I had the pizza which was delicious. They had my favorite kind of wine, garnacha. I loved the view also.
(5)
John L.
Hey Hey! Me and a buddy wanted a nice steak and bourbon after a round of golf. We decided on Five Palms based on reviews and it's proximity to the Weston La Paloma. It had an awesome atmosphere and a very well stocked bar and wine selection. We enjoyed a Manhattan, an Old Fashioned and a couple cold beers. For dinner I had the Prime Ribeye and Wedge Salad. The entree included mash potatoes and and a vegetable. The steak was good, but I ordered it Pittsburgh Rare and it lacked any real char. The restaurant was a little understaffed, so the service did suffer a bit. They were also out of Oysters, so that was also a little disappointing. Overall a good experience, I would go back for sure.
(3)
Christina M.
This is for the upstairs. The view is beautiful and they have great happy hour specials but the 3 times I have been here the food has been so/so and service has been terrible. From disappearing waiters to spilled drinks to messed up orders, you would think this was a training facility, instead of the high class establishment it markets itself as.
(3)
Carlos S.
I want places like this one to succeed because Tucson needs restaurants across the spectrum. However, I don't expect this place to make it to 2014. The service is slow- 40 minutes for bar appetizers- and the quality of the food in the main dining room doesn't merit the high prices.
(2)
Alana J.
I really, really enjoyed this place. Way more than I thought I would after walking in. Granted, we only had drinks and dessert here, but it was such a fun time! We came in to celebrate my dad's birthday, courtesy of my Godfather. We were to go upstairs in time to be able to peruse the martini menu, order drinks, and have a toast at sunset. My dad and I walked in while my mom and husband tried to find somewhere to park, and we noticed first off an out-of-date looking couple sitting in the bar. They had on extravagant, 80's style outfits, and while they looked out of place here, they looked like they went together really well. We sat down, and when the rest of our party arrived we ordered our drinks. We got the Mayan Ruin, the "something or other" Sunset, the "something or other" Sunrise and the Run Of The Roses. All of our drinks were amazing! I got the Mayan Ruin, which was delicious. It was a chocolate martini, which I had never had, with cayenne pepper thrown in. SO yummy, but really, really rich. I wasn't sure I would be able to finish it. After we ordered drinks, we found out the people that looked so out of place when we walked in were part of the live music for the night, part of the 80's And Gentlemen band! They were really loud, and I wasn't sure how my parents would react, but they were singing and dancing and having an awesome time! I guess if the music and drinks and service and atmosphere are great enough, they can change the mind of someone who was sure her parents weren't going to like the live music. We also got this weird dessert pizza. It was ok. My mom and husband really liked it, but my dad and I, while we thought it was good, thought that it wasn't the best thing ever. This really is just a matter of taste. It had pears, feta cheese and caramel sauce. It just didn't sit right with my taste buds, but half of our party thought it rocked. Nothing against the pizza itself, it just wasn't for me. The view was gorgeous. It's an absolutely amazing spot to watch our famous Tucson sunsets! I'm looking forward to my next visit. Maybe I'll even try the food! It sure looked yummy coming out!
(4)
Isabella J.
