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"Went in for lunch today. As I sat there, I talked with my friends at the table about how I rated this a 5 on Yelp, and was surprised to find…" read more »
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I was staying in this hotel and too tired to venture out, so my friend and I tried this restaurant. Apparently it spins, which if you get motion sickness at all, is no good. I had to switch seats because I was feeling queasy.
BUT, the food was excellent. I wasn't expecting anything near the kind of food that they had here. I ordered a filet, and by god it was better than any of the filets I had had in a while, including compared to some of the best restaurants in New York City, LA, and Texas. It was smooth as butter and not an ounce of fat. Taste was perfect. Overall the food tasted healthy and not greasy at all.
Drinks were good, and we were allowed to take them to our room if we wanted once we were finished.
Service is friendly and accommodating.
I'm so sad to write this review. I loved this restaurant when I went for the first time three years ago. Until last night it was the best meal I had ever eaten. The flavors were unbelievable. Last night the flavors were awful! I'm not even comparing it the first time when I say that. I ordered a steak (NY strip, I usually get a fillet, but for some reason wanted a NY) with baked gratin and a lobster tail. The first thing I tasted was the gratin, the reason I didn't like it was more a personal taste issue, I don't like the flavor of crisp cheese (like the "burnt" cheese on a cheese bagel), but that isn't the chef's fault. Over all the gratin was fine, but I kept feeling like I could make it better myself (not to toot my own horn, I'm an average cook, the gratin just wasn't that great at all). I peeled the top off and ate the rest. I gobbled up the lobster, I don't know how they are suppose to taste though, it was only the second time I've had lobster (The first was at the seafood buffet in Vegas, and I liked it a lot, so I decided to try it again:) it was good, but the buffet was better, that makes me question how good it really was though :). Next I tried the steak, it was the toughest steak I have ever had. The quality of the meat was HORRIBLE! It actually hurt to chew, it was so tough! I'm sitting there thinking "Yayyy, I have a $35 steak to eat tonight...." then I get less than a $5 walmart quality piece of meat. Very bummed I was! I took three bites, and I actually felt like I didn't want to eat it anymore. This is not a norm for me, I'm not very picky. So, my loving Hubby's broke the ice and let the server know I wasn't happy with the steak, and he was very kind and offered me a fillet. I accepted. The problem was by the time it came out I didn't want to eat a steak, I had already eaten the potatoes and lobster and my Hubby's shrimp :). I also had my eye on a dessert that sounded really good, I wanted to save room (see, I'm forgiving! I was gonna keep ordering! :). The server packaged up the second meal and brought out a complementary dessert. How nice! Well the thought was nice! The dessert wasn't! Here is where my disappointment just set in (with the food, the service was great). It was a sampler, so I had cheesecake, cobbler, and brule. The cheese cake was very bad (grocery store cheese cake beats it!) it was dry and crumbled, it tasted sour, not sweet. I only took a taste of the cobbler, it wasn't good at all. The brule had a really disgusting rum sauce on top, but I scooped it off and the custard was ok. I could just tell this place has really gone down hill, it must be the economy.
Even though I do have higher expectations in a restaurant like this, I would have been ok even if the food was just a little bit better. It really was just bad. I tasted a little of my Hubby's meal :) he had a steak also, but I didn't taste his. He also had a corn and potato mash, it was pretty good. The shrimp were also pretty tasty. So, not everything was horrible, but, it just wasn't very good at all. When you are talking $150 meal for two, I expect better. I can go to Flemings and pay that and walk out with my eyes twinkling from happy eating.
So, the food one star, just bad. The service earned another, they were very understanding and tried to make up for my dissatisfaction (they only knew about the steak though, they don't know how unhappy we were with the other food).
Way overpriced for the food they have to offer. Another fairly interesting location brought down by an over-priced, under-whelming menu. Disappointing.
I've only been to the brunch, so I can't say about their other menus. I think the brunch is exquisite. All the stuff you find at any upscale brunch, but everything is top notch. Lovely fluffy omelettes, crab legs, shrimp, sushi, chocolate fountain (oh my!). The cavemen in our party went nuts over the prime rib. Belgium waffles made right there, yum. Oh and my favorite, eggs benne! Enjoy the view with the free flowing champagne, and make a day of it.
For the bar only: sub par wine, but nice view. 2.5 stars
Cost to worth it rating: 2 ($18 for a wine flight; overpriced to supplement the view)
Highlights:
- View: high level where you can look down upon the buildings of downtown Phoenix
- Rotation effect: trippy but fun. After 55 minutes, you'll make the full 360 trip around.
