Chez Zee

Charming restaurant, excellent place for a romantic date. Very good food and wonderful service. more

Still my Favorite Restrurant in Ausin. I believe this was the first restrurant I was taken to in Austin, and it is still my favorite. Love the year round lights for decor. Always high quality food and service as well as a gluten free menu.... more

We ate there recently and the appetizers were really good, the atmosphere was nice, the service good, but the wine menu was a little disappointing. Our dinners were pretty good but not amazing. I am looking forward to trying their brunch I have heard it's great. more

OK.- Just had the best meal, since I can remember. Highly recommend their new dish ""Strube Ranch Wagyu Flat Iron"" steak topped with a fried egg. Protein lovers will appreciate this healthy meal. My most awesome waiter Jordan recommended the new dish, stating the cut was similar to fine Japanese steakhouse steaks. AND the ""smashed"" fried potatoes were a new and delightful take on potatoes. I hope they keep this one on the menu really, really good. Nice to know that this tender steak comes from a ranch in Pittsburgh, Texas! more

I don't usually write reviews but today my husband and I kept remembering the amazing Kefir Pear Tart with the homemade lemongrass ice cream we had last night at Chez Zee... so I had to write about it. It was out of this world! We love Chez and enjoy going there for dinner but this has to be one of the best deserts ever! The lemongrass ice cream is homemade - right there at Chez Zee and when you put it in your mouth with the pear tart made with fresh local pears you will just go wow! Thanks Chez Zee - more

One of the only places in the austin area to offer the Quartino wine serving! It's perfect! more

What a huge disappointment! I thought I would be enjoying a nice birthday dinner with my friends and family and ended up apologizing profusely for such a bad time. \r The service was awful. The waitress was rarely seen and probably partially to blame for every dish being served cold. We were there for a full two and a half hours--everyone had become anxious and uncomfortable--especially my friend's toddler! I guess the waitress was oblivious, because most good wait staff will step up the pace a couple of notches when there is a small child in the group. \r The food was ten times worse than the service. We had 3 appetizers and 5 different dishes and every single one of them was served COLD. Everything was bland and greasy. The worst was the $25 Red Peak Pasta--rubbery scallops, and watery, flavorless tomato sauce. The Jalapeno Cornbread Stuffed Chicken was dry as a bone, but I guess they thought they could make up for it by pairing it with soggy cornbread stuffing. \r I would have asked to speak to a manager for some kind of resolve, but by the time we finally got our check and were able to leave, everyone was just ready to get the heck out of there. So, I emailed them the following day and received an auto-response stating I should expect a response within 24 hours. Still waiting. \r Clearly this establishment is being managed by a clown that has no idea how detrimental these complaints can be for their business. Eventually the shameful (lack of) service and disgusting, painfully over-priced food will take its toll. There are plenty of other true 'Austin' restaurants to choose from--go elsewhere!\r Pros: NONE! Cons: cold, salty, bland, greasy food, slow service more

It sounded so good in the ads and comments,thought I would give it a try.\r Looked great going in,staff was stuffy.\r Sat down at cute little table,was fine till I just looked down, could see glass rings. Which while not good was not horrible. So whipped out the sanitary wipe and used to clean my spot, came up with a black print of my hand! Oh my that was gross, gave one to rest of party to clean table,all had the same result. After I picked up the utensil pack, the plate it was perched on had more fingerprints than a murder scene. YIKES! And silverware was icky.Still stayed what can I say.\r Ordered the burger and the pecan chicken, the burger tasted good, fries were great. Niece ordered the chicken was very over cooked and sauce was like a thick paste. She said it was ok but dry, but did not look it.\r I was so disappointed. Pros: Looked cozy,had character,homey,what i love. Cons: Cleanliness was gross,what is with the bedsheet thing? more

This place seems pretty expensive for a brunch place. i went their with a group of friends. It was sunday, so they were serving nothing but brunch till 3pm. we went their for lunch,but had to order something from the brunch menu, since they dont bring out lunch menu on sunday. had i known that, probably would not have gone here for lunch...not a person who likes to eat egg at 12:30 in the afternoon. Anyways, I decied to order the salad, since that seemed like the only lunch option, salad was $15!! this is nothing but a ceaser salad. I would say, this place is overpriced and overhyped. its an average place. Recommend not going their for a get-together for lunch or dinner. Here is another thing i complete disliked, they would not seat us until we had the whole party, part of 8, we had 7 people but yet they would not seat us, until the 8th person came. more

