Zebra Restaurant & Wine Bar

Without question, my favorite restaurant in Charlotte!

Pros: ridiculously decadent, innovative cuisine, great wine

Cons: none

Posted 08/23/09

Second dinner visit to this highly rated establishment. Service is very attentive albeit very slow. I think it's dictated by the kitchen which seems to be having some problems. Appetizer order taken but then told that they were out. Entree which was highly rated was dry, over peppered and cold. However, the other in my party seemed to be pleased. Will try once more but not on my top 10 list.

Pros: Ambiance

Cons: Slow service & inconsitent food

Posted 08/14/09

Had the feel a small NYC or San Francisco restaurant, warm and inviting. Chef grand tasting menu world class with foie gras, lobster and on and on...
Best wine list in Charlotte!

Pros: Comfortable, Professional Friendly Service, Excellent Food

Cons: In an office building

Posted 07/27/09

Great experience no matter what anyone tells you. I went there with my wife on Tuesday nite, we didn?t have a reservation but even so we were promptly greeted by one of the servers. The experience was awesome, REGARDLESS of the fact that they were clearly understaffed. I had mushroom soup while my wife enjoyed their vase salad. My wife has some dietary restrictions which were met without a problem. Wine list is great. Desserts were out of this world (try their sampler). Attention to details from the staff was exceptional, there were two waiters taking care of the whole restaurant but they did not missed a bit in the level of wine knowledge, attentiveness to our needs and generally creating great dining experience. We will be coming back for sure... best restaurant in Charlotte.

Pros: staff, food, you name it...

Posted 06/30/09

We visited Zebra for the first time on a Friday night. The restaurant was half empty the entire evening and we expected better service as a result, but our waiter disappeared for long periods of time without coming to check on us. (Other waiters nearby, however, checked more frequently on surrounding tables.) The food was ok but not memorable. We will not likely return.

Pros: Free and plentiful parking; ambiance

Cons: Service; prices

Posted 06/06/09

We really love going there. Small and cozy with great food and great service. Very fresh ingredients as well.

Pros: Great service and food

Cons: small - hard to get a reservation

Posted 05/17/09

They have the table arranged together like the people on the next table were on our table, we couldn't even talk. It was very noisy and not very clean. Target's bathroom's are nicer than theirs. The food was ok but it definitely wasn't worth the money at all.

Pros: food was fine

Cons: ambience, service

Posted 01/09/09

Having traveled and dined in some of the best restaurants in the world including
The French Laundry, Per Se, Daniel, Marco Pierre White in London and on and on,
I have found a gem in Charlotte North Carolina!

Zebra seems an unsung hero in a world of mediocrity, from their 900 bottle wine
list to the chef's grand tasting, Zebra has everything a foody could expect.

Our grand tasting included salmon tartare in tiny funnel shaped cones with creme fraiche,
seared foie gras with peach compote, butter poached lobster with avocado and tomato confit,
seared yellow tail with white truffle risotto, an amazing lychee sorbet floating on a thin sheet of
ice ( how could they do this??? ) squab with chanterelles and lamb tenderloins with the tastiest
celeriac puree I've ever tasted...still going....authentic french sheeps milk roquefort with micro
arugula, sugar roasted walnuts and pear, then on to desserts including a perfect grand marnier
souffle...this tasting was as good or better than any five star restaurant I've dined in...

Also, did I mention this was on a Friday night, their bar was full with an informal wine tasting ( which
they only charge 10.00 for, sorry we missed this one... ) and a completely full restaurant, and we had
no reservation.

They were gracious, informed and efficiant on the floor...Can't wait to next time...

Pros: Food, Service, Overall feeling of experience

Cons: need a Zebra in Nashville!

Posted 09/11/08

OK....So we are new to Charlotte and trying all sorts of new places. Keep in mind we came from NY where restaurants are supreme. I'm used to paying a lot for a meal and leaving hungry. I am NOT used to spending a fortune and having the arrogant owner critique my order. PLUS, we had a gift certificate as a house warming gift. NOT a coupon but a "same as cash" certificate. And because we bought into the wine special for the night, the owner would not honor the certificate! That is ridiculous as our bill was several hundreds even without the certificate! Food was fine, ordinary really, but you still leave hungry. I am a tiny person, so I don't even have a big appetite to begin with. Won't be going back. Too much attitude there for a place that's mediocre at best. The servers were fine. The owner needs to stay in the kitchen or at home.

