Cyrus

Oh, I miss this restaurant so much! Champagne and caviar to start, and then one extraordinary dish after another. My husband and I stayed at the hotel, only to visit the restaurant, given the hotel was $ 500/​nt. Impeccable service, extraordinary food. Fond memories.

I miss Cyrus, a lot. When I got news of the restaurant’s planned closure last October, I immediately made a panic call to the restaurant. I was lucky. I got to have one more dinner at Cyrus a few days before they closed for good.
My first meal at Cyrus back in 2010 was magical and transformational. Before Cyrus, I really didn’t care much about western cuisine, particularly the expensive ones. Manresa was the only other place where I had experienced tasting menu back then and it was just okay. But at the end of my first meal at Cyrus, I heard myself saying: Oh my god! I can’t believe I am saying this. This is the best restaurant I have ever been to!
After Cyrus I am more eager to try out other tasting menu restaurants such as Per Se, Robuchon and Meadowood, and open up my wallet in that process (cry cry!) All these places cost more and have more stars. But it didn’t matter. I still like Cyrus the best. They had the best bread offerings. Seriously! Oh and the dessert/​candy cart always made me super giddy! Every course of my three dinners there was consistently super yummy, simple yet complex, and always beautifully presented. What’s more, the service was friendly, classy and precise, never stuffy or pretentious.
I hope that Chef Keane, after a much deserving break and some fun at Top Chef Masters, will find the perfect spot to reopen Cyrus soon! I will be there.

Closed for business effective today.
The restaurant’s final dinner service was last evening. Believe that they are celebrating one last meal tonight for staff and relatives.
I invited my friends and relatives for a final visit on Saturday to enjoy their culinary and dining masterpiece one final time (at least, this incarnation of it).
Thank you, Nick and Bryan for many wonderful dining experiences, both food and service wise, as you always made me feel like a king dining here, yet without any pretentiousness.
Au revoir, mes amis!

I came straight from a red-​eye flight from Honolulu to Cyrus! And it was worth it. Without question, the 8-​course full tasting menu was to be had. Wallets be damned!
Amuse bouche. A sort of gelatinous salty mussel thing which was ok. There was a thing that looked like a Maraschino cherry which actually tasted like a Maraschino cherry; a thin skin contained a burst of tart-​sweet syrup. The tart was quite tart.
Compressed peach. Was good.
Sea scallop on watermelon — The grill marks tasted exactly like grill marks from a Japanese hibachi. It was nice. I still prefer a big honking scallop but I get it, it’s supposed to be a progression. Bring on the frou frou watermelon, baby.
Seared Foie Gras with Morels and Fava Beans. One of the best freakin’ things I ate all afternoon. The sauce was incredibly rich and flavorful. You’d get the vegetables and be like, alright awesome, fiber, then you’d get the sauce, then the final hit of the foie gras fat exploding in your mouth as you swallow. Unbeatable.
Sea Bass with Pea Sprouts and Dashi. It was one amazing broth. I’m not much of a fan of firm fish but it had a great sear and it was certainly cooked well. They gelatinized the sea asparagus and to this day, I haven’t decided whether I like it or not.
Their bread was minature sized (about the size of a baby’s fist) but oh so tasty and warm (choice of cheddar dill biscuit, sourdough, wheat, garlic, olive, etc — all terrific)
Miso Poached Chicken with Spring Onions and Maitake. I was actually 70% full by this time. Unfortunately I didn’t get to practice stretching my stomach before this meal. So when this wad of meat came out, everybody was like, omg what a massive thing of protein. The breast was sous vide (we enjoyed murmuring SOU-​VEED and acting like fools). I considered abandoning ship after eating half but Regina poked some sense into me: «That’s basically a $ 30 piece of chicken!» Being Chinese, my instinct told me to scarf that shit down. And I did. It was delicious.
Lamb Roulade with Farro and Ramps. Good stuff. I was a bit bummed that the meat was a tad chewy and the ring of fat, which I was excited about, didn’t really add anything to the dish. Of course it was tasty. But far from my favorite.
Artisanal and Farmhouse Cheeses Presented Tableside. CHEESE. CHEESE! I can’t tell you what they are but they were scrumptous. Candied date accompanied the cheese course and it was very good. Some date bread, lavoche, and other goodies accompanied the cheese course. Sweet and salty, can you ask for more?
Vanilla Bean Fontainebleau with Rhubarb, Hibiscus and Lime, Yogurt Streusel. One of my favorites of the night. It looked and tasted gorgeous. At first, I was like, oh no what is this freeze dried crap in here. But it really worked. I totally tipped the plate at its max angle to get every single drop of sweet heaven.
Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Bar, Honeycomb Parfait. Best roasted peanuts I’ve ever eaten in my life. Honest. The sorbet was good and the bar was excellent but the star was the honeycomb parfait. This honeycomb business was one of the best things that has ever occurred in my life. It was a private moment.
I’m sure it was because we were waxing about the «coffee and donuts» at French Laundry that the waiter came over with these warm nuggets of fried dough. Before this, we scarfed down this pot de crème-​ish dessert that was in little mason jars (mason jars, guys, mason jars — wedding flashback!). Tres adorable. A layer of mousse, a layer of panna cotta, and little crunchy verona chocolate balls. We also got to hoard our very own take out boxes full of petit fours.
This was a very fine meal with impeccable service. Excellent food, great service, lovely friends. I hope they find a suitable location in the future!

