Conifer — Restaurant in Bentonville

Sublime, but.... One of the stars is given to the ambiance, and the other to the food. Let me explain. The place is unpretentious, original, warm, and wooded. Very cousy and rather beautiful. You can think of it as a place where you can have a long conversation over good food and nice wines. The food is an original feast of flavors with a very challenging proposition to the palate. One needs to remember not to judge the book by its cover as the menu describes the food rather than name it. I personally took a couple of bets and won; big time. One needs to be prepared to originality. Things like rare salmon with radish and oily lemon, coming together, became a revealing combination. And the list can keep going as every dish is prepared with sublime delicacy. If you are into exploring novelty, go ahead and have a go. That is where the magic ends. This is a place where, if you have in mind wine and a desert, you need to be ready to pay anywhere between $70 and $100 per person yet, apart from the server’s amiable approach, the service is poor and undeserving of the price tag. If I sit at a table in a restaurant like this, I expect proper service. This means that when I am done with the appetizer, the dirty dishes and utensils need to be removed and replaced “before” the main course arrives. I had to kindly request the server to take those away when he brought the food and, I needed to express my intension of getting clean utensils. In a place like this, I should not expect another server stretching their arms in the air whilst talking with another table. In a place like this, I was expecting proper etiquette to the extent possible yet I felt as if I was being served in any other ordinary chain restaurant. Then, the icing of the cake came in the shape and form of the check, which included a 3% “discount for paying cash”. It is the first time in a very, very long time, that a restaurant transferred me the cost of them doing business by processing a credit card transaction. I would have expected that from a small shack in the middle of nowhere, but not from here. Who nowadays carries cash? This was very disappointing. I find it frustrating when things are taken for granted. This restaurant, from what I hear, became famous before it was born and I felt as if that was a granted right to mishandle certain aspects of basic hospitality. I worked in hospitality long enough to know. I shall not be going back and, unfortunately, cannot recommend this place. Not for its price because the food is sublime. Is because the price is a reflection of the whole and “Conifer” fails on many basics that, in a place like this,...

My friends and I recently ate at Conifer and had a wonderful experience. The ambiance is warm and inviting. I love the details and thought put into the space. Live plants bring warmth and comfort while the fabulous murals, made by local artist Roxy Erickson, set a perfect tone for the space. There is also a private dinning room available that features her work. Another notable aspect of the space is a huge community table made of one solid center cut live edge tree. I heard this piece came from one of the trees that were removed to build the world famous Crystal Bridges Art Museum which is just a hop and a skip from the restaurant itself. As a long time local, I appreciate the beauty and poetry in this. My friends and I love to experience new restaurants in a family style way. So we ordered almost everything on the menu and shared all of the plates. My favorite small plate was the roasted brussels with curry cashew cheese, pomegranates and pepitas. Though the burrata with beets and apple chutney came in a solid second for me. The porkchop with potato kugel, greens, with mustard cream was a table favorite. This dish felt like home - comfort food all the way. I was also blown away by the mussels, shrimp, whitefish, fennel broth with saffron and tomato. If I could have drank the broth strait from the bowl without looking silly, I sure would have. We ordered all three desserts offered and all were delicious and made with stunningly fresh and beautiful local ingredients. I can't remember what my favorite one was called but it tasted like a lemon flavored dream. Chef Cooper, Hope and the rest of the staff went above and beyond to create a lovely dinning experience. We are a table of 4 very busy people and it sometimes takes weeks for our schedules to align, so we appreciate a restaurant with not only great food, but also a fabulous staff. I love the complex and harmonious flavors created by Chef Matthew Cooper and his entire philosophy around food. This is a true farm to table restaurant. Chef Cooper has worked closely with our local farming communities for years and you can taste the difference it makes when you source local and support local farmers. Not only are the ingredients delicious, fresh and locally grown but the menu is also gluten free. I 100% recommend going with a group of friends and try everything. Pro tip: When you make your reservations and arrive, the GPS will most likely take you to the back of the Howard building where Conifer is located. Its easier to park in the lot to the west of...

I rarely get to write this type of review, a positive one.

Having wanted to go for some time, I finally had the best dinner partner, my mother, who was visiting from out of town. We were excited to get (a little) dressed up and experience an all-gluten-free menu.

Although it's a little tricky finding your way into Conifer due to the street construction, once you make your way into the space, you find yourself in a bit of awe at the restaurant's beauty from both a functional and aesthetic stance.

We were immediately escorted to our table and greeted by the most dazzling server, Frankie, who was just as pretty as she was friendly.

We both ordered our mocktails and were given an overview of the items not featured on the menu. We started with the beet salad and the cornbread for our appetizer while we continued to pursue all the delicacies illustrated on the menu page.

The beets were exceptional for an appetizer, and the cornbread's butter was fresh and zesty.

I ordered the chicken and dumplings, and my mother ordered the crab cakes for our main meal. We split the brussels sprouts, and both ordered dessert...yes, we couldn't stop eating.

Between the oohs and ahhs, Frankie would appear to see how we were doing, and each time, she shared a little about the restaurant, the owner, and how much she enjoyed working at Conifer; such pleasant conversations to go along with such an exceptional meal.

The meal was on par with any other celebrated cuisine, and I have had the luxury of eating at several Michelin-starred and James Beard-winning establishments. NW Arkansas has some excellent restaurants indeed, fewer than you might think for a gentrified area such as this, but a few. I can always find a few things on any restaurant menu that allows me to eat out wherever I go.

Conifer has won the top slot!

Is it pricey? Well, perhaps to some, but for me, having no choice other than a gluten-free diet, it was a delight to eat as I did before having to eliminate gluten. There was something on the menu for everyone, even those without gluten allergies. The chef, Matthew Cooper, was kind enough to come to speak with my mother and me. He was just as cool as his food, and his food was delicious.

Eating at Conifer was a thoroughly enjoyable experience, and I am excited to head back and try something...