Location: 201 S College St #27, Charlotte, NC 28244
After a fair share of disappointing meals this week, I found my way into what many consider to be one of the finest restaurants in Charlotte. Bentleys on 27 is one of the few upscale restaurants in Charlotte that isn’t part of a local/ national chain; located on the 27th floor of 201 S. College, it is in itself an experience. Upon my arrival at the restaurant, it was very quiet, especially for a Saturday night, which may have as much to do with the location as the price. Is Bentleys’ on 27 the best restaurant in Charlotte, NC? To that question I would respond with a weak whimper of no, but I wouldn’t argue too hard against the point; there was a lot to like about this establishment, but there were also a few things that gave me pause.
The Good: The atmosphere offers one of the best views in Charlotte with panoramic glimpses of the entire city; which is great, unless of course you are afraid of heights and then it can be terrifying. Inside the restaurant you will find all of the refined touches of classic elegance: fresh flowers, tasteful artwork, nice floors and of course heavy leather chairs. . The environment is further enhanced by the table side presentations for a myriad of meals and cocktails. I was in the mood for a coffee with something added to it and what I received were seats to a Vegas Cirque show; sweet and fiery (literally) it was quite entertaining. If fiery is your fancy, they also offer a Bourbon Ribeye dish (among others) with the same type of elaborate culinary showmanship.
The service was exceptional, very attentive and entertaining; we were able to talk quite a bit with our waiter and he was helpful when making (most) of the food choices. The rest of the staff were equally attentive, although the owner seemed a bit grouchy (on second thought, it may have been a random case of RBF (resting bitch face).
The menu touts a number of mouth-watering descriptions: our appetizer consisted of three items, of which two were very good. The Bacon Wrapped Filet was outstanding, and possibly the best part of the meal. In addition, there was an Ahi Tuna that was also superb, it should certainly be ordered if you decide to visit. Finally, one of the two main courses was extraordinarily decadent , the King Crab Legs were cooked perfectly – of course I can’t in recent memory think of a time when I didn’t enjoy crab legs…
The Bad: The meal was not cheap, a point I will get to later, but for the cost I expected to be consistently wowed. Unfortunately, my meal was less than impressive, to start: while the appetizer had two good items, there was one to which I found both terrible and yet oddly nostalgic. The Calamari Steak had a very strange consistency, almost like a fish stick….that’s right a $30 fish stick. The sauce with which it was paired, wasn’t much better, I wasn’t sure, but I could swear it tasted like ketchup. As mentioned, while this was made up for by the other two exceptional items, I still wasn’t thrilled. My entrée, while visually stunning, was also somewhat disappointing, but this may be due as much to my personal taste as anything else. I ordered the Veal Chop, (pictured above) which was gargantuan in proportion and cooked well, but it came with an overwhelming smoky flavor that dulled my palate and left me thinking about my next piece of meat.
The drinks were also underwhelming and with the exception of the tableside specialty coffee cocktail, extremely weak. Please don’t mistake me reader, I am not looking to get wasted at Bentleys by any means, but for an average of $12 a cocktail, something extra is needed to take the burn off the bill.
The Ugly: I have commented on some places in Charlotte being expensive in the past. In my reviews of BLT and Enso, I could feel my T-Rex arms getting smaller with every course. Bentley’s on 27 makes these places seem like CICI’s pizza in terms of expense. When the bill arrived, I had to look around as I wasn’t sure if I just had dinner for two or bought a boat; I understood the cost when going in, the prices are right there on the menu, but something about seeing them all together caused my vision to blur..
The Verdict 6.5 out of 10: Bentleys on 27 is worth visiting for the view alone, it is the perfect spot for grabbing a drink early in the evening or making a quick proposal (you decide on the type). If you are in need of a location for a special anniversary or event I cannot see anyone complaining. If this is your course of action, I hope that you find something on the menu that moves you as much as the price will.