Cafe Violette - BLOWING ROCK

I kicked off my 50th birthday week with the most delicious dinner I’ve ever had in Blowing Rock! The food was absolutely incredible from appetizer to dessert. The patio was the perfect setting I was treated like a birthday queen. Thank you so much to Sunshine everyone at Cafe Violette for a spectacular evening!

I ordered the octopus, my wife had the scallops, and my son chose the halibut. We shared the escargot and poutine. All the dishes were cooked beautifully, but they could have used a bit more seasoning! My main concern, however, was the service. It was really slow. I understand how restaurants operate and that busy times can cause delays, but that wasn't the case here. We found ourselves waiting 15-20 minutes just to get a drink refill or have dessert offered to us. Overall, I would give this place a solid 4. I'm hopeful that our next visit will be an even better experience.

We started with the steak tartare, and the soup of the day was an amazing creamy pepper bisque with a bit of a kick. I loved it so much that I couldn’t resist dipping the focaccia in the soup—absolutely delicious! For our main course, we shared the halibut, which was beautifully presented on a plate that had already been shared. Sitting on the porch and enjoying the view of the charming downtown street was a highlight, as we watched people and families stroll by. Overall, it was a truly enjoyable experience!

I want to begin by saying that the food was truly excellent! We thoroughly enjoyed everything we ordered. Unfortunately, the service was quite slow. It took over 20 minutes just for our drinks to arrive, and our starter plates sat empty for at least 15 minutes alongside our drinks. We overheard someone mention that they were understaffed, yet they still accepted four walk-in customers while we were there. Given the price and quality of the food, we expected better service. That said, we would definitely be willing to give them another chance. When we did manage to speak with our waitress, she was very knowledgeable about the food, wine, and pairings. I understand that staffing issues can be challenging these days.

Very limited entree menu. Lots of appetizers. Cozy as in tight. Not a good place for an intimate conversation. Seemed short staffed, but is the case many places. Staff did work very hard to.make it a nice evening.Vegetarian options: They had great root veggies