Isabela On Grandview

My wife and I went with two of our friends who wanted to treat us to dinner to celebrate her birthday. While we were waiting for them, I ordered a scotch neat($10)- one sip and I could tell it was watered down. Then came dinner and the portions were ridiculously miniscule. The salad was not even large enough for one mouthful. One dish was supposed to have rainbow chard as an accompaniment-I glimpsed a tiny one inch long twig(stem) that may have been a part of a chard! Two tiny lamb chops advertised as rack of lamb. The dessert was what seemed like peanut brittle(tiny again) but with a different nut. To add insult to injury, at the end of the meal the waitress inquired if our stomachs were full! I suppressed a caustic comment but I guess my face said it all!\r I have traveled and dined all over the world, particularly France. It is only in the US that clip joints like Isabela's define continental cuisine to mean miniscule portions. Needless to say, we will never go there again! Pros: View of Pittsburgh Cons: Miniscule portions, deceptive labeling, watered down drinks more

We went here for a pre-Christmas dinner on December 23rd and the experience was terrible!!! We go out ALL the time and have never had such bad service. First they were out of the wine we ordered. Then the manager (who looked like he was 20) came over and insisted that we order because the chef was leaving for vacation the following day and refused to pour our wine until we ordered. Once he poured our wine and left my boyfriend proposed! Then it got worse the waitress came over and when my friend asked to her to give us a minute to celebrate (which by the way apparently they called the restauarant in advance to tell them he was proposing) the waitress made a rude comment and walked away. Then to top off the experice she spilt a full glass of $75.00 wine over the entire table and my boyfriend and just handed him a napkin. We had to ask them to change the soaked linens and they did not offer us anything to replace the spilt wine... Overall $400.00 later I will never go back... If you want to spend a lot of money and have a great meal try Alla Famiglia 5 minutes away! Pros: Great Location Cons: Poor staff and management more

7 courses for 65$ what a great concept. finally found somwhere that isnt typical pittsburgh, Le mont style.... same menu everywhere you go.\r Food was great. service was good.\r great veiw.\r portion sizes perfect. 7 courses may sound like a lot but it was the perfect amount.\r if you havent checked this place out you definetly should.\r gave the chefs 20$ and they took extra care of me, came out to the table and explained evry course. truly amazing...dont be afraid to drop a 20 spot, it will be worth it! Pros: food, service, veiw Cons: reservations were written for the wrong date more

my boyfriend and i shared each of our main selections and got to taste half the menu in one evening! for the appetizer, i had the lobster/scallop pastry which was AMAZING, my bf had the quail, which was alright. for the fish, i had the seared tuna which was quite good, and he had the scallops which he loved. i found them a bit too salty. for the meat, i had the duck, which we both loved, and he had the pork tenderloin sausage which was a sizeable portion. the cheesecake is fluffy and perfect and the chocolate cake interesting. we both decided to get the ""wine flight"" as well ($40 pp), though 4 glasses of wine was too much for me. the meal was expensive (mainly because of the wine) but we are definitely coming back. its one of the best places ive dined at in pittsburgh. much impressed! Pros: food, service, ambience more

My girlfriend and I had our Valentine's Day dinner this year at Isabela's. It was our first time dining there, and we really loved the view, food, and service. The waitresses were friendly but not obstrusive, and the seven course dinner was paced extremely well. Our only complaint was that the noise from the open kitchen spoiled the romantic ambience. We didn't get the quiet little dinner experience we'd expected. Isabela's is still a fantastic restaurant, of course. Just be aware of what to expect if you decide to do. Pros: Beautiful view, Great service, Delicious food Cons: Too noisy, A little overpriced more

My girlfriend and I went here for her birthday and the food was unbelievable. The crab cake was a ball of fresh buttery jumbo lump crap crusted with breadcrumbs. The lamb shank practically fell off the bone. And words can not even describe the cheescake. It may seem a bit pricey at 60$ per person but for 7 courses you cant go wrong. Everything is just enough so you leave full but not over stuffed. The only 2 minor drawbacks are the cocktail prices ($10 each) and that it can get noisy b/c it's such a small area, but if you go around 6-7 it's fine. Pros: Great Food, View, Service Cons: Drink prices more

Location, Location, Location. A view to a thrill. Food is good as is service. Six course meal for $60 is a great idea, but the wine list is a thief. $45 for Ravenwood Zin that costs $10 and that is the least expensive bottle on the list. I would return and drink water. We got vouchers for $60 off on our next meal. Courses repeated some of the same food...spinach and rice kept reappearing. The greeter looked like she was just scrubbing toilets in sweats and decor in the restaurant was totally lacking...bare walls of an institutiional salmon color...thank god for the view! Another patron was complaining about the coffee; ""terrible"" she said. Our waiter told us not to order it. Kind of curious for a restaurant not to know how to make coffe. Pros: view Cons: wine prices, ambiance, noisy more

I went to Isabela's to celebrate my anniversary and was surprisingly surprised. As a native of New York, I have to admit that I have struggled to find a nice restaurant that was equally good in ambience as well as food, and not just a pretentious over-priced restaurant. What makes Isabela's so unique is its intimacy and extremely good service. Few tables and an amazing view contribute to the spectacular ambience. Most importantly, the quality of the food matched the price. My tuscan tarte appetizer was delicious, and my duck was by far the most tender and best prepared I have had. You get your money's worth with 7 courses, and while you are satisfied, you do not feel over-full. If you are looking for a special occassion, really nice restaurant and willing to spend the money, I highly recommend Isabela's. more

My husband and I went to Isabela's to celebrate his birthday and Valentine's Day. We live over an hour away from Pittsburgh, but go up there for special occassions. Well, what a wonderful night and such fabulous food! The seven courses are well-planned- an outstanding combination of flavors and textures. I thought w/7 courses, I'd be stuffed, but the portions are perfect sizes for an evening of culinary delights. Crab souffle and mushroom appetizers were delectable - duck was scumptous. View is gorgeous, we loved our table- every table has a great view since there are so few tables. Service was great - staff was knowledgeable and friendly. Highly recommend for a romantic evening. Pros: food, service, atmosphere more

Maybe it was the thunderstorm that night that lit up the Pittsburgh skyline, maybe too much wine ( I would recommend doing their wine selection with each course, I little pricing, but worth it.) My boyfriend and I went there for our first romantic dinner date, and 7 months later we have not topped Isabela's. We dine out every week, and Dish and Andora's are close. Every course was great, and I am a picky eater. We called for reservations while we were stuck in traffic and they were able to seat us for their last seating. The service was outstanding, they could not do enough. The duck was amazing, and I have never care for duck before. I have had duck since, and no one could replicate what I had at Isabela's. It is my favorite place in Pittsburgh, it is where I fell in love. Pros: atomsphere, wine selection Cons: parking more

I had read the reviews on Citysearch, so my expectations were moderately high, but this is certainly the first pittsburgh restaurant that went beyond our expectations. With the view as the back drop and service that was consistently appropriate, the food was stellar enough to create a sublime experience. Pros: service Cons: parking more