise sauce.

For dinner I got the tater tot hotdish - this was really good. It was a more elevated version of the traditional hotdish. My girlfriend got the lamb and it was just alright. The flavors didn’t work as well together as expected. The side was quinoa spaetzle with mint and root beer glaze that didn’t pair well.

Overall it’s worth a trip especially of you are already staying at the hotel. I would try the pizza next time as those looked really good and were ordered at many other tables.

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★ 5

Great pizzas

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★ 5

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★ 3

The style and atmosphere were really good! Our server also did a good job. However, the food is not worth the price point. The plating and atmosphere are fancy, but the actual food was just kind of...fine? My gnocchi tasted only of cheese and onion. The walleye my partner had was, in their words, "insignificant. Protein and tomato." The dessert we had was very heavy on the lemon. Overall just kind of a meh experience at a high price point. As a plus, open on Sundays!

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★ 5

Fresh, Local and Best of Eau Claire

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★ 5

A great experience. I would definitely recommend.

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★ 5

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★ 5

Good, healthy food choices.

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★ 3

Nice atmosphere. Austen was a great server. The two of us ordered the Ribeye. Both steaks were horrible. Loaded with fat and what seemed like muscle. Disappointed. I’d go back but not have the steak.

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★ 4

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★ 5

Good food and fun drinks!

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★ 5

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★ 5

The only right words...we loved it. Wasn't expecting a hotel to have a terrific restaurant. We were so wrong.

I would go here even if I wasnt staying at the hotel.

We shared the steak, and ate every it. The sauce with it was sooo good.

Make reservations for the word is getting out.

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★ 1

Went with a group of close work colleagues and family for a special outing. A few members of the group had previously went for brunch and had a great experience so our heads were high. When greeted by the hostess we were told about the specialty pizza, and was told around 15-20 minutes for it, so naturally me, and another ordered it.

We arrived at the restaurant around 5:20ish and had our drinks in likely by 5:35 max. It was not until 6:30 at least. My margarita pizza’s cheese was burnt to oblivion. The duck breast ordered was cold on the inside, as well as the ribeye which was ice cold in the middle, which was ordered medium rare.
(I will note I did not make the pizza aware to the manager as I did not notice the quality until comparing it with my family members pizza, who’s was correctly cooked.)
After making this all clear the manager came out only to blow off it all off because a 12 top came in and got their order right before us. And claimed the duck was cold due to the toppings, which is not only incorrect as the middle was cold, but shady operating as a manager to incorrectly give paying patrons about the food they are ingesting.
Thankfully the steak was heated up, unfortunately after this experience though I would not doubt if it was microwaved.
Overall a poor display of cooking, serving, and managing.

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★ 1

Worst food and service that I’ve had in EC. Took an hour, food was cold or bland. Completely dismissed by management. 👎🏻

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★ 5

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★ 4

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★ 2

The service was great and the menu options sounded amazing but all our dishes were over seasoned with paprika and salt. Great combination of ingredients on paper that would be very tasty if not over powered by spices.

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★ 5

They have few changes with their menu. The food is always very good.

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★ 5

Awesome lamb and duck breast

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★ 5

High quality pizza on wood fire oven..

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★ 3

We had stayed at this hotel last Winter and decided to come back to the restaurant for breakfast while in town, we walked in to find the temperature inside the restaurant to be around 65 degrees with the Ac cranking away? I asked why the Ac was on since it was early morning and cool outside but colder inside, we asked if they could turn off the Ac but they said they don't have control over that???. Tought to enjoy a meal when you are freezing. Management should take a look into that , as climate control is important too.

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★ 4

Lovely upscale dining experience. Our party’s selection covered the Informalist’s touted speciality, wood-fired pizza, a cheeseburger with French fries and garlic aioli, a ribeye steak, and gnocchi. Everyone was quite happy with their selection. The lemon tiramisu for dessert was sublime!

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 5

From making a last minute reservation on a busy weekend, to the staff and food quality everything was excellent. Great food and drinks!

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★ 5

Amazing atmosphere and food. The Thai Basil Gnocchi is incredible (add chicken). And all of the pizzas are amazing.

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★ 2

Posted pic before, I forgot to leave a review. Do not get the pizza, almost 40% plus of the pizza was not consumable due to it being burnt. Wish I had asked for something else but I’m shy. Note this is normally my go-to restaurant, good breakfast, just not pizza.