Just squeezed into Cyrus before their last day. Memorable meal, unfortunately a memorable bill, great desserts that were endless, and I agree with «Max R» — world’s worst sommelier. According to my husband the wines were well paired, BUT he was a snob he needed to check his attitude at the door.
Highlights —
–The bread basket! It was the tasties and best selection ever. I liked the Chive Biscuit and Epi Baguette the most, I will gladly eat it all over again
–Eggplant Amuse Buche
–Chorizo Crusted Scallop
–Thai Lobster with Avocado and Melon
–Dessert Cart
–Chocolate Chip cookies given for our anniversary

Why We Wish We Had Visited Cyrus Sooner:
1) It’s a great excuse for a leisurely, windy Sunday drive.
2) If you arrive early, you are graciously accommodated.
Coolly elegant hotel lobby + Fully stocked bar + Beautiful dining room + Birds of Paradise = Path to a Cozy Corner Booth
3) Gorgeous cocktails.
Tartly pink Old Fashioned + Refreshing citrus-​butter-​vanilla flavored Highlander = Cocktail Nirvana
4) Bottomless bread basket.
Sourdough rolls packed with garlic cloves + Croissant-​like pretzel rolls = Nearly Ruined Appetites
5) The Tower of Canapés.
Mini cheese Gougeres + Crisp Japanese pancakes + Dainty cups of flavorful broth + Silver spoonfuls of tart grapefruit gelée + Strawberry bubble bursts = 5 Tastes
6) The Five and Eight Course Tasting Menus.
The 13 Courses included: Rich abalone soup; Red and yellow disks of Heirloom Tomato chased by a tomato water shooter; Chorizo Crusted Scallop with corn purée; Bright and clean Thai Lobster with avocado and melon*; Crispy skinned rarely cooked pink King Salmon square; Salty oozy Slow Cooked Egg; and Juicy Sonoma County Duck slices cut with a orange-​red spice dusted knife*.
7) The Cheese Accompaniments.
There was a nutty sheep’s milk cheese on the cart that we liked but the best part was all the goodies that came with it: a basket of housemade crackers, applesaucey butter, chewy hazelnut fruitcake, and fancy sweet fig gelée.
8) Birthday Treats.
The fun shotglasses of egg cream came with a mini tutorial and there is nothing better than an expertly made warm chocolate chip cookie. Not even a cheesecake-​like Goat Milk Panna Cotta or a Milk Chocolate and Macadamia Bar with peaches.
9) Willie Wonka-​esque Mignardise Cart.
Included among our take home treats for «Tomorrow??» were a luscious blackberry-​champagne pâtes de fruit, a peanut butter ganache filled chocolate, a very salty, salty chocolate, and an apricot filled macaron.
10) Bittersweet Endings.
It included cups of strongly brewed coffee, a piping hot pair of teeny tiny donuts, and a goodbye.
(Thank you Chef Keane and Cyrus staff for a memorable and extraordinary birthday meal for my Better Half!)
42J
Addendum:

It’s so sad they are closing…
I’ll miss you Cyrus

An utterly disappointing two Unilocal stars for their two Michelin stars.
Twice the price of any of the excellent restaurants in the area and memorable by half.
This was one of the oddest dining experiences I’ve ever had. We were seated promptly and then presented with the caviar and champagne menu. I guess that works for some people, but it seemed a little pushy to me. A lot of people buzzed around our table and our server introduced herself and presented us with menus and said that she’d give us a minute to take it in and then give us the overview. About five minutes later she was back with what amounted to «whadaya want?» Just odd. We were here for the food anyway, but you’d expect the service to be a little more engaging and polished.
Before we knew it, dishes started coming… like one on top of the other. It seemed as though there were times that they would take the fork from my hand after the last bite. One dish after another, same story. It seemed they were just always at the table, popping out of their clown car. We had a detailed description of our salmon dish, yet strangely no mention of the fish. Our server stepped on my foot and tumbled into my wife, and then seemed to imply that my foot was in her was and caused it all. I guess we should have been happy she didn’t spill our wine all over us in the process.
Have I mentioned that we felt rushed? Speeding servers apparently collided in the kitchen in a huge crash. Slow it down folks. Amuses, bread baskets, five course prix fixe, dessert cart and petit fours… all done in less than 90 minutes. Where are my Rolaids?
I’m still kicking myself about this one, long after I realized we could have dined at Bottega three times for what this cost.