The rumors are true: The Five Palms is certainly a striking place with it's royal blue carpet, stained glass windows, checkers floors, wooden panels and chandeliers. The place is indulgent in every possible way; from the decor to the menu. Not a single trace of Cafe Terra Cotta remains in this building that houses a formal dining room, bar and specialty wine/gift shop downstairs, a conference room, private dining room and Nino's Bar are located upstairs, as is the huge deck that was added on to the building, offering incredible views to the mountains and the city. While I have not enjoyed a meal in the formal dining room, I have taken a tour with the owner, who's intention is to provide a formal & elegant fine dining experience. Tables are set with china, cloth napkins and silverware all selected by Nino, the owner. For those that prefer to dine in a more casual setting you can still enjoy the full menu at the bar downstairs as well as a separate bar menu. Upstairs at Nino's bar, an entirely different menu is offered and you do not have the option to order off the other menus. It makes sense, considering how giant the place is, and it seems as though servers are having to run up and down stairs to run food. We enjoyed a light meal at Nino's bar. The atmosphere upstairs is wildly different from the Filve Palms dining room. The bar is enormous, equipped with 3 or 4 large flat screen TVs, 80s music and waiters in vests. It makes for an interesting experience to say the least. I loved what I ordered. I had the Ceviche with a glass of white wine that was perfectly chilled. My boyfriend ordered the rib-eye sandwich and enjoyed it. We also shared a Caesar Salad that while tasty, we found was a little heavy handed on the dressing and the greens were wilted by the time the salad reached our table. Not a deal breaker, I'll just ask for the chicken to be served on the side next time, since the chicken is served hot. The ceviche was outstanding and very well balanced, perhaps some of the best I;ve had in Tucson. While the portion wasn't huge, it was satisfying. There was plenty of shrimp and fish mixed in with tomato, jalapeno, celery and a little bit of avocado. My only suggestion, is to serve four tostadas with the Ceviche instead of two. My guess is that most people order extra tostadas and to be charged $1.00 extra for two more small tostadas is a little silly in my opinion. All in all we enjoyed our meal. The service was super friendly and we had a server in training who did an excellent job dealing with all my questions. I look forward to trying out the menu downstairs very soon and hope to have a fabulous experience. Additionally, I did mention their retail area. The store is called DoVinos and it's really cool You can purchase wine there at prices much like what you would find at Total Wine and take your bottle with you to your dinner table. They carry a nice selection and even have wines available to taste from their wine keg system. They also have fine imported chocolates, cheeses, gifts and even Jamon Serrano or Parma Prosciutto for sale. Stop by and take look! You can also opt in for a Club membership to store your wines in a locker.
(4)
Dr Tim L L.
Well the setting is wonderful. There is a street light so you easily pull in their private parking lot. I found lots of space to park on a Thursday. The outside catches your attention. You can see the exposed patio that looks like it was teleported from a Mexico beach. The entrance is quite grand and spectacular. Hey, I am a kind of mom and pop place kind of guy but I do respect amazing opulence and beauty. The massive stained glass as you enter freezes you in your mad tracks to get upstairs. It is very posh inside like a high end club. I was treated very nicely throughout my visit there. There is a small army of wait staff - and they pump hard. Good looking folks and quite cheery. I love the upper bar area and the patio because of the view. I tried just some bits of food so far. I was there to hear music on Thursday night - Tesoro plays. It tasted very good. I did study the menu and found it to be very different and an adventure that will call me back.
Our party of 5 came for Happy hour at the downstairs piano bar. What a treat. Not only was the food/drink "happy hour" deal really outstanding, but the place is very classy. What made things really special was the entertainment, especially a saxophonist who was just amazing. We stayed beyond the happy hour for another drink because we really loved the entire experience.
(5)
Andrew B.
Dined in twice and been to happy hour 3 times. Love the food, the drinks are stiff and service quick and professional. Ambience is something this town has long needed
(5)
Kristine M.
We try to always do a special upscale dinner for Christmas Eve and this was the hands down choice this year. It was a prefixed menu per usual for a special occasion. We all started off with the zucchini soup which was quite possible the best thing I've ever put in my mouth. I had the prime rib, enough for 2 or 3! Very good. The only thing so so was the desserts. I had only been here once before as Cafe Terra Cotta so I was excited to see all the changes. It's much darker as a steakhouse is expected to be. There is a to die for stain glass ceiling in the main dining room and beautiful art pieces leading up the staircase. If you're looking for a special occasion place to dine in tucson this is a must. The topper was the enchanting violinist who played thru out the night.
(4)
De S.
The Five Palms is one of the most beautiful restaurants in Tucson. The stained glass ceilings, dark woods, copper bar, etc are gorgeous. Even the restroom is beautiful! Our dining experience was elegant. We were serenaded by a wonderful violinist, and our waiter was very attentive. I had the petite filet, which was served with mashed potatoes and green beans, and it was cooked to perfection. After dinner, we went into the bar and listened to Susan Artemis, who is very talented, play the piano and sing Christmas carols and standards. I can't say enough nice things about The Five Palms. It is nice to see more upscale restaurant with great food in town.
(5)
Fred H.
Sad attempt at an upscale restaurant. But it was a big miss. The food left a need for a chef equal to the charges that would lead one to believe it would be worth it, but sadly not. The owner sat at the bar the whole time but never greeted anyone, if it wouldn't have been for the violinist I would have walked out
(1)
Dave G.