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★ 3

Maybe it was an off night, but I was disappointed in this place since the last time I was there.
My food was super salty. It took probably an hour to get our food and when it came not everyone got it at the same time. . The staff didn't check on us much in our 2 hours there either.
I do love they have gluten friendly and vegetarian options.

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★ 4

They did a great job. I will probably be back

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★ 5

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★ 4

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★ 1

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★ 4

Gluten-free toast with the omelet for my wife! Great food and friendly staff!

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 5

Had their brunch this morning, excellent food then came back for the Superbowl pizza deal. Delicious pizza, love the crust. We eat here often, never had a bad meal.

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★ 5

Food was delicious, they substituted the sourdough toast for the English muffin on my eggs Benedict upon request which was appreciated (I am gluten intolerant but can handle sourdough), hash browns were possibly the best I've had anywhere. Also, we loved the mimosa flight option so we could share and try different varieties!

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★ 5

Great pizza and great staff. Brunch is also very good.

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★ 3

Our pizza was good but that was it. The mussels were gritty. The cocktails were terrible — one was from the menu and the other was supposed to be a manhattan. Our server was unfriendly as well. We didn’t send anything back or complain but we probably should have. It was overpriced for the experience we had.

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★ 5

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★ 5

Delicious and great atmosphere.

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★ 3

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★ 5

Hubby and I came here for dessert to celebrate my birthday and (as usual) this place is fabulous! I love the decor. There is always something beautiful to admire. The service is casual and top-notch all at once. We love their food, but we ordered their gluten-free butterscotch creme Brule and a couple of drinks. The pudding was divine and the perfect size to share and enjoy! Give this place a look: the gluten-free items and accommodations are awesome, and the people are lovely. Perfect date!!

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★ 5

A restaurant that can do a perfect medium-rare without overcooking deserves 5 stars.

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★ 5

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★ 1

I had the chicken parm. It was overcooked and tough. It was overpriced to start with for chicken parm. My husband's meal was tasteless. It was very disappointing for $80.

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 1

Sadly the informalist lacks both style and substance. Our dining experience was one of my worst in recent years. We were a four top, excited to visit a restaurant in the new city my sisters just started to call home. Not only was the server woefully inexperienced (taking 20 mins for water, leaving dirty dishes and barely checking in) the food was worse. Out of our four dishes; one was lukewarm, one was served with a nearly raw potato (if you can’t execute a hassleback, take it off the menu), and the other two while edible lacked any seasoning or finesse and definitely don’t look like what you see online. After sitting with our dishes for nearly 15 minutes waiting for our server to return — I had to physically return the dishes to the expediter. We ended up eating in shifts — with the potato that was part of a $57 steak dish coming out after everyone had finished. There was minimal apologies given and it was only made worse when the bill came. I am happy to pay for a good meal but wasting good money for no skill or service offends me. I explained that I thought given the array of issues something should be comped — to which I was told they had taken off a $12 glass of wine (which was meant to go with the steak but came out only after I explained the issues with the food). If I were the general manager or the Pablo group I’d be mortified to have such lack of service and experience under my charge.

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★ 4

Great location, great atmosphere. I’ve visited EC several times and have always wanted to come. On a weekend morning, there weren’t many servers, and although the restaurant wasn’t crowded, it still felt quite busy. I ordered brunch and a Margherita pizza. The food was delicious, but there were a few flaws, like the eggs Benedict being overcooked, with no runny yolk at all.

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★ 5

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★ 5

Had the orange mocktails which were super tasty.
Fabulous mussels for an appetizer. Great bread and yummy coconut broth
Entrees were steak and the Airline chicken. The airline chicken was DIVINE. The sauce was just chefs kiss, perfect. The crispy cornbread with it created a textural masterpiece. Well done. Did not expect something that great from a roast chicken dish but it was just so yummy.
Matcha cheesecake was pretty good too, nice and creamy. base a little crumbly and blackberry curd not Zingy enough. But still good. Also free for a birthday celebration we were having.

Staff was prompt and friendly. I would definitely return for the apps and entrees!

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★ 5

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★ 5

Nicely designed space and good food.

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★ 5

Nice to have a bartender who can make a last word or aviation and knows the complex side of gin - food was solid and oversized in portion not to overly quaffed a Goldilocks meal drinks and evening just right thank you would travel to eat there again - Wisconsin has a wonderful downtown in Eau Claire

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★ 3

The food here is decent, but not worth the inflated prices you pay. I’m more than willing to spend more for outstanding food, but the food here wasn’t worthy of the price paid. Nice atmosphere with a great patio though!