- Signs: every so often, at a spot on the wall they'd have a marker indicating what you were looking at from that particular view
Lowlights:
- Wines: liked that they had flights (called trios), but oh dear were the wines bad. Between the hub and I, we sampled 6 wines and did not care for any of them.
Go for the view and order a cocktail. If we feel like peering over building lights, we'll be back. If not, we'll go for an evening drink elsewhere.
The Compass room is a favorite of mine for a number of reasons.
Its central location is perfect for a night at the opera or finishing a night out. Its menu has a fairly sophisticated selection and for the price it's a pretty good deal for a swanky hotel bar place in down town PHX. They have a fairly decent brunch on Sunday morning with generous helping of the mimosas (and they aint shy about pouring) Not an everyday place for sure but a place to take the folks while they visit from out of town and have them wow'ed at the pretty lights as they stand elevated looking at the valley, or to take that special date where you want a memorable quiet night to get to know each other. The service is what you would expect from a place of this caliber and the wine selection is not out of this world...but hey you must remember you are really on top of the Hyatt :P All and all worth while experience.
We popped up here for a drink, the view was amazing, staff was pleasant.
Price is obviously high - but you are paying for the view.
Their choices of wine is limited. Their choice of appetizers is slim and not appetizing. Which was a bummer!
Hopefully they can expand the options! We would have spent a bit of time and money there, but alas we simply enjoyed our wine and the view and left.
Luckily they didn't care too much about dress code - we were allowed access in shorts!
Great place for a date or romantic evening!
Note: Elevator is open glass. And elevator will only go to that floor when the restaurant is open, and it doesn't open at 4pm! Check the signs. only certain elevators go up to the top!
Pretty damn nice!
I made reservations for the Compass via OpenTable and upon arrival, i was greeted by first name. We were seated promptly and thank God I didn't pre-drink too much because the restaurant spins at a pretty steady pace. It's a great concept and for all the theatrics, the cost of the meals were very reasonable.
I had salmon and opted for polenta with my meal instead of mashed potatoes and I'm glad to see that both grits and polenta were mainstays on their list of sides. The only miss for me was the chili cornbread which I didn't find to be that great, although my comrades seemed to like it.
Service was prompt and consistent and I must say I enjoyed my meal and the whole spinning experience.
My prom date brought me here 10 years ago. Hmm...I wonder what he was expecting at the end of the night. Although he thought that tanning until he was as red as a lobster was the new black this was one of his better judgment calls.
We had a window seat and I mesmerized him with fascinating facts about the city, which were on little plaques along the windows. It really took him until the end of dinner to figure it out. Anyway, I am sure the menu has changed, but the salad and shrimp with angel hair pasta I had that night were yummy. Cool view. I will have to come back sometime to see how the valley has changed from this view.
I love to sit and spin! Here, on top on the Hyatt, you can do JUST THAT... and eat while your spinning. Its a multi-tasker's dream!!!!
This place is pretty amazing. I have only been here for evening dinners and drinks, but I can tell you that it is a great venue for a special occasion. I took my lovely lady here for a birthday and for an anniversary, so I pretty much played this out. However, you can still go!!!
If you are a fan of Prime Rib, you have GOT to try the Compass Room's version. It is cooked in a Merlot which makes it taste uber-fancy and your significant other will want to strip you down right there and thank you properly. For desert, try the Tiramasu. It has thick chocolate walls printed with the signature 'Compass Room' and will put everyone in the mood for a party!
The price is pretty high. Like Amy said, about $80 per head. But definitely worth it.
For this, I believe the Compass Room's logo should be "Sit, Spin, Go Home and Get Some"
Do it. Do it.
Its funny how people give this place 4 stars and blame the price on the view. View of what? Construction and desert. Oh, it spins? Well that's cool, here's $50. Mediocre at very best. This place is what is wrong with this city. The food is boring and bland, the drinks are fair and overpriced, and the atmosphere is stuffy and overrated. I would suggest trying something new. Come on Phoenix, break the bubble I dare you.
I had the pleasure of visiting the Compass Room for their Christmas Buffet this past holiday season. New in town and hungry for a good meal, I was eager to briefly forget (or at least stifle) the age old family traditions currently unavailable to me, and paid $60 for a ticket to their All You Can Eat. And boy did I.
The Compass Room is located in the Hyatt Regency in downtown Phoenix. There is parking in the large parking garage across the street, or you can pull up for valet, if your occasion calls for it. Upon entering the hotel, you are greeted by a huge foyer, ornately decorated with interesting sculptures and paintings. You walk straight toward the back of the foyer to the elevators, slightly rounding a corner to the right. A desk comes into view and the attendants will ask you where you're heading. Inform them that you are going to the Compass Room, they verify your reservations, and you enter the looming elevator. You are whisked away, many, many, many floors up to the looming space ship-shaped restaurant that overlooks much of phoenix. The restaurant is as expected, nicely decorated and fancy, if you're into that scene. The window views are exceptional, providing some of the best Phoenix city views available. And the restaurant spins around 360 degrees, which, let's admit, is really frickin' cool.