Really should be rating this a zero as we were never given the opportunity to eat or drink due to service issues. It started when getting out of the car, there is a sign pointing to the right for the wine shop and the stairs going up to the Bar and Grill (where we wanted to go). This led to a closed door so we had to walk all the way back around the restaurant and the ask the maitre d of the main restaurant who pointed to interior stairs providing an alternative. Confusing. Walking into the bar upstairs, there really is no formal greeting station. We stood confused for a little while and then bus boy told us we could sit wherever we want. So we went out to the patio and found a table with a nice view in the corner. We then sat for 15 minutes watching the city lights waiting for someone to bring us water or even acknowledge our presence. The bar was NOT full or busy - one table of four outside, a couple of others inside plus 8-10 people around the bar. So we stood up and left. The waiter stopped us midway and was extremely apologetic, but 15 minutes is my limit. The maitre d was also apologetic as we walked out and said she would talk to the management about it. Bottom line is that it doesn't matter how good the food or view (which is very nice) if you can't get served. There are too many other places to go in La Encantada to have to suffer that much of a wait. (Happy ending was getting a nice window-side table at Acacia after we left Five Palms...)
(1)
Bill H.
I didn't want to go back due to the madness of this place but I did with a friend of mine and I went upstairs for the first time. Sat at the bar and service was much better. Food however has lost its flair. Drinks were very good too.
(3)
Kamryn C.
What a poor experience, and I didn't even try anything. Came here the other day for happy hour, which is advertised on the website as going until 7. When we were arrived, we were told that it recently changed and is now only until 6. This didn't work for our group as several people had not arrived yet. We pointed out that the website didn't state that, and that if that was the case, we would likely not be staying. The manager offered to extend happy hour until 6:05- how unhelpful is that! We decided to take our group elsewhere. I don't understand a restaurant that would rather lose a group of 8 than give specials currently advertised on their website. I will not be coming here again.
(1)
Elizabeth M.
My husband and I were denied access in a very casual way- they locked the doors when we walked up then unlocked them when we walked away. It was during business hours. Mind you we pulled up in an Audi and were wearing jeans but we're otherwise dressed up for a night out. Very offensive. Not sure if there's a demographic being catered to- but whatever it is we didn't fit it.
(1)
Kathy N.
A happy hour meeting with my ladies tonight and Five Palms impressed! The restaurant is gorgeous and elegant and the servers are very personable. There seems to be quite an after work crowd here and several of us got a little lost while trying to find our party. Made our way upstairs to the outdoor patio and then tried to get inside from up there but the regular door wouldn't open. A server saw us and opened one of the glass wall panel doors for us. She asked about our group and immediately knew where to send us ~ downstairs to the bar area. While making our way through the upstairs I caught a glimpse of one of the upstairs private dining rooms and it was stunning.The room was being set for a party and everything looked exquisite. Once we found our party and my entire group was finally together it took a while to place our orders. But our server Jarrod was apologetic and funny at the same time. The happy hour specials are fantastic! From that particular menu, any beverage AND any appetizer was only $8 for the two. That's a surprising deal. I had the tamarind frozen margarita and the shrimp and white fish ceviche and there is no way I could have gotten this deal anywhere else in Tucson. The margarita was delicious and fun while the ceviche was perfectly spiced. The portion was perfect, I just wish they had given me more than 2 tostadas for my dish. Kinda forced me to stick that big serving spoon in my mouth to finish off all the ceviche that wouldn't fit on my two little tostadas. I really enjoyed my happy hour "meal" as did all the members of my party. Current happy hour offerings include beverages choices of tamarind frozen margaritas, house red, house chardonnay, white sangria, Bud Light, Miller Light, Full Sail Session and vino verde. Appetizer selections include paella, a pasta dish, tomato soup, chicken Caesar salad, sliders, fried fish, a french dip panini and the ceviche. Choose any of the listed beverages and any of the listed appetizers and your bill will be just $8.49. That my friends, is quite the happy hour deal. I'd love to try their dinner entrees or "fine dining" but it seems a bit out of my price range. But totally within my range for happy hour!!
(4)
Robert T.
We had dinner in fine dining the other night. As usual, beyond expectations!!! Niño and staff are wonderful. Food is exceptional, service perfect. What makes the experience at Five Palms so wonderful is consultancy. Bravo!
(5)
Roger T.
