Nepenthe — Restaurant in Gonzales

With a name like "Nepenthe" (neh-pen-they), which is a Greek word meaning "house of no sorrows" -- it's easy to see why the name here fits. 🥰

There seem to be several businesses on site here, so let me explain how it appears to work:

Nepenthe is the restaurant at the top area. Due to price-point, we didn't eat here and just went down a level to what we felt was less-crowded, more open views anyway. Seemed to have a full coffee/wine bar and perhaps a limited menu. Didn't have much interaction with the host, but she didn't seem very friendly/happy. People seemed to be waiting awhile and getting stuck in corners without as many views, but it's meant to appear as an "upscale" restaurant. It's not, just has the view.

Cafe Kevah is the mid-level cafe with viewssss 🌊 💍If I could get married all over, I'd choose this balcony corner. Perhaps renewing of vows.💡 Our whole family LOVES this spot and will now be an every-time stop for us.🥰 We like to split cookies or danishes for the kids and we'll sip on a coffee or something...makes it more affordable. Staffing at Cafe Kevah has always been super inviting and friendly in an authentic, honest way. Just a simple job serving food in a delicious place! (The top restaurant and the lower store can have a feel of arrogance which I'm not about, but the mid-level Cafe Kevah is just down-to-earth enjoyment of beautiful things!

The price value for Nepenthe AND Cafe Kevah comes from the architecture allowing you to meld into the ambiance of the natural area. Go split something and enjoy the views, but don't expect anything super delicious. It's good, but not what the price-point will make you think it will taste like.

Phoenix Shop is down below...the bottom 2 levels. There are bathrooms located to the right immediately when walking in the double doors down and paintings on the bathroom walls (awkward for my kids ages 8 & 9 😆🙃🙈). The store has many things to look at -- very eclectic shop, but out favorite is the porch on non-rainy days on the top level of the shop. Staffing downstairs in the lowest level has always been friendly and helpful, but staffing at the jewelry counter is more-often quite "uppity." When I misplaced my wedding ring (at home, not at Nepenthe), I was looking around and the young girl barely seemed interested in answering any questions. Definitely won't spend $1,700 with that kind of customer service! Other staff throughout the store were thankfully more friendly and made the browsing experience enjoyable.

⚠️FYI, while I did not see any signs in the parking lot notifying anyone, dogs are not dog friendly. A dog-friendly lookout point would be the staircases up from the parking lots. (We don't have a dog yet, but my kids have been asking so we've been noticing where dogs are and are not welcomed.)

Parking gets very tight, especially with a truck camper, so plan accordingly. Entering back onto Hwy 1 is right at an inclined curve so cars going north will have momentum built going up and traffic going south will be coasting quickly...

Went to the store downstairs asking for a coffee shop. They told me they could make me some coffee beverages upstairs at the bar.

I went up and asked the bartender for three capuccinos. Not the friendliest service but I felt bad for him because the bar was sort of busy (late afternoon) and he took the trouble of making them. Gave him a decent tip so in all I paid $26 for three coffees.

Outside as we took in the view , my sister-in-law was finishing her capuccino and felt something inside her cup. She took the lid off and found a hair tie (black rubber band) submerged in the coffee. I took the cup to the bartender and he flatly denied that he or anyone at the bar had anything to do with it. So I thought maybe it was my sister in law’s hair tie. Went back to her and she said “it was not mine. I don’t have hair ties and I felt it inside the cup before I took the lid off. When I opened it, the hair tie was in there”.

So I go back to the bartender thinking I could reason with him and again he doubled down , very audibly saying in front of other customers that the hair tie had nothing to do with him or anyone in the bar, making me out to be a liar of some kind. I said that I was sure that it didn’t come from us and that it must have been their mistake. And he very rudely said “well, it just be a mystery then” and turned away to the other customers. The other bartender heard the commotion and asked me what happened. I explained to him but he didn’t say or do anything. The worse part is that I couldn’t even get an “I’m sorry” from either of them. Zero apologies.

I left. Extremely rude service and health code violation: to find a hair tie with hair on it floating in your coffee, especially after paying so much for it. I’ve been there many times before. As others have said, the food is mediocre and overpriced but the views are beautiful. There’s a lot of intentionally generated influencer buzz about this place though. There are certainly many other beautiful vistas and businesses with them in that stretch that might not be popping up in your social media feeds.

After this gross experience and inexcusable “the customer must be wrong” double-down (treating me like I was trying to hustle them, perhaps because of my name or me being Latino?), I won’t be...

Nepenthe: A Dining Experience to Remember

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Nepenthe with my girlfriend, my best friend, From the moment we walked in, the experience was nothing short of exceptional. We started our visit at the bar while waiting for our table, and I must say, the bartender was outstanding. With his long, slicked-back hair, soul patch, and glasses, he exuded coolness and expertise. He was incredibly knowledgeable and made the wait enjoyable. I had a Mezcal Soda, Danny opted for an Old Fashioned with Buffalo Trace, and Vane enjoyed a Moscow Mule—each drink was expertly crafted.

Once we were seated, our server, Adrian, continued the stellar service. He was down-to-earth, incredibly knowledgeable, and made us feel as though we were reconnecting with an old friend. His warmth and expertise added a personal touch that truly elevated our visit.

The Food: A Culinary Delight

We started our meal with the smoked salmon appetizer. As expected, it was a fantastic choice—perfectly smoked and flavorful. For the main course, Jess and I shared the Shrimp BLT, and it was simply stellar. The combination of soft bread, tangy tomato jam, and the standout basil aioli was unforgettable. Honestly, I could’ve devoured an entire gallon of that aioli. Our friends had the Ambrosia Burger, which looked incredible, and we all shared a basket of fries that were equally satisfying.

Dessert: The Showstopper

And then there was dessert—Banana Cream Pie, the star of the show. It was light, decadent, and perfectly balanced. The sweetness was just right, and the pie managed to be both airy and creamy at the same time. The crust was an absolute masterpiece, crumbling beautifully while still maintaining a delicate stability. It’s easily the best Banana Cream Pie any of us have ever had.

A Memorable Finale

To top off an already perfect meal, Adrian took the time to chat with us about life, which led to an amazing conversation. As a thoughtful gesture, he gifted us some charming coffee mugs that said “Happy Birthday,” completely unaware that it was actually my birthday weekend. It was the perfect ending to a...