Our experience was unique, in that we were there for the Christmas buffet, or do they call it the Holiday buffet now? But I am assuming that the overall experience is quite similar no matter the time. Skipping ahead to what we all want to hear about... the food. Now, I am a chef, no stranger to good food. But I'll tell ya, they got it right for buffet. After selecting a few good wines, my companion and I lurched from our seats (ok, we did it slowly... maybe too slow, to compensate for how fast we actually WANTED to move) and walked over to the first station of food. I loaded my first plate with the following items: A delicious mushroom risotto, freshly baked bread and an assortment of fancy cheeses (perhaps 7 different kinds), the ever-amazing combination of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil. The next plate got to the heart of the issue, which was a healthy portion of rosemary crusted beef tenderloin and a nice side of gravy and some excellent mashed potatoes. I took a smaller portion of ham, but admittedly was not as impressive as I had hoped. The tenderloin however, as well as the entire first plate, were simply fantastic. Fantastic enough for me to leave my seat, belt loosened, tie aside and collect a second portion of each. For dessert, they had carrot cake which was delicious, as I am a big carrot cake fan as well as a large assortment of other items. The chocolate cake was excellent as well.
The bottom line for my visit to the Compass Room, is that it was near perfect in almost every way. I will remember some of the dishes I had there for many, many years to come and I will definitely be back, if not even for the food, but the great panoramic city view.
wow what a great experience we had. We were greeted by a wonderful hostess who escorted us to our table. Needless to say we have eaten at the Compass many times and love coming back. As usual the View was gorgeous, the cityscape is ever changing. We were greeted by our server, who was very energetic and greeted us with a smile. Explained the menu and offered some great suggestions. We tried a couple of their signature cocktails which we thought were great. We took our waiter's suggestion and ordered the Drunken Shrimp... wow now that's an appetizer...perfectly cook Big shrimp on a tasty piece of jalapeno toast and wonderful sauce. yum
Dinner followed, jumbo scallops fresh asparagus and my guest had the rib eye and gratin potatoes. The entrees were incredible. We topped out dining experience off with the custard trio... wow it was great. If you want to have great food, great view, great experience i would suggest you go to the Compass ....as i will go again.
This was the second stop on a bit of a bar crawl that my friend Chelsea and I were on that evening. She had been there once, I had never. I have been to the Space Needle before, which not surprisingly blows this place away.
We arrived around 5:30 on a Saturday night and, since we were only having drinks, didn't have a reservation. The hostesses seated us quite quickly and the night went downhill from there. It took 110 minutes for the server to come by and nearly another 20 for our beer and mojito to get there. In that time, we watched our server have a seven minute conversation with what sounded to be a former employee.
This was absolutely unacceptable. Our server knew we were only having drinks and we ordered straight off the menu. No way it should have taken that long.
The view was great. Not much better in Phoenix, but the rotating seating area certainly isn't for everyone. If you tend to get a bit queasy, try to sit facing the direction of the movement and DON'T watch the building move.
I'd consider trying it again, but only for dinner when the staff would hopefully be a little speedier.
Food. Awesome. Service. Awesome (Patty). Ambience. Awesome.
Temperature. SUCKED! I froze through half my meal. When I mentioned it to Patty, she said it happens at that part of the rotation. For $80 a head (at least!) you'd think they could take care of that!
If you've never been to the Compass Room, treat yourself and go. If that seems too indulgent, invite someone from somewhere else as your excuse to visit one of Phoenix's premiere dining landmarks.
The Compass Room makes one full circle high over the city atop the Hyatt Regency downtown. The dcor is black-and-white minimalist with floor-to-ceiling windows. Of course, window seating is preferred and in demand. The food can be very-good or average-good, and the menu changes frequently.
But frankly, you don't really come here for the food. It's the VIEW. And living in a boom town like Phoenix, there's always something new to see. From 1995-98, we watched the BOB going up. In 2004-05, the entire block below was buzzing with little ant-sized workmen and a giant crane for major expansion and refurbishment. What will the view be in 2007?
If you're ever in Phoenix and want to impress someone or pop "the question"! The Compass Restaurant with it's impressive views, atmosphere, service and food should satisfy anyone and everyone!
