Hestia Rooftop — Restaurant in Charlotte

This is the email I sent to them. I tried to reach out to them first but no response after 4 days.

Hey guys, I am writing you first before leaving a review somewhere because we ate in your restaurant tonight and it was not good. In fact, our entire party left feeling unimpressed and like we wasted our money. Under the conditions we experienced tonight, we would not be coming back and would steer people away. I am actually hopeful there is something you can do for us to get us to come back and try again. Here were the primary drivers of our very poor experience-

1- service- our waitress was pushy and tried upselling us at every visit to the table. It was almost as if we were on her schedule and her visits were frequent and awkward. The time to get drinks was super slow. We had a party of 6 and were hit with an automatic 20% gratuity at the end of the night that was never disclosed. That was unexpected, not appropriate and not a standard practice. This was very poor service for an upscale restaurant. We go out as a group all the time and this was a poor experience.

2- drinks- inconsistent pours. They varied a lot from one to the next. Quite expensive for that to be the case. In fact, I ordered an old fashioned (actually 2) and when I got the bill, there was a $36 charge and a $6 charge. When I asked about this, I was told the $36 was for the makers mark and the $6 was to make the drink. This was one of the weirdest and most awkward moments of the night. I’m not sure I believe the explanation but if that is accurate, it’s strange. No other restaurant I have ever visited (and I entertain people for a living) has ever charged me like that.

3- food- the steaks were awful. It was prob the worst steak I have ever had in a restsurant and everyone that got steak agreed. They were small, thin (def not prime) and not seasoned. They are priced way too high for this to be the case. Several people came by and asked how the food was and none of us could even answer. I cannot stress to you enough that this is a big problem if you’re looking to get people back.

I think it would be a mistake to not acknowledge that you have a beautiful restaurant and the ambiance was fantastic. We were very excited when we got off the elevator after arriving. This is why it’s so disappointing to send you this email. We had high hopes for your restaurant as we often go to uptown for a good meal. We just can’t come back and drop another $1200 to risk the same experience we just had. I would not send this email if things were even ok. We are rooting for you to be successful for several reasons but hopefully you will listen to this feedback.

I look forward to hearing...

Can I say “Top tier”! I dined at Hestia Thursday evening to visit and take notes to potentially host future events. As an influencer in the spaces I navigate and event programmer, it was important that I stopped by to gauge the overall experience and they did not disappoint ! I walked in and the ambience amazing! Decor , lighting, and all around environment was very grown and sexy! I sat at the sushi bar and was immediately greeted with smiles and attentive service. While waiting to order I was checked on by a real sweet lady named Tenille. I spoke to her for a bit and learned that she is the Events Manager, which was good to know because I would ultimately need to speak with her in the near future. My appetizers came and the food was delicious! I had the Wagyu Beef Tacos and Panther Roll with the Tokubetsu Honjozo - Doi Shuzo (Sword of the Sun) sake and that combo was outstanding! Everything was flavorful and the sake was perfect! While eating the food was so good I had to tell the Chefs preparing in front of me. I didn’t even know they had already seen my reaction and were pleased. I got to speak to and meet Executive Chef, Chef Dustin and Sous Chef, Chef Egi! That part of my meal went so good I had to keep going lol. Tenille and Kelly (one of the servers, really nice) came up to check on me with inviting smiles and Tenille asked “was it good”? A confident yes was my response and I put my order in for the “Interactive Yakiniku Grill” I read the description and just had to try it. After they walked off I looked around to enjoy the views of the restaurant and ended up meeting Jackie who was also very nice and just happened to be the Assistant Manager. I mentioned to her how good the sake was and wanted to know if she can recommend another one. And boy did she! Her knowledge of how the sake was made and its what I should expect the taste to be had me anxious for my glass so I went with the Junmai Daiginjo - Senkin Modern Muko. But the grand finale was when my entree arrived and the presentation was amazing! The “Interactive Yakiniku Grill” comes with 3 different selections of thinly sliced 10oz cuts of Japanese A5 Miyazaki Wagyu Beef: Tri-Tip Streak, Flank Steak, Strip-Loin Steak on a platter with seasoning on the side and a hot rock to cook the steak slices yourself! I thought that was so cool! Kelly helped me cook the first slice but I became a pro after that lol! Overall I’d rate my experience 10/10 for ambience, presentation, taste, and service! I will definitely be back. My experience was...

This was my first visit to Hestia Rooftop and it was more than expected. This was a top-shelf birthday experience. We arrived on a Tuesday around 6:45 pm. It wasn't super busy inside the restaurant or in the bar seating area outside. The hostesses were friendly, and told us about bar seating with a smile. The view from the rooftop was expansive and so beautiful.

The "Down the Rabbit Hole" cocktail was suggested by Jaedan, our server, and it was a well-balanced and tasty Mezcal-based drink. I had questions about the Sashimi, which Jaedan worked with the kitchen to answer. I ended up ordering the Salmon Sashimi and my friend ordered the Spicy Tuna Maki Rolls. The Salmon was sliced thicker than Sashimi I've had before, but it absolutely melted in my mouth. Ample Wasabi, ginger, and soy sauce were served and the presentation was beautiful. My friend enjoyed the Spicy Tuna, except she didn't like the chopped green peppers sprinkled on top because they added nothing in her opinion. I ordered more Salmon Sashimi...ended up eating 4 pieces. We also shared a plate of grilled brocollini...when I tell you the crispy onions, salt flakes and miso butter added so much flavor!!! I ate the brocollini like it was a steak... so good!

It felt very special for the management and staff to celebrate my birthday with dessert although I didn't have a full meal. The service over the course of the evening was excellent and I am super picky.

I did have a directional snafu going to the restroom. I ended up using the Panorama Tower rest room, not Hestia's rest room so I was locked out of the restaurant because I went the wrong direction. My happy ending was meeting the managers, talking with them and enjoying champagne for my troubles. Again, top-notch service!

Two things to offer. First, the Panorama Tower needs to fix their garbage collection issue. The smell in the lobby is offensive to say the least. No one wants to smell garbage or have a foul taste in their mouth on approach to a great restaurant. Something must be done about the garbage area sharing a wall with the lobby!!! @panorama_holdings figure it out!

Second, Hestia Manager Mike already knows about the restroom signage issue. I love the black linen napkins! Check with your laundry service about reducing the lint on the black napkins to keep them looking fresh, not worn.

I look forward to returning with a group of friends to enjoy the view, the magnificent drinks, and the quality food. This was a five-star...