Flora Restaurant

Food was fine. Hostess and wait service not so much. We made reservations weeks ago for Mother’s Day. When we got there out reservations were delayed which was ok. The hostess initially said our table was just being set. Then we overheard her talking to a waitress that our table wasn’t ready because dessert wasn’t even ordered yet. I don’t mind a delay but the blatant lie wasn’t appreciated. We won’t be visiting any time soon. Oh and my personal favorite though they rushed us to order dessert when we ordered dinner they ran out. Waitress never checked in and we had to order our beverages three times.

just finished our mothers day lunch at Flora… fixed price horrendous meal… slow slow service. 2 and ½ hours… VERY. small portions… steak loaded with fat… fish tiny piece, price way too much for what we got. Never going back… nothing like their regular meals ordered off the menu.

We only came to this restaurant because it is close by. Not the best decision…
Interior design of place is unique. It used to be a bank. The restaurant plays live jazz on weekend nights. The music is pleasant.
Food: average. I ordered the scallops and my husband ordered the lamb. I was expecting big scallops abt maybe (⁶⁄₇ pieces). Instead, I got 30 tiny pieces of scallop?! My husband got lamb chunks instead of a lamb chop. For dessert, we ordered bread pudding, which is also subpar.
Bottom line: WAY overpriced for average food. But i guess you are paying for the live music and ambience.

Great cocktail… good appetizer… very bland entrée (is very bland a thing?)…thanks for seating us next to the table full of kids, the icing on the cake.

I enjoyed a lovely evening with excellent food, friendly service and great entertainment by a local group called Big Blue World. I would go back again for the experience and wonderful meal selection!

The appetizer was very tasteless and expensive. My scallops were cold and undercooked. My hubby’s beef meal was flavorful but overall we had a bad experience. We were really looking forward to our evening out at Flora but it was pretty bad.

Dear, sweet Flora. You’re so lovely. If you’d just comb your hair…

My family and I came here for a birthday dinner last week, only reason we decided to come was because we found a Groupon for 4 people.
Our waiter was great and very friendly. The Malbec was also nice and served in a big glass. Other than the waiter and my wine, there wasn’t really anything else great about Flora. I was expecting more since it’s an expensive restaurant. There also wasn’t any live music because half of the restaurant was being used for a private holiday party.
My sister and I both ordered the steak, while my mom got the rack of lamb and my dad got the seafood special (swordfish). Every dish lacked seasoning and we needed to put salt and pepper on everything. My steak was cooked well, but really didn’t have much taste for a $ 29 dish. The desserts are definitely not work $ 9.
Overall, I would only suggest coming here if you use the Groupon or have money to blow on mediocre food. This was a one time visit for us and we won’t be coming back again.

Great food, ambience, and service. Love our waitress’ bracelet! Flora is in an old bank building, with eggplant ceilings and fabulous artwork! Yummy for all tummys! The chocolate pecan bourbon pie is to do die for!

This was a restaurant that my wife and I have been wanting to try for a while. I saw a Groupon and jumped at the chance. It covered an appetizer, entrees, and dessert.
We were given the option of seating — they weren’t too busy. We chose to sit near some performers they had that night. (Blue Grass Country which seemed odd for the décor but whatever.)
The server was great. Recommended a wine that was good. We had their special apple salad to start which was good. A little light on the pecans but other than that it was good.
For dinner, my wife had the sugar pumpkin and kale risotto and I had the leg of lamb. My wife very much liked her risotto but felt the kale was «lumped» together. My lamb dish was OK at best. The meat tasted overcooked and not very fresh. (frozen?) The spicy rapini was good but was way over-​spiced, (And I enjoy spicy food.) I think it just seemed over spicy for the dish.
For dessert we had the espresso crème brûlée which was good. Not great, but good. I give them a plus on the coffee. They make a good and strong espresso.
Because my wife liked her dish, I gave them the 3 stars. If it were up to my dish, it would be 2 stars. Overall, the food is good but not great. I don’t believe it justifies the cost though. If they were to chop about 30% off their prices, I might go back, but without that, sorry… not for me. It’s just too over priced for the quality and flavor of the food.
It’s too bad… I really wanted to love this place!

