06/09/09

If you crave for wine?

by kenny1006

Great food with nice rice , people are friendly. and we like to eat different food. please go there. because it's good place to chill. i will bring my grilfriend there sometimes. and it's closed by.

• Pros: great wine
• Cons: expensive

02/23/09

The Best

by 1sarah

This is the best restaurant in Columbus for fine dining. You have all the elements of a wonderful experience. The atmosphere is romantic, the service is exceptional without being over-bearing and the food is always great with a beautiful presentation. Did I mention the fine china you eat off of? The owner and his assistant will do anything to make you comfortable. They truely strive to make you go home feeling well taken care of. Lastly, if you don't feel like dining in the restaurant, the bar is almost more romantic with a great menu, too. I love the fireplace in there!

• Pros: They also do a nice job using the internet to confirm reservations and tell you about upcoming events. The wait staff is very knowledgeable and will guide you about anything on the menu/wine list.
• Cons: Some people may be put off that there are not HUGE plates of food--this is not Mortons and doesn't pretend to be. It is fine dining!!!

04/09/08

Best Culinary Experience In Columbus!

by neurotikitty

From start to finish, an amazing meal and service experience! The service staff anticipated our every need and delivered everything in an unobtrusive manner. They were knoweledgeable and the food was melt-in-your-mouth good! Seriously, they may have served to me the best filet mignon I have ever had. Oh, and I loved the table visit from the owner at the end of our meal--not sure if that's the norm, but it made us feel special. I can't wait to go back!

• Pros: Amazing wine, service and food!
• Cons: Decor

06/18/07

good food but...

by montyb49

My hubby and I went to The Refectory for our anniversary in March. By the time dessert came i was full and had the waitress box up my brown sugar pudding.

The next day i went to put my pudding in a regular bowl so i could enjoy it when i look down and see some sort of cable adaptor laying in my pudding. My hubby tells me later its some sort of network cable plug.

I call the restaurant and explain to them what i found. They were very apologetic and quickly got my name, number and address and told me their manager would be giving me call.

in a few days the manager calls and lets me know that he wants to personally bring a dessert to my house for me to enjoy. I'm thinking "wow...okay!" We set up a date and a time. The time comes i'm waiting around the house for a while....he never shows up. I call the restaurant a liitle while later. I'm connected to the manager he tells me that he forgot. He offers no apology and tries to set up another date and time with me. I tell him not to worry about it.

I guess i half expected to receive something in the mail after that or to have my original dessert cost credited to my credit card or something but none of these things happened. If the manager hadn't gotten my hopes up with the thought of a hand delivered yummy dessert and then not following through with his committment I wouldn't have been as disappointed by my experience but he did and I am.

To this day i have yet to receive anything from them for the inconvenience. I will be honest and say i didn't expect that.

I'll probably not go back.

• Pros: wonderful food
• Cons: stuffy and dark

01/01/07

Wonderful Experience

by sarahp43085

i don't get out to anything this fine quality that often. i love to eat out and consider myself a bit of a food snob. that being said, i can only afford to eat out at a place like this only every once in awhile, and i never felt a hint of snobbery one might expect from such a fine dining locale. our main waiter, Kevin, was fantastic, although I'm sure we threw him off, us not being your run of the mill average customers. I was with Jeremy, and he asked for a second bottle of a british pale ale. it took a long time for kevin to get back, apologizing for the delay and had the news that they were out of that particular ale. So, Kevin first suggests a replacement that would be similiar, and then brings it out, saying, "first take a taste, the i will be back to tell you the story of that beer"

it turned out to be actually one of MY favorite beers, 'La Fin Du Monde', and he didn't charge us for it.

Such a fantastic place, and when i feel the need, i will definetly be back. Thank You Kevin for the laughs!

The best part about the whole occasion was that it was only the two of us, and we had literally a corner to ourselves. (although something was a little wonky w/ their heating that evening)

• Pros: good parking, personable staff, and DEFINETLY the setting/amibience
• Cons: the heating was off, pricey (duh), this type of attentive service is not for everyone

08/20/06

good food, stuffy service

by modn1

the food was good. service was too stuffy - had dinner for party of 12. we're all in our 30's, young professionals and would have liked it to be less stuff - definitely for an older crowd. i made reservations for 12 ppl but we weren't seated until 1/2 hour after the reservation because they were getting the wine cellar ready. should have done that prior to us showing up. the place was not busy.

• Pros: good food
• Cons: long wait though we had reservations, stuffy service

04/20/06

Excellent Special Occasion Event

by jen2879

I took my husband to this restaurant for his birthday. We requested a private booth (on the recommendation of another reviewer). The stainglass remodled church is beautiful and the service impeccable. The food is high class dishes you cannot find anywhere else. I orderd the duck and my husband the elk; both were incredible. If you are looking for a special occasion location with a romantic ambiance, this is the place. Not recommended for large groups--much better for an intimate gathering.

• Pros: Unique Dishes, Privacy, Excellent Service
• Cons: Small Menu, Pricey w/ small meals

10/03/04

Absolutely PERFECT...

by chicnyclady

The Refectory is, undoutedly, one of the best restaurants we have ever dined. Our relocation from New York City could have been a more difficult experience, but the presence of this true gem of an establishment has made Columbus infinitely better!

We have dined in fine restaurants all over the world and found that the quality of cuisine, unparalleled wine list and the attentiveness of the staff (and owner) places Refectory among the best.

The dishes are uniquely and creatively prepared, the blend of ingredients creates a harmony for the palate, while the cocktails and wine list are a perfect complement.

In short, this upscale restaurant has an amazing cuisine and wine list, and the ambience of the converted church adds so much character to an already amazing establishment.

• Pros: Amazing food, Great wine list, The best!

08/17/04

Representing the purist tradition in French cuisine, this is a perennial favorite among elite diners.

by Contributor

The Scene
Housed in an old church that was converted in the early '70s, the restaurant's atmosphere is dark and dramatic, almost austere, with stained-glass windows and wooden beams in the main dining room. Call ahead for one of the coveted booths that feel private and enclosed. Or dine in the more inviting cocktail lounge, complete with big stone hearth blazing in the fall and winter months.

The Food
Chef de cuisine Richard Blondin specializes in wild game preparations. Signature entrees include a rack of baby New Zealand lamb roasted in a savory crust, homemade pâté and ostrich tenderloin wrapped in double-smoked bacon. From the attentive service to the pristinely prepared dishes, this restaurant is consistently lauded locally and regionally. Chef Blondin trained in the kitchen of Pierre Orsi in Lyons and is a perfectionist, making every plate a showpiece.

• Pros: perfect date place

07/28/04

The best!

by langalich

I have dined in many fine restaurants in numerous places but this is still my favorite. The Refectory has delivered a consistently great experience over the last eight years we have dined there. The staff is very knowledgeable and friendly, the food is prepared to perfection, the wine list is unmatched, and I have not experienced better service anywhere else in this area. Furthermore, we have found that because The Refectory is so fair with their wine prices we can enjoy a great multi-course dinner with wine for less than we could at some of the more well-known 'chain' restaurants. Also their Bistro menu allows for more frequent but less 'extravagant' dining. Truly a superior restaurant!

• Pros: Outstanding Service, Amazing Cuisine, Extraordinary Wine Se