Despite the snug seating arrangements we had a decent brunch. They have a whimsical atmosphere and the service was decent, but slow despite the restaurant being quite empty. The portions are suitable for 2 adults to share. I enjoyed the Tuscan Ciabatta Benedict. The free croissants reminded me of the Pilsbury kind nothing special. I would consider going back. Cons: Tables & Seating Crowded Together more

phoned 3 times to confirm reservations for Easter Brunch and was quoted 4 different prices. When we arrived, they tried to seat our group (of 9) at 2 different tables. Was charged 18% gratuity for buffet service, that was sparse at best. Won't try this again. Pros: good food Cons: poor service more

We are avid foodies and have always enjoyed lunch at Chez Zee. A little pricey, but the food was good and the desserts were great. Unfortunately, I took my 60-year old mother (first time for her) and 3 other guests to dinner for her birthday. I had made reservations the previous week and expected them to have a table ready. When we got there, it was overly packed for a Saturday night - no one told us that it was Prom night and they had at least 6 tables of 20 folks each. This of course effected how slowly we received our food, which was cold, but our server could not be found to fix the issue. We actually had 3 different servers come to the table, and when we requested drink refills, the same person never returned to our table, so the 'new' server did not know we had requested drinks. On top of that, the air conditioning was broken, which occurred BEFORE we arrived. I would have liked to have known that before I sat down with, since 3 people in our party were over 60 and do not take heat very well. We did not know the AC situation and politely complained, and we were eventually told that ""the technician was working on it,"" which sounds like it would be back on in 30 minutes or so. I wish they had told us that the AC would be out during our dinner so we could have left and not had a horrible experience, and I would not be writing this bad review. PLUS, we waited 20 minutes for our desserts (to go), which we never received. So we finally gave up and left, and they only took off $20 from the bill, which was almost $200. So be warned, ask questions and make sure you get answers, or you special occasion might end up like mine! Pros: Dessert, Ambience, Lunch Cons: Parking, Service, Food Quality, Attitude, Pricey more

In terms of food, service and ambiance, always a quality place, . Great place to take a client or valentines date. Staff is always professional. Food quality is always right. Menu is never boring. Desserts are wonderful. Pros: Good value for the money Cons: Not a tight budget place. more

Title: Dazzling, Like Dining on a Comet\r \r \r I've been going to Chez Zee since it opened over two decades ago. \r \r \r An all-time favorite and Chez Zee standard is French Toast Creme Brulee, which is chalah bread soaked in creme brulee overnight, then prepared as french toast topped with strawberries, walnuts, whipped cream and optional maple syrup. If that isn't divine, I don't know what is. Crab Cakes Benedict might be a Chez Zee invention, but I'm not sure, even though I've never encountered it anywhere else. \r \r It's not just the food and the fabulous, in-house homemade bakery deserts that are to die for at this wonderful restaurant. It is the ambience. \r \r Chez Zee is perhaps the most fascinatingly decorated and fun bistro-type eatery in town. I can think of no other restaurant with the eclectic, ever-changing (or should I say ever-more-abundant) nature of the decor. Tiny lights, sparkles, stars and mirrors everywhere, it is truly a dazzling experience to eat inside or out in one of the numerous seating areas that give the large restaurant its intimate feel. \r \r . Perhaps my most memorable Chez Zee experiences ever was when a very large group of barbershop singers ate together after performing elsewhere and broke into spontaneous song that filled the entire restaurant. \r \r Chez Zee is a lot of fun, and it reflects a quirkiness and uniqueness among restaurant experiences that is unmatched. Likely, Chez Zee is but a glimpse into the wildly creative mind of owner Sharon Watkins, who is enthusiastically supported by her well-chosen, upbeat, and attentive staff. If you haven't been there, try it. Pros: Lot of variety, good at lots of times of day, fabulous desserts, always fun more