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★ 5

The specialty pizza the Dexter Pizza pie was absolutely amazing! Kayden the creator of this dish knows what he's doing when it's comes to creating an amazing pizza! Our server was amazing as well!

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★ 5

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★ 5

We love the breakfast here. The service is always top notch. I recommend the biscuits and gravvy. Justin treated us great. We'll be back again soon. Thanks!

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★ 4

Dinner was great, dessert was next level

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★ 5

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★ 5

First time here, food was excellent, and the drinks were too! Definitely coming again.

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★ 4

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★ 2

El servicio por parte de nuestra mesera Angelina o Angélica fue muy malo. llegas no lo recomendaría, fuimos por un cumpleaños y fue muy decepcionante aunque el Risotto fue muy bueno.

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★ 1

A unique experience! Very good food with the worst imaginable service.

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★ 5

Came here just for desserts and drinks. Sweet and rich in flavor and just perfect. Yes recommended!

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★ 5

Enjoyed the chicken parmasean during my visit!

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★ 5

This is a nice experience, excellent Gluten Free options. Dedicated fryer, excellent French Fries

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★ 5

Refined atmosphere with great food and excellent staff. Enjoy

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★ 5

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★ 4

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★ 5

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★ 3

The food was good, though quite overpriced compared to literally every other breakfast restaurant in Eau Claire/Altoona (all of which have equal or better quality cuisine). This is not a surprise to us, as we had received a gift card and planned on using it to circumvent this pricing discrepancy. We were told at the end of our meal that the new POS system could not accept our gift card, and there was no workaround available. I've used plenty of POS systems and I find this hard to believe and highly unprofessional for such a "fancy" establishment. On an unrelated note, tabasco hot sauce has been a joke for quite some time, serving it in a ramekin is insulting on multiple fronts. If you want to be a "fancy" restaurant, please invest in some worthwhile hot sauce.

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★ 1

Don't believe the weekday hours! Got turned away at 10:01a on a Tuesday when all I wanted was a drink. Wow. At least service in Eau Claire is consistent-borerline hostile. How dare you interrupt their day to ask for service in the service industry.

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★ 5

Great food great service worth the price.
even for Vegans and Non Vegans.

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★ 5

Food was perfect. Service was excellent. We will go back. We hope to see Craig, Isaac and Paige again.

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★ 5

Had a lovely time here. Perfect place for any occasions, date night or family gatherings. Everything we had was great. Would definitely recommend!

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★ 5

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★ 5

We took our grandparents here for Easter and it was great! The food is simple and delicious 😋 my husband loved the mushroom Benedict, and I loved the stuffed french toast! It was a really nice dim and calm setting.

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★ 5

The wood fired pizza is absolutely delicious. I can't say enough about the crust and toppings. The service was top notch. Will be back. More pizzas to try.

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★ 5

Favorite brunch and dinner spot in Eau Claire.

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★ 3

Thanks for ruining my anniversary datenight Mr. Joe bartender.
I came in with my husband. Mr Joe let us sit & wait for his royal appearance for a while after taking ONLY my husband's order. So I'm just sitting the bar for show ain't I? So I waited for a bit more and he ignored me again... oh sad face. Anyway, I thought the wait would make the drinks worth it but nah, sucks big time.
Thanks again Mr. Joe for ignoring me so I can take my business elsewhere :)

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★ 3

Food ok, but way overpriced. But if it's the atmosphere you looking for, then pay those high prices. First and last time for me.

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★ 4

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 5

I have not eaten at the Informalist for at least four years. Today I had a candidate entertainment meal planned, and there were six of us. The candidate and his wife were both vegetarian so we selected the Informalist because there were many good vegetarian options.

We selected three vegetarian Appetizers. I was completely surprised at how much I enjoyed each one of those. I don’t think I have ever had cauliflower that I liked better. I would never have thought the cauliflower would be a winner. The pretzels were great. The roasted summer squash with a salad on top was also very good, but a bit overpriced.

Three people in our party got the salmon which had a great taste to it, and a nice char/crust on it.

I got a steak with the chimichurri sauce and it was remarkably good. I have never had that kind of sauce before.

Taken is a whole, it was a very pleasant experience, and everyone enjoyed their meal. I especially thought the vegetarian options Were top-notch.

Although I haven’t entertained clients there in the last four or five years, I will do so in the future. This was a great step up compared to when I came there for years ago. Thanks for the nice experience.

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★ 5

Joe introduced me to a fine Bourbon called Angel's Envy.

