Metropolitan Restaurant

The BEST Salt Lake City Restaurant. I cannot begin to explain how fantastic the service was here. The food was unexpected and beyond my expectations. We are from Boston and I have NEVER been anywhere better. Our server Tara was beyond attentive, knew everything about the menu, and drinks. Because of her service and the amazing food I will be and make sure everybody from my corporate office who comes to visit knows about this amazing and innovative restaurant. Thank you for a great night. more

Time and time again they get it right. This time the chef came to the table to check on our dinner and we told him it was fabulous (because it was). I had the seared scallops with red quinoa falafel! For the Vegetarians they have a tofu with pesto and grapefruit. I love that the menu is always changing and that the food is amazing and consistent. more

Doesn't get better than this 'big town' scene in a fairly 'small town' situation. Secret's out that the Met is the spot. On Monday's, and for locals. The special 3 or 5 course menu is not a watered down version of the usual, it's the full deal. Actually, my sense from several, happy visits on Monday's is it's even better. Not to mention no corkage! We always feel that the Met provides a high end dining experience on a SLC budget, and that's stated as a fact, not a qualification. Local, personable ownership and engaging staff compete with a restaurant ambience that's arguably on par with anything out there (really). Total experience is typically 5 star, and only sometimes 4 star. more

I was very surprised to see the review listed below. I was there with 3 of my girlfriends the same night and we had a fabulous time! Great service, great company, and the DJ was SO cute. We were planning on starting our evening at the Met and going on to Green Street, but we actually ended up coming back to the Met! There were definitely some people getting their drink on, but that's why they call it ""Thirsty Thursday at the Metropolitan"" right?! The balance of great cocktails, friendly service, fun music, and a classy group of people resulted in such a fun night. more

Tried ONE more time to see if they've gotten anything right yet, and still the same result - horrible. We love the look and style of the restaurant, but that's where our love ends... I'm a huge foodie who travels and eats out constantly. This place can't even plate the dishes to at least ""look"" good! Last night, the wedge salad come on top of two large, beer battered onion rings. The lettuce was warm and almost wilted. I asked for ketchup to at least salvage the onion rings! If I wanted beer batter onion rings, I would have gone to the Oyster Bar! But I wanted a ""crisp"" wedge salad, which didn't happen. We tried the panko coated soft shell crab, but I could not make out any panko crumbs, but instead stared at the oil soaked soft shell crab, which obviously didn't get cooked at a high enough temperature. So here's this oil soaked tiny soft shell crab on this huge plate w/ no dipping sauce or anything else to at least dress the plate. It was an eye sore to say the least! We asked for our check and went next door to finish our meal. The owner did manage to came over and talk to us, but not a smile or kind word of apology came from her. Moral to story: Don't keep trying, it will still be disappointing! Time after time after time! more

After having just transfered here from the East Coast, I was looking for a dining experience similar to NYC. Metropolitan is it. I was surprised to find out that the restaurant has been open for 14 years. If it's this cutting edge now I can't begin to imagine what the response was in Salt Lake City in 1995. After having a glass of wine and some yummy sliders at the super hip u-shaped bar we moved into the dining room. Crisp linens accented with a neutral color palate and interesting artwork. (Truthfully the whole place is artwork) My companion and I were greated promptly but without the snootyness that I had become accustomed to back East. Friendliness goes a long way after a hard day. We picked a sampling of half portion appetizers to share (thanks for offering this option because I personally love to eat), all were beautifully presented and absolutely delish! The stand out was the Metropolitan Mushrooms in a crisp potato cylinder with a truffle oil infused potato puree and a just right red wine reduction. I had the veal chop (which was over the moon) and my friend had the Scallops, seared to perfection. We shared an exceptional bottle of wine and sampled a few desserts, the fig cake was unreal. Along with great food was attentive but unobtrusive service and very interesting ambient music in the background. All in all a great experience, one that I will remember and use as a barometer for the remainder of my stay in Salt Lake City Pros: Veal Chop, scallops, super hip bar, great service Cons: none to speak of more

Went for lunch today during Dine O Round to see what all the fuss was about. My husband ordered the famous bison burger that was very undercooked and strangely seasoned. He couldn't even finish his plate! Then when I ordered the fig pizza I was told they were out of figs! I switched to the caesar salad. My caesar salad was topped with chicken that had NO flavor along with a caesar dressing that was much to heavy on the anchovies (and yes I like them in moderation!) While the service was good, the atmosphere nice the food is simply sub-par! Save your money and go elsewhere for better food and at a much more affodable price! Pros: Service was nice but... Cons: Food was horrible and overpriced!! more