With our two prior dinner engagements at Cyrus being cancelled, we have been dying to dine at Cyrus. But today, we finally were able to dine here for our friend’s birthday celebration.
Our party of nine was seated in a private room in the back of the restaurant. The service from the beginning to the end of the meal was excellent. Very attentive, but not overbearing.
We each had the 8-​course tasting menu. Four of the course had an option, but my wife and I ordered one of the options so that we could have the opportunity to experience all Cyrus had to offer.
The menu:
— Canapes:
— Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato or Shima Aji Sashimi with plums and myoga, ginger shiso dashi gelee.
— Thai lobster with avocado and melon or chorizo crusted scallop with sweet corn and lobster froth
— King salmon with chanterelles, radish and snap peas, tomato-​konubu broth
— Slow cooked egg with miso and maitake fondu, buckwheat pasta
— Crispy chicken thigh with potato purée, black eyed peas, truffle vinaigrette or
Australian wagyu with mung sprouts, okra and fermented black bean sauce
— Artisinal and farmhouse cheeses presented tableside
— Goat milk panna cotta with blueberries, parsley-​lime ice
— Yuzu cremeux, bergamot meringue and cream cheese ice cream or
Milk chocolate and macadamia bar with compressed peaches, rice sherbet
— Mignardises
They also had a basket of six different breads that they served. The breads looked and tasted so delicious. I love my bread and I got one of each type. It came with two different types of butter, goats milk butter from Turlock and cows milk butter from Petaluma and two different types of sea salt. So good I got seconds of the the brioche and biscuit. Bread heaven!
What can I say? The food was amazing. The combination of unique ingredients resulting in a symphony of flavors in each course. My favorites were:
— The Thai lobster and the crusted scallop. Perfected cooked and so delicious. Could have had a couple more of each.
— King salmon. Cooked medium rare with a crispy skin in a tasty broth.
— Crispy chicken thigh. Delicious and moist with an amazing crispy skin
— Milk chocolate and macadamia bar. Wow, what an awesome dessert. Wished it was larger.
— Mignardises
We also had two extra treats at the end. We each had a chocolate chip cookie and mini chocolate egg-​cream soda, which you stirred up before you drank it.
As a memory keepsake of the event, each person received a copy of the birthday celebration menu with the date of the event.
A truly 5 star dining experience from beginning to end.

*********************** 759 *************************
I don’t know why take me months later to write this review and how much I love Chef Douglas Keane’s food. I guess I was more upset to find out that Cyrus will be closing down in October with their last dinner service. See here:
Cyrus is beautifully décor, contemporary fine dining, 2 michelin starred, no less. Offer night dinner and Saturday lunch for this Summer 2012.
Chef Douglas Keane with so many experiences from NYC to San Francisco, former at Lespinasse, Jardinière, then Gary Danko where he met his future Cyrus partner Nick Peyton. He was honored by the San Francisco Chronicle the «rising star chef of the year» in 2002. Then Cyrus was born. «Open less than five years, Cyrus and Chef Keane have each amassed numerous accolades including two stars from The Michelin Guide, four stars from Michael Bauer at the San Francisco Chronicle, Gourmet Magazines’ Top Fifty Restaurants, Esquire Magazine’s Chef of the Year, Food and Wine Magazines Best New Chef and most recently, James Beard Award Best Chef Pacific.»
I got lucky when my dear friends, the couple, 91 years old mentor, invited me back here with them for a night not to forget.
CANAPES — The tasting of Israel Osetra caviar, Black River Osetra caviar, and California Select Caviar. With the signature Champagne service at Cyrus, priceless ad every bite.
AMOUSE BOUCHE
— Brocolli and Mascarpone soup with potato confit and hen of the woods — love
— Okonomiyaki with crab and miso — refreshing.
— Kampachi sashimi with ice plant, kumquats, and sweetbreads, Matcha vinaigrette — light, fresh, and the sweetbreads just made everything tasted better.
— Roasted lobster with cauliflower cream, uni emulsion — I need more of this dish, a lot more! What a combo?!
— Foie Gras torchon with blood orange and pistachio — writing this makes me have tears in my eyes, that this stupid CA law banned Foie Gras! These idiot protestors allowed their obese children to eat process FAT food at school lunch, but they protested my choice of eating Foie? #SaveFoie.
— Steamed Black Bass with braised romaine, yuzu kosho butter — I can still imagine the aromatic of this bass, the buttery texture, sweet dream!
— Sonoma County Duck with kujo negi, myoga and aged bamboo rice, ponzu — My mentor couldn’t stop eating this dish :-)
— Seared Beef Cheek with tonburi, green and black garlic, lotus root, natural jelly — it reminded me of a Nihon dish (Japanese) love.
— Artisanal and Farmhouse cheese presented table side — no room left, I had to adjust my dress twice!
— Cocoa Nib «Affogato» condensed milk semifreddo — I’m not a sweet person, but this was divide!
— Yuzu cremeuz, Bergamot meringue, aand cream cheese ice cream — so much more dessert, so good, and no belly left to indulge!
— Mignardises — the end of 1 meal, a beginning of another!
Based on Insider Scoop SF «Starting September 1^st, Chef Keane will bring back many of the guests’ favorite dishes he has served over the past seven years compiled in a tasting menu of „Cyrus’ Greatest Hits“. Asked about future plans, Keane and Peyton deferred, saying they would see what opportunities await for Cyrus.» This is going to be so great!
I’m a fan of chef Douglas Keane and GM Nick Peyton, I’m sure they will be moving on after October with my fans, supporters, doesn’t matter where they will be next. For now, I will come back as often as I can, see you in 2 weeks chef.
What are you waiting for? I’m calling for TRUE Fine Dining Unilocalers only, make your RSVP!
Overall: 5 stars
For value: 5 stars
For Food: 5 stars
For Service: 5 stars
For ambiance: 5 stars
Location: Downtown Healdsburg

