VAULT — Restaurant in Hot Springs

If I could give it 6 stars, I would! My husband and I are now going to be disappointed anytime we dine anywhere else, that's how high the bar was set!

In June, we came to The Vault right before they were closing, so we didn't have time to have a full sit-down dinner. However, we did have a smoked old-fashioned and a bubbling elderflower martini. The elderflower martini had dry ice, and it bubbled and smoked, which provided a fun presentation! After the first sip, I knew it was my new favorite! It was divine! My husband had the smoked old-fashioned. We are from south Louisiana, home of the best old-fashioneds. It is hard to beat, but this one was the winner! The drink is smoked before served. The flavor is deep and full. The noises my husband was making after each sip was enough for me to know he was hooked! Our server, Shelly, was sweet and down-to-earth. She made our experience so enjoyable.

Now fast forward to this trip in August for our wedding anniversary. We were dreaming about The Vault since the first time we had a taste, so we were thrilled to go back! We sat at the beautiful bar. Shelly was not feeling well this time we went in, so our server was restaraunt manager, Scott. He is a former restaraunt manager from Chicago, who is familiar with fine-dining settings. This was totally apparent, as our experience, from start to finish, was 5-star! We had the same two drinks to start off with. Again, they were incredible. It wasn't crowded when we went, so the extra one-on-one attention was a huge plus. Scott showed us the architecture of the building and explained it's rich history. For dinner, to start, we had the Wagyu beef appetizer, over ricotta. The beef was delicate and flavorful, and the toppings weren't too rich, but just right. For our entrees, I decided on the scallops and my husband had the duck. We also got a side of smoked cream corn. Words cannot aquately describe how delicious everything was. The smoked corn was so smoky and creamy, the duck moist and cooked to perfection, the scallops tender and flavorful, and the half-baked rolls were sinful! We have never had a meal or dining experience like it before, and would actually rate it as the best meal we have ever had! Scott is such an amazing manager. He treats the customer as a guest, and enriches the experience as a whole. The Airbnb rentals on the top floors of the restaraunt are beautiful, and we hope to stay there next time we come back. Each one has a theme, from rustic chic to contemporary, so there is something for everyone. You can tell the owner, Daron, takes great pride in what he does. The chic decor of the restarunt and the rentals is so unique and exquisite. There is something to look at the entire time you are there, including unique chandeliers, refurbished marble, multi-colored marble epoxy floors that match the bar, and much, much more! Can't get any better than this! This restaraunt can go head-to-head with any 5-star restaraunt in Chicago or New York City. It was an experience; not a meal.

We can't wait to go back, and feel sorry for all of the next restarunts we visit until then. The standards have been set high.

Thank you Scott and Shelly! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

-Ben and Katie from...

After receiving the restaurant’s reply, I decided to change my review from 3 stars to 1 star. I’m sorry you took so defensively from this review. Clearly you didn’t receive the spirit was given. No 1. A customer didn’t deserve attitude from your staff(hostess) No 2. Cocktails need garnishes regardless signature or not. (Small elements made big impacts on appearance and smell) No 3. Never been to any high end establishments offering lower quantities of shrimps. No 4. As of 03/2023, nationwide card processing fees are between 1.5 to 3.5%. Last but not least, all points you illustrated are meaningless when you get more competition. Good Luck.

Birthday celebration @ Vault Saturday night. Really wish could rate them 5 like other reviewers but being a franchise professional in the food industry, I feel speaking up for a fair review is being truly respectful and more helpful to other diners

From the moment we walked in, the hostess seated us a booth down the hallway next to their open kitchen area even with many tables in the main dining room were open (Yes, we did have a reservation. By the time we were leaving, those tables were not taken still) We went back to the hostess asking a table change due to smoke from the kitchen. She repeated twice “later the whole restaurant will be smoky. I just let you know” Not sure what she tried to imply. My guess, she’s bitter about our seating choice.

The signature cocktail drinks were lack of presentation except Smoked old fashion. Certainly expect more from a high-end establishment but the pour is about right. Sure, we can give a pass. Seafood Risotto was far below the average. Tossing 5 pieces of 26/30 size shrimp on a $55 dish is not only the cutting corner gesture of the restaurant but also y’all gotta be bold enough to charge top dollar on a mediocre dish. Unprofessional!

A 2% credit card processing fees shown on the receipt made us wondering the greedy owner/management passes each dollar of their normal business expenses to their customers. No problem! We paid $320 in cash and told our server asking the processing fee being removed so she could earn a few more bucks.

For all, good ambiance and attentive service. It’s just ok but definitely not great. As said in many of my steak house reviews, it’s not the $$$ but memorable dining experiences matter. Vault failed our...

After being turned away from another local restaurant, we were already in a bad and hungry mood! We had our youngest (he's 8) with us as well- which can hamper the fine dining experience.

I called ahead to make sure we wouldn't be turned away. The hostess was kind and quickly got us a reservation for 10 minutes later. When we arrived we were seated by the open kitchen. Usually I don't like this but it was quickly apparent how fresh the food was prepared and how well run they kept the service line.

Then we open the menu- boom 💥 it lights up! This was our son's first experience In a fine dining setting. He was very amused (as we were too) They promptly brought out their honey butter yeast rolls. Delicious!

First we started with oysters, pork belly and French onion soup. Pork belly was amazing, French onion soup had excellent flavor. Oysters were decent- but we are from New Orleans and hold oysters to a VERY high standard. We had filet, brussel sprouts, mushrooms, carrots and crispy potatoes. Everything was delicious, especially the mushrooms. Had to save some for my husband to even get a bite! Filet was properly cooked and good temperature. The executive chef came to our table and started a conversation. We gave him honest feedback (even on the oysters lol) and he received it very well. He even brought our son some French fries (he was very grateful). He was very friendly and we enjoyed the conversation.

Lastly for dessert, we ordered the vanilla strawberry rhubarb cheesecake. It was phenomenal and fresh. The best cheesecake I've had in years. Crust was perfection 👌 not too thick.

If you are wondering if you should eat here- yes. Very pleased with the outcome of food. The ONLY thing that made this experience less enjoyable was our server. He seemed to forget about us a few times- but everyone else was attentive enough to make up for his slacking. Also, by his own admition, he was "very new here"

Go ahead, make the reservation, or call the hostess. Eat the delicious food- held to the standards of some very particular...