Iris Ristorante a Palazzo Soave — Restaurant in Verona

When planning our trips to Italy I look for dining experiences. We booked a reservation for this dining room several weeks in advance (party of 3). Reservations with this establishment are strongly recommended.

We arrived at the designated time for our reservation and were warmly greeted and escorted to the elevator. Down we went to the wine cellar for an aperitif, a welcoming snack and an opportunity to review the menu. A very unique experience which we all loved.

Two set menus for the table are offered and if none of them are deemed suitable, you can choose 3 or 4 course tasting options. For this evening we selected the Adriatico E Dintorni tasting menu option (fish & seafood).

After settling in and placing our menu selections, we were escorted back to the elevator to be seated in the open concept dining room. The dining room was exceptionally well appointed with a view of the kitchen.

We then went back to the cocktail menu which is very limited. It is not a full bar. After some discussion, the team went back to the bar and crafted a unique cocktail for my wife. I do not know what was in it but it certainly was one of a kind. What is important here is not the cocktail itself, but the extent to which the team listened to what she would prefer and worked to present something that would be acceptable. Excellent.

Now the courses started to arrive. Each was plated fabulously and described passionately by our servers. Some plates rose to the level of an art form. All servers made a point of highlighting the preparation and inspiration when presenting the courses.

Every course presented was exquisite and they were consumed as passionately as they were presented. All were excellent.

For this evening we also selected the wine pairing option. Being a fish & seafood menu selection, the wine pairing was almost exclusively white. That was a big risk for us, me in particular, as I have a heavy red wine bias. Unfortunately, the wine pairing did not work for me. The sommelier was outstanding in his presentation of the wines, the reason for their selection and other background information. I am sure that anyone who appreciates white wines would have thoroughly enjoyed the selections.

After the main courses had been completed, out came the cheese trolley. Of course, I had to try it. 4 cheeses out of MANY options were selected. Again, excellent.

On to desert(s). A cleansing course (darn good on its own), the main event and finally, pastries. Again, Excellent.

Everyone was absolutely fabulous at this dining room. The staff was busy but was always attentive and extremely accommodating.

At the end of the evening we had an opportunity to meet the Chef, Giacomo Sacchetto.

My only caution with respect to this dining room is noise levels. We were amongst the first tables to be seated and initially, noise was not an issue whatsoever. As the evening progressed and the dining filled to near capacity (it was busy!), the noise levels increased. They increased to the point where it was challenging at times to hear our sommelier and servers. Table conversation was not an issue.

Notwithstanding my footnote on noise levels, this was an outstanding dining experience!! One of the best we have experienced anywhere. Thank you to all.

We strongly recommend...

A Michelin 1 star restaurant in the city center of Verona. Once entered, we were introduced to their cellar first. Interesting amuse-bouche has more soured flavor to get our appetite ready for the next journey. We have chosen the seafood menu, and for wine pairing only Italian wines (it is possible to choose foreign wines, too). Then we were led to the first floor to enjoy our dinner. The kitchen is open and clear, and it is very interesting to see all the staff working in the kitchen. We were lucky to be seated right in front of the kitchen so we could see everything clearly. I like very much the starters which are refreshing and creative. I like the chef's interpretation of caviar, and this dish tastes amazing with the crackers. The home baked bread goes well with olive oil, which I really had a lot. The combination of fried langoustine ball and squid is also very tasty. Both texture and flavors are brought at their most. The risotto is good, too, though for Asians the rice in risotto is always undercooked, but it is understandable. I personally really enjoy mixing some olive oil in the risotto. The spaghetti has a very sweet taste, and when joining the wine, it brings out very special taste of the wine, which I really enjoyed. The main dishes are finely prepared, both kinds of fishes are quite fresh. The desserts are quite rich, with playful presentations and flavors. My favourite is the rhubarb syrup with ice creams. The whole atmosphere was quite chick and nice, it was like having a nice art exhibition with...

The restaurant is deserving of its Michelin Star status. The service was superb and each course was delivered with precision and thoughtfulness. We opted for the wine pairing and the sommelier was passionate and very helpful in answering questions and presenting the wines. We stuck to regional wines and the choices did a great job of complimenting the food.

I won't go through each dish of the tasting menu, but I will say that I enjoyed every one. The presentation and taste were second to none.

While I generally don't directly compare alternatives in my reviews, I will say that we were able to dine at another Michelin Star restaurant nearby in Verona and Iris is the one I would come back to again. Everything about it made me feel like the experience truly was an "experience". We were able to watch the chefs prepare the food, the staff was kind and attentive, the dishes were great, the environment was well thought-out and I highly...