Today was my fourth visit to the Metropolitan.\r \r My first visit was during Fall Dine-O-Round, when the restaurant was rolling out their new lunch menu. The Bison burger was great, and I don't even like burgers. I was excited to try some other lunch menu items, and thoroughly enjoyed the caramelized onion and fig pizza with fontina and goat cheese during my next visit a couple weeks later. When I came for dinner a month later I was worried to find the menu had a limited number of non-seafood options, but enjoyed the entree I selected.\r \r Today I came back for lunch. We selected the restaurant from a few options based on my recommendation - naturally I had high hopes that the food would be as good as I remember. I was disappointed to see the quality of the food has diminished considerably. The salad tasted like unwashed weeds. The oil and cream in the soup had separated by the time it was served. The bite of panini was as good as I remember, but the sweet potato chips were sporadically salted so that you either got a very bland or very salted bite. Similarly, the delicious fig pizza I once enjoyed has been replaced with miniscule amounts of fig paste, under-cooked onions, and cheese with an excessive amount of fatty prosciutto. The pizza was peppered in a manner similar to the chips, causing a coughing attach mid-meal.\r \r If there weren't so many great options in Salt Lake, I'd give this place another try to see if today was just an off day. But as of now, I plan to look elsewhere indefinitely. more

I saw all the rewards that Metropolitan had received and figured the food would have to be great. On their website they claim, "Join us Monday Frid... more

I think they spent more emphasis on style than substance. The food is very well dressed, but it took long time to show up. Later on, we learned from friends that it seems like a hangout place for SLC's club owners & restaurateurs. Makes sense, because while we were there one patron approached us & advertised her (then) newly opened club. Which is fine, but I would expect that kind of click from traditional pub, and not from a fine dining establishment they seem to advertise.\r \r Bill is another story. Although there were only few people at the bar (weeknight) , they mixed other people's order into our bill. We were drinking strictly cocktails all night, but somehow a glass of wine showed up on the bill (found that out after we got home, but we wouldn't drive back for an $10 refund). more

Having read a lot of reviews on restaurants I have come to realize that you can't take everything at face value. Curiosity made me visit Metropolitan on several occasions recently. On a recent Monday night I was pleased to find that they do in fact serve a three course menu for $30 and also a five course menu for $45 with the option of choosing ala carte from these two menus for their ""locals appreciation night"" with the addition of complementary corkage this is a deal that can't be beat. What I was unaware of was Metropolitan has decided to open for lunch business as of Sept. 12th. The menu is more than reasonably priced and although selections could be broadened a bit, they nailed the timing and the tastes! On my third visit I went on a Friday night after work and started off with 2 for 1 appetizers in the bar (they call it the bistro) and then moved into the dining room. The first thing I asked was do you offer a $30 pre fixe menu? I was told yes, every night! It is choice of a cup of Utah Corn Soup or Garden Pea Salad, Trout, Chicken or Ratoli (a pasta dish) and Sorbet for dessert. That differed from what I read on this website. On each of the occasions we were treated very well by the service staff, who had more knowledge of food than most servers in the valley and felt like we had stepped away from Salt Lake City for a moment. Now I realize "" you can't please all the people all the time"" but I for one was not disappointed on any one of my three recent visits. Bravo! A job well done. Pros: Ambiance and eclectic menu choices Cons: none to speak of more

I saw all the rewards that Metropolitan had received and figured the food would have to be great. On their website they claim, ""Join us Monday ? Friday for 2-for-1 appetizers and 3 courses for $30, every night we're open."" $30 for a 3 course meal at a great restaurant seemed more than reasonable. Only problem is this is only for Monday's. Somehow they have a typo, and so I got suckered into a $100 dinner with my wife, instead of $60. The food was fantastic we had the scallops and halibut. The orzo under the halibut was cold which wasn't great, but the scallops rocked. They were out of duck which is my favorite. I'd definitely recommend it, but only on Monday nights! Pros: Good food, roomy Cons: empty restaurant, false advertising, expensive, service only so-so more

I went here for Valentine's Day a few years ago and was very disappointed. They had a set menu, which was fine, but none of the food was very good. It seemed like they were more concerned with using obscure ingredients that actually making it taste good. I am all for trying new things, but just because it's obscure, doesn't mean it's good. Their rolls were actually the best thing on the menu and the duck was also ok, but everything else was forgettable. The dessert choices were pretty crappy. I can't remember what the alternative was, but I ordered the cupcake. I thought it would be some really fancy delicious cupcake. No, it was pretty much a regular cupcake, on the dry side I might add and it had those crappy Valentine conversation hearts crushed up on the bottom... yuck. It was a $200 meal (without a wine pairing) and it was a complete waste of money. I couldn't believe how much fuss was made over this place. Pros: The restaurant itself was cool and the service was good Cons: Food sucked... way too expensive for the quality more