Pros: Good location

Cons: Owner is rude. They made our first visit, and last, totally unenjoyable.

Posted 07/30/08

We looked forward to Zebra as we had heard so many good things. The restaurant was quite full due to Charlotte restaurant week. We arrived at 7:00 for our reservation. The waiter was nice but not attentive. It took 40 minutes to have our order taken. Appetizers arrived within 15 minutes and were good. It took well over an hour for dinner to arrive with no visits by our waiter during this period. Dinner finally arrived and my salmon was way overcooked. Everyone else in our party of 6 felt the food was just mediocre. We had out so so desert and finally, after being forced to flag down the waiter to request our check, weleft about 10:05. Over 3 hours for mediocre food was just too much. There is just no excuse to the poor service and mediocre food.

Pros: None I can recall

Cons: The overall experience

Posted 07/19/08

Fine dining has become a hobby for my wife and I and we've had the Chef's tasting menu with wine pairing multiple times and every time the food (and wine) was fantastic. Chef Alexander has to be one of the very best chefs in Charlotte, this is the restaurant that we compare all others to. It's classic french cooking done very well. For my wife's birthday, the chef even prepared a special cake on request (My wife's grandmother would make her a red velvet cake every year when she was little) and it made her day.

Pros: Chef's tasting menu (Not enough restaurants are doing this)

Posted 07/10/08

I took my husband here last evening for his birthday. We don't get to out often, so when we do go to dinner we take care in choosing a great restaurant that is highly recommended. My husband brought me to Upstream for my birthday, so I was compelled to choose as lovely a restaurant as he chose for me. We were not dissapointed in the food, but I can't give it a perfect score.

First off we had read some reviews and saw that there was some criticism of the lobster bisque. We both love lobster bisque and ordered it anyway. I have to say the reviews were correct, it is a bit heavy on the cream and light on the flavor. It did indeed unsettle my stomach a bit.

We both had appetizers as well. I had the scallop risotto and my husband had the crab appetizer. Both were delicious. My husband had two grey goose martinis during this time and I have to say it is not worth getting cocktails from this restaurant. For $13 a martini, they had the smallest martini glasses I have ever seen, and they were only half full. The second had less than the first, and my husband was shocked because he never has had that happen. I had two glasses of wine, a white with my appetizer and a red with my lamb entre. They were both reasonable.

My lamb was perfect. It was truly delicious. My husband got the Zebra basket, which was a surf and turf type dish, and he loved it. The chef was kind enough to not make it with tarragon since the menu mentioned it and he does not like tarragon. He said it was perfect.

We were so full, we had no room for dessert.

The staff was very friendly and helpful. The little touches like the bread rolls that keep appearing, the butter on the bread plate, a tiny apperative (I think that is what it is called) prior to appetizers, and the little biscotti that came with the espresso were all great touches.

I would go again, however i would not get the bisque, and I will not order cocktails. Dress nicely, many women wore dresses.

Pros: Great food, friendlyservice, nice atmosphere.

Cons: Expensive cocktails that are small portioned,

Posted 06/28/08

Could it be that three that posted TERRIBLE reviews for Zebra where there on the same night and at the same table? Weird. They must not have had anything better to talk about than what they were going to post that night when they got home! I must say I STRONGLY disagree. I happened to be there the same night as the slide show. I just chose not to look in that room. Not that hard. They paid their money, so I can't complain. The food was amazing. I particularly loved to Tournadeous of Beef. The service was the best I've had in Charlotte. I happen to be a Zebra regular and would not be if I found the service anything less than "stellar". Zebra has an excellent wine list, menu, presentation and particularly on-point service. The group of three unhappy patrons is probably better off eating in the Plaza/Midwood area. If you desire fine-dining, Zebra is the cream of the crop.

Pros: Service, Presentation, Quality

Cons: None

Posted 05/27/08

I have been to Zebra many times and every time it has been exceptional. I love their lobster bisque. They have a very knowledgeable staff who will help with pairing your food with just the right wine. The atomsphere is warm and cozy at dinner time. They also have a patio that is nice to sit in for lunch. I will definitely keep going back !

Pros: Food and wine list

Cons: None

Posted 05/26/08

Great experience! They even have an offer on the internet, Charlotte Rewards dot com.
My family and I was able to enjoy a nice restaurant for a fraction of the normal cost.

Posted 05/18/08

After spending over $350 - I can easily say this is one of the worst meals I have had in 5 years.