I made it into the Informalist thanks to Molly's recommendation- it was the just right prompt.

"Everyday I walked by without giving it a try- after having a relaxing drink and a slice of pie....I can't tell you why."

Love the atmosphere for a relaxing adult evening in a vibrant Downtown.

I added spicy honey to the banana jamma pizza 🍕 😋 😍

I highly recommend 👌 you stop in for a drink and experience the penny bar first hand.

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★ 5

Salmon dish was perfect. Perfect. Wife had chicken over pasta. Also excellent. Got a complimentary desert for our anniversary. Attentive service. Sweet experience to start the evening. Staff appeared to enjoy their work. Best wishes for continued success. Had lunch al fresco a few months ago. Also good.

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★ 5

Classy atmosphere, elegant music, great food awsome waiter! A+++

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★ 3

What we ordered, Fried Green Tomatoes, Smashburger, Supreme Pizza.

Fried green tomatoes felt underwhelming for the price paid, they were OK, and to be fair, we have never had them before, so it may not be something that we like. Fair enough, awesome they have something like that.

The smashburger and fries were awesome. I would go back for that one. I did not read it closely, but it has sauerkraut, which I like… the wife does not.

The supreme pizza was good, not the greatest as the crust had more burnt up parts and some crust had to be thrown away… sad day for crust people. The toppings were good, the sausage was the best topping.

Service was not so great. We got there at our reservation time and were seated within a minute or two. The problem was that we were left with menus for just over 15 minutes before our waiter stopped by. Just before they stopped by, we had our phones out looking for the next closest restaurant with burgers or pizza. Waiting for service was off putting, I was eyeing waiters as they passed, the “are you our waiter” look. They would meet my eyes but no one would help us. Perhaps I am ugly or scary looking. Turns out our waiter made eye contact with me several times and still did not help us or even let us know he was our waiter.

Of course the comment can be, “just be vocal and ask” and that was the next stop, going up to the hostess and asking if someone had been assigned to the table. Yet it became an issue of do I ask or do we just leave and walk-in to another restaurant.

Disappointed by the service experience.

Also, a note to the restaurant, please do not put the water glasses on the table with the rims down. You know why. If it has to be done, then a simple napkin between the cups and the table surface fixes the issue.

We have other restaurants to try. So not one we will be going back to, but as I outlined we had three items which is not representative of all their foods. We also had poor service to start the dining experience, so we may be biased.

Feel free to give it a try, this was just our experience.

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★ 1

Cooks touching face

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★ 4

We enjoyed our brunch. Food was great with excellent flavor.

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★ 1

We ate with another couple on new years Eve off their special menu. The food was great, our waiter did a very good job but when the scallops course came out with the the vegan version with mushrooms substituted, it went downhill from there. We asked one of the wait staff if mushrooms were substituted for scallops, they called a manager and he took the food back to the kitchen. After a little while I was told they were preparing another plate for me and would only be a couple minutes. Everyone else had finished their meal and I was still waiting for my food. When it came back, it was in a bowl but I did not get my risotto that was with the meal. I appreciated them taking care of my food, but I had to ask them if I was getting risotto and they told me they were told just the scallops and extra prawns that I had ordered. I was not given the option of keeping the initial risotto that I had three or four bites of. After a little while I was finally given my risotto. We all felt like we were an annoyance asking them to make it right and received a half hearted apology. We visit often but will eat elsewhere when in town.

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★ 2

I have to give major props to the restaurant for being open on Christmas Eve evening first and foremost. But in all honesty this is my 3rd try at this place and it just does nor cut it.
I decided to try the baked ham dinner. This consisted of a 3/4" slice of ham served with a small soup size bowl of scalloped potatoes and a few pieces of broccoli. Cost was $36.
Honestly, I could have gotten better food at Kwik Trip. My ham was luke warm (at best) and I can VERY honestly say I have had better scalloped potatoes at a funeral lunch!
I feel bad writing this review, but, at the same time, I have given this place 3 tries and every time I regret it. It's a Shame someone cannot come into this beautiful space and serve quality food.

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★ 4

Upscale food and atmosphere. Very consistent on both service and food.

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★ 5

The whole experience was the best in Eau Claire that I have had in a long time. Good food, great space and Alex, our server was awesome. Made my son's graduation special.

