09/13/09

If you MUST have a great culinary experience...Citrus.

by iarzac

Whenever I need to make sure that a client or an out of town guest will have a great culinary experience in San Antonio, I take them to Citrus. The convenient location on Houston Street with complimentary valet parking, V-bar a few steps away to start the evening with a good drink and wonderful balconies overlooking the riverwalk just make it even better. But a wonderful location is doomed if it does not have great food and superb service. Well Citrus has that handily covered. The pace of service is luxuriously unhurried but completely attentive, very conducive either for a romantic date or a business dinner. (The Paella lunch however is quick and incredibly good).Chef Jeff Balfour has created a distinguished menu with delicious items like pan seared rabbit sausage, Broken Arrow elk, cilantro lime grouper and crab cakes so good, Rachel Ray stopped by to have Jeff cook them on her show... The wine list is perfect. By having excellent wines from a wide range of areas, vintages and prices, it avoids being unnecessarily large. All the wines

I've had have been excellent. Be sure to conclude your meal with their bread pudding, it is so good, you'll feel guilty for having it.

• Pros: Nationally famous crabcakes with Texas friendly service!
• Cons: Hard to pick from so many excellent choices of food.

02/20/09

Average

by CSMobileUser

The food was good but not exceptional. Not what I would expect for the price. I did enjoy the crab cakes and the lobster lollipop. They were out of several appetizer items, all of the fish entres and the chocolate desert. The service was good and the ambiance fine. Not very crowded on a Saturday night so at least we had a quite, private table. The wine list was adequate but again, not as comprehensive as I might expect from a restaraunt charging these kind of prices.

02/10/09

Every bite was unbelievable!

by bwmecc

My fiance and I tried Citrus after getting a gift certificate since we'd never been inside the hotel Valencia. The hotel/restaurant's atmosphere is very trendy and chic, which is not really our scene. While not necessarily romantic, it was a great, quite place to share good conversation on a date. Our waiter that night was very busy but managed to be quite attentive.

The best part of the night however was definitely the food. They have pri-fixe options where you choose either three courses (appetizer, entree, dessert) or four courses (two appetizers, entree, dessert). We opted for the three course option and were extremely satisfied. My fiance got crabcakes for an appetizer that were touted as "the best in town" and they lived up to the hype and more! My yellow fin tuna sashimi appetizer was phenomneal as well. We got the bacon wrapped beef tenderloin and pork tenderloins for the entrees, both of which were amazing. It was hard to concentrate on conversation because every bite was so good! Finally for dessert, we got the cinammon bread pudding and chocolate cake with coffee ice cream. The bread pudding is definitely the best option and was gone in minutes.

Overall, we had a great time and will definitely be going back. The food was pricey but really was one of the better meals we've had in San Antonio.

• Pros: Great food, beautiful patio overlooking the river, quite atmosphere

04/13/07

It was..well...okay

by brandon_helotes

I went to Citrus for my birthday and then Valentine's Day and neither vist left me very happy. I felt as though the staff was kind of stuffy and like I had walked into Neiman's wearing a tank top and no shoes. We even had a reservation weeks in advance!! The fish I had was average and my wife returned her entree. The hotel itself is wonderful...but the restaurant doesn't live up to the sterling standard the hotel has set.

• Pros: Can't think of any
• Cons: Food was just okay, service was there, and ambience was stuffy

Stylish surroundings, exotic fare and high prices at this romantic hotel restaurant.

by Contributor

In Short
Dimmed lights, warm-toned walls and hints of vibrant red create a chic atmosphere inside the Hotel Valencia's restaurant. An array of seating options is available, accommodating small or large groups, privacy and dining on the terrace overlooking the Riverwalk. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, the menu features French and New Zealand cuisine with American flair, including seafood and exotic specialties such as jumbo blue crab cakes, sweet potato-stuffed quail and New Zealand red deer.