Nectar
Cincinnati, OH 45207
Phone: (513) 929-0525
07/20/2007 Posted by jsohio
I'd heard nice things about Nectar (and enjoyed eating at Aioli, the owner's previous venture), so I was unpleasantly surprised by my experience. The decor is bland, and the dining room was so loud by the end of our meal that it was impossible to hear my friends speak unless they shouted. Service was inconsistent and slow--we ordered wine with our entrees that arrived more than 20 minutes early, we had to ask for water when other diners received it automatically, and we were doled out only one tiny slice of bread apiece even as we waited and waited. I attempted to order the sirloin medium well but was told by our server that it was only prepared rare or medium rare, so I ordered the chicken breast. The chicken was quite good, but I would have enjoyed it more if I hadn't been brooding over the steak that I'd really wanted. A friend ordered the salmon and pronounced it very good. The peach tart for dessert was uninspiring--essentially a pile of very sweet peach jam with some berries and gelato. I'd been underwhelmed by the whole experience, but the kicker came when I paid a $78 check with a $100 gift certificate I'd been given. Our server eventually returned to explain that the restaurant couldn't make change for the gift certificate, issue me a credit or another gift certificate for the balance, or apply the balance to the gratuity. The only option: to order additional food to take home with me. Eventually we negotiated a bottle of wine to go (which may or may not even be legal), but I was irritated at what seemed like amateurish customer service at this and other points in the evening. I wasn't expecting cash change, but it seemed to me that asking for a gift certificate for the balance was not unreasonable. It's unfortunate that a frustrating experience compromised what was quite lovely food. This seemed like someone's recently-opened first restaurant; it isn't, so it shouldn't have seemed that way. I won't return, and I certainly can't recommend Nector to others.
Pros: Food was quite good
Cons: Slow, inconsistent, condescending customer service; unpleasant hassles; loud
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