I’ve gone to Flora many times I’ve had a few friends and old bartenders from other restaraunts that I’ve followed here. I wasn’t super impressed with the food but what i had really felt was that I was not made to feel welcome.
I thought it would be special to start an easter brunch tradition with my son since my family mostly works the holidays with the business they own. The first year was delightful as far as the food went. We were placed in the well lit front room. The service was impeccable, I was overjoyed and decided this was our new tradition. Next year the food was alright not great but who cares it’s me and my baby enjoying our day… Then the next year comes. I had always felt a tinge of superiority coming from the staff being a very young mother but I’ve grown up in Arlington im used to the looks. Ive got more then enough money to spend and dine. This particular easter was my mother’s first year off in 30 years and i really wanted her to come to share in our tradition. We were second to arrive. The first family was seated by the window in the well lit room… We were seated in the second room DIRECTLY next to the kitchen. I don’t like to bring things like this in to play but really give me a better explination. My young self with child and my African American dark skinned mother were seated all the way in the corner. Why? just why? On Easter no less. Besides the awful food that was served that day i couldn’t cheer my mother up knowing that she has owned property in this town for over 30 years and has to be seated in a back corner. About an hour later the only family that was seated next to us was the only other black family in the restaurant. I will no longer be frequenting this lack luster and selective establishment. I have experienxed this in other places but to do this on Easter? and to have spent $ 200+ dollars out of my own pocket. Not a good feeling. Hope this of this nature don’t happen to other families just trying to have a good experience.

Absolutely delicious. The salmon was fantastic. Good wine selection. Excellent service. What more could you ask for? They even have a thanksgiving catering menu!

The only other time I ate at Flora was back in the late ’90’s and I had a great experience eating in the vault. I was worried about going this time because of the recent spate of bad reviews but I had a Groupon so I was committed. I have to say I don’t understand what the complaints were about. The only thing I wasn’t wowed by was the sweet potato bread brought out at the beginning. And the hostess was polite but not particularly welcoming.
We were seated in the bar area at a high top by the windows. What a great room! The bar, the lighting, the colors, all contributed to a very warm atmosphere. Meghan was our server, very sweet and helpful. I started with a Russian Daisy, basically a Moscow Mule with lime. Very good. My wife had a decent glass of Malbec. We shared the salad special of the day, which had a root vegetable I can’t recall the name of, some kind of raw parsnip-​like thing with arugula, roasted pumpkin seeds and a mint cream dressing. Very tasty combination. For dinner I had the flatiron steak and my wife had the roasted chicken. The steak was cooked exactly as ordered, medium rare, and the mushrooms, carrots and mashed potatoes were delicious sides. The chicken was delicious, with tender but firm roasted potatoes. The dates were an interesting addition but my wife thought the olives didn’t quite go with the dish.
For dessert we had the blueberry peach cobbler. Not superb but I liked that it wasn’t super sweet like most American desserts are. Maybe not worth the $ 9 but it was still a good ending to the meal.
A couple of other pros we noticed were that the meals didn’t rely heavily on salt, and the portions seemed just about right, not so small to be frou-​frou but not so big you needed to take ½ home with you.
A couple of negatives were the price of the salad ($ 13) and dessert ($ 9) but everything else seemed in line. And the pace seemed a tad quick, not so much that I felt rushed but I would have liked another few minutes between courses. Although it worked out well since our 6yo was with us and it’s usually best to get out quick with a young one along.
Overall it was a great experience. I’ll go back again.

I’m not sure what happened but the food /​entrees have been really disappointing. I hate to write a negative review for our local joint but I think they need a new chef. I had the risotto this evening and it wasn’t even made with arborrio rice. It was worse than the risotto we can make at home. I love the live music and the atmosphere of this place but the food was quite a disappointment for the price point.

