Varley — Restaurant in Salt Lake City

Walking into Varley felt good, almost as if I had returned home from being away for years. An impossible thought because this was the opening night, but it gives that vibe. The look of this place is incredible! Cozy yet classy, warm but with an edge, simple yet beautiful. I can honestly say that I have not been into a cocktail bar that looked and felt like this. I just want to go back.

We had two shareable and two solo dishes. Starting us off was the NC BBQ Pork Rillette. Three fresh, doled up pork sliders that leave you wanting more. The Caroline Vinegar sauce on this alone I want to bottle up and pour into a tub to swim in later. Where did this come from? Wow. The vinegar pared with the Brussel sprouts slaw in a glorious fashion. I would expect every dynamic duo to look at this and give a thumbs up. This is a must-order. The flavor was subtle yet slapping my lips as the little pickled peppers came into play. I could FEEL the taste, something I thought impossible. To complement this sharable, a beautiful bright red Grilled Beet Hummus made its way to the table. For a second I was taken back to the meals they served in Neverland... those bright colored dishes that made you want to reach through the TV and devour. This dish took me there. The bright red color of the beets felt really good on my eyes. I LOVED the beet flavor with the diced cucumbers on top, the whole thing sleeping soundly on a grilled Scallion Roti Bread. Yum. Although this was a starter, I returned to it several times throughout the main course.

I ordered the Classic Americana Burger. Two Smashed Beef Patties with traditional fixings. The taste of this bad boy blew my mind. It was not a new taste, just one that I rarely experience in a restaurant, let alone a cocktail bar. I am convinced this burger is now the best-kept secret in Salt Lake City. If you are not familiar with the Maillard reaction, read up on it. A smashed patty is a party where all are invited and all have a part. The flavor is not burned out, the char does not overtake the rest of the experience, each ingredient makes its way to the front stage at just the right moments. I love the bun, not sure what kind it was but it didn't really matter. It contained and had a satisfying crunch, two things that have to be involved with a good burger. In short, this is a rad burger. It comes with a delicious pile of fries that somehow have a first crunch but feel soft. They have nailed the crispy/fresh ratio on these fries.

My lovely girlfriend ordered the Grilled Pear and Goat Cheese Salad with added Grilled Chicken. She usually cannot handle the punch of the goat cheese so she swapped that out with one of the other 2 options they provided. Manchego Cheese. I watched her face as she began the journey. Pure joy. Honestly, PURE JOY. "I literally have not had a better salad." They do not mess around when it comes to their salads. Calling it a salad almost demeans it. The grilled chicken was resting on top, almost challenging us to try to eat it all. This is not one of those salads that place a few pieces of the bonus protein on top and calls it good, this is a treasure of ingredients liberally poured on. I had to have what she was having. The Grilled Chicken was juicy, full of flavor, and fresh. SO FRESH. The greens, grilled pears, arugula... So fresh. I kept asking her what kind of dressing was there because it didn't taste like a vinaigrette to me. It has such a sweet, almost sugary flavor on there. I am guessing the Pear-balsamic has something to do with it. Candied Walnuts adding a satisfying crunch, Grilled Pears keep things interesting, you would think they created a new species of salad here that is begging to be had by all. I want to take loved ones here and watch them eat.

I cannot post a full review here, my yelp has more. You get the point! This place is really good, I want to come back and try each...

The absolute worst experience I've ever had in 20 years coordinating events. In the beginning, the Realine Group, who books events for Varley and several other restaurants/event venues in the SLC area, was responsive, but I had a few questions before reserving Varley for our holiday party and from that time forward I was completely ignored. From April 11th to April 30th I sent 4 emails with no response and finally a 5th one was sent from our VP to try and move this along but again no response. I finally tracked down a phone number to someone with Realine Group and decided to send them a text. They responded, apologized, and I got some of my questions answered so I went ahead and signed the contract. I was told the person who handles booking their venues was really busy so I gave them a pass even though it is still unacceptable to at least not send a quick email to explain that. "Hello I'm really sorry but I'm in the middle of coordinating several events, would it be okay if I get back to you in a couple of weeks?" I would have totally been satisfied with something to that effect and that would have eliminated the need to continue to try and follow up. At this point the contract was signed so I let it go for 5 months because at least I had it booked. Many venues get booked for the holidays 6-9 months in advance and why I wanted to make sure I had something reserved and after looking for several weeks I really wanted to have our holiday party there.

Now it's August 12th and closer to the time of our event and I want to book a DJ so I sent this person a message again since when I was talking to them, they said they had several recommendations. I was really hoping this would be a different experience but once again, no response. I finally emailed the person who helped me before on August 20th and they said I'll need to talk to them about reserving a DJ and that they'll make sure they follow up and get back to me ASAP. Well it's September 3rd and still NOTHING.

I'm not the type of person who writes reviews whether good or bad but this will be my first. That's how rare and unbelievable my...

Checked out a new place today in Salt Lake. It's called Varley. It's south, across the street from the Marriott Hotel. When I mean new, it just opened this week. Super classy place and a very nice bar. Great friendly customer service from the greeter, to the guy behind the bar, and later the cooks that made my meal.

Ok, on to the good part the appetizer and the dessert. I did not know it was a new establishment so I was very glad to be impressed. I ordered the Thai Coconut Curry Mussels. It was a great spicy creamy Thai with in house made Roti bread. But what impressed me were how the mussels were cooked. Most places overcook them and it becomes too tough. These were nice young mussels that were lightly cooked so they were super soft and tender which paired perfectly with the spicy creamy Thai sauce. This would be a great appetizer to share with friends.

Now on to the dessert. I got the Oreo and Baileys Cheesecake. Baileys is a nice mixture with the Oreo crust. You got the liquer flavor that blends well with the creamy cheesecake and a little sharp kick with the chocolate Orem crust. This is a nice little treat to end the night with.

I'm glad I got to try this new place and will definitely look forward to comimg back and trying some more items on the menu. Remember to support your local...