Out of all the 2 and 3 star Michelin restaurants in the Bay Area (I’ve been to all except The Restaurant at the Meadowood), Cyrus is right up there at the top!
Cyrus is one of those magical dining experiences that you don’t forget, and also randomly think of from time to time for no reason at all. Needless to say, I thorougly enjoyed my time at Cyrus and can’t wait for an excuse to come back. Tucked all the way up in Healdsburg, they are not in the main downtown area but a couple blocks away, and are very nondescript (I walked past twice before finally seeing their sign). We came to celebrate our anniversay, and the staff helped make it a memorable one!
One of the things that I also loved was the flexibility at Cyrus– they had 2 eight course menus, and 2 five course menus (vegetarian and non vegetarian), and you had the option to swap dishes from any of the menus if you’d like. They only asked that you kept within the same type of course, so an appetizer for an appetizer, an entrée for an entrée. For a restaurant with 2 Michelin stars to be so accommodating and non-​snooty was refreshing! Since we came for lunch, we opted for the five course menu versus the eight course tasting (beginning of the barrage of pictures:
).
My favorite dishes: Humane Foie Gras Torchon w/​Bing Cherries (you get a HUGE slice of foie gras), Chorizo Crusted Scallop w/​Sweet Corn and Lobster Froth (perfectly cooked scallop, and I could’ve eaten an entire bowl of the sweet corn, it was that good), Halibut with Pea Sprouts and Asparagus, Lemon Verbena (the halibut was cooked perfectly, but the flavors in this dish are very mild)
Solid dishes: Slow Cooked Egg w/​Miso and Morel Fondue, Buckwheat Pasta (the pasta tasted fresh and delicious, but I wished the portion was bigger), Crispy Chicken Thigh w/​Potato Purée and Yellow Wax Beans, Truffle Vinaigrette (good, but not amazing, and I opted to add $ 19 for the 2 grams of fresh black truffles which I didn’t think added too much to the dish)
Dishes I would skip: «Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato» (concept was cool, but the flavors were muted/​bland in this dish), Chilled Salmon with Ginger and Daikon, Snap Pea-​Basil Broth (salmon was fresh, but the dish overall was a little bland), Forty-​Five Day Aged Beef w/​Mung Sprouts, Kumquats, and Fermented Black Beans (this dish sounded delicious, but the beef was pretty chewy after a 45 day aging, and I didn’t think the flavors worked that well together)
Desserts: Milk Chocolate and Macadamia Bar w/​Compressed Peaches, Rice Sherbet (YUM!!), Yuzu Crémeux, Bergamot Meringue and Cream Cheese Ice Cream (YUM!!). You can’t go wrong with either dessert, although I think I enjoyed the milk chocolate and macadamia bar a little bit more.
My five star rating for Cyrus is really about the food and the experience. They start you off right away with 5 different amuse bouches, and the additional treats just keep coming! They also had 5 different types of fresh, made-​in-​house, unlimited servings of bread to choose from (my favorites were the brioche [delicious/​buttery], cheddar scone? [delicious/​buttery], and sesame croissant [delicious/​buttery]). There were even two types of butter and two types of salt provided to accompany the bread. Even with dessert came little extras: freshly baked chocolate chip cookies served while still warm, 10 dessert choices from the dessert cart for you to choose from, freshly made donuts served while still warm, and a little kouign amman in a Cyrus box for you to take home and enjoy the next day! For $ 108/​person, this dining experience is a STEAL, and I encourage everyone to make a reservation as soon as possible (especially as they could not renew their lease and will be closing down temporarily in October)! I’ve been to so many other fancy restaurants where I’ve paid more for my meal and was so underwhelmed/​unimpressed that I’d never plan on returning.
Also, if you want to check Cyrus out but not have to splurge for the full tasting menu, you can opt to dine a la carte in their bar section, which has a good variety of their top dishes to choose from.

I took Kevin & his mom here to celebrate his 38^th Birthday this past April. One of the best dining experiences in Northern CA. A well deserved two Michelin stars at $ 135/​pp for an 8 course meal.
Highlights:
–Amuse bouche: Kanpachi sashimi
-«Bacon and Eggs» — Pork belly with uni, fried quail egg and bacon consume
–Lobster
–Seared Beef Cheek, Lotus Root, Natural Jelly
–Sonoma County Duck
–Artisanal and Farmhouse Cheeses Presented Tableside
We’re always nervous when Kevin’s mother comes as she can be quite a selective eater (fully cooked meat & seafood). Which is why we opted for Cyrus since they had the vegetarian tasting menu that she could order from. To our surprise, our server walked us through the entire regular tasting menu. He informed us indepth about how each course would be prepared and gave Kevin’s mom the option to substitute with a corresponding dish on the vegetarian tasting menu if she chose. She later told us that it was one of her most enjoyable dining experiences in years.