The amazing chipotle sauce w/ shrimp tempura! Rich, quality, tasty! Can't go wrong! Give it a try! First let's start off by saying this is a place to experience fine dining, fine meals, and an amazing view! I have been here several times now and each experience was just marvelous. My company even brought our CEO's and VP's here to dine in the luxury area of the restaurant. Like I keep saying to myself, it really reminds me as if I'm dining on the titanic. The waitresses stand by and wait for anything that you may need along with refills and taking your plates away super prompt. Now that's luxury dining! They also have a mini wine cellar and cigar cellar you can simply walk to and choose to enjoy with or after your meal! The best part is that if you buy a certain amount of wine you are given your own personal locker to store the wine so every visit you make, you have your own little wine locker. Now that rocks! Alright onto the food, I've had their shrimp burger which is just mouth blowing! The flavor is just so good, especially since burgers are good already, let's make it a shrimp burger boosting it up even more. The sauce it is served with is a chipotle like sauce, which is perfect with the burger. This is a must order. I also ordered a lamb chop on a difference visit and that was also pretty delicious. I ordered it cooked "Blue" which in Australia means to sear the meat for 5 secs on one side and 5 secs on the other. BAM done! The cook was perfect and the meat was just tender with quality flavor. Definitely good to enjoy with one of the wines served there. Overall this is one of my favorite place to dine. Especially when I want to dress up and just feel like I'm on the Titanic! :)
(5)
Susan A.
I have eaten at all of the fine dining restaurants in Tucson. My total favorite is Five Palms. Comfortable elegance, fantastic food, outstanding service.
(5)
Monica W.
TERRIBLE MANAGEMENT. Made a reservation for six on 3/5/14 over three weeks in advance of our dinner date. I called day of to confirm our reservation and guess what?!? I didn't have a reservation because the entire restaurant was rented out for a private party. When I make a reservation over the phone, I always repeat the day of the week, the day of the month, and the time back to the hostess since we all know that they aren't often the brightest crayons in the box. I asked her to search for my name and came up with a reservation for the following day. Then the manager I spoke to said, "Oh yeah, she's not supposed to be taking reservations" in reference to the hostess who took mind down three weeks previous. Unfortunately, that doesn't resolve my situation. So here we are with no reservation on a Friday night for three couples. Two of the couples had to get childcare in advance for this date night which is now in limbo. Thanks Five Palms - We won't be making another attempt to dine with you.
(1)
Patrice N.
(2)
Greg B.
We were really looking forward to enjoying a lovely patio bar with drinks and some good food this evening. Your website seemed to indicate that you were open all day... "Summer Specials Available All Day." I admit we missed the actual opening time of 4 pm. So when we arrived, about 10 to 4, we were told you were not open but the bartender upstairs had arrived a little early and we could go up there. We asked about the "Summer of 3 M's" Margarita, Mojito, or Martini for $5.00 and everyone had no idea. My wife had to look it up on your website on her phone and show it to the female we thought was taking our order. Nope, someone else took the order for two mojitos and served us the worst cocktail I have ever tasted... Asked for glasses of water multiple times and never received any. The "club soda" was apparently bad but the young man explained it as he makes the mojitos very strong and we were not used to them. They were not refreshing, had no lime, no sugar (or sweetener), and were flat and warm. So, the flat club soda was just the beginning of the problem. Asked for glasses of water multiple times and never received any. The margarita replacement was no better. It was a poorly made drink by an amateur bartender. Drink was warm, no garnish, forgot to salt rim (but actually got that fixed before serving it). Asked for glasses of water multiple times and never received any. Wife wanted a Vodka tonic replacement and asked for bottled tonic due to the previous flat club soda issue. Bartender brought out a bottle of Pellegrino and another bottle of sparkling water and asked if they would be ok for the Vodka tonic... We explained to him that they were not tonic. My wife asked for a taste of the tonic from the machine and accepted it as "good enough." Asked for glasses of water multiple times and never received any. Went to "The Abbey" and told everyone within earshot of my wonderful date night with my Wife. .. Overall. A miss from the greeter, to the first person at the bar, to the bartender, to the kid that brought our food, to the gentleman sitting at the bar who seemed to be in charge, saw everything wrong that happened and did nothing. Really wanted to try some of the food but just left. Any feedback??? Good luck.
(1)
Sylvia M.
I have been here twice. Once at happy hour and the second time was at around 8pm. The first time was terrible. The drinks took a decade and we made the mistake of ordering food. My friend had the tacos off the bar menu and I had the bar burger. He got the tacos about an hour before i got my burger. They then reheated his tacos for him. The burger was awful! It tasted like cheap meatloaf on a burger bun. I asked for no tomatoes or onion but it took another 20 minutes to get the lettuce for my gross burger. The worst part was the millions of flies!!! The manager told us they were going to use some mystery device to get rid of it but it wouldn't get there for another week. Other guests at tables were using their menus to kill the flies. I'm sure those menus were put back into circulation. So disgusting. This place is super over the top and beautiful.... But overrated. Skip it.
