There seems to be two trends amongst the restaurants listed so far - those that were once great but are living on past reputation (for example, Patina in the Walt Disney Concert Hall vs. Patina on Melrose Avenue); and those that gained fame/reputation on factors other than the food (unique location, celeb hangouts, etc), and never really served good food from the outset.

I'm just surprised that Buca, McAllisters and Jimmy Johns are in a thread about fine dining. I gave you some recommendations, give 'em try. Good Luck.

Patina on Melrose hasn't existed for the last couple of years+
Providence, a seafood restaurant is in it's place. I don't think anyone in Los Angeles goes to Patina at Disney expecting great food; it's about convenience to Disney Hall. I do agree with your premise that certain restaurants gained fame/reputation on factors other than the food...Chasen's was the perfect example of a restaurant which was comfortable, well publicized and had mediocre food. I often wondered who planted the item about Liz Taylor ordering Chasen's Chili to the set of Cleopatra in Rome? My guess, is that Dave Chasen had a brilliant publicist as that chili was really dreadful. Better chili could be found at Tommy's on Beverly Boulevard in East Los Angeles.

Beat me to it! Especially overrated by FlyerTalkers.

While I not an In-n-Out fanatic, I do believe it serves the best fastfood hamburger meal. The burger itself is solid but nothing special. What is really amazing are the fries that actually taste like potato and the creamy, real ice cream milkshakes.

I have only been to Tavern on the green once and I lived in NYC for over 16 years, All I have to say is that the way overprices shrimp tasted like cardboard. I rather hit up a hot dog vendor then spend a cent in that trap

Oh god I'd never imply that McAllisters and Jimmy Johns are fine dining. I was using those as examples of places that people claimed were good but in reality were bland. I've never been to Buca's. I have no idea what kind of atmosphere it is or what level of food or service it is.

I'll certainly check out at least a couple of the places you mentioned. 14 West would be one and Harry & Izzys probably the other. I've wanted to try the Eagles Nest mainly because of the atmosphere but I've heard mixed reviews about the food.

Hands down El-Bulli. Usually people who tell you how great it is never went there, just heard somebody blablabla.

Don't ever waste your time going there.

Harry's Bar Venezia
I have no idea how the restauarant upstairs ever got a Michelin star.
If you must, get ripped off on a seriously overpriced drink in the bar.
Stop there.

+1. I would agree with you. I have been her about 3-4 times over the number of years, since the 1990's as a college student into the 2000's as an income-generating adult. I have never been impressed with the food. It's simply not that good.

Yes, I agree about the "Berkeley aloof" attitude. Don't think that's a Berkeley thing per se, but probably a SF BayArea thing: I'm too cool and eco/green-friendly to be proper waitstaff, I am just here to get money to pay the bills.

Interesting. I had been thinking about making a trip to go here, but thanks for your post. I will re-consider. I think that 300-350 euros is a lot to pay if you're not getting the 'best meal in the world'.

Anyone who hasn't lived under a rock for the last couple decades
should know about Buca di Beppo, a funnish place where one doesn't
go for food or a romantic evening. Sort of like a low-class Cheesecake
Factory ;)

It's not a crime to be in one's teens or early 20s, btw.

I never said it was.

+1. I think Buca di peppo should not be in the same thread as Per se, French Laundry, Chez Panisse, Charlie Trotter's, etc. We go to buca di peppo when can't get reservations anywhere else and there are kids in the party who want to make noise and a mess... :eek:

Interesting...

Can you elaborate a bit as to why you consider elBulli overrated and when did you go there? What three-star places would you consider as more deserving of their fame?

Cheers,
T.

Have you been to el Bulli? Do you disagree with the assessment that it is over-rated?

I think that a FT-er did a trip report a while back about going to El Bulli. If you do a search you might be able to find the report.

ETA: HERE is the trip report.

Agreed! Actually, I think this is even more overrated than Chez Panisse...

No, I haven't been there. But it is my understanding that elBulli food might be difficult to grasp for someone who is not used to very high end gourmet cuisine and molecular cousine.

I would be interested to hear whether the poster thought the dishes were badly made or whether the combinations were not to his liking or if there was something else he did not enjoy.

Cheers,
T.

I agree with Chez Panisse and Picasso.

On the other hand, I've had really excellent meals at Cabana las Lilas and Greens.

I would also add:

Mastro's Beverly Hills
Nobu Las Vegas
Pierre Orsi, Lyon
Cafe Deux Magots, Paris
Cafe Gray, NYC (now closed)

I also think expectation is huge. You think you're going to the 'best restaurant in the world', and your dropping around $500 cash for dinner per person, you would expect a mind-blowing meal. When it is not (how can any meal be, really?), then you get disappointed. Happiness = reality meeting expectations, so this is probably reason for disappointment.

Cafe Deux Magots is okay for a coffee or a beer. Food is just terrible. As well, Brasserie Lipp, just across the boulevard is truly dreadful, unless one really loves herring. My husband likes some herring dish at Brasserie Lipp. He'll go for his herring fix while I shop in the neighborhood.;)

Funnily enough that's how Mr Showbizguru and I long since solved the old problem of husband-and-wife shopping.

I retire to my favourite lunch-time pub with several broadsheet papers and she shops.

When she finally gets to the pub I'm sufficiently immunised to be able to feign interest in her purchases while not hearing a world that comes out of her mouth.

And she'll only stay for a couple of drinks which means I get driven home and
it's another perfect day of retail therapy for both parties.

Back of the net !

It's a cafe famous because of the artists who patronized it. It and many other Parisian cafes are famous as places to see, be seen, and to drink wine or cocktails. Never famous for good food.

Heard you the first 10 times you called it bland :rolleyes: The emphasis on traditonal, not overly seasoned, dishes is what makes it nice. But back to the grudge.

Yes & Yes!

If I held a grudge against CP, why would I go back? I have nothing against CP whatsoever (OK, the service is intolerably aloof, but that's about it) it's just that it's compeltely overrated.

The food just isn't good; it's an "experience" restaurant, a shrine for 60's Berkeley nostalgia and foodies, the same way people go to Harry's Bar in Venice for the experience.

I'm perfectly happy with CP for what it is, but it most certainly does not even come close to deserving its ratings.

The restaurant receives a 28 in the Zagat, I would give it an 18 (and that's only accounting for the fact that it is the shrine of California Cuisine). The Cafe receives a 27, I would give it a solid 20 (higher than the restaurant because the food is better and, of course, you actually have a choice).

Mama's Fish House on Maui

One of the few places my friend and I visited on the advice of a non-local. Her co-worker who visits Maui once a year told us it's the "best seafood" she's ever had. Coming from New England, good local seafood joints are my thing. (Hint... when visiting Boston, avoid tourist traps like The Clambox and Woodman's)

My assesment, overpriced with okay food. My understanding is that the place used to be great and then realized they could make big money off tourists. Yup, we fell for it. Straight into a tourist trap. The place tries too hard to look like a local dive. The silly wait to check-in and then wait some more for a table to add the "exclusive" feel didn't work for me. After a shared appetizer, entree, and a couple of drinks each, the final tab with tip came to about $200. Not worth it at all.

For lunch, the food at Cafe Deux Magots isn't overwhelmingly expensive, so I'd say its okay for what you pay. I guess the reason why its overrated is because its famous, not because its known for the food.

Also add C in Vancouver to the list- which has a separate menu for reviewers as opposed to everyone else. Extremely expensive and absurdly disappointing. Nice view though. Here is a very accurate review IMHO.
http://www.stephenfung.net/a-%E2%80%...nt-experience/
http://dinehere.ca/vancouver/c-restaurant

+1... I was also quite disappointed with C despite the hype about its seafood. I went to West when it was still Ouest and found the food to be very very good.

Bouchon didn't do much for us either. They had a great pork belly appetiser, but after that the steak was small and totally mediocre just with a stupidly large portion of frites, and the dessert of profiteroles we sent back because the pastry was hard.

Table 10, over in the Palazzo, is great however.

Actually the Venetian is pretty dull overall. Give me a Wynn-designed resort any day.

This is interesting, for sure. Not that this comment makes me want to cross this off my 'bucket list', but I would probably be making the trip just for El Bulli, so every negative I hear moves it down a bit further. Would love to hear more about this..

My votes:

Blackbird - Foodie friends say this is one of the 'real' best restaurants in Chicago, pastry chef just spent a year at the French Laundry, yadda yadda yadda. But when I went a few years ago the atmosphere was just terrible - noisy, bland - like a train station. Service was mediocre. Food was just okay. Couldn't wait to get out of this place.

Fountain - Zagat has (had?) this as the top place in Philly, and I'm just not buying it. My companion ordered the pheasant, I believe, but whatever it was, it was overdone and tasteless. The menu was just sort of... meh. I had a hard time finding something that looked good, rather than deciding between many great options.

While I like Nobu London, I'm not surprised that people have listed it here - but one poster had it dead on - while doesn't quite live up to the hype, there are some dishes that are just to die for. Call me cliche, but the black cod... oh my...

Funny, I was thinking the same thing by this point in the thread...
 

We have a serious vendetta going here...

+1. I, too, was ready to make a pilgramage to el Bulli, but after reading such a negative post about it, I am probably not going to. If I am going to fly 1/2 across the world, coordinate hotels & vacation time, and then drop $500/person for a meal, it better be "amazing", "mind-blowing", or "out of this world". If it is just a better than average place, it's not worth it. I think that this post is very helpful for those of us who are thinking of going to el Bulli.

There is no vendetta here, but this is a thread about the most overrated restaurant.

I have been eating a CP since I was a teenager growing up in Berkeley in the 70's and always accepted it for what it is.

When I discovered it was receiving rave reviews and accolades, I went back to see if things have changed, but I have never had anything aproaching a good meal there.

You go to Harry's Bar in Venice for the Bellini and the experience.

You go to Chez Panisse for the mesclun salad and the experience.

Both will set you back a pretty penny.

The difference is that Harry's Bar rates a 19 while Chez Panisse a 28.

That's why CP is astonishingly overrated.

Yes- in fact given the super hype (Best Restaurant in Canada, National Post top 10, etc) it is a real let down.

I do have to agree West IS one of the best restaurants in Canada- have been there three times in the last year and each was better than the one before- very impressive!

Did they drop the prices? I haven't been for several years. Even when the dollar was strong, I found it outrageously expensive. But one doesn't go there for the food, does one? So how can it be overrated? One goes there to say one went there. Just like Cafe de flor across the street - Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, etc.

I enjoyed Nahm. Probably the best Thai meal that I have had outside of Thailand. Certainly better than any Thai meal I've had in the U.S. Yes, it is expensive for what it is, the style of the food is not particularly traditional, but I thought the ingredients and flavors were spot on and reminded me very much of Bangkok street food.

Fleur dy Lys in San Francisco on the otherhand was absoultely horrible. I do not understand how they were given a Michelin star. Easily the most dissapointing meal I have ever had.

There is a nick name we call it here in San Francisco: "Fleur dy Waste-of-money"