***Cyrus provides a one-​of-​a-​kind experience with excellent service and delicious and near perfectly prepared food***
Cyrus is my best restaurant experience to date. Both the kitchen and front of the house work together very well to provide a special dining experience. There are many great things about Cyrus, but the attention to detail (like the elaborate bread basket) and great cooking of proteins (rendering incredibly moist meats) definitely stand out.
Cyrus is fun too. The meal started with five canapés that represented the five tastes: sweet (strawberry gel), bitter (grapefruit gel with candied rind), sour (Japanese potato cake with tamarind), salty (gruyère fondue grougere), and umami (shitake mushroom soup). All of the tastes were good, but the strawberry gel was the best (very thin skin and a great explosion of strawberry).
In terms of other complimentary items (and there were a lot of them), two breads really stood out. I loved the pretzel croissant with sesame seeds – great flavor and crispy, flaky and buttery. I also liked the sourdough roll, which was filled with tender roasted garlic (one of the most distinct rolls I’ve had to date in terms of flavor and chew).
The menu itself is divided into 5 course and 8 course meals and both options feature many proteins. I opted for the 8 course and I had shellfish, fish, poultry, and beef (and I would put all of them up there with the best I’ve had in each category).
The chorizo crusted scallop was really good. The scallop was moist and soft while the chorizo crust had a lightly spicy flavor (it also provided an addictive crispy texture). I really liked the sauce – a corn cream sauce, which was sweet.
The sea bass was very moist and flaky. The sides were great including very good asparagus and pea sprouts. I really liked the lemon verbena sauce (nice flavor add yet it did not take away from the light flavors on the plate). I also liked the seaweed-​like garnish, which had tiny pearls that popped like caviar.
The chicken breast dish was very good. The crispy skin was great – flavorful, crispy and nicely thick. The chicken meat was incredibly moist and flavorful. The chicken was even seasoned a little bit with a togarashi rub on the knife. There was also a great morel fondue (rich and with a strong mushroom flavor but not oily or greasy). There was also a very good seared liver.
For beef, there was seared beef cheek. The beef cheek was sous vide and they did a great job of rendering the fat. The meat was incredibly juicy, flavorful and tender (but not at all fatty like short rib). The beef cheek was topped very generously with mustard seeds, but the mustard flavor was thankfully restrained (noticeable but not overwhelming).
I also liked the really strong black garlic purée though I was not a big fan of the lotus root.
Another course of dashi bacon broth with romaine lettuce and confit of tomato was just okay. It was supposed to be a creative take on a BLT, but the only thing I really liked was the sweet and vibrant tomato.
The cheese course was kind of a mixed bag. I thought the garnishes were great – great pear butter and one of the best panafortes I’ve ever had (nutty, sweet and moist). The cheese itself (all local) was just okay. There was a quite good firm goat cheese. The cow’s milk cheese was also good, but I have had much better triple creams and double creams. The goat and sheep milk blend was disappointing – it had an expected tangy flavor, but the flavor and texture both felt too similar to a lot of cheeses out there.
Desserts were done in several courses. There was a good goat milk panna cotta with rhubarb and parsley-​lime ice. I liked the cocoa nib affogato more. The base was a very good warm chocolate brioche topped with a condensed milk semifreddo. I am not the biggest fan of semifreddo because I prefer a smoother and easier to eat ice cream, but I really liked the rum sauce – great flavor (very noticeable use of rum).
Final desserts consisted of a Hogwarts Express-​like candy trolley, which featured great toffee on saltines, root bear float lollipops, peanut butter cups with feuillantine like crispies, dark chocolates, truffles, pot de crèmes, mango rice puddings, good macarons, and a tangerine pâté de fruit. There was also a to-​go chocolate croissant, which was very good – an even use of very good chocolate and great pastry (crispy, sugary, buttery, flaky, and light).
Service was very good. The polished, personable and polite staff was very sincere and dedicated to providing the best experience possible.
Prices are high, but there are many Bay Area restaurants that are more expensive and not nearly as good as Cyrus.
There are definitely a lot of fine dining restaurants in NorCal that provide exquisite fine dining experiences, but Cyrus is definitely among the best and one you should highly consider for a special occasion.
Free parking is available on the street.

