Sérénité Restaurant & Culinary Institute — Restaurant in Medina

This little gem is nestled right outside the square of Medina. My review will focus on the restaurant itself since I can't attest to the quality of the Culinary Institute, but if the quality of food coming out of the kitchen is any indication, I'd assume that's top notch as well.

The atmosphere is pleasant (and historic). No, it's not going to impress you with expensive accoutrements. It's simple in its design and presentation, but also warm and inviting.

If I'm being honest, you can skip the appetizers. They're good, but they're not exceptional. Occasionally they'll have a limited menu item featured, in which case it's worth experiencing, but usually still not earth-shattering.

The salads and soups are decent. Again, not worth this 5-star review, but they are well developed and the flavors all accentuate one another. You can't go wrong with the house dressings with each salad.

Now, on to the entrees: This is where this place shines. There's a diverse menu that accommodates any type of craving you might have. Want a simple burger? No problem, and it will be executed perfectly. Want to order a pasta dish that you can't pronounce? Sure, they have those as well, and while you still may not be able to pronounce the dish when you leave, it will have left you speechless anyway. The steaks? I haven't found a better cut of meat, and I'm a steak connoisseur who doesn't mind spending a hefty chunk of change for an impressive experience. However, their offerings won't break the bank (typically around $50 for a filet), but will leave you feeling you just got one of the greatest values in your life. They pair them with a variety of sauces, but if I'm being honest, nothing beats the minimal, well-proportioned seasonings it comes straight to your table with, and it will be cooked perfectly.

The drink menu is worth perusing as well. Expertly crafted cocktails are available, no matter your preference of poison, and they're very reasonably priced for an upper-echelon restaurant (which I would consider this to be). Usually you'll find yourself in the $10 - $13 range for drinks, so you won't be reluctant to order a second or try something else when you're done with the first. I don't want to lower supply of my favorite, but I highly recommend the Bourbon Smash. Everyday ingredients with extraordinary flavor.

Lastly, on to dessert. In general, I'm not a big dessert person, so I'm probably not the best judge, but they do have a Bananas Foster that's table-side that is incredible. You also can't go wrong with the creme brulee.

Would I say that this is my FAVORITE restaurant? Maybe not, but it would certainly be a contender, and would appear in my Top 10. I'll be amazed if you don't leave thinking it was a great experience.

Not related to the dining, I give the owners some credit for the other services they offer, and I imagine they've changed many lives for the better. I won't delve into it any more here, but if you have a few moments to look up the story of this establishment,...

The good: the food The bad: the service The ugly: how long it will take to have a “meal” here at peak time (weekend night).

I’ll give 5 stars for the food, and unfortunately 1 star for the service side of things, so I’m submitting a 3 as a composite average of those items. The food was amazing and all I hoped it would be - did not disappoint. Our server was also very friendly and did his best, but that’s not where my blame would go. To my eyes, this restaurant is really lacking some key staff training (or they may just be flat out understaffed), procedures, policies, etc to deal with a fully seated dining room. This was clear by the fact that they ran out of multiple items (not even announced at the start of the meal, but only brought to our attention after actually ordering two of those items and waiting some time only to be informed they were sold out after the server found out via the kitchen I’m sure). We had to adopt a strategy of ordering/stockpiling drinks in advance because of how long they took to get out to the table from the bar, which was within eyeshot. So everything was consistent in that sense: once anything arrived to our table, it was quite enjoyable. Downfall was simply that it took an absurd amount of time for that to happen regardless of the item in question. Almost 4 hours total for a dinner with drinks and dessert. Our company was enjoyable but we couldn’t help but joke about and laugh at the turnaround time for basic items and service. Oh yeah, we also had to wait at least 15 minutes to be seated when we showed up on time for a reservation we had in place for weeks. We were directed to the bar while we waited, but there were no seats and a round of drinks weren’t compensated - a very disappointing result and start to the night.

If this place gets these operational challenges solved, the food will easily make it the best restaurant in Medina. Until I hear that’s happened by word of mouth, I can’t justify returning to pay their menu prices for an...

Celebrated my daughter's sixteenth birthday here last evening. A delightful experience. My girls both study French in school, and were excited to try authentic cuisine. The restaurant itself is charming, housed in what appeared to me to be a converted home. I liked the old fashioned decor and polished wood floor. It made me feel like I was in a quaint European bistro.

Our hostess/server was a lovely young lady who also studies French. She was so warm and accommodating, fulfilling special requests, attempting conversational French with my daughters, answering questions, etc.

We ordered several dishes, and treated it as a tasting event. Everything was marvelous, so rich and flavorful. We enjoyed escargot, a goat cheese tarte and scallops in a shrimp sauce for entrèes. Mains were: venison with sweet potato purèe in pastry, coq a vin, vegetables Napoleon and duck confit. That was my personal favorite. The duck was so moist and sumptuous, and the risotto creamy and perfect. I'd definitely get that again.

During the main course the Chef came out to greet us, chatted, kindly answered our questions, shook hands all around, and wished my daughter a happy birthday. That made us feel very special.

For dessert we tried raspberry sorbet, chocolate mousse, and creme brulee. We also splurged on Bananas Foster prepared tableside. My kids were pretty impressed with the spectacle. They'd never had that kind of restaurant experience before.

The food was outstanding, and we had a fabulous evening. I'm also impressed with the culinary program at this establishment and how it benefits...