The restaurant was about 60% full on a Saturday - a bad sign. The decor was cheesey, with flashing, almost Christmas style lighting hanging from the ceiling. The atmosphere was topped off by a large corporate group from a Pharmaceutical company that were projecting images of lungs on a large screen in the room next door.

The first course was scallops that were raw in the middle.

The main course was Dover Sole for $42. It was rubbery and over cooked. I was born about 5 miles from Dover England - this was not Dover Sole - I think it may have been Tilapia - the worst Tilapia I have ever had.

The owner (a rather bizarre man, who had a Hannibal Lecter style buttoned up shirt ) was quite rude when I said that the fish was not Dover Sole. He offered a replacement of Halibut, which was under seasoned and bland.

Don't waste your money - this is the worst dining experience I have had in Charlotte.

Pros: Wine List was OK

Cons: Food

Posted 05/17/08

Avoid an expensive, poorly seasoned, and ill conceived meal. They couldn't even get the lighting right. The medical presentation slide show in the next room during dinner hours should have clued us into the disappointing evening we were in for. The food looked great, A+ for presentation. F- for flavor. Fail on service. We will never go back. You can get a better meal for 1/3 the price, don't believe the hype.

Pros: Good wine list

Cons: Dishes were poorly seasoned and flavored.

Posted 05/17/08

The food was exceptional. This is the #1 food dining out experience I have had in Charlotte. The vase salad was awesome, the foie gras was great, the chicken provencal was cooked perfect and tasted wonderful. Serivce was great, but the food was the best. I would suggest this restaturant to anyone who enjoys a true culinary experience, not someone who does not appreciate fine foods, or in other words an E-I-E-I-O!!!!

Pros: food

Cons: none

Posted 12/01/07

If you are not planning to order a bottle of wine, don't go there: the waiter will ingore your table for almost an hour, spending most of his time serving the table(s) that order a bottle of wine. Food is just OK, not as good as expected.

Cons: Food is just OK, slow service for small table

Posted 11/18/07

I have been to Zebra a couple of times and have always enjoyed my experiences. Zebra has never disappointed me and reminds me of some of my favorite New York City's restaurants. That is one reason why I love to dine there. The second reason being the food; the food is good. My favs are truffle mushroom soup, foie gras, and sole. Oh yeah, never forgo any of the desserts! The third reason: handsome waitstaff. Nothing perks up my day like being waited on by a cutie! I feel patrons of Zebra are older and more reserved, but I hope my review gives a fresh, younger approach. I hope more Charlotteans will not dismiss this fine gem.

Pros: Good Food

Cons: Need more handsome waiters

Posted 07/30/07

This was our first experience with French cuisine and it was truly a very favorable one. The service was excellent. The staff is very attentive and was keenly alert to our needs. The waiter, Joe in our case, was knowledgeable about the menu and could translate some dishes that were unrecognizable to us as well as make very good recommendations. The appetizer we selected was the crab cake and I must readily admit one of the best I have had in my life. Lots of meat with very little breading. I dined on the surf and turf at Joe's recommendation and was very pleased. Instead of the traditional steak and one seafood item, I was treated to steak and 3 seafood items (shrimp, lobster tail, and scallops). A very nice spin on an old favorite. My fiancee had the pan seared swordfish and it was delightful as well. Not overcooked and dried out as is often the case. Dessert was chocolate pecan pie with vanilla ice cream. Truly decadent! I am looking forward to our return visit.

Pros: Excellent service; go just for the experience.

Cons: European portions may not be to the liking of some.

Posted 06/17/07

The french fare is just that... fair. I believe the restaurant is a great location... great staff... although the cuisine is a bit overdone for no apparent reason.

Posted 11/11/06

The food, wine list and service were exceptional. The "vase" salad was the best salad I have had in quite a while and lead up to wonderfully balanced entrees. I did find their dinning room overcrowded and the patio needs more attention paid to it, especially the lighting. If they could make the dinning room more intimate then this experience would have scored a 10 in all departments!

Posted 08/25/06

Simply put the food is amazing! My wife and I both had the tasting menu which included 8 courses for the evening and was paired with outstanding wine. Jim Alexander
has outdone himself. We arrived with high expectations and they were exceded. Service was great and made you feel right at home. Every dish that was brought out had array of colors and textures that blended just perfectly. If you are aperson that enjoys a meal that will take you to heaven. I can't wait to return!!!!!

Pros: Outstanding food!!, Quite ambience, Huge wine list.

Posted 09/16/05