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 5

I'm always hesitant to order mussels at a restaurant - I usually end up with something rubbery & full of sand. The pasta blew me away - light, balanced flavors in the sauce & perfectly cooked seafood (no sand!). I forced myself to eat it one noodle at a time so I could savor it 😁. Hubby really enjoyed the burger too - again, light, balanced flavors. Nothing was the star but it all worked together to make an awesome burger. We'll definitely be back!

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 5

The pizza is top-notch and they always have an interesting special. Seriously - the pizza is some of the best I’ve ever had, not just in EC. The cocktails are also on par with the expectations of a space like this. The appetizers are nothing special and are relatively overpriced.

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★ 5

Amazing food and cocktails!

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★ 5

Came for birthday drinks with friends and Jack, our server, was the best of the best! Drinks were amazing but I still don't understand what seasonal sherbert is hahaha

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★ 5

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★ 5

Came for a date, and I'm not even mad she didn't show up. The food was incredible, the drink was par, and the desert was delicious. I highly recommend just coming and spending the money if you have it. I imagine this downtown Eau Clare has plenty of great options but I'm all for informalist.

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★ 5

Good bloodies 👌🏻

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★ 5

Paige was absolutely amazing! Super knowledgeable about local shops to visit. The food was so good we still talk about the hashbrowns! Our favorite restaurant on our trip!

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★ 5

They accommodated our large group very last minute. Our server and the bartender were very nice to us. The food and drinks were delicious. We had a lovely brunch! Highly recommend the vegan brunch dish.

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★ 5

Great food, great service!

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★ 2

We went to the informalist before going to a show. It is very expensive but we don't mind paying more if everything is top notch. We must have hit them on an off day. The staff was nice but couldn't recommend a wine and they didn't know if the wine was sweet or dry. It took about 10 minutes to get out drinks. We got a pizza because that is what looked good coming out of the kitchen and others were ordering them around us. But quite frankly it was burnt on the crust and bottom.. I mean black. Funny thing was the toppings in the center were soggy and mushy. I'm guessing the oven was way too hot. The bread that we ordered was also burnt and cold in the middle. It was also littered with full garlic cloves which is way too much. And I'm guessing the secret ingredient is salt because it was salty. Also they brought it out and it wasn't cut. We did get salads. Mine was just lettuce with 4 little sliced radish on it. My wife Ceasar salad had the crumbles left over from the crouton bag. It also had a vinegar Ceasar that didn't taste good at all and we had to send it back. Other than that the atmosphere was good and the mussels were good. Overall it was way too expensive for what we got for food.

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★ 5

What a gem of a restaurant! Eau Claire was halfway to our Wisconsin destination, and we thought the menu looked interesting so took a detour from our route to eat here.
We wanted to eat light and just share a few small plates to avoid leftovers. But every dish was so good, we kept ordering.
Wait staff was attentive and personable, food was served beautifully and the wines by the glass complemented the menu options we ordered.
Did I mention we're vegetarian? We often don't have many choices in a lot if areas of Wisconsin that we visit, so were joyfully stuffed here.
Fried Green Tomatoes, summer risotto, beet salad, cauliflower and peach cobbler. I'll eat there again when I'm in Eau claire!!

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★ 5

The food was soo good!! My steak was huge & cooked perfectly (medium), the pizza had The Best Italian Sausage (made in-house) that you could ask for & that baked key lime cheesecake with the blood orange sauce?! Freaking heaven!! Thank you for such amazing food. I’m so glad we found you!!
Supreme American Style Pizza, Rib Eye Steak & Green Beans, & Key Lime Cheesecake

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★ 5

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★ 1

The manager publicly embarrassed my wife and two guests today. Too much detail to explain why. She knows what she did.
We have been regulars for several years and have always had good food, good service and Jack the bartender is the best.
Between a naive waitress and a manager that wouldn’t listen I rate today a one star mess. Furthermore as we sat in the restaurant she cancelled the reservation just to get even. PK
Further to this negative review we received a message from a unnamed “owner” who told us to tell him about our experience. He included an email address that was undeliverable. Very strange.
Finally we got a phone call from the General Manager who told us to “Never Come Back” to the Informalist again. We wont!

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★ 5

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★ 5

Did not have a reservation and decided to wait for the 20 mins wait. Had a little mix up at the begining but the hosted, Javi, help me out with it. She was helpful and very patient. The server, Matt, was fantastic, he helped up with the Vegan options that they have. With that being said, the food we choose was fantastic. We had the shareable plant based cauliflower and the entree was plant based beet salad. The food was amazing. The cauliflower was tender and had a nice smokiness to it. The beet salad took me by surprise. I'm not a huge fan of beets but that beet salad was fantastic. The fresh dill with walnut was a nice touch. It complements each other very well. Overall the experience was amazing, very welcoming atmosphere and amazing staff. Would give a 10 star if possible.