Been coming to to Chez-Zee for years and have not been disappointed once. The Fried pickles are amazing lite and crisp. The rib eye special which they have every night is the best in town the meat is tender and juicy. I would be satisfied with just the steak and nothing else. The Mac and cheese is the best from scratch mac in cheese in town. I love Chez-Zee and get over there as often as I can. Pros: Everthing Cons: nothing more

We celebrated an anniversary with another couple last Friday and had a wonderful meal!\r Our friendly waiter brought out warm bread and olive oil for dipping while we decided what to order. We shared fried dill pickles plus a special, calamari with a caper aoli; both were light and delicate. Our side caesar salads arrived perfectly dressed and with lots of parmesan. I had the grilled amberjack with a delicious buttery sauce and my husband ordered the grilled ribeye with merlot sauce, which he delcared perfectly cooked. Our guests ordered the pasta special with seafood for one, and the smoked prime rib for the other. We barely had room for dessert, so we had the dessert sampler, which was just right. Not only did we all enjoy our meals, we felt it was a great value for the money. It was a lovely evening; we will be back! Pros: Innovative menu and really good prices. Easy access, free valet parking. Reservations accepted. Cons: nope more

I was at Chez Zee the other night for a Christmas dinner and it was great.\r \r We had the smoked pork tenderloin for our entree. The pork was prefectly cooked and it came with sweet potato pudding, one of the best things I've ever had, and the jalepeno cornbread stuffing and some green asparagus for good measure.\r \r The salad was spinach tossed with an apple cider dressing. The spinach was the most tender I've ever had.\r \r For appetizers we had the special calamari served with lemon aioli. The calamari were tender and I found out by asking they were hand cut which was why they were a nice size.\r \r For dessert we had both the lemon rosemary cake and a piece of chocolate brownie with some of the Myer's Rum Sauce.\r \r The Chateau St. Jean was perfect with the calamari and the La Creama Pinot Noir went well with the pork.\r \r Given the festive decorations which are more fun during Christmas it was a really good party and dinner.\r '\r The restaurant really feels so comfortable that it's as close to being in someone's home while being in a restaurant. \r \r I really like this place and like it even more when my dinner host has picked it for her party! Pros: good food, comfortable atmosphere more

My first and last visit was on Monday Dec 1st 2008 around 5:30pm. Upon arrival we were ignored at the front desk for over 10 minutes until our self professed brand new waiter seated us. We ordered the crab cakes for appetizer. They were cold and 70% bread crumbs. I ordered the pork loin and my guest ordered the stuffed chicken. The waiter even asked me how I wanted my pork cooking(!?). ""Well done"" was my reply! My dish was cold and undercooked. The macaroni was sans cheese and drowning in some kind of watery goo. I failed to eat beyond 3 mouthfulls. My guest had the same experience with his dish. The chicken was dry and inedible. Our newbie waiter hovered but never refilled our glasses. Later that evening I got very sick and suffered terrible stomach cramping. Mild food poisening was the diagnosis. Suffice to say, that despite it 's eclectic ambiance and hints of super pastries, which we declined, this so called Bistro is off our list of future dining establishments. Visit at your peril!!!! Cons: Too many to mention more

I do like the ambiance, it's quaint and romantic, if you set aside the two litte critters on the toilet paper in the restroom, it wasn't bad. I've been there twice both times and both times have been a disappointment. The desserts are wonderful and I wish I could say the same about the food. We tried the crab quesadillas for an appetizer, it was cold and way too cheesy it was drenched in grease and barely any crab. Both of entrees were also cold and my husbands poultry dish was way under cooked, he had to send it back. He got sick later that evening. Neither of our meals had were worth what we paid. Our waiter this time was nice but so slow and he never refilled our drinks. Last time we had a horrible waitress she never came to our table and she acted as if we were bothering her. We will never go back. more

\r We went here for a romantic outing and loved it. They had a great selection of food (even for a vegetarian like myself). The deserts are what they are famous for, but my wife believes may be they are bit over rated. Parking lot may get some times packed. The live music was a bit too loud once (may be we were sitting too close to piano).\r more