Cyrus was absolutely amazing. My bf and I came here for a second Valentine’s Day celebration after having a lovely day of tasting at Opus One and Grgich Hills. It is located right off of the main street in downtown Healdsburg (which is darling). The restaurant is small, but so elegant and beautiful. We were seated at the most amazing table and were treated like royalty the entire night. My bf started with a simple Arnold Palmer, and between my mom and he who order thess all the time, I’ve been able to try plenty. This Arnold Palmer was the best I’d ever tasted because they incorporated Meyer lemons. It was so fresh and tangy and I couldn’t stop stealing his drink! The bread offerings were beyond imagination. There were six different types to choose from, so the bf and I tried every single one! The two best were the pretzel roll and the chive biscuit. Two different types of butter and sea salt were given as well.
Our server brought out lovely selection of canapes (before our actual amuse bouche) on a lovely three tier tray. Each was out of this world and so different with the most interesting flavors. Our amuse bouche that followed was delicious and had an Asian influence. I did notice that at least a few of the dishes had some sort of Asian influence as well. We chose to do 5 courses each and a wine pairing. My boyfriend started with the kampachi sashimi with ice plant, kumquats and sweetbreads and I started with the okonomiyaki with crab and miso. The sashimi was very fresh and the ice plant had a fascinating taste to it. My dish was supberb. The crab was delectable and the miso added a lot of flavor to the cake. My first course was paired with a nice ’04 Riesling. Our second courses were the roasted lobster wth cauliflower cream and uni emulsion, and the foie gras torchon with blood orange and pistachio. I would say the second dish may have been our favorites of the night. My bf’s lobster was succulent and beautifully presented. My foie gras was to die for. I tried it with the pistachio on its own before adding the blood orange and it literally melted in my mouth. When I added the blood orange, it brought out the most amazing bitterness and complimented it very well. My foie gras was paired with a Hungarian sweet wine which was lovely.
For the third course, we both had the john dory with braised romaine and yuzu kosho butter with a Spanish white wine that resembled a Sauvignon Blanc. John dory isn’t either of our favorite white fish dishes, but it was still very much enjoyable and seasoned well. We followed with the seared beef cheek with green and black garlic, and the sonoma county duck with kujo negi, myoga and aged bamboo rice. I have never been a cheek fan, and my adorable bf was definitely not impressed either. My duck was probably the best duck ever, The presentation was phenomenal. They had a sharp knife with the entire end seasoned to give an extra flavor to each small cut of duck. The kujo negi underneath the duck was out of this world. My dish was cooked to perfection and every bite was sinful. The rice had a beautiful duck liver on top, and it was also amazing. My dish also came with metal tong-​like chopsticks, which I loved! It was paired with a red wine from Lodi and neither my bf nor I liked it very much.
We then ordered a cheese course and the most interesting thing about it was that our server sliced the cheese paper thin. It allowed us to have just the right amount of cheese to taste each flavor. Our dessert courses followed. My bf had the cocoa nib with condensed milk semifreddo and I had the vanilla bean fountainbleau with apple ice and a farina fritter. The cocoa nib was delicious, but I wasn’t in love with mine. The apple ice made it a little difficult to eat, but the fountainbleau underneath was yummy. The farina fritter was great and came with small pieces of apple sauteed in butter and cinnamon. My dessert was paired with an amazing Austrian dessert wine. I would say the last wine was my favorite of the night.
After dessert, they brought an enormous cart of mignardises (similar to Masa’s in SF) as well as a little caramel puff pastry in a beautiful box to have the next morning. We took home most of the mignardises, but my favorite was the cassis and champagne gelee (basically a kir royale in a solid form). The complimentary bourbon and maple donuts that they brought with everything else was the pièce de résistance. I have no words to describe how delicious they were. I’m pretty sure I could live on the chive biscuits and the bourbon maple donuts forever. To end on the best note, our server gave us a copy of our personalized menu of the night with each individual wine they paired my courses with, as well as our reservation name and date so we could remember this special dinner forever :). I was extremeley impressed with Cyrus, even though there were some minor flaws. I can’t wait to come back with my love for another amazing meal

Seriously? Who knew fine dining could be that… fine. I mean come on. This place was amazing verging on spectacular. The service was hands down the best I’ve ever experienced. With meals perfectly timed and well prepared. Bread was bountiful and the selections seemed endless.
Your eight course meal is in actuality 10 or 11 since you start off with a selection of tastes to awaken your palate. Followed by an amuse bouche to welcome you to the restaurant. Ample time was given between bites and finished plates onto the following courses so you never feel rushed. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly always providing service with smiles. The food comes out beautifully decorated while your server explains each dish in story-​like fashion with items «tumbling» (coined from one of the waitresses) onto your plate. The sommelier was amazing. He knew everything he was spitting out as if he was Wikipedia for wine. Each pairing was another explosion in your mouth especially when food was washed down bringing out all of the places within each bite.
Once you finish up your forever dinner that you never want to end, a little Willy-​Wonka-​esq cart is wheeled over with tantalizing treats all over it. The presentation of these delectable desserts is stunning. Well worth the price paid any day. So grab your girl/​guy and treat yourself to an amazing evening.

If you have never been to Cyrus before it is hard to find the entrance because there is no sign (just a menu in the window). The outside of the restaurant is a light gray, almost white looking concrete with decorative trimming around the windows and front door. It looks like a little place when you see it and then once you walk in, the restaurant looks much larger as it is a long, narrow space. The décor is beautiful and comfortable. It almost gives you a feeling like you could be sitting in the dining room of a very old, yet elegant dining room of a house. Although the dress code is mentioned as «dressy», when we called, we were told casual (no shorts, t-​shirts or flip flops.)
Cyrus is a French restaurant with a heavy Asian influence. Apparently the head chef learned to cook French style in school, then spent quite a bit of time, learning Asian style, over in China. I was under the impression that it was entirely French cuisine, so this was an interesting surprise.
We had reservations, and as soon as we arrived we were seated, We both sat waiting for several minutes before we were even served any drinks or even greeted by a waiter. This was weird being in such a highly rated (2 star Michelin Rated), well reviewed restaurant.
When we were finally approached, the two of us ordered the vegetarian 8-​course prix fixe with the wine pairing. The amuse bouche was very unique and not in a good way… It was something salty, sweet, sour, and bitter. The sour was actually half of a pixie stick, the sweet was some sort of candy, and the bitter was supposed to be some kind of soup, but tasted like a shot of vinegar. I was not a fan. This was honestly my least favorite part of the meal. Luckily after the amuse bouche, things got a lot better. We were served in a timely matter, and the dishes kept getting better and better.
One thing that I enjoyed, that I haven’t experienced was the wine pairings took us all over the world, which isn’t common these days in a lot of Californian restaurants. We had a Pinot Noir Geitz from Germany that was amazing, as well as some very nice tasting Parisian wines. Of course there were some Californians in the mix as well.
I would say this restaurant gets overall 3 ½ stars based on the service, atmosphere, food and wine.

