Review of Calistoga, city centre

I’ve been to Calistoga a few times and I don’t seem to learn my lesson. Each time my expectations are low and each time they blow me away. It’s about time I readjusted my expectations and wrote down the facts in a review; Calistoga is a great restaurant.

It’s the location of Calistoga that might contribute to the initial low expectations. This American restaurant in Scotland is tucked away in Rose Street North Lane. That’s not Rose Street. That means wandering along Rose Street and rather than carefully avoiding the grotty little alleyways that lead to the back of businesses on Princess and George Street it means exploring one.

The last time I made it to Calistoga I had to squeeze past a garbage collection truck. I didn’t actually mind. It gave the outing an extra ounce of interest; a hidden restaurant, tucked away in the city centre and where thousands walk past ever day unaware of what they are missing.

It’s a nicely decorated and comfortable restaurant. I’m not a fan of posh. Calistoga manages to present an air of comfort and ease, of warmth and friendliness and yet it feels professional and high end. You could take a date to Calistoga, although, in that scenario you probably wouldn’t want to encounter the garbage truck.

Calistoga is an American restaurant. This means American wine and plenty of meat. In particular, Calistoga is a Californian restaurant so that means veggies will find something to enjoy too, there’s seafood and a decent range. In fact, Calistoga has a range of menus and they are available over the web. It’s worth checking them before you go or even booking online.

Last time I was there I ordered off their grill menu and enjoyed my combination of rib-eye steak, brandy pepper cream sauce and skinny fries. My partner had the grilled chicken breast, sweet chilli sauce and Thai rice and also did very well. The grill menu woks by charging you for the meat portion of the dish and then letting you mix and match your sauce and sides.

Our party of eight enjoyed every course ordered and appreciated special requests like “no blue cheese in our selection of artisan cheeses please”. There was some speculation as to why two people who thought they ordered the same thing had dishes that looked fairly different (quantities, arrangement). Two theories on that one: we were a busy table, it is possible one dish was ordered from the grill menu and the other from the a la carte or it’s possible that the kitchen wasn’t terribly consistent given just how busy the restaurant was when we ordered. What ever happened; I checked with both diners, each dish was delicious.

Calistoga does get busy though. This review does begin by describing the place as a secret but that’s not true at all. This is an award winning restaurant – including Speciality Restaurant of the Year – and it is in a firmly central, easy to get to, part of the city. I’m not saying that if there are two of you, it is mid-week and you’re nearby that you shouldn’t pop your head around the door and ask for a table. It’s just that if you know it’s a busy time of the week, especially if you’re a group, then book in advance.

Despite the success of the food I think it’s the relaxed atmosphere and attentive but friendly staff that win Calistoga for me. I go because the food’s great but I enjoy the night out before of the table service and attention to my needs.

If you’re a local and haven’t yet been to Calistoga then it’s about time you gave it a go.