So we don't ge out much, but we are dedicated foodies, Metropolotain is it's own oxy-moron, I took my husband once, and we swore we would not eat there again. I will say the one thing, we enjoyed most was Karen's wine list""! The appetizers were surprisingly good. But after that it was down hill! And one thing that makes me un-happy is waisting money. So, if your looking for anything different, or special...Save your money! It's not worth your time, palate, or money. There has to be better places in town!! If not, we have problems. more

Upon a recommendation from a friend, my husband and I decided to try out the Metropolitan. Being very particular with our taste in food, we were anticipating at least one plate that neither of us agreed with-this was not the case. The food was fantastic- the appetizers, greens, main dishes and desserts left nothing to be desired. Not to be out done by the food, the wait staff was prompt, courteous, knowledgable and extremly professional. If your looking for upscale dining, the Metropolitan is the place. Pros: The food and the wait staff were amazing. Cons: None. more

The only place in Utah I can take my out of town guests and not feel like an SLC hick. Keep up the good work! I will be back! Pros: The staff made me feel like a rockstar Cons: can't think of any more

The best restaurant in SLC???? I hope not. Having relocated from Los Angeles, my wife and I have been searching for nice dining experiences; this one was all hype. I must preface by saying we did go twice, awfully nice of us I thought. First time was our anniversary and we had a decent time. We started with martini?s in their bar ? these were unique and very good believe it or not - this is Utah after all. All around, the service was to be desired, as was courtesy. Attitude sums it up. The classification of ""fine"" doesn't mean a place is beholden to being snooty. Not only were the servers ?cold?, but the manager completely skipped visiting our table ? he did find time to Oooo over the only other occupied table ? never once looking our way. BUT, we did have a good time, mostly because of our own company. THE Second visit was laughable. To begin with, the server attempted to up sell at every course. He actually said we'd regret not indulging in his recommendations. The dry-aged New York Steak we received was just bad. (I'd like to say forgettable, but I can only remember the bad) It was bland, and my jaw was fatigued from gnawing. Everyone in our party left saying the food was tasteless and unsatisfying. Personally, I found myself putting SALT and PEPPER on my food. On the way home we nearly pulled over for fast food, but when we did get home I immediately opened left-over chili to satisfy my pangs. The final bill was $450 after tip for 4. To sum up ? Unique and flavorful martinis; Overpriced, bland, and miniscule portions, nothing to write home about. I did notice the majority of the favorable reviews were from approx. 2 to 5 years ago ? What happened? Finally, they should check the attitude and high prices, they can?t back it up. Pros: Stylish atmosphere, good martinis, decent parking Cons: Food, Service, Price more

As coolguy below mentioned, there are protesters at this restaurant constantly. What coolguy didn't mention (or didn't find out) is that they are for serving foie gras, a ""delicacy"" created by force feeding geese and ducks until they are dead when their organs shut down. These protesters asked other local restaurants politely to remove this delicacy that is cruelly made. These other restaurants took it off rather promptly when informed about foie gras.\r \r But Metropolitan refused. \r \r So, the protests began. \r \r I've personally asked the Metropolitan to remove it, but they nonchalantly pushed my request aside. Even though many customers have pledged to boycott this restaurant, the Metropolitan is obstinate in refusing to remove foie gras from their menus.\r \r It only makes sense that if a restaurant is this indifferent to many customer requests, you shouldn't expect too much or be too surprised about your customer service experience either. Pros: The interior is classy. Cons: Their customer relationships aren't. more

First off, we had to walk past these super annoying protestors who were yelling at us for going to this restaurant because we were being cruel to animals, or something. That ruined the experience from the get go, granted. But then we got inside and it took 10 minutes to even get waters! And then the food was WAY WAY overpriced and just plain weird - very small portions for how much you get. This restaurant banks too much on its 'fine dining' status and doesn't focus enough on actual service and quality. Go elsewhere!! Pros: You can feel rich eating here Cons: Overpriced and Not Tasty more

I've lived in this area for 15 years now and tried out a number of top restaurants. For special occasions I don't think they can be beat. I used to go to Bambara, but the second I tried the Metropolitan, Bambara was replaced for me. It is expensive, and you should have reservations, but the service is truly impeccable. The manager Karen is very conscientious of the restaurant's feel and exacting when it comes to service expected. If something isn't right let her know and she'll more than make up for it. \r \r I've always been pleased with my food, and wowed by at least one if not all courses each time I've visited. As in, ?I really wanted to lick the plate,? wowed. It is that good. They do have a new chef, or should I say chefs as it is now a team environment, but other than getting rid of the lemon-oil mashed potatoes (which was a travesty) they are doing just as well as when they had their ""celebrity"" style chef. Bottom-line; if you haven't been there give them a try. It is SLC?s top dining experience.\r Pros: Totally swanky, but unpretentious - amazing food. Cons: Pricey. more