Summary: Fine dining prices for nightclub quality food and service.
I hate writing a negative review, but my most recent visit to Flora was so very disappointing compared to previous visits. If the management is trying to move the restaurant in a new direction, it isn’t working.
I visited last on this year’s snowy 2015 Valentine’s day, and a few times prior. Previously, the food and service were excellent and commensurate with the prices. I considered this restaurant a hidden gem in Arlington. Last week was the most disappointing restaurant experience that I’ve had in a very long time.
Upon arrival we waited at an empty hostess stand until a passing waitress noticed and asked if we had been helped. I assume that she was responsible for fetching someone to seat us, who happened to be the bartender– where was the hostess? Our waitress was very nice and attentive, but the wait staff on previous visits had been exceptional in their knowledge of the food and professionalism.
Our appetizer took so long to arrive that our waitress came over to apologize and ask if we wanted another serving of bread while we waited. We didn’t think that it could possibly take much longer, but after another ten minutes we flagged her down and asked for the bread. The first serving of bread brought to our table was fresh, soft, and delicious. The second serving during the long wait was an obviously stale version of the first serving and not worth eating. The table behind us was offered free desserts at the end of their meal due to the wait.
The beet salad appetizer could have been excellent, if not for drowning in the dressing. Possibly the result of a rushed kitchen. Our entrees arrived timely after the appetizer. The pork tenderloin was very good. The flatiron steak was undercooked (rushed kitchen problems again?) and was what I blame for the 2am stomach ache later that night. The vegetables were drowning in an overwhelming vinegar sauce that verged on being inedible. Both entrees were served with a side of french fries. $ 27 and $ 29 entrees with french fries, are you kidding? That’s no fault of the kitchen, just a poor menu.
We wanted to redeem our disappointment, and it’s hard to mess up dessert, so we ordered the chocolate cloud cake. The cake was crunchy and almost identical to a stale old brownie from grandma’s house. Unbelievable.
Flora has a new live music series including a dance night. Perhaps they’re trying to turn the restaurant into a nightclub? That would explain the french fries. It wouldn’t explain the poorly prepared food, the slow kitchen, or the missing hostess. The cocktails, at least, were good and generous; a fine start for the new Flora dance club.
2-​stars only because of previous positive experiences.

Everything we ordered tonight was superb – a medley of flavors, delicious without being too rich or buttery. This is a local treasure, and also worth a trip: on-​street parking is convenient and the restaurant is on a bus line. The décor (in a historic bank) is wonderful, there is artwork on the walls, and the service was excellent.

I ate here two years ago for my birthday during restaurant week and loved it. The food was delicious and the service had been excellent.
What happened?
Last night, my husband and I went for our anniversary. The place is on the more expensive side, so we expected excellent food and service again. The waiter was awkward. Everything came out lightning fast. Our appetizers arrived before we’d finished our bread. The waiter knocked over one of my forks and didn’t bother replacing it. The caesar salad special was pretty good. And I liked the mushroom soup, but we had to add salt. That was the problem for the night – everything lacked salt. Our dishes arrived just as we’d put down our forks after finishing the salad. What was the rush? There were plenty of empty tables.
The entrees were really disappointing. My husband got lamb fricassee that had almost no lamb in it. I got the mushroom bread pudding which was monotonous mush. The spinach below it wasn’t salted and it was overcooked. The salad dressing had no flavor. The whole dish lacked any crunch. I got a side of bland polenta, and wished I’d gotten something crunchier. I left half of everything, and I was still hungry. My husband didn’t finish his plate either.
The waiter never came to ask how our food was. I got my portion wrapped up for no reason other than to not say how bad it was to his face. I don’t think we were there for more than 30 or 40 minutes. It was $ 100. If the food didn’t come out so quickly, we would’ve had a second drink. Instead, we went to Common Ground.
I’m glad I didn’t get the chai brûlée because I see from a review below that it was cold and weird.

Not sure why this place is so expensive. The food wasn’t anything to write home about. Also, I was rather disappointed having a large gathering here on a Saturday night and being told that alcohol was not served after 10:45pm. For a weekend that’s incredibly early. Had to cut our night short because they stopped serving us. Don’t come here on a weekend unless you want to be home early.

I live in the area and have been to Flora several times. The location is conveniently located… Close to the neighborhood theater.
The food has never been great. The food isn’t terrible but it is uninspired and overpriced for what it is.
The bar is fun.
Recommendation: Have a quick drink before a movie but don’t eat here.

Great restaurant in Arlington. Elegant and appropriate for special occasions,
The food is interesting and well executed. The service is attentive and very friendly.
A good choice if you need a nice place for dinner and don’t want to go all the way into Boston.