09/02/07

Nothing special

by foody1977

Food was expensive and not all that special. Drinks, appetizers, and dinner for 2 people was close to $90, which could be spent elsewhere for half that. Albeit the bread was fresh and wait staff was courteous. The decor was very mediterranean, but I did not get that in the food.

• Cons: difficult to find parking

11/05/09

Highly overrated

by Curlygirl

During my dinner with friends, our evening started out with an impertinent waiter admonishing us to taste our food before we salted it (duh). My appetizer and main course had too many conflicting flavors and both courses tasted a bit too sweet. Three of us ordered the grouper special. For two of us, one of our wo pieces of grouper was fine; the other, however, was mealy. I thought the waiter should know this. His response was a lecture about this particular grouper having come from the Yucatan, or wherever, and perhaps not the grouper we, the great unwashed, were used to. (Actually, I thought we were quite nicely dressed.)

A good kitchen wants to know when something isn't prepared properly or an ingredient is of poor quality. Either the waiter didn't bother telling the chef that half of two entrees were inedible or the chef didn't care. All that was necessary was an apology. None was forthcoming.

• Pros: Potato skins were good, but you can get those at TGIFriday's
• Cons: Too many flavors spoil the pot

10/18/09

Nothing fabulous

by Patty Gicking

I took my boyfriend to Zola's in September to celebrate

his birthday, hoping to experience a fabulous dinner

and also because it is known as "Nashville's Most

Romantic Restaurant".

Number one reason I won't return to Zola's: It is

impossible to get a drink! You order, then you wait,

and wait, and wait. And wait.

We decided to try the lamb meatballs. Not good.

Ok, we let that one slide. We both ordered the

Pork Tenderloin as our entree. It arrived covered

in a thick layer of cheese. Five words: Nothing To

Write Home About. Don't leave home for this dish.

The dish was bland. I made reservations for THIS?

The waiter seemed to have little knowledge about

how dishes were prepared, what the specials were,

what the desserts were. I asked if he was new,

he said no. Maybe it's just me, but I believe the

waiter should know a bit more about the dishes.

Is Zolas a romantic restaurant? Yes. Is the food

at Zolas fabulous? No, mediocre at best.

10/16/09

My God! Amazing textures and glorious tastes for the palate.

by hushasha40

I made reservations for a group of eight and was so pleased that we were immediately and unequivocally welcomed. When we arrived, the staff received us warmly and ushered us into a beautifully decorated area. From so many other reviewers, one will see that the food is simply outstanding. The wine recommendations from staff were superb. However, the presentations of the dishes were gorgeous. Everyone at the table spoke of the wonderful textures and combinations of the foods. I had the pork and can only speak to its beautiful and lush taste. These people know what they are doing! Trust them and enjoy a wonderful culinary experience!

• Pros: Excellent cuisine, beautiful presentations, lovely ambience
• Cons: None

10/05/09

Disappointed

by bunny95

Wanted a special restaurant for Vanderbilt parents weekend. Was told Zola was one of the best restaurants in Nashville. I do not recommend it! Each entree had so many different ingredients that the main point of the dish was lost. The pork was so undercooked it was dangerous to eat. The beans in the halibut dish were slightly crunchy. So were the cubes of butternut squash in the salad. Inedible. We were at the table close to 2 hours before our food arrived. Our waitress told us this was unusual. Another employee said it was not.

• Pros: suppose to be great food
• Cons: food not good & waited too long for food to arrive

10/02/09

A foodie's favorite

by trvlaround

After having a horrible experience at another restaurant last night, it truly made me appreciate the quality and care that goes into every dish at Zola. My wife and I dined there earlier this week, and as always, enjoyed an exquisite meal. I have eaten here countless times and have never had anything that wasn't top notch.

Kudos to the staff at this restaurant for always maintaining a high level of culinary skill and service!

• Pros: Outstanding Food & Great Service
• Cons: Lack luster dining room

06/15/09

Over the top, trying too hard

by ts576134

I called Zola at 7:30pm today, on a Monday to ask about immediate seating. I was told that I could be seated at 8:30. Ok, a busy restaurant in Nashville on a Monday, must be good right? Not quite. We arrived punctually and took about 5 minutes to seat. Upon being seated we were greeting by our friendly waiter and offered freshly baked bread by another. The bread was fair while the menu looked interesting. We decided on the cold soup special...fruity and refreshing although not quite suited for a pre-dinner soup but rather a sorbet-like dessert...and also the lamb meatballs which were good. I ordered the paella and my girl the venison. The waiter stated the paella was their "signature" dish. If I only knew "signature" meant it would take over 30 minutes to prepare, I would have strayed away and ordered something else. My girlfriend's meal was cold when it came out due to the long prep time of my paella which was mediocre at best. The spinach we ordered was also mediocre. After complaining about the long wait and poor service we ordered the dessert right when the entrees came out to avoid another prolonged wait. After a spicy paella that I could not finish due to my shrunken stomach (from waiting) I was disappointed to indulge into an extremely spicy peanut brittle chocolate cake with spiced bananas. Although it did sound appetizing, it was hardly what I needed after a spicy paella. I had to elaborate excessively on all the things that disappointed us for this near $100 meal to get the not-so-friendly owner to credit us a cold entree in addition to the over-the-top dessert. I would recommend trying one of the other highly rated yelp dining locations if you're ever in the Nashville area.

• Pros: Bread, appetizer, environment
• Cons: Poor service, long wait for the entree, cold entree, more...

02/13/09

Found hair in food, bad service

by delialah

This was my favorite restaurant until I recently found a long black hair in my food. I told the server about it and she replaced my dish- only for me to find another black hair in the new dish. By that time, I couldn't finish my dinner...I was too sick to eat. I might consider returning if the kitchen staff agree to hairnets.

• Cons: Hair in food, terrible service

02/13/09

Worst service in town

by citygirl31980

I made a reservation for Zola 3 weeks in advance, but when my husband and I showed up to dinner, they lost our reservation and told us they would not have a table until later in the evening. We understand mistakes and decided to come back later- only to have the server forget about us. We were seated at the table fro over 30 mins before someone stopped by to see if we needed anything. I don't care how tasty the food is, the service was terrible and managment was unapologetic. We will never return.

• Cons: Terrible Service

09/09/08

Outstanding Cuisine

by rclavien

This restaurant was outstanding! Every single aspect of the cuisine was delicious, right down to the complimentary bread. The whole menu was replete with tasty choices that would only offend anyone who loves their food bland. Extremely tasty. Their vegetables were crisp and fresh. The pork tenderloin was outstanding, juicy and the sauce added just the right amount of zest. Also, you must try the chocolate desert which was served with Jack Daniels chocolate ice cream. Wow!

08/13/08

Zola Indeed !!

by contempler

This restaurant is a little hard to find but worth the effort. The restaurant creates a warm and welcoming feeling the moment that you walk through the door. My group of eaters is always looking for somthing a little different on the menu, and this place fits the bill. The starters of Lamb Sausage stuffed Quail, Summer Tomato Tart with smoked provolone and prosciutto, and Pecan Fried Beet Salad were all original and excellent. The main courses included a Rabbit special, that was truely special, I was impressed enough to ask if the Chef had ever published a cookbook and was told that one might be in the works down the road. I hope it's a short road, the food was that memorable.