Recommendations: Filet Mignon
When working downtown, this was a great "impress out of town clients" kind of place for lunch. The food was always quite nice, but only because I wasn't paying. For the price, and if impressing snooty clients wasn't involved, I would have most likely gone elsewhere.
IMHO, the best times to go are 1) Dessert and 2) Brunch.
Desert here is quite yummy, and you don't mind so much paying a bit more for a cake and coffee when you get the impeccable service, the upscale look and the ever so amazing city lights.
Brunch here is my favorite place to take folks who are visiting Phoenix. I get teased a bit by family and friends that I'm the un-official Phoenix historical society because of how much I love pointing out Phoenix landmarks and telling everyone tidbits from their cool history. Everyone has fun pointing out where their house is, where they went last night and were they are going on their sight seeing mission later that day. It's also a great place to see how big Phoenix really is. (Best spot - South Mountain) One full rotation takes about an hour, and there are plaques up around the place to tell you what building or mountain range is right in front of you.
Oh yea, the food. It's good. I know food shouldn't be secondary, but here it really is. They always have a nice selection of cold seafood, pot stickers & sushi, bagels & muffins, fruit, omelets and waffles, and of course a nice selection of desserts. Of course Juice and Champagne are always included. It's good, and you'll leave full, but the final impression will be in the view, not in the food. And here, I think that's really as it should be.
grab a drink, spin around phoenix
I first went here for their Thanksgiving brunch. It was delicious. They had all of your basic Thanksgiving food with a fine dining twist. On my hubby and my two year anniversary, we decided to go back since we loved it so much. They did not disappoint! We started out with the braised bacon as an appetizer. It was delicious, and the maple grits it sat on top of were the best part. Then we had the compass bisque. It is a roasted eggplant puree that has lump crab meat in it. It is a must try, even if you don't like eggplant. They had had it during the Thanksgiving brunch, sans the crab meat, but still good all the same. For my entree I had the diver scallops, and they were perfectly cooked and delicious. Then for dessert, we ordered the custard trio. It had creme brulee, a honey date flan, and some sort of chocolate custard. The waitress brought it over with a little chocolate piece that said Happy Anniversary and she even put in a candle in it an sang Happy Anniversary to the tune of Happy Birthday. The fact that you get to rotate and see the entire city while you're dining is an added bonus! I recommend it for any special occasion or whenever you don't mind spending a lot on dinner, since the place is a bit pricy (but worth it!) I would recommend it to anyone!
Yeah well. . . . I was reluctant to host a business dinner at a rotating restaurant (is that like inviting a girl up for a drink if your pad looks like Austin Powers'?), but I did it anyway. Why? Because my fellow yelpers seemed to think it a good idea.
It was alright. I don't think anyone aside from me really looked out the window and the food was okay. They ended up hating my "affordably priced" $50 bottles of wine and sent them back for something more extravagent. Typical. The steak was delish. And, here's something. I'm not much for creme brulee. It's a'ight, but my favorite part is always the crispy sugar top. Well, with our fixed price menu, we got a trio of brulees; vanilla, chocoloate and caramel (or dulce de leche if you're feeling fancy). Holy crispy sugar Batman. I ate the hell out of those things. Maybe their crust:custard ratio was high enough for me to enjoy them, or maybe they were really good, but; they were really good.
I ordered a sidecar to start however and I ended up with a snifter of Courvoisier and triple sec and a small glass with ice. Um. Almost.
Probably not worth the price if you don't care about the view.
My first choice in the entire city of Phoenix! This place always provides a stellar experience for all of my senses. The view is spectacular, and I (a weather buff) recommend going during monsoon season to enjoy the fantastic electrical storms flashing off in the distance. The food is excellent (I also recommend the filet). The service is second to none in the Phoenix area. It is expensive, but this is the type of place that is meant to be savored only once in a while. They recently instituted a ($14-ish? can't recall exactly) minimum per person, as many people like to simply enjoy a drink and the view after a downtown event. The minimum is easy to meet with a drink and dessert - and worth every penny.
The prefect beginning to a romantic date. The Compass Room is atop the The Hyatt Regency in downtown Phoenix. The restaurant rotates and if you go during sunset will give you one of the most breath taking views of the valley. You end up paying for the view though, as the prices on the menu are rather high. The food is good quality but be prepared around 80-90 dollars for two people (salad, dinner and desert) as well as drinks. Fun place to go for a special occasion.
Great place to grab a drink or small bite after a play or the symphony. It's a hotel. Hotel food... downtown Phoenix hotel food. It's ok. The best part about the Compass Room is that it slowly spins and at night the view of Phoenix is nice to see.
Phoenix, AZ
Category: American (Traditional)
Phoenix, AZ
Category: American (Traditional)
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Phoenix, AZ
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