These comments relate to the 2nd floor patio. In the past, service and food have been pretty good. On a recent Friday night, the service was horrible. They have a new manager and staff and nobody knew what they were doing. It took 15 minutes before anybody showed up to take a drink order and they left before getting all the orders. Fifteen minutes later, no drinks, but they show up to take dinner orders. Within 1 minute, they delivered 3 meals obviously intended for another table. They insisted, incorrectly, that they were ours. It wasn't even what we ordered. This goes on and on. One person didn't get their meal until everybody else had finished more than an hour later. Then, the manager showed up to explain that everybody was new and he's sorry. Where was he for the last hour and a half? I think this place is in serious trouble and probably won't be around much longer. Too bad because it used to be pretty good.
(1)
Anna T.
Amazing food and atmosphere. Gorgeous, elegant, and romantic restaurant. Beautiful view from upstairs bar, especially at sunset. Downstairs piano bar and outside patio are so relaxing. The Smoked Salmon Bisque is to die for. Perfect flavors with a subtle fleeting spice. The melt in your mouth Chilean Seabass is the best I have ever had, even from a five star Santa Monica restaurant, which was actually not good. I have finally found a restaurant in Tucson that has high quality delicious seafood. Being a pescatarian, this means even more. A palate and mood satisfying experience.
(5)
Dawn K.
I was able to enjoy a outdoor patio lunch with a good friend last Monday; my friend made reservations for us a week in advance. The building is a visual feast, with multiple options to dine in one facility. There is a lot of bold colors and with the weather in the 80's I couldn't imagine a better outdoor dining experience location; we chose to sit on their patio. The full lunch menu was not fully ready and we had a temporary lunch menu to order from which included fresh fish, burger, sandwiches, muscles, and salads. I believe it will be changed by mid May. I ordered the Ahi tuna salad and my friend ordered the steak and egg sandwich. I had really wanted to start with appetizers but they were a little more than I was wanting to spend, since my friend was not interested in a starter. While waiting for our food, a hot loaf of break was brought to the table; on onion loaf. It was a minute out of the oven or so and extremely hot. So I loved how it tasted, but my poor friend burt her fingers slicing it open for us. My salad came it was the best Ahi salad I've enjoyed in Arizona. The salad was topped with a tuna steak, cooked to order( I prefer seared), atop a cucumber, tomato and romaine lettuce chopped mixture with a mint herb vinaigrette pre mixed into the salad and not on the tuna steak. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this salad. My friend ordered the steak (medium rare) and egg sandwich; her steak was cooked well (brown throughout). She reported the steak was tender and tasted good; she didn't have it sent back. The staff were attentive and constantly filling my ice tea and cleaning away spenda packets and so on; so I felt we were looked after. The floor manager came by to ensure we were enjoying the meal. I would recommend this place for based on my wonderful salad; overall my lunch was $25 after tip. I am going to confess that the fancy decor was too much for me, but for a business lunch I think it would be a perfect choice.
(3)
Juan B.
This place looks the part, great upstairs open bar, great dinning area, cool setting, wine & cigar area, room. Ate there twice, haven't been impressed by the food, all that said, I here mixed reviews, so... I decided to give it another try, this time I wanted to experience the cigar concept, maybe some appetizers upstairs. I park out in front, couldn't find the entrance immediately , but I did, then... here it comes... Came through the front, looked like the owner was busy playing around at the cash register, totally ignored the fact that there was a customer, me, looking confused. I then looked towards what looked like a hostess, but she also ignored me, the customer. I found my way to the back, where the stairs/elevator was, finally I asked for help.... The hostess, waitress, not sure, pointed to the elevator after some coaxing, so I went up anxious to sit and enjoy a cigar. I walked into the upstairs bar, that leads to the outside covered patio/bar. I asked where it would be best to sit and enjoy my cigar, the waitress then proceeded to tell me it was to wet out by the deck/patio, so she told me to go back down by the wine/cigar room and look for a place. Well you know where this is going... I went back down, saw a bartender across the so-called wine/cigar area/room, ignored, so I went in, know one there to attend the customers, all the while the owner still playing with a list, register, whatever...., I walked out the same door, and guess what!!, know one cared or asked any questions, that is what I call a recipe for failure... Never will I ever go back.... terrible....
