Cobalt: One of the island’s best restaurants
One would expect the Vero Beach Hotel & Spa, as the barrier island’s premiere hotel, to have an elegant restaurant with food and service to match. Finally, it does.
Now in its fourth season, the hotel restaurant, for the past two years named Cobalt, at last measures up to what one would hope to find at a four-star hotel.
The challenge has never been the décor or setting. A dark-paneled grill which looks out through a 15-foot-high glass wall on the sea, the restaurant has from Day One been the most fashionable dining spot on our beach.
But before Kimpton, one of the top U.S. operators of luxury boutique hotels and restaurants, took over the hotel and restaurant two years ago, neither the service nor the food lived up to expectations created by the spectacular venue.
But last year – the first under Kimpton -- saw a major improvement, and a recent visit suggests that Cobalt is now fully ready for prime time.
On our most recent visit, we arrived at about 7:15 without reservation, and were cheerfully shown to a nice table near the front window. (While reservations are strongly recommended, the restaurant most nights is not crowded – a legacy, we fear, of visits when the hotel was first open.)
Our waiter promptly came for drink orders, and we chose a bottle of chardonnay.
For starters, I had the seasonal soup ($8), while my husband had a half dozen Pacific oysters on the half shell ($14).
The soup, a pureed mushroom and brie concoction, was very smooth. While tasty, with a speck more seasoning it would have been a big winner. The farm-grown oysters from Fanny Bay, located on Baynes Sound on the east coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, were exquisite, with a firm texture and a mild brininess. They were perfectly complemented by the mignonette sauce.
For main courses, I had the Carolina shrimp and clams ($27) and my husband had the grilled swordfish ($26).
The shrimp and clams, served with ricotta gnocchi, shitake mushrooms, tomatoes and pesto, can only be described as heavenly. And the gnocchi literally melted in your mouth.
The swordfish, a beautiful thick piece of swordfish, perfectly seared, served atop beluga lentils with a celery puree, oyster mushrooms, and a port wine sauce, was praised by my husband as one of the best he has tasted in years.
For dessert this evening, we shared an order of baked cranberry apple and candied ginger crumble ($8), topped with vanilla ice cream. It went perfectly with a round of espressos.
On previous visits, we have started with the pepper crusted beef carpaccio ($12), beef sliced so thin you could see through it, and the Caesar salad ($8), both highly recommended. Other entrees we have enjoyed which remain on the menu are the grilled wild striped bass ($27).
Speaking of remaining on the menu, we were told as we were departing on this most recent occasion that a new menu will be coming soon. This is always frustrating news for a reviewer, but we feel confident the new dishes will up to the high standard that now seems well established at Cobalt.
Dinner for two with wine, before tax and tip, runs around $140. We were also more impressed with our waiter than we have been on previous occasions. He was low key, but at the same time attentive and knowledgeable. A very nice combination.
Also working very much in Cobalt’s favor is the gas firepit -- where on a cool night you can linger with your nightcap and listen to the waves -- and the lounge, a vibrant bar scene where you can nosh on excellent appetizers at very attractive prices, particularly during happy hour.
If you haven’t been back to Cobalt in the past year, you are definitely missing out on one of the island’s best restaurants. I would strongly urge you to give it a new try.
I welcome your comments, and encourage you to send feedback to me at tina@verobeach32963.com.
The reviewer is a beachside resident who dines anonymously at restaurants at the expense of Vero Beach 32963.
Hours
Dinner: Sun-Thur. 5:30 pm to 10 pm,
Lunch: Mon-Fri. 11:30 am to 2 pm,
Brunch: Weekends 8am to 2 pm.
Bar
Full Bar
Address (MAP)
3500 Ocean Drive, Vero Beach, FL, Phone: (772) 231-5666
Online
www.verobeachhotelandspa.com