It’s taking me forever to get to rating 2 Star Michelin rated Cyrus.
I am typically not a fan of smancy food outings, but when you’re in a town with one of the most dense areas of said rated restaurants, it’ll be hard to miss.
Cryus has a very classic and soothing ambiance. I was a bit worried that servers/​waiters would be snooty and give us an attitude — but that was TOTALLY unwarranted.
We LOVED our waiters & servers … so funny and helpful.
I started out with petit fours first … *shhh… cuz I wanted a macaron. hehe
They also helped us find places to hang out/​sightsee.
Menu is seasonal and split into vegetarian & non-​vegetarian of 5 or 8 course meals. We all opted for 5 and it was satisfying but not too filling. We enjoyed their pampered abalone (O_​o), fois gras, gulf shrimp, ocean trout, short rib, and plum wine cake. Their amuse bouche is really interesting … it takes you on a journey of the 5 basic flavors (sweet, sour, salty, umami, bitter).
I love their all you can eat dessert cart. :) Grabbed more macarons, chocolates, and lollipops. hehe
As for entrees — I think they were experimenting with an Asian flavor. so I didn’t like it as much as someone who hasn’t grown up w/​Asian food all their life.
I would’ve liked something more. local flavor, you know … considering Cyrus was the founder of the first? winery in Healdsburg.
In terms of FOOD CREATIVITY — 3 stars. I’ve had food that pushes the envelope more at 1 star resturants like Ubuntu (in Napa).
But overall, quite enjoyable. Loved the relaxing ambiance. =) Price point is about $ 125/​person for the 5 course (w/​o wine pairing).

We came to Cyrus as a kind of surprise b-​day lunch (friend’s b-​day was coming up and she didn’t realize we’d told the restaurant and planned to treat her).
First out a triple decker stand of canapés I call the taste tower (
). Five small bites per person representing the 5 tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami. My favorites were the blueberry bite representing Sweet which burst in my mouth and the Umami shitake soup.
Everyone went with the 8-​course tasting menu ($ 130) and I did the wine pairing ($ 130). Where my g/​f and I got different dishes, I’ve described both.
Short Version: Everything was very good to excellent. Wine pairing not best value
Long Version:
Amuse buche: Layers corn and tomato purees topped with dried corn (
). Light and refreshing.
Course 1:
— Shima aji sashimi with ginger shiso dashi gelee, plums and myoga (
). Alternating slices of fish and plums. Clean flavors. Ginger gelee and toasted rice added nice taste and textural elements
Wine — Riesling, Karthäuserhof «Großes Gewächs — Eitelsbacher Karthäuserhofberg» 2009 — Crisp and citrus-​y. Went well with the sashimi
Course 2:
— Glazed gulf shrimp with banana blossoms and coconut milk froth (
) Sweet glaze flavor mixed well with the coconut milk.
— Foie gras torchon with cherry, pistachio, and ginger (
). I have never had such a smooth and creamy foie gras.
Wine — Tokaji Aszú, Királyudvar «6 Puttonyos», 2003 — Hungarian dessert wine, but the sweetness worked with the creamy foie gras.
Course 3:
— Ocean trout with panisse and watercress. Red-​pepper– Lemon verbena reduction (
). Seared only on the skin side and rare. Very little seasoning letting the fish shine.
Wine — Verdejo, Shaya «Habis», Rueda, 2008 — Lightly fruity and rich
Course 4:
— Sweet corn and black truffle risotto, taleggio (
) One of my favorites of the meal. A small ball of taleggio right in the center oozing as we ate. Truffle was in the foam. Foam often seems extraneous to me. It wasn’t here.
— Miso poached chicken with melted leeks and maitake (
) My least favorite dish though some was the contrast with the taste of the amazing risotto.
Wine: Pinot Noir, Small Vines MK Vineyard, 2009 — Long finish. OK. I’m not a big Pinot guy.
Course 5:
— Soy glazed silken tofu with honshimeji and haricots verts (
) The mushrooms were delicious. The g/f’s least favorite
— Beef short rib with mung bean sprouts and cherry tomato confit, hoisin (
) Delicately flavored, the hoisin definitely finished the bites. The tomatos burst on the tongue with hints of sesame oil.
Wine — Brunello di Montalcino, La Fiorita «Riserva», 2004 — 100% Sangiovese. Thick and powerful like a fine Cab
Course 6:
— Artisanal and farmhouse cheeses. About 15 goat, sheep, and cows milk cheeses. Great selection to appeal to the «stink-​o-​philes» and those in search of milder flavors (
) Nice selection of toasts and other accompaniments like cardamon butter (
). My selections (
)
«Wine» — Eric Bordelet, Poiré «Granite» 2009 — A hard pear cider. It paired (insert groan here) well with the variety of cheeses I sampled.
Course 7:
— Raspberry-​Yuzu tart, cream cheese ice cream (
) The cream cheese ice cream was delicious and a touch salty.
Wine — Bugey-​Cerdon, Patrick Bottex «La Cueille» — Lightly sweet rose sparkling wine.
B-​day Course:
— I saw this contraption earlier go to the patio dining room and wondered what it was (
) Release the balloon and chocolate shavings blow onto fresh baked cookies. Came with Verona chocolate egg cremes (
)
Course 8:
— Plum wine cake with strawberry (
)
— Thai coffee, condensed milk, kaffir lime (
)
Everyone was slowing, but we «forced» ourselves to finish these. The lime was surprising and went well with the pudding like dish.
Wine — Bodegas Toro Albala «Don PX» 1982 — Thick and syrupy.
Mignardises — Candy cart to fill this box (
) with bite sized treats for the road.
3 hrs 45 minutes later our lunch ended with Fresh hot donuts (
). I had to sit on a park bench for about ½ hr to recover before driving home.
Wine pairing seemed a bit over-​priced for the selections (half $ 20 – 25 retail). Service was on point all afternoon.