(3)
Shae S.
Yikes! They certainly do make party planning complicated. COOL: - I called during the holidays to plan a retirement farewell dinner with only two weeks notice. They made room for us, even though they already had several events booked for the same night. Super cool. - As our guests arrived, the staff at the front door was expecting us and they provided directions to our private room. Cool. - We were in the Louis XVI Room. Wow! The ambiance is incredible! The stained glass ceiling is mesmerizing. Cool. - We had two dedicated waiters that took care of everything so that our guests could enjoy themselves - from pouring drinks and serving food to adjusting the thermostat, they provided a full-service experience. Cool. - The holiday decorations were just beautiful! Such a festive environment. It really got me into the spirit of the season. Cool. - We stayed an hour longer than we anticipated and there was no rush for us to leave. Cool. NOT SO COOL: - Until the day of the party, I wasn't 100% sure we were booked. Their communication was horrible. I worked with four different people in the span of two weeks. One person took a sudden leave of absence, and I don't know what happened to the rest. I only found out because my emails went unanswered and I had to call the restaurant to make sure they hadn't forgotten about us. Not cool. - We weren't told about or asked to sign a contract until hours before our party. Not cool. - We had an agreed upon price per person, which went up $5 per person just to add a salad before the meal. That's a little much. Not cool. - When our waiter presented the meal options, he told us that the catch of the day was tilapia, when the food was served, it turned out to be salmon. I was fine with that, but several guests just picked at their food. When questioned our server said "is there a problem with that?" He really should have let us know about the change before presenting our dinners so that our guests could have had an option to order another entree. That was so not cool. All in all it was an OK experience. Our guests had no idea what I went through to plan the party, so the only snafu they observed was the debacle with the fish. I would plan to have another event here, now that I know what to expect.
(3)
Kurt P.
Group of 10 had an early dinner at five palms, it was the worst dining experience I've had in Tucson in a long time. None of us had anything positive to say about the food or the service!
(1)
Christine W.
After reading negative reviews it is obvious some people confuse service with entree preparation. Tucson has always been a difficult town for fine dining establishments. And yes, Tucson is a town mentality culture. Being a well traveled native I find the entree's at Five Palms refreshing with expertise in preparation, pairing, and service. Reviews regarding mixed drinks being too spicy, strong, etc....that is a matter of taste and the drinks are made FROM A MIX. Get it? Excellent wine menu here. In short, it is the patron's resonsibility to know what they are ordering. I am a frequent patron and support excellence in fine cuisine, and save up for it. I highly reccomend Five Palms for those who appreciate beautiful atmosphere, cuisine and an understanding not based on price.
(5)
Jenny H.
LESS THAN IMPRESSED. We made reservations for Valentine's Day for dinner on OpenTable and received a call the following day saying the had a set menu and the dinner was $75 per person. We then ordered a very nice red wine since we both chose the beef entre. The appetizer was Russian caviar served on a tiny crepe-like disc with a small dallop of crème fraiche (great concept, however the disc was cold?) Room temp would have been ideal. My husband got the lobster bisque which he enjoyed and I had the featured salad - nothing exciting about my choice. Then the entrees arrived - wow what a disappointment. The beef (5 thin slices) was cooked as I ordered, covered in a mushroom gravy with three thinly sliced mushroom shavings, the potato side was completely inedible - thinly slice potatoes with a "window screen" texture, flavored with parmesan cheese (so the server told me) and the veggie side was nothing more than 2 tablespoons of shredded carrot and shredded zucchini. The dessert was good. This was the most disappointing meal I have had in awhile - especially, especially for the price. Absolutely no plans to return.......ever.
(1)
Stephanie Q.
Went here for a date a couple weeks ago. The ambience was romantic, the violinist was awesome, and the service was great. The food was average on my part. I had the fish dish and my date had the lamb. I would give the food a second chance, but most likely won't.
(3)
Daniel B.
I judge all steakhouses against SW in Las Vegas and Sullivan's does a lot of things well. The Filet Mignon was perfectly cooked and was outstanding. Service was excellent too. The crab cake appetizer and salads were top-notch. The bar area was hoppin' despite REALLY expansive prices. Which leads me to my only real complaint. Even for top quality food and drink, their prices are insane, especially for Tucson. So unless you can afford it, it's a place for special occasions only. For food quality and service, though, it's among the best in Tucson. I withhold one star only because of the prices.