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★ 5

My husband and I are vegans. We ordered 2 items, the cauliflower appetizer (it was touchdown good!) And the entree, the beet salad. They were fresh and fantastic. The waiter (Matt) was wonderful and gave us very detailed and explained the vegan menu options very specifically. The environment was modern, calm and very relaxing. I will say this, even the seats are very comfortable! The whole restaurant is beautiful. The staff members that my husband and I have met so far have been wonderful and will take care of you. We also didn't have to wait long so it was worth it.

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★ 1

This was one of our go-to restaurants for a long time. Last time, we were seated and not served for more than 10 minutes. As were were walking out the door, the hostess told us sarcastically to have a good night, so I backed up and told her we were seated and not served. Then the manager came over and said “sorry, have a good night.”

I’ve eaten here twice a month for as long as it’s been open at $100-140 per visit. I won’t be back.

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★ 5

Had a phenomenal brunch

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★ 4

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★ 5

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★ 5

Staff was accommodating. It is spendy, but the portions are good sized! Beautiful accommodations.

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★ 5

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★ 4

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★ 2

OMG, I had a Caesar salad with chicken that did NOT remotely taste like a Caesar, bland, barely any dressing, which was thin and lemony. The chicken was fine. I asked for a side of anchovies. I almost gagged on the bite I took. Anchovies were white and marinated in lemon. It was like eating a sour limp raw fish. My husband had a spice burger, and with so little on it, he used the leftover pretzel dip. The food hardly merits the very pricey menu.

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★ 5

We loved the informalist. We decided to try it on a whim & left pleasantly surprised.

The “Yellowjacket” pie was amazing- I personally loved the hot honey drizzle. A good variety of items on the menu to choose from in a cute, fun setting. I would recommend

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★ 5

We took baby steps and gave the pizza a try here and It was great! Crust was thin and well, quality toppings too. Cool drink menu. Our server Justin was great as well and gave honest opinions on likes/dislikes on the menu.

Would recommend for the Eau Claire area and go back again!

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★ 3

We sat on the patio, and had pizzas.
It was nice.

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 3

The food was OK. Very little flavor, just bland all around. Portions were huge though.
Staff were nice, but they felt stretched thin and were therefore absent and not super focused on customer service, more focused on getting everyone their orders. Oftentimes we felt ignored or rushed.

I guess I expected more of an experience and better tasting food from a place so highly lauded like The Informalist. To be honest the food quality and customer service makes it’s no different than any other Midwest or Wisconsin restaurant you find in any given small town, it only seems to stand out because it has a prettier face.

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★ 5

Very nice restaurant!

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★ 5

Love this place, but I'm pretty sure someone stole my sunglasses here. 😅

(Update: Sunglasses shown in photo. 📸)

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★ 5

Great food. Staff member Kyle was enjoyable and lightning fast with service.

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★ 3

The entrees priced very high.

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★ 5

We ate a burger and fries, a wood fire pizza (grilled asparagus, white sauce and smoked bacon), and pretzels with dipping sauces. The food was delicious and fantastic. Our server Hunter was friendly and attentive. We enjoyed the open floor atmosphere that still felt intimate and cozy. Thank you for the wonderful experience!

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★ 5

Best Sunday Brunch in Eau Claire!
Excellence in service, mimosas, food, and atmosphere. Best in Class customer service from our bartender Joe!
We will be back … often.

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★ 3

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★ 5

We absolutely love this place. So appreciative to have a local restaurant that has vegetarian and vegan menus that are amazing. The staff is always great too. Definitely a go to for brunch especially!

Source: Google

★ 4

This is a great restaurant attached to the Lismore Hotel. The ambiance is a relaxed modern feel. They do have an outdoor patio. The service was great here. They did not hover but was never left wanting. I started with the brussel sprouts. They were crispy on the outside and firm in the middle. They had good flavor. The pork chop I had for my meal was mediocre and a bit smaller than I expected. The smashed baby reds and sautéed bacon and kale were the best part of the entree. The quality of the food was good, but not outstanding. Considering the price for the entree, I would expect a larger portion or better flavor/quality. Overall, my experience was good, and I will give them another opportunity.

