Restaurant Serenade — Restaurant in Chatham

This was my first (and last) visit to this restaurant. I arrived to meet a friend and we chose to sit in the bar area of the restaurant. It was quite busy but we managed to find a high top table against the window. We were greeted by a female server who asked if we would like bottled or tap water. She handed us the menus and then went to get the water. Once she returned, we ordered our drinks. After that, we did not see her for another 15 minutes.

As I turned around and started looking for her, I noticed 3 employees who looked as if they were standing guard against a mirror near the bar. They looked at me looking around but made no movement until I called them over. One of them came over and I asked that she send our server which she did.

We ordered our food (bar menu is different than the dining room) We chose an order of the sea bass ($26) a side of Brussel Sprouts ($8) and the Serenade Tapas which consisted of lobster bisque, risotto, avocado fries and sushi grade tuna. Sounds good, right? (eh hem)

After about 10 more minutes, we were waiting for her to come back so we could order a second round of drinks. We never saw her. The same three people were standing guard under the mirror. One of them may have been the coat check person. As for the other two, not a clue. They just stood there. Again, I had to flag them over even though they saw the empty glasses pushed towards the edge of the table and this time a manager brought over our drinks. I thought maybe he was going to comp them. Not the case.

Finally our food was delivered by someone else. I then realized that our server was also serving people in the dining room so that explains why she was never in the bar area.

The food... everything served to us was at room temperature or just a tad higher. The Brussel Sprouts were the best tasting that came out. The sea bass was the very worst I ever had. It had no flavor, was dry and came out with a small cup of bland fish broth. There was no garnish on the plate at all. I could not even finish my piece. As for the Tapas.. the risotto was completely bland, the tuna was stringy and not edible. (I had to spit it in a napkin) The bisque was runny and again bland. I wanted to ask for hot sauce but the server was never seen again. She did not even offer black pepper when served.

We were still HUNGRY! So, we looked around the bar area and noticed two stools opened up. There we went and ordered a cheeseburger with fries from the bartender. He was great and served us immediately. The burger was hot, flavorful, juicy and delicious. They also served me the very best pickle I ever had.

Overall, they should turn this 'high class', 'fine dining' into a burger pub bar. I would not come back here for...

Too many mishaps, even if it was a Saturday evening.

We choose Serenade as a special place to entertain an important client. My wife and I arrived, checked in with the hostess, who acknowledged our reservation, and we were taken to the table. When the client arrived they were told we hadn't arrived yet and they were asked to wait at the bar....it took a ten uncomfortable minutes to figure that out.

When seated, I was immediately presented with a drink menu and wine list (cool). It took about 20-minutes for the wine stewardess to turn up, she knew nothing of our wine and then it took another 5-minutes for the Sommelier to show up. Basically we were seated for nearly 30-minutes before the wine arrived. The first four glasses were poured and I immediately asked for a second bottle to be opened and aired. The sommelier confirmed the instruction.

There was no service other then delivering food! During our appetizers and even through the main course no one ever asked how things were and no one ever turned up to refill our empty wine glasses. The water boys kept the $14/bottle water flowing; however.

The first bottle of wine was poured and finished before the main course arrived. Fortunately, the sommelier was standing at the next table engaged in a friendly chat with regulars. I had to call out to him to get his attention as he left their table. I asked for our second bottle and "he forgot". When the second bottle was poured, everyone was finishing their meal. We paid for the second bottle but no one at the table really touched it. That was a total waste and nothing but poor service is to blame.

Of the four meals, one was the Filet Mignon. Admittedly our guest asked for her steak well done, but even I, as an avid cook, would never have served what came out of the kitchen. The steak was about 5-minutes beyond well done and a minute away from 'leather'.

Not to mention that it was sooooo loud that we had to speak at noisy-bar level to converse

Not only didn't we impress our guests, but at $600 for 4-people. It was a...

Above average with gracious staff, elegant ambiance and beautiful dining room. The food is ok, with some standouts, but the restaurant is woefully overpriced for the fare. After several visits I came to appreciate the innovation, but execution can fall short, and when there’s a miss - it’s a miss .

Avocado fries and cauliflower steak standout. Clever. Iceberg salad was bright. Crab cake was good but a bit dear at $22. Meatballs were serviceable and good for a bar snack, but sadly the tuna tartare was really terrible and so we didn’t order the octopus.

For entrees we really enjoyed the swordfish and Berkshire pork. Both were beautifully cooked and nuanced. The veggie panache was great and I’m always happy to see such care given to bring veggies to life! The chef chose to celebrate the art that is ‘Milanese’ with chicken breast. It was ok but…. it’s a chicken breast, and simply can’t represent Milanese well. Would like to see what they could do with veal. I absolutely crave roasted lamb chops Provençal when I can get ‘em. So I was excited to see them in the menu with ratatouille !!! The butchering and temperature showed experience but the dish was muddy and under seasoned and was a disappointment. At $50 this should be a flawless signature dish.

Deserts were the bright spot with the selections and the execution spot on, and well choreographed with the larger menu. Love the lemon pie and it’s crust; the coconut cake was marvelous. Lychee and blueberry sorbet really showcased flavor. But the standout is the warm chocolate tart. Pecan crust is perfect. Great dish.

Serenade is a very good restaurant and one of the better ones around, which might explain how they can command such lofty prices. But the food is a step below the aura. We’ll be back and enjoy but always be prepared for...