Zely & Ritz Tapas Restaurant & Bar

10/14/2008 Posted by gordon016

THIS IS NOT A TAPAS BAR!! There are no tapas on the menu and I don't think our server even knew what a "tapa" was. Services was marginal, slow, uninformed and forgetful. Food was not even Spanish and was uninspiring. We went to this restaurant for a special birthday dinner with a small group and called ahead to have a special dessert. No one at the restaurant remembered and no effort was made to make the dinner special, even after our server was told we were out for a special birthday dinner. Would not go back. The owners/chef needs to learn what tapas are and stop misrepresenting their restaurant.

Pros: None

Cons: Food, Service, Parking

08/29/2008 Posted by amystitz

While the food here is a bit pricey, the quality is usually worth the price. The food here is almost always fantastic (to the point of being perfect). On the rare occasion that something falls a little short, the customer service provided by the Agasis is unparalleled. I've never experienced better. If they offer the Rosemary Pine-nut Tart as the desert special, GET IT! It's the best thing I've ever eaten (and I'm typically a chocoholic).

Pros: Beautiful food, amazing customer service, good for special occasions

07/25/2008 Posted by tiredmomma

I'm not sure what Bauer 72 is talking about!!!!! They need to speak up and move tables if they were not happy with their seating arrangements at Z & R !!! My husband and I have been there at least a dozen times....each time is better than the last! Yes, it is tapas style, but each portion is really enough for 2 to share! We always leave stuffed to the max! And the service is always so friendly and excellent! We ask our server for tips on the best choices and are never disappointed. We have tried almost everything on the menu!!! Even things I didn't think I would like are superb!!!! Although, once we ordered a new soup, but when we were served and realized it was a cold soup, our server simply took it off our bill !!! (There was nothing wrong with the soup, we just didn't read the menu to realize it was cold soup) The extensive wine list also compliments the menu and service perfectly! I have never found fault in any meal at Zely & Ritz; my husband and I travel frequently to many fine restaurants throughout the US. We always look forward to our trip to Zely and Ritz . Chef Sarig and his wife Nancy have carved a special niche within the tapas restaurant business. Plus, the food is local and organic! Don't forget to save room for dessert, you won't be disappointed!

Pros: tapas style plates, extensive wine list, romantic, fabulous staff, price

Cons: only wish it was closer to our home so we could eat there every day!

06/10/2008 Posted by bauer72

I have never written a restaurant review before but I am compelled to do so after my horrible experience at Z & R last weekend. There were 6 of us who went to celebrate my best friend’s birthday. We were seated at the end of a very large table that had two other parties eating at it as well. This threw us off a bit because we were not told about the seating… but that ended up being the least of our troubles. We waited for 25 minutes on someone to even acknowledge our presence. Once we ordered our drinks it took another 20 minutes to get them… 45 minutes to get our first drinks!!! The waitress was very rude and acted as if the restaurant was packed. It looked like there were at least 4 waitresses working but the place is so small… so our waitress had us and 2 other small parties. At one point she broke a wine glass and looked mad at us as if it was our fault. The menu is very disappointing and needs some help. The portions are tiny and while some of my friends enjoyed parts of their dinner, mine was all wrong. I think the whole organic tapas idea is great but Z & R has completely missed the note. I don’t have any idea how they are still in business… it’s mind-blowing. The prices are too high as well. I don’t mind spending money on a good dinner, especially with it being organic, but this was definitely not worth it considering every time I looked to the kitchen they were putting food in and out of the microwave. I recommend Z & R if you like to pay too much for less than mediocre food with small portions and enjoy 3 hour dinners in small, hot (temperature) restaurants.

Pros: Wine

Cons: Poor environment, bad service, overpriced, disappointing food

05/07/2008 Posted by darlla

I had to try it when I found out they use only organic ingredients, and most of the vegetables come from a local organic farm. I found the food not to be overly complicated, the ingredients are the star, and everything was perfectly seasoned. I wouldn't call it a Tapas restaurant, sure they have a few different small "bites" plates, but the menu also consists of several starters, entrees, sides and desserts. The prix fixe is the best deal if you plan on a full meal. Choices are very varied as well, I found Mediterranean dishes on the menu such as hummus alongside Southern greens. This restaurant now ranks up with Enoteca Vin as my 2 favorite downtown spots.

04/18/2008 Posted by jhanek

I love this place. The services is fabulous, organic dishes are wonderful and they always have thoughtful and decent wine choices. Great girls' night out or date night restaurant.

Pros: The whole package; good food, service and atmosphere! I love that they grow many of their own veggies and fruits and that they are organic.

Cons: parking is always a challenge on Glenwood. I wish this restaurant was in a different location

04/16/2008 Posted by tjwjr

Sure the food is good. Organic is definitely the way to go. The dishes really aren't tapas. Tapas are great little dishes from Spain. Zely and Ritz is not Spanish so the tapas aren't authentic. A more accurate description would be "little plates". Representing themselves as serving tapas is misleading. No complaints other than I was looking forward to Spanish food.

Pros: good food

Cons: not tapas

11/12/2007 Posted by jwleonard

My husband and I received a gift certificate to this restaurant and it was totally worth the drive from Durham. Even my husband, a die-hard "Meat and potatoes" kind of guy, was pleased. The food is fresh and flavorful and even a little exciting. If you eat a full-blown meal here, it can get a little pricey, but the experience is totally worth it. The service was helpful, friendly, and very pleasant. The wine selection is outstanding and the servers we've had (we even went back without a gift certificate) steered us toward the perfect wine to complement our meal. They have a wide selection of delectable homemade ice creams too. My only complaint was that we were seated at a table by the window that had high stools for seating, which I found to be a little uncomfortable. I look forward to going back soon and sitting at a low-topped table.

10/12/2007 Posted by trianglegrrl

This place was great! Believe the positive reviews: The goat cheese and lentil starter was excellent, as were the sweet and savory desserts. I took a family member who came into town here and we all had a great dining experience. Quality organic food doesn't come cheap, but this is a great place for a treat! I've never left a review on citysearch, but this place has compelled a review. I'm looking forward to a second trip!

Pros: Food, Ambience, Service

Cons: Leave your kids at home, small space

10/04/2007 Posted by lynardg

I must say that the ambience was delightful with hand-crafted beaded lizards sneaking down from the light fixtures. It is a cozy and unique atmosphere. Our waitress was very attentive and friendly. As for the menu, I will say that we were surprised. While the menu is technically tapas, I would refer to this restaurant as a la carte. There are entrees (sea scallops) and then you order your starch and salad separately. An entrée plus side and salad would run about $35. To say the food was bad it a falsehood. It was different and may appeal to certain palates. We did not like it, however. Everything we ordered was not what we expected it to be. The seasoning, while perhaps unique to this chef or style of cuisine, was over kill…too much tarragon and cilantro and salt. I would say try it – you may like it. But if you are looking for Tapas – go somewhere else. On another note, we asked for 4 separate checks and were told that a 20% gratuity was automatically added to all separate checks. The menu stated gratuity was added to parties of 6 or more. We found this to be somewhat deceitful. Perhaps our server knew we didn’t like our meals and feared we would take it out on her tip – we don’t know. But be sure to check your bill before you leave a tip. We went to another restaurant down the street for dessert.

Pros: Ambience

Cons: Food

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful