Reviews for Azalea Bistro in Saluda, NC

One of the better dining experiences in the area. We were appreciative of the thoughtfulness exhibited by the decor, spacing of... tables, and the attentiveness of the serving staff. We had a reservation for 6:30 and I received a phone call asking if wecould come at 6:45 as they would be better able to give us good service. I appreciated that! Although the service was stillslow, we didn't mind. This is not a place you come for a quick meal! Every course should be savored which we did! The shecrab soup was very good, although our portions were much too salty. The salads were nicely prepared and I appreciated theaddition of melon - it gave the arugula a nice balance. My trout was over salted and cooked to the point of being brittle. Iasked my husband and our guests how the seasoning was on their food (we all had different entrees, salads, etc.) and everyonecommented on the over generous use of salt. This place has great potential - it is obvious the chef is well trained, but theexecution of each dish and the level of seasoning needs to be adjusted. We will visit again and hope that these things will becorrected in the kitchen. Read more

Had dinner here for the first time. Amazing experience. Our server Alexander was attentive and helpful. The food was delicious... and exquisitely presented. The wine flight accompanying the meal was thoughtfully chosen. The atmosphere was quiet andartistically elegant without feeling pretentious. It is definitely a place where food is art and the flavor and texturecombinations are creative and intentional. The pace of dining is relaxed. This is NOT Applebees where you get a lot of food fora little money and get it fast. I would say the food quality, level of service and price are comparable to high end restaurantsin LA Or NYC. It?s fortunate to have such an experience available locally. Read more

Had a great dinner last night. We went with the wine-paired testing menu and enjoyed everything. Without going into detail, we... had the foie gras, escargot, arugula salad, pork chop, duck, clam/shrimp capelini, bread pudding, she crab soup, and a couplecocktails. This is high end dining and everything was excellent. Alex was super helpful and informative, providingrecommendations and guiding us through the meal. The chef was out briefly to chat as well and see how things were going. Overalla great meal and the wines were well paired. We were looking for a realty nice dinner and Azalea nailed it perfectly. Lookingforward to trying the bottomless brunch in the future, will be back. Read more

We recently had an enjoyable anniversary dinner at the Azalea Bistro (our first visit there). The ambiance is quite nice and our... server, Hayley, did a great job checking in with us and making suggestions. I tried the kangaroo, which was quite delicious....Ididn't care for the peas accompanying it, but my husband did and we took home the leftovers for him. I thoroughly enjoyed thecake and crab duo and beat my husband in ordering the last one. Sorry!! He enjoyed the bite I gave him. ???? I ordered the breadpudding for dessert to take home and would definitely order it again (since I don't normally eat bread or added sugar, it wasquite a treat for me!). My husband enjoyed his escargot starter, which was quite large. He felt some of the charcuterie was abit too salty for him, but I enjoyed those components. All in all, it was quite a nice meal ....especially as we hadn't been outin ages. We will try lunch or brunch next, as the menus look inviting! Read more

I had heard about Azalea Bistro for several years. I sincerely don't know why it took me so long to finally check it out. I... love French food! So, Saturday, April 2, 2022, my best friend and I met in Hendersonville and drove down to Saluda for lunch. Azalea is absolutely everything and more than what I expected. The bistro has a warm and welcoming atmosphere. The wait staff(shout out to Hayley!) is phenomenal. Hayley guided us through the menu and you could obviously tell she is a fellow "foodie"and loves working at this bistro. The food was SO good it's hard to explain. Let me just say that my friend and I weremuttering delighted expletives with each bite. We shared the Escargot Saute' (you've got to try this!), the Cake and Caviar Duowith carmelized shallot crepe (I mean, really people), Merguez Baguette with Frittes (don't even think about going to anordinary sandwich shop again), Bibb salad (what???) and chocolate espresso creme' brûlée' ( need I say more?). Oh! And theShe Crab Soup--perfectly velvety and flavorful. I could sip on this all day long! Chef Garrett Tallent even came out to talkwith us---perfectly charming chef! I will definitely be coming back and am planning on trying the tasting menu on my birthday. It is definitely worth the drive from Asheville or Greenville! Read more

In the tiny historic town of Saluda, NC we accidentally found this absolute gem of a dining experience. Being early spring and a... Sunday evening we were the only guests during our dinner. It was basically a chefs table experience. I cannot say enough goodthings about our evening. Let?s start with the food: incredible, innovative, delicious, well portioned, gorgeously plated,perfectly cooked, flavorful. We had chicken, wagyu beef, and scallop carpaccio (what??! So good). We had the charcuterie boardand salads and the she crab soup (it?s is Catrolina after all). A pine syrup (sap? Tar?) ?bread pudding? with gold and Ihonestly don?t know what else was my ?you gotta try this because you?ll never have it anywhere else? dessert and it did NOTdisappoint!! We sipped up every drop and crumb and morsel of our meal! Service: Haley could not have been more personable orcharming, and her recommendations were spot on. Ambiance: bright, cheerful, comfortable seating, chic without being pretentious.Price: way less than you?re paying for this in NYC for sure! Eat here and you will not regret it. We have dined at someincredible places and this one is up there with the best. Read more

I prefer lunch here, since you have the option to ball out but also have access to a reasonable ($15) lunch menu. The crab and... lobster cake with truffle fries is a steal at that price point, in my opinion. The she crab soup is great, the specials aregreat, the service is great, the presentation is beautiful. It?s so much less fuss than going to Asheville and dealing withparking, traffic, etc. The only problem is deciding on just one thing to order from that mouthwatering menu! Read more

Enjoyed the loveliest birthday dinner at Azalea Bistro last night! For those that aren't familiar with a prix fixe menu style,... it might seem a little confusing, but it's a great way to get to taste lots of different dishes that the chef has obviously puta lot of time and energy creating and plating. His artistry shines through in each dish. Each pair of us shared a "2 main + 4starter" course dinner. Rather than actually having to share the plates, everything that could be split was split ahead of timeand plated separately. In the instance of the corn, lobster, and crab cake, which was already portioned, one plate was broughtout for us to share. Each dish was exemplary. The she crab soup was velvety (fluffy was a word that was thrown around ourtable) and seasoned perfectly. The escargot and mushroom saute was perfectly cooked (not a single bite that felt rubbery, asescargot can be if not prepared properly). What a refreshing take to not have them swimming in butter and garlic, but insteadwith a light creamy sauce and earthy mushrooms and pearl onions. The crepe and caviar served with the corn and lobster cake wasto die for. I'm not even sure what was inside but all together that dish was amazing. Charcuterie board was a work of art, andhad amazing selections of meats, pickled veg and cheeses. On a normal day, that could have been dinner on its own! The flavorson the fried green tomato dish were lovely, although I wish the vinaigrette had been a little more emulsified. Especially withthe waitress pouring it over the tomatoes at the table. It almost seemed like a broken sauce until she mentioned it was avinaigrette. Since the base and oil split apart when she poured it, it wasn't quite as impressive. But still delicious. Ouronly hiccup was that our filets were not cooked as ordered when they arrived, for half of the table. However, upon letting ourserver know, she quickly pivoted, took the plates away, switched the order of the entrees f Read more