The Katharine Brasserie & Bar — Restaurant in Winston-Salem

Glide through the gilded doors of Winston-Salem's most iconic building and you will be warmly greeted with Art Deco decor. The ceiling is festooned with golden leaves, a dazzling centerpiece left untouched from the roaring 20s. Stop by the bar and you'll find a stunning salute to an age of magnificence; classic scallop tile flooring, snowy marble tables, and an impressive bar. Soft lighting, illuminates the erudite design casting a romantic glow throughout the restaurant. The atmosphere is graceful, bewitching even--that is until you experience The Katharine's "French-inspired" dinner service and creative cocktails.

Years ago, when The Katharine first opened, the best mixologists in Winston-Salem could be found behind their beautiful bar. These elite bartenders were the brightest stars to every wandering cocktail-lovers heart. They knew how to make a beautiful classic cocktail. Cocktails so well balanced and exquisite--one sip could make you weep for joy for the honor of a lush sophisticated experience in your hometown. The Katharine Bar was the only bar in Winston-Salem that served absinthe from a traditional crystal fountain. The aesthetic and ritualistic preparation transported patrons to another time in France--it was the Elysian Fields for those of us landlocked. That isn't the case any longer. The Katharine today...well, it gives me the crêpes.

It brings me no joy to tell you that The Katharine's awe-inspiring absinthe fountains are display objects only--an elusive mystery to everyone except guests who would like to order absinthe. Sacré bleu! --call me Old Fashioned, but the "Cheerwine Old Fashioned" ($13) is an atrocity. While The Katharine's cocktail menu, correctly titled "A Little Different," should meet the guillotine their wine list meets par excellence. I am delighted with their French selection; it is a welcomed change from their creative cocktails.

To dine at The Katharine feels like a defeated shrug. The Coriander Crusted Duck Breast ($28) was well done (and I don't mean a pat on the back) when I asked for medium-rare; and although the current Steak Tartare ($12) is a welcomed change from their last avocado base steak tartare it is still, meh. Again, the Flat Iron Steak ($26) was overcooked. The béarnaise sauce left me wanting, not for more but something else. Sigh.

Don't worry mon ami, I have good news: while it might be a gamble to order from The Katharine's entrée menu, their fresh raw bar is still the best in Winston-Salem. Try Le Royale Katharine ($135), you won't be sorry. The three tiered silver platter is grandiose, layered with lobster, oysters, jumbo shrimp and snow crab claws. Order a glass of G.H Mumm Grand Cordon champagne ($21) and you'll get Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette vibes. C'est la vie! While you're at it add Truffle Frites ($8) to your order--they are delicious.

I am giving The Katharine Bar and Brasserie three stars. One for their aesthetic and two more for their excellent wine list and oyster bar. I have withheld two stars: one, for their offensive cocktail menu and for their "French inspired" entrees.

The last star I am withholding has to do with the overall manners of the staff. There was a time when savoir-faire flourished. I would know, I live there. This was a restaurant where staff members remembered your name--and not because I used to dined there often, they would remember my guests' names as well. A gesture of true elegance that is befitting to our remarkable city. However, now, service is slow and the general attitude unprofessional. Good luck to those of you who are not finished with your cocktail by 10 pm (especially if it is a slow night) The Katharine will begin to close the gates of their bar. A passive-aggressive nudge for guests to leave.

You can have a good time at The Katharine, but there is no guarantee you will have a great time. While The Katharine is one of the most beautiful restaurants in Winston-Salem, don't be fooled by the lavish aesthetic. It is, until they change, only...

This restaurant has great potential with its location & atmosphere. However poor management can greatly ruin a dining experience & not make customers want to return. Our group had dinner at the Katherine followed by a reservation at the globes outside to celebrate a birthday. Upon arriving we were told we had to pay a $25 cake cutting fee if we wanted to have the cake at the restaurant (we brought utensils to cut the cake and did not ask for additional plates or silverware to eat with as it was a cookie cake) when we asked if we could cut it ourselves the host got a manger who approached us already hostile and we were told we could do that at our car.

We allotted 2 hours to eat our meal before our reservation time at the globe. It took us 2 hours and 30 minutes to get our meal, eat, and somewhat settle our checks in a restaurant that was not even at half capacity. Our servers both inside & outside were great, the manager I can not say the same. We were 30 minutes late for our reservation in the globes in which we paid over $500 for a 2 hour time slot. Our checks were split, some paid with card and a few with cash, we waited 35 minutes for our server & the male manager to make change for our checks. After 35 minutes we were told we could go outside to our globe and they would bring our change when they got it figured out. Once our change was brought out it was incorrect, we were shorted over $20 on one of the checks. The male manager who brought our checks back sat then out the end of our table & walked off without even asking who’s was who’s. A member of our group tried to go tell him our change was incorrect and he told her it was not incorrect and he would not be returning to our table because he had counted it 4 times. I guess that’s what took 35 minutes for us to get change. After confronting the manager for a 2nd time since he wouldn’t come back to our table he was extremely frustrated, refusing to recount out checks or hear anything we had to say. Even a second manager was brought to our table and asked him to recount the money in which he refused. We opted to leave m without our checks ever being corrected because we were missing our time in the globe that was already paid for. For the money we paid for not only our globe reservation but for our meal and to be disrespected by management over a mistake made on their end is enough to make me never recommend or return to this establishment. After reading other negative reviews they all seem to be about the management, I’d recommend changing something before it ruins the reputation...

This is a review of the Tiki Dining Globe special experience The Katharine is running through February 7th, though many of our experiences in this event are similar to my experiences at The Katharine generally. The Katharine does a lot well. The drag show and brunch they hosted in 2019 was a great memory. And I've had a number of great dishes and cocktails both in he restaurant and bar. But for what they charge, they need to be great not just good.

Let me begin by saying, I love the idea of the dining globes during the COVID pandemic. There are 3 of them on the patio outside the bar. Two have room for 4 people. There is one bench and two seats, but no dining table. One has room for 6 people seated around a proper table. Even though it was below 40 degree outside, we were warm enough on the inside with the electric heater running. We were also able to hook our phone up by bluetooth to a "record player" inside the globe to listen to music. For $225 + a 20% service charge + tax (so, nearly $300), you get a couple of hours in the globe, plus one cocktail each, plus 2 appetizers (raw bar or charcuterie), plus a bottle of sparkling wine. (You can also order food off the menu.) So, you're paying a good bit for the privilege of using the dome. Which is fair.

The cocktails were, as expected, very good and fitting the tiki theme. The chicken dish we ordered off the menu was excellent and they graciously served it on two plates for my wife and on to share. On the other hand, the charcuterie was acceptable and I was disappointed that the sparkling wine that was included in our rental was a rather cheap bottle. Either of the two modestly priced champagnes on the restaurant's menu that night would have been preferable.

Unfortunately, the night we had our globe there was an issue with the globe next to ours. The management on duty that night did not handle it well, but the restaurant manager made it right after we brought the issue to her attention. Can't ask for more than that.

We'll continue to frequent The Katharine for all they do well. I just hope one day we get that perfect, transcendent experience we always...