(4)
JC A.
Last week, I suggested this place to my friends, as I have always had great experience... i was disappointed at the service. We went upstairs for dinner, thinking it would be more relaxed. The AC wasnt working. .. they moved a fan to blow on our table before we decided to move out. Flies and insects flying all over. Drinks were lukewarm... They offered us the Fine Dining Menu option , with Dining Menu Prices but without service. The waiters were unorganized, new waitress shared with us her views on the internal tensions of the busssiness, and every mistake she made was excused by reminding us she was new. Suggestions.. Dont open upstairs if AC is not working. Dont offer fine dining menu and prices if your not offering fine service. Dont leave a rookie in charge of anything.
(2)
RoLea E.
This restaurant experience started out rough for us but gradually got better as the evening progressed. We were seated but not greeted by our server or provided menus for at least 5 minutes or more. It was like they were short staffed. A server finally came to help us but we couldn't tell if she was our real server at first. It wasn't the usual grand welcome u get when first sitting at an upscale restaurant. It was more like, "oh do you want to here the special for today and are you ready to order?" For the price of the food, I was expecting top notch exceptional service that I receive at one of my favorite date night restaurants located down the street from here. We ordered the scallops as the appetizer but was disappointed in the portion. It actually ended up being one scallop and rice pilaf with wild mushrooms. The rice and mushrooms had lots of flavor but the scallop was not so flavorful. For the entree I ordered the salmon and my husband had the prime ribeye. Both entrees were very good. My salmon was cooked perfectly but had rice pilaf and mushrooms again. I was kind of over the rice/mushroom by the second time around. Wish I had asked for substitutes but it was fine. My husband really enjoyed his ribeye. For dessert the pastry chef recommended the Apple Crumble. I had a taste for ice cream so we ordered a side of vanilla ice cream to go with it and it was great! Definitely could tell the dish was made from scratch with fresh apples. All in all we the atmosphere was nice, the service was good but not spectacular. The entrees really made up for the appetizer. Would I go again?...maybe:-/ it was kind of pricey for the overall quality/experience
(3)
Laura G.
The food is good but the menu is very unimaginative. The views from the rooftop bar are amazing as are the happy hour deals. A bit of a warning, watch your check when ordering off the 8 dollar happy hour menu, twice now ours have been wrong.
(3)
Jeanne H.
It's a beautiful place BUT that is it!! Skip this place if you want great service. There was a group of us and we waited 20 minutes for the first round of drinks. Water service came once during our 2 hour stay. Finally someone in our party went and got their own pitcher. The waiter was irritated when we asked for champagne glasses for champagne instead of wine glasses. Food- well lets just say everything came cold and took over an hour to get to us. Save the frustration and head to Flemings!
(1)
Saba B.
To say Five Palms pulled no stops in decor is a massive understatement. The signature blue carpet mutes the bar chatter, but the chandeliers, frescos, and stained glass are a bit overdone and frankly intimidating. The patio which I will henceforth call the sky deck offers spectacular twinkling lights. The bar tacos, moist carne asada, could have used some salsa, and the bartenders look a little uncomfortable in their Prince Valiant blue velvet vests, but if you are looking for a place to wear that New Year's tux and sport your taffeta, you've found it. Next time I arrive in a convertible, I'll do my hair before walking in.
(4)
Tracy A.
Steak and lobster was the best I've ever had. Wait staff was great and overall the are doing great. Give it a try you won't be disappointed
(5)
Dave P.
If you took an autistic 14 year-old, forced him to sniff glue and then asked him to design a "real fancy big city restaurant" from 1978 the output would probably look a lot like 5 Palms- the latest in double ghastly overpriced Catalina Foothills eateries. As you enter the vast multi-layered 5 Palms compound a liveried doorwoman anticipates your entrance and opens the portal into a foyer with black and white tile, wood-paneled walls, blue carpet, and fluted columns that seems like an off-brand cruise ship steakhouse crossed with a striving brothel. The host is in a suit and the wait staff are formally attired; this contrasts really painfully with the elderly guests in their Tommy Bahama shirts tucked into pleated shorts. The menu consists of both surf and turf. Our order took over an hour to leave the kitchen. The steak was adequate but at $70 for a ribeye it turned to ash in my mouth. The sauteed spinach looked like a child with pertussis blew some snot into a bowl. My guests seemed to enjoy their Chilean Sea Bass and Halibut but it looked like fish night at the nursing home to my jaundiced eye. There is a bar upstairs with great views of hard-eyed middle aged divorcees and their natural prey: well-to-do Foothills geezers. There were a few youngsters that appeared to be rich kid Sonorans trying to look cosmopolitan. So, to sum it up pithily: this place should be called 1 Palm! Hey-oh!
