Viognier Restaurant Reviews

Delicious small bites, appetizers and drinks at a French restaurant with a French co-worker! Highly recommend.

This place gives extraordinary service and enjoyable meals. The best restaurant ever. The meals came out rapidly and the rates are economical. Recommended.

Classy and sophisticated offerings are to be found at Viognier.located on top of Draegers market in downtown San Mateo, it has an extensive wine list as well as a full bar,the food is divine.A pricey and special place.I would say this is a special occasion restaurant or a place to go if you want to impress

Great service, location and atmosphere. I wasn't sure about the menu at first but everything was amazing.

I was expecting a nice night out, boy was I mistaken. The restaurant was nearly empty, but they staff mostly sneered at us and took forever to take orders. Skip!

Chris Aquino has worked his way up the ranks at Viognier over the past few years to head Chef. His menu boasts both creativity and confidence, while showcasing the bounty of refined, seasonal California fare.

Nestled in the top of Draeger's market, this restaurant is a destination stop of the San Mateo downtown strip.

Who knew that the mid-Peninsula had such smashingly good haute cuisine? Excellent in 2009 and now mind-blowing in 2010, Viognier offers a classy (if pricey) place to take a date, with brilliantly executed courses, kind service, and a luxurious atmosphere -- even if you do have to climb above a grocery store to get there! Absolutely my favorite swanky spot on the Peninsula.

I don't know where to start.... the phenomenal customer service? The absolute jaw dropping delicious food? I can't begin to talk about how well prepared each item on the menu is. And yes, I am actually stating that I've tried each item on the menu because not only have I dined-in, and ordered for takeout, but I've also had events catered by them. I can't tell you which is my favorite because I've had incredible experiences with each. They have the most classic items with luxury taste. I highly recommend paying them a visit or getting your next event catered! You and your guests will not be disappointed!

Nice environment. We got a table facing the fireplace. Their wagyu steak, oyster, beef tartare were all very good. The dessert was just okay. They had very good french press! Will definitely come back.

Thanksgiving dinner was excellent. Attentive waiting, interesting and delicious food, portions were pretty much perfect. Nothing whatsoever to complain about.

Once in a while, it's nice to go a little upscale. Viognier is the sort of place I would expect from a restaurant above Draeger's: nice atmosphere, good quality and high prices! :)

The dining room is very nice, with a fireplace in the middle. When we first arrived I was a little worried about the noise level from the bar area, but it wasn't too bad tucked away in the corner. The wait staff was friendly and helpful, and made various recommendations at our request.

I like their vision of fresh, seasonally inspired cuisine and that they have some vegetarian options (a number of them for the first course, but only one for the second course). Many of the dishes change with the season, so I won't bother going through our menu. The dishes were tasty and well plated.In fact, the desserts were beautiful!

I could see myself returning to Viognier once in a while, especially for special occasions. I would really like to see them add at least one more vegetarian main course, so my dining companion and I can get (and share) two different dishes.

A nice sit down experience hidden away on the second floor of Draegers.

This review is a couple of years old, so take it with a grain of salt.

This place was good, but not quite good enough for me to want to drive all the way to San Mateo on a regular basis. I opted for the three course tasting menu. (FYI Part One: If you're in the mood for a lighter meal (even though it's not noted on the menu), I was told you can opt to order items a la carte.) (FYI Part Two: The portions for each course are pretty decently sized. If you pace yourself the stretchy waist pants can stay at home. They aren't like Cheesecake Factory large, but they're also aren't one bite snacks. As Goldilocks would say, "They're juuuust right.")

-Amuse Bouch: Crostini topped with a soft cheese and a strand (or two) of roasted red pepper. Just ok.

-The Bread Basket: Soft croissant roll, Cranberry roll, Cheese Roll, every possible roll you could imagine AND MORE! This part of the meal was delumptious. + The room temperature butter = heaven.

-First Course: Heirloom Tomato Salad with Arugula and Ricotta Cheese, drizzled with EVOO. The tomatoes were so sweet. A good seasonal offering and a refreshing way to start off my meal.

-Second Course: Lobster with Fresh Pasta. Also pretty good. The most impressive part of this dish was the perfectly cooked lobster - not an easy feat.

-Third Course: (I was in a savory mood so dessert was skipped.) Pork Tenderloin on a bed of Hominy Grits. While the pork (like the lobster) was perfectly cooked, the grits were not. I know the protein should be the focus, but I place equal balance on both the protein and the carb combination. I'm also a fan of al dente, but these grits were just plain crunchy and under cooked. So disappointing!

-French Pressed Coffee was a nice end to the meal, warm and fuzzy.

-Complimentary Dessert: French Macarons in two flavors, Raspberry and Hazelnut. These were like pillows of air with a slight eggshell thin crunch filled with the respective cream flavors. It almost made up for my pork :)

Overall, the meal was an ok one. The highs and lows balance my overall rating to three stars.

There's a classroom for cooking school if you are feeling academic and if you need groceries the restaurant is also connected to a really nice grocery store.

Side observation, there were a handful of empty Far Niente bottles placed around the restaurant for decoration. Not quite sure what to make of that one. For a restaurant titled Viognier, why do they feature bottles of really expensive Cabs.

This place is good! Affordable rates, big portions and the staff members are regularly very nice.

Extraordinary environment and super affable service. The food was fresh and delightful. Will absolutely recommend this spot to friends. Convenient rates and big meals. Great work.

Went twice. Once for our anniversary and once for a New Years dinner party.

Wouldn't recommend it to my worst enemy. Snotty inattentive staff. Had to chase the waiter on both occasions for bread and water refills. Also, way over priced. I don't know why Dreger's puts up with them on their second floor.

Expensive but really nice for a slow, fine dining conversation without being stuffy.

I celebrated my nomination last night in this excellent restaurant. happy to tell that we enjoyed a fantastic evening and the venue was evidently the reason for the strong event. The crew cooperated in a very nice style, the food was very good and my buddies were so cheerful. We shall no dout visit again for more joyful events. thanks very much.

The meal was absolutely delectable. Each member of my group did the 3 course tasting. Everything was flavorful and thoughtfully balanced. I had the swordfish and I don't think I've ever enjoyed seafood so much. Perfect spot for an upscale dinner.

Everything was perfect from caviar start to port finish. Very sharp professional and the food was tasty.

We went to celebrate a birthday and decided to sit at the bar and have some appetizers and a couple of cocktails. The bartender was very nice and bought the first cocktail for the birthday person.
We decided to have the charcuterie plate and the wagyu sliders. We enjoyed the sliders except they were over done. Not even the slightest amount of pink in the center of the tiny burgers. We preferred the blue cheese sliders over the cheddar sliders. Our biggest problem was with the charcuterie plate. It was terrible! Appeared to be nothing but sliced cold cuts. No sauces, served with burnt toast points. Extraordinarily disappointing.
It was my choice to have the celebration at Viognier. Sorry it was so disappointing.

We had an excellent dinner. The food was fantastic and the service was very good. I had a fantastic corn bisque. The pork belly was outstanding.

Decent food. Good service but I can't justify the price for the quality.

Beautiful little gem with an old world feel, and a subtle menu that has room for growth.

VIP service from the minute the hostess greets you. The food is excellent and the ambiance is warm and inviting. Excellent choice for corporate lunch, dinners, and special occasions.

Great French place, the duck and foigre is delicious.

Very fancy but not that awesome for what they charge. I would go elsewhere. It's all look...

I had no idea this was here! Great food, great service and I was surprised there is a cooking school, awesome private dinning area for team events and it is a cool store as well. This is a must try fancy place right in downtown San Mateo.

It was pretty good! Definitely didn't know what we were getting ourselves into with price, but.

Very elegant and convenient place. They provide big portions and for reasonable rates. We enjoyed the food a lot and the staff members were super attentive and explanatory. Recommended.

Foie gras and duck breast were the best. Great wine selection.

One of the best and most underrated tasting menu type restaurants in the bay area... and I've been to most of them. The wine pairing is superb. The dishes are a good size (read: not too small) and they use great ingredients. Just tasty and top notch. A great experience.

Love love this place. My friend and I had just finished watching a movie, and afterwards was in the mood for some super delicious French food

Amazing gourmet menu, I didn't leave hungry and will be back. Very romantic.

I've known of Viognier and passed by it several times in the last 3 years but always skipped on dining there. I'm really not sure why I ever did that because I was very impressed with their food. You have the option to select a 3, 4, or 5 course meal with or without paired wines. I went with 4 but soon found the portions to be so hefty that I had to take my entire 3rd course to go!

For someone who has been searching for a good "faux gras" now that foie is banned, Viognier served up an alternative that was almost as good as the real thing. Every one of the dishes I tried was delicious and the sommelier, Hailee has some great wines picked out. She even recommended a couple places to try in Napa (Arroyo and Von Strasser) and she was spot on with what I would like! They also have quite an extended list of wine options for your to peruse over.

Viognier is now one of my favorites along the Peninsula and new favorite fine dining restaurant in San Mateo (sorry All Spice!).

The food is great. I loved the hot borscht with truffle cream and candied bacon. The pork was cooked well and the pork sausage delicious. The presentation was without flaw. The service was great but the staff a bit mismatched but they knew what they were doing and "enjoyed being a part of the artistic environment" (a quote from my waiter). The Brie dessert was a nice cheese touch after a good meal!!

The pork belly was is really really good has an amazing taste that anybody at any age would love. Definitely worth the trip (:

very elegant if pricey-weird location lingers in your mind above supermarket

Very good food, but over-priced in my opinion. There was also a very loud and very likely drunk cooking group in the attached school/observatory that ruined the ambiance of the restaurant.

Been here twice now, and i look forward to getting back there soon! Overlooked, especially by folks my age. But everything is so solid: the wine selection (kudos to Carlos, the sommelier), the apps, the main courses, the desserts (best presentation of the experience), and Kam's cocktails. Service overall is off the charts. GO!

Expensive, but well worth it for a very nice meal. The sommelier provided excellent pairing recommendations and the service and presentation were spot on.

Excellent special occasion restaurant. Chef's tasting with wine pairings always perfect!

Food is delicious and Cam the bartender is the best!! Excellent service all the way around! Viognier is a Hidden gem above Draegers market! Love happy hour at the bar also!! And Great cooking classes!!

Unbelievable food. Delightful service. Everything on he menu is to die for. You order separately for bread but I highly recommend you don't let that put you off.

This place is a hidden gem in the bay. Even more hidden on the second floor !

upstairs in a busy gourmet market (with lots of parking), this surprising place is a delightful find for excellent food. service is attentive and cheerful and the dining space itself is attractive and spacious. huge colorado lamb chops must come directly up the stairs from the gourmet market below, and the salads also glisten with freshness. the casual california clientele seems happy with every part of the meal, including the interesting wines.

Calm in the shop. Cooking is delicious. I would like to go on business dinner or special day because it is expensive

Good food, excellent service, and beautiful desserts. Cost to quality/experience ratio is a bit off so minus one star for that

Creative presentation, awesome food (everything with duck, mushrooms or both was stellar) and service that (for whatever strange reason) insists on serving women in the party LAST.

Went there once. I like French restaurants, but this one is a lack of something: the food, wine, staff, and vibe. I don't know why Google recommends me this restaurant. Just an ordinary overpriced restaurant.

Family booked the private room. Good food but it's not the French style food one would expect from France.

Nice atmosphere and service. If you go, try the sea bass but leave room for dessert.