Now I’ve heard many different viewpoints to Cyrus. From the amazing to downright awful. I’d initially planned to dine with a few friends after a wedding but since there were a lot of family logistics to figure out for them I ended up going solo. So I gave up my reservations and decided to dine at the bar. Now it was decently early (at least for me) as I usually dont like to eat dinner until it’s dark. However after checking out of the hotel, and visiting wineries and other local establishments, it was time to continue my progressive dinner. Sitting at the bar I had a wonderful server, who not only made my drinks, handled my food orders and was easy on the eyes. After noticing that you can’t do a tasting menu at the bar but most of the dishes were on the menu anyways, I took a few that I thought were interesting. And it goes as follows:
–Amuse Bouche — Vegetable roll with consommé
–Crush –Barsol Pisco, Cocchi Americano, Horse & Plow Fresh Pressed Sauvignon Blanc Juice, Lemon Juice, Elderflower Syrup, Sauvignon Blanc Foam
–Sweet Corn and Black Truffle Risotto, Taleggio
–Japanese Medai with Sweet Corn and Scallions, Lemon Verbena (from Turbot)
–Maury, Mas Amiel dessert wine
Now I would have to say that the food is really good. However the price/​portion ratio is definitely reflective of the two star Michelin rating. For an eater like me, I’d definitely want to do a tasting menu for dinner if I were to do a full judgement as this would also incorporate a full look at their service/​sommelier, etc. That being said, as a dining at the bar type scenario, it was still quite enjoyable. Luckily I was munching my way across wine country that day and well into SF to boot. I’d say 4.25 stars for this experience and I am interested in returning for the full tasting menu experience to see what they are all about.

The entrance was a tad nondescript for my taste, ended up walking to the hotel and was met with a sign which redirected us. Unfortunately, some of the higher end restaurants have pretty cold but professional service. We were met with warm smiles and recognized quickly the rest of the staff were just as engaging.
The elegant presentation & surroundings were just a mask for ordinary eats:
*Canapes = Finger food, my favorite was the clam on the top tier
*Amuse Bouche = It was certainly amusing when the server spilled the peas
*Seared Hamachi = Seared fish, delightfully delicious, one of my favs
*Foie Gras Torchon = Duck Liver, the best presentation of the cold version
*Butter Poached Lobster
*Ikeime Tai w/​Galangal Rice Noodles, Coconut Froth = White fish w/​flavors of Thai
*Crispy Poussin = Fried Chicken, holy moley this was FANTASTIC
*Hoisin Glazed Short Rib = Chinese braised beef
*Lamb Loin Roulade & Polenta = Circular lamb & creamed corn, SO good
*Artisanal & Farmhouse Cheeses = Pricey mold
*Passion fruit gelato = Tropical Ice Cream, the miso custard is a MUST.
*Tiramisu w/​Espresso Gelato, Toffee Crunch = Italian cake w/​Coffee Ice Cream
*Choco & PBJ Tart = Choco PBJ pie
Surprisingly, we didn’t feel the need to unbutton our pants until after the cheese course, literally there was NO room for dessert, don’t worry we made room. And if you’re worried about over indulging to the point of getting sick, the staff will put the cheese, dessert & mignardises in lovely little boxes fondly resembling cootie catchers.
No need to worry about memorizing every detail of the evening, they print out personalized menus for the entire party. I love when they do that.
TINY whine about the wine SPLIT wine pairing poured in ONE glass, I think Cyrus should split the pricey pairing into two SEPARATE glasses.
All in all, a very, VERY good meal, with some excellent items, but I need more excitement & pizazz. I’m so demanding.