(1)
Scott F.
I am saddened that I can't work out how to give this place zero stars. Positives: the "hook" of cheap wine. Negatives: Decor is crossed between a vampire lair and bad English pub. Staff asked us over seven times if everything was ok, including two visits from the "manager"... it was okay... just ok... until I got home and was violently ill. Maybe I was just unlucky but how hard is it to screw up french onion soup? The menu was limited and no specials or variation was available. Far better places to go for a fraction of the price
(1)
Sylvia Y.
Went for Happy Hour with impression that it went until seven, as on the website AND the Happy Hour menu given at our table. Got there at 6. First told that a few things were out on the menu, so only beer on happy hour was Bud and Bud Light, also out of pork sliders :\. Really? Put in drink orders. Waitress came back to say that as of today, happy hour ended at 6. Manager and owner wouldn't budge despite what was still on top of happy hour menu so we left for friendlier Tavalinos. Palm is a cheesy pretentious place, over priced. Don't waste your time. Many other better places to go. Who was their interior designer, anyways? What was he or she smoking?
(1)
Sam S.
Easter morning brunch left more to be desired. However, they made it up with great dinner service with a nice selection of wine.
(5)
C C.
I LOVE the new desserts here!!! They outshine those from a few months ago - so much that I ordered some to-go to serve at a dinner party. The beautiful new pastry chef brought them out to me and showed me how to properly plate them for my guests at home. Everyone was impressed. I've had great experiences both at dinner and at happy hour. This is a special place and now with the exceptional desserts, it's definitely a go-to place for me.
(4)
John K.
So I decide to go for Happy Hour and check out the new place, it's around 3 PM on a Wednesday and I go to the open air bar on the top floor, very nice. I'm shocked to find beer being offered for $2.-! As I relax I notice there are no less than 9 service people milling about and a total of 7 customers. Anyway I ask for a wine by the glass list, the bartender leaves to get it and never returns, odd. Another bartender brings me the list and says I should check out the restaurant bar on the street level that also offers a happy hour but is completely different. Intrigued, I head downstairs and sit at the bar, a young bartender greets me and says "I guess your part of this private party?" I say No I am here for Happy Hour to which he promptly replies: "This is a private party so you need to leave." That's a nice first impression don't you think?
(2)
Leslie M.
The ambiance is great. Loved the look of the place but upon entering into the bar on the 2nd floor you noticed a 20 degree temp jump. We ordered a martini upstairs and noticed the happy hour specials. There are no real appetizers unless you want to call a taco one. We sat for a few upstairs and decided it was best to move to the bar downstairs to finish our dinner. Downstairs is cooler in the summer of Tucson. We ordered food in that bar area. Service is VERY slow. If you are an advertised high end establishment I should not have to notify anyone (waiter, bartender) my martini needs a refill. They should be all over my needs. This was imply not the case. I had to hail down someone even for my water to be refilled. Steak was good, but the end price of $66.00 for it was a bit pricey when the service to support it was not there. Hey guys you have been open for a while now. Let's train your staff in customer service and turn down the AC in the summer of AZ.
(2)
Andrea G.
Gary and I celebrated our anniversary here, along with mom, who treated. Lucky us! The Dining Trio was in full force, excited to try a new and much anticipated establishment. It just opened one week ago. Five Palms Steak and Seafood is the vision of owner Nino Aidi, who I met at the end of the meal. He has created an experience in the former Cafe Terra Cotta building, that overlooks all of Tucson with incredible views. The building houses multiple separate experiences, including both fine and casual dining, two bars, a boardroom to be (that will seat up to 18, I think) with fine views of the Catalinas, and yet unfinished meeting room. Nino himself is the fine artistic hand behind the interior design and finishes, which he said have taken a year to orchestrate. You are met by a stunning HUGE stained class piece of art and inlaid table, and multiple friendly hostesses. You have walked into a different time and place; the desert fades away as you spot huge framed copies of 18th and 19th century artwork replicas. For our special evening, we had reserved a table in the fine dining room (thanks so much again, mom!). You walk through dark carved wood arches into a beautiful room. Actually, TWