Best Hot Spot Restaurants in Central

Food was excellent in most regards though a few things were not outstanding. NY Strip was a bit tough, the cook was perfect but noticeably oversalted (and we like a well-seasoned steak). Service was in some ways very good and attentive but the food came out in a rush after we were told authoritatively if nicely that the restaurant likes to get the whole order in at once (anything else we can do for the restaurant’s convenience?). We obliged. The result was that the focaccia and primi came out in quick succession while we were barely getting into our first cocktail. No sooner had we finished the primi when the secondi came right after. The whole service took about 45 minutes which was crazy. The server and floor mgr did notice the “timing issue” and briefly apologized but still made it our problem to deal with. So, do we enjoy the cocktail while the food sits and gets cold or slurp down our drink so it doesn’t clash with the food? They should have 86’d the primi which should have been held back for at least 10 more minutes, and let us breathe and have our cocktails. That would have been professional. It’s awkward to have to confront the staff about it and neg on the vibe. We probably would go back but would possibly be forced to push back on the service, which is an unpleasant thing to deal with when we just want, I don’t know, maybe 75 or 90 minutes to enjoy a fine meal and perhaps 2 or 3 minutes between courses. Still 4 out of 5 stars. Food was the star.

Everything was great from the wine to the pasta. We enjoyed our dinner and service was excellent.

Kohki was a delight and the food was amazing! Loved the limoncello as well.

Rioja has become my preferred spot for Valentine's Day dinner with my girlfriend. The food is par excellence, authentic and always allows for some combination on the plate to make a perfect bite. The staff is friendly and very accommodating. My only real gripe was that it can get rather noisy during peak hours, but I'm not certain there's much anyone can do about that. Overall, the staff does it's utmost to make Rioja one of the best dining experiences I've ever had.

The staff made our night feel so special! Thank you for starting us off with anniversary bubbles on the house. Our meal was absolutely delicious. We look forward to making this a tradition.