Flour and Barrel — Restaurant in Raleigh

My friends and I do an annual holiday dinner together and we chose this restaurant as a new place to try. We have loved trying other restaurants with chef Katsuji Tanabe behind menu creations (Averde, High Horse, Bittersweet). The atmosphere here is VERY cool but I would say definitely targeting a younger crowd. My friends and I are early 40s, foodies, and love a great vibe, but it was so dark we had to use our phones to see the menu and some of the dishes we ordered. This made me feel very old 😬. The candles lit at each table were really nice but we happened to be at a table with a high candle rather than one low to the tabletop which also probably contributed to the low lighting we had. We originally had 6 in our party, but ended up just being 5. They sat us at a 4 top and I had to ask the guy seating us to move the plants that were butting in to the extra seat added at the end of the table. I asked if we could sit at the empty 6-top behind us and they said “unfortunately not”. This table sat empty for another hour. By then we had finished dessert when it was sat around 8pm, so yes, we could have sat at this table.

We waited 10-15 minutes without being acknowledged after being seated, so I had to go up to the front and let them know the table that sat after us already had drinks. And we didn’t get an extra place setting. The manager (I assume?) running the front apologized and took our drink order and said our desserts would be on the house which was kind. The server showed up as he finished taking our drink order, she got the drink order from him and didn’t say anything to us. She didn’t introduce herself. She didn’t apologize or acknowledge her absence and just went on business as usual with taking our order. She was nice but this definitely rubbed me the wrong way. Most of us at the table worked in the service industry for a long time and understand being busy or having a bad night and sympathize with this, but to not even say anything was a dismissal of the problem, free dessert or not.

The bread was phenomenal. Give me all of that bread. When did we as a society start paying for bread for the table, though? This is a trendy place with a unique menu but $6 for 2 triangles of bread? In all fairness, this was probably my most favorite thing I ate during this meal so it was of little concern overall.

I ordered the margarita. It was very unique and bubbly and pretty to look at. Tasted good but didn’t knock my socks off. Butternut bisque was good and savory, not super sweet like other versions I have had which was nice. Good sized portion. Perfect to be paired with a salad if you don’t want something heavy. I ordered the Chitarra which included the squid ink pasta, jumbo shrimp and chile oil. I expected it to be a bit spicy and I ordered it because of the chile oil. Instead it was kind of sweet. The shrimp were large and great, the pasta was tasty. The sauce was good but very disappointing based on what I thought I was ordering. The desserts were also just ok. I’m a huge tiramisu fan and I didn’t love the spin this one had. I did not like the panna cotta, which I thought I would after reading the description. Different strokes, I guess.

Overall, just ok. I’ve said it before in my reviews and I will say it again. Customer service is KEY. For me, I will always return to a place that has excellent staff and customer service even if the food is mediocre but will not return where I have had a bad experience even if the food is good. It is interesting that Hospitality is mentioned on their website as a hallmark of this restaurant based on the experience we had. We did get the desserts free as a gesture, 2 tiramisu and 1 panna cotta) but it really was not about getting...

After a highly anticipated dinner here with friends, I left both disappointed and puzzled by the entire experience. At over $300 for the meal, the value proposition simply isn't there.

While the signature giant meatball deserves praise, most other dishes fell noticeably short. The Kardashian salad was indistinguishable from pre-packaged grocery store offerings. The pasta dishes were problematic - some arrived undercooked and crunchy, while another was oddly served in a mason jar that did little to enhance the dining experience. Adding to the bewildering presentation choices, grated Parmesan cheese arrived in small plastic baggies that seemed more appropriate for illicit substances than a restaurant charging premium prices. A tomato small plate was particularly disappointing and seemed out of place on the menu.

The cocktail service was inconsistent. The old fashioneds were unremarkable, and one arrived missing its garnishes entirely, requiring a trip to the bar for corrections. In a particularly strange choice for an establishment with upscale aspirations, both wine and water were served in plastic glasses - a detail that thoroughly undermined their premium positioning. The service throughout the evening was surprisingly unwelcoming, with our server projecting an air of indifference that dampened the atmosphere.

The ambiance presents its own challenges. The lighting is so dim that reading the menu required assistance from street lights through the windows. The tiny font size on the menu only compounds this issue.

The restaurant seems to prioritize questionable style choices over substance, but even the intended aesthetic feels forced. At $300 for four people, primarily for small plates, the price point demands a level of quality, service, and atmosphere that wasn't delivered. While the giant meatball shows potential, the overall experience lacks cohesion and value. I'm struggling to understand the target audience for this peculiar concept.

A suggestion for the restaurant: slap a meatball on the focaccia, sell it for lunch, and call it day. This would better serve your market than the current forced upscale...

Walking into this small plates Italian cocktail bar feels like slipping into the kind of dream where everything is warm, golden, and just a little bit cinematic. The soft wood tones wrap around you like a well-tailored suit, and the glow from the radiant lighting overhead makes every glass, smile, and shadow feel carefully framed—like Manhattan sophistication found a softer, more romantic accent. It’s equal parts polished and playful, where the clink of glassware and the whisper of citrus peel in the air set the stage for a night that feels both familiar and full of surprise.

I prefer to belly up to the bar, and here the bartender is part scientist, part storyteller—shaking, stirring, and sliding glasses your way with a wink that says, this one’s got a plot twist. Bottles glitter behind them like a technicolor skyline, and every Old Fashioned feels like its own little adventure—balanced, unexpected, and just a bit cheeky. The wood tones of the bar keep things grounded and warm, but there’s a sparkle in the air that makes you feel like you’ve stumbled into a secret club where excellent drinks and easy charm are the house specialties.

They take ricotta and whip it until it’s impossibly silky, the kind you want to linger over for hours, and crown it with local honey that adds that slow, golden sweetness, while pistachios bring just enough crunch to keep things interesting. It’s indulgence dressed up as simplicity—soft, sweet, and absolutely perfect! And onto ne of my favorites, the Chicken Parm, beautifully crisp chicken, golden and seasoned to perfection, sitting proud in a rich, vibrant marinara that’s been cooked down with love. Then—fresh mozzarella, melted just right, not rubbery nonsense—oozing over the top. It’s bold, it’s comforting, and it bloody well delivers! Then comes the best part, dessert! The S'mores Flambe is where Gooey marshmallow meets dark chocolate, but wait—there’s a flirtatious twist of orange mariner that winks with every bite. Flames dance, sugar crisps, and suddenly camping by the fire feels a little more…fabulous. Small plates conquered, cocktails demolished, memories...