Restaurant Zola

10/16/09

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

by hushasha40 at Citysearch

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

09/09/08

Outstanding Cuisine

by rclavien at Citysearch

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!

04/08/08

It's been good for a long time and still impresses me.

by Iruvwine at Citysearch

I had the best dinner in town two nights in one week at Zola and was surprised to read about the person below me who had a horrible experience. Whoever you are, give it another shot because always had great food at Zola and have been trying out other food around town and have been disappointed by over-priced menus with less-than-satisfying dishes. Deb's staff is always spot-on!

• Pros: knowledgeable staff and I see the same servers there for a while
• Cons: not that I can think of

03/25/08

Vibrant and creative, this food is a work of art...

by earthshinehz at Citysearch

I have been to great restaurants in D.C., New York, San Fransico, Montreal, and more. Zola was recommended to me by an out-of-town business contact. I went there wearing jeans and a sweater and was treated like a queen. It was a weekday and we had no reservation, but were seated almost immediately. Our server, Matt, had extensive knowledge of the wine list and paired our meal with an excellent Pinot Noir. I had a salad with apples, fresh fennel, and blue cheese... amazing. For dinner I chose the Grouper (not on the menu, special for that day) and was just blown away. The combination of flavors on the plate was inspired and creative (just like the decor). From bread to dessert (both made fresh everyday), my palate was singing praises to the Chef. This place is on my short list of great restaurants, and I have been to a few. I can't wait to go back and will recommend it to everyone I want to impress!!

• Pros: great food, service, atmosphere
• Cons: none

02/23/08

Excellent Romantic Restaurant

by Sdiver35 at Citysearch

What is left to say about this Restaurant? My wife and I have celebrated one of our birthday's here now for two years. The ambiance is excellent, the food is excellent, the bread; (homemade daily) I can't even put words to the bread. I would have to agree with others that parking is pretty bad, but for what you are going to pay for dinner go ahead and splurge for the valet parking and not worry about it. The variety of the menu should suit all tastes, and belive me they are all tasty selections...especially the salads.

They should need to bring the quesadilla back as an appetizer!!

• Pros: Excellent well balanced menu.
• Cons: Parking.

10/15/07

Best in nashville

by icu812 at Citysearch

Period.

I am a professional diner and there is no better.

Great food.

Great Service.

Great job Deb! Girl rocks!

• Pros: unique food
• Cons: Amiee

10/01/07

Exceptional Experience!

by hette at Citysearch

We absolutely loved dining at Zola and we cannot wait to go back! Haven't been this excited about a new restaurant in a long time. I had the Vegetable Tower with Shrimp and my husband had the Pork Tenderloin with some amazing zucchini. The bread was great, service was wonderful too. We have already recommended Zola to friends! The ambience was very romantic, even the bathroom was cute with menus from all over the world posted on the wall! This really is our fave new restaurant in Nashville!

• Pros: Ambience, Host was very friendly, Server recommended what he actually liked not the most expensive dish
• Cons: None

07/27/07

Great location for special dinner

by ashcb at Citysearch

I went to Zola with my family yesterday for my birthday dinner. Our group of five was easily accommodated, and as we'd mentioned when making the reservation that it was a special occasion, there was a flower and confetti on our table. Our waiter was knowledgable and made an excellent Shiraz recommendation. The complimentary cheddar chili bread was scrumptious...I could have eaten an entire loaf. The mango crab salad was quite delicious...the bacon added a great flavor and the accompanying chips were tasty. The venison entree was both beautiful and flavorful, though I would have preferred more of the blackberry sauce as well as a whole blackberry or two (like the Watermark serves). The sweet potato fries were cooked perfectly and were an excellent side dish. For dessert I chose the blueberry bread pudding and it was absolutely ambrosial. I've always been a fan of bread pudding, though not so keen on blueberries, but from the first bite I felt like I had some amazing secret to share as I passed the dessert around the table. I only get one chance a year to really step out and spend extra money on a special dinner, and Zola was absolutely worth it.

• Pros: All the food
• Cons: Leisurely service might bother some people (I had no problem because I prefer the European style of dining, i.e. at my leisure)

07/11/07

wonderful service

by greg5565 at Citysearch

Continues to be a solid performer. My wife and have gone to Zola many times since '99 and we continue to enjoy the ambiance and distinctive taste combinations. We went on Monday, July 9, 2007 on a week long tour of the finer eating establishments in Nashville. On a Monday night, the pace was full at 8PM so we had to wait for about 15 minutes and without reservations. The service was quick and impeccable and the quality of food what we expected. I would not rate it as high as I once would have but that maybe because we have been there a number of times but the appetizer and salad were wonderfully put together and our entrees an artful masterpiece. On the appetizer, we ordered the mezza platter which is large enough for 4 people to share or could easily be a light entree for someone ? the combination of grilled eggplant, humus and olive tapenade was great and the cheese ? wow. Our salad was a typical tomato, summer salad and the tomatoes may have been slightly past their best day but the cheese and fresh herbs made up for the softer texture. On entree?s, my wife had the salmon and which it was well prepared and flavors galore she was not as excited about it. I had the venison which couple with the reduction and cooked to a perfect temperature, was great. The overall combination of venison, some kind of berry reduction and sweet potato fries was a taste delight.

Overall, wonderful service and great food ? we?ll be back.

• Pros: Ambiance, service and value
• Cons: parking can be tight

07/07/07

Menu as Unique as its Chef

by mka at Citysearch

My husband and I LOVE restaurants that are not chain restaurants. (i.e. we tend to eat in alot!) On special occasions, we venture out of our cozy kitchen and into someone else's kitchen. Our experience at Zola makes us want to belly up to her counter, bathe in her rich aromas, and watch the wonders that Zola is known for. With the seasonally changing menu, the adventurous combination of spices, and the warmth and no fuss atmosphere, makes Zola a Nashville gem. Thank you for giving us some uniqueness in a commercially saturated world.

• Pros: Chef Owned, Changing Menu, Food