Source: Google

★ 5

We made reservations at The Informalist for Friday evening at 5pm when the opened. First, it was very easy to make reservations online and when we arrived we were seated immediately in a very nice booth in a side area of the restaurant. There were 3 of us.

Our server was prompt in getting us drinks. The Paloma was delicious and I ended up ordering a second one. Is $12 expensive for a drink? Yes, but it was my friend’s 50th and we were in for a splurge of an evening. We ordered the baked Brie to share, which came with crusty bread, lavender almonds, honeycomb, and caramelized onions (I think). This was a fabulous way to start dinner, such interesting flavors that worked well together, and it was the perfect size for three of us to share as a starter. Two of us at the table ordered the salmon and the third ordered the duck. We had the perfect amount of time to enjoy our starter and drinks before our food came out. I love salmon, and the crispy skin and buttery texture was some of the best I’ve ever had in a restaurant. The romesco sauce was a great complement to the salmon and the leek risotto a fabulous side. Everything was seasoned and balanced to perfection. My friend said that her duck was delicious as well. We pretty much licked our plates clean. This was a fabulous place to celebrate a big birthday and to indulge a little bit.

Perhaps the only slightly disappointing thing was that when we made reservations it asked if we were celebrating an occasion. I denoted a birthday, but no one at the restaurant acknowledged this. It wasn’t a huge deal, but if you are going to ask, perhaps acknowledge it.

We didn’t feel rushed to get through our meal and leave, even though it got busy. This speaks to customer service. I can’t wait for my next dinner at The Informalist!

EDIT on 5/8/23: I ate here again this last weekend for another friend’s birthday. Our experience was wonderful, once again. We started with the Brussels sprouts and the burrata; both were very tasty, although that milk bread served with the burrata was fantastic. I ordered the salmon once again, although this time it was served with a cold grain salad of sorts. It was tasty, although the warm salmon and cold salad were an odd contrast. Everyone at our table raved about their food!

Source: Google

★ 5

One of the nicest dining atmospheres in Eau Claire's city center. Excellent service and a wonderful menu. The 007 pizza was one of the best pizzas that we ever had. We had similar success with the salmon, and other dishes as well. The breakfast was exceptionally good - the eggs were farm fresh and the sausage was the perfect complement.

Source: Google

★ 3

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★ 5

This place was great! Great ambience, decor and service and the beet salad and pizza were awesome!

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★ 4

Great food and decor. Room temperature was very cold though.

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★ 4

Good food good service

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★ 5

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★ 4

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★ 2

Atmosphere good. Food was not great for the price. Expected much better flavors.

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★ 5

Everything on the breakfast menu is very good

Source: Google

★ 2

I really don’t like writing reviews like this but for how expensive the meal was for the quality was disappointing. I went around 5ish on a Wednesday so not very busy at all. Ordered the hush puppies with ham and the crispy skin salmon. The hush puppies were fine and the presentation didn’t really make any sense to me? No effort. The salmon skin was not crispy and the salmon itself was dry. Overall the dish just tasted like oil and the charred broccolini was just broccoli? Pretty odd experience overall. Ambiance is so cool and the menu sounded so good which made me extra bummed that the food was so average. I totally get the price adjustment for fair wages but for $63 for mid quality? Not great.

Source: Google

★ 5

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★ 5

Source: Google

★ 1

We have become quite regulars on the weekends at least two to three times a month. We leave always happy with our experience and food. However, today, we waited for over 40 minutes to be told our food is on the way but they forgot to place the order in for our one year old daughter. We ended up having to give her our food, because it would take another 10 minutes or so for hers to arrive. The food was surprisingly not seasoned, soggy, and burnt. I truly wish for $60+ our service and food would’ve been better. Hopefully next time we are back, it will be!

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 3

I've eaten here several times and most of the time it's underwhelming. For $22 it should be the best burger I've ever eaten. In reality every burger I've ever made is better. Culver's makes a more flavorful burger. They use quality ingredients which is the only reason I eat here when others invite me. The pizza is the same way. Most expensive pizza in the Chippewa valley, underwhelming, a $30 should blow my mind, but if you want the best pizza just got to lucettes in Menomonie, and their atmosphere is good. That being said the breakfast is slightly better tasting and better value, the French omelette is great and the hash browns are some of the best hash browns I've ever had.

Source: Google

★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 4

Enjoyed brunch the other day. The menu was fun and unique that included vegan options as well. I had a mimosa and the Breakfast Burger with hash browns and my husband had Eggs Benedict with a spicy Bloody Mary.
The service was top notch and the food was great. Only thing was my burger was a bit over cooked to my liking and the spicy Bloody Mary did not have much kick to it. This was our second visit and we enjoyed it just as much as the first time! Great for a night out or weekend brunch.

Source: Google

★ 3

The food was good, but overpriced. If the price reflects the living wage they pay their servers, I would rather pay for both services separately. Instead of feeling like I overpaid ($24) for a bowl of noodles with tahini, and received mediocre service. Nice place though.

Source: Google

★ 4

Pretty decent place for a fancy drink and chill atmosphere. Drinks and food are overpriced but the quality mostly makes up for it. Most weekends they have live music which is a plus.

Source: Google

★ 5

Enjoyed the elote pizza and drinks. Some of the best coffee in town.

Source: Google

★ 5

A bunch of my girl friends went here one night to celebrate and it was such a fun time!! The pizza was to die for!! So so so delicious!! Cool atmosphere, nice staff and great for celebrations!!

Source: Google

★ 1

Went there tonight and ordered the $39 New York strip . It was grisly, lots of fat . At the most about two bites of decent meat . I then ordered an Irish coffee . It had just a hint of whisky , they must have waved the bottle at it . No clue how to make one . I will not be going back .

Source: Google

★ 5

Great food and friendly staff, very nice and relaxing atmosphere

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★ 5

Good food. Good service.

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★ 4

The food was very good! I ordered a 8oz NY strip with the green beans and potatoes. For me the potatoes were underdone. If I would order them again, I would for them extra crispy. One sort of annoying thing was the knife I was given to cut my steak. It was equivalent to that of a plastic knife but it was metal 😕. Overall, very delicious flavors and would definitely come back!

Source: Google

★ 4

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★ 5

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★ 5

The pizza I ordered was amazing, also had a seasonal hot toddy that was life changing delicious. Have been here several times never disappoints.

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★ 2

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★ 5

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★ 4

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★ 5

Went for a late night dinner after a show. We had delicious cocktails, a plate of French fries done to perfection and a wood-fired pizza with perfect crust.

Source: Google

★ 5

Man what a hidden gem, when you see a 60 plus dollar ribeye your hopes get raised and it was worth it. Chef Joey killed the preparation and delivery and our server ryan was brilliant. Didn't try the pizza but the steaks and salads were wonderful. The drinks were very good and I had the best Arnold Palmer ever.

Source: Google

★ 4

Great food!

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★ 3

The pizza was OK, but just average for the money. The carrot cake was horrible. I would not even call it cake. It looked like a gob of dough was baked on a cookie sheet and just served with some kind of carrot puree that looked and tasted like baby food. Very unappetizing and very unpleasant to look at.

Source: Google

★ 5

Delightful wonderful fantastic

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★ 4

We had the Breakfast Nachos and they were fantastic. Very good breakfast. My daughter said their Chai made her top 10 Chai list. A friend had the oatmeal and looked so delicious! Definitely will go back when we are in Eau Claire

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 5

Great food, possibly the best salmon I've ever had, super moist with perfectly crispy skin. Pizza is quite good also.

Source: Google

★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 5

BEST FOOD IN 100 MILES! From the pizza to the salmon - everything was delicious! Waiter was equally as great!

Source: Google

★ 2

Breakfast was fine. Nothing beyond basic breakfast items. Hash browns were home made so +1 stars for that. Omelette was way undercooked. Pretty expensive for what you get.

Source: Google

★ 5

The pizza here is always some of the best in the area. What really impressed me during my recent visit was the service. It was spot on. Service exactly when we needed it, no wait. That is really hard to find anywhere right now. The Informalist nailed it. We did have a reservation, and I recomend making one as they only seat what they are staffed for.

Source: Google

★ 5

Went for brunch. The menu was quite eclectic with plenty of different options. Breakfast burgers, Eggs Benedict, Eggs Florentine, omelets. I had the Special - a BLT with an over easy egg and avocado on top. The hashbrowns were bit crispy, but overall a great brunch.

Source: Google

★ 5

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★ 5

Definitely one of the best pizza restaurants in CV. Overall quality is pretty high. Only knock would be inconsistency in service. It ranges from very good to poor.

Source: Google

★ 4

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★ 4

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★ 4

Good ambience and service, but food not as good as I expected. The scrambled tofu tasted weird, should have a more oriental seasoning and be less greasy.

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 4

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★ 4

Cool atmosphere and great food but having staff wear masks is off-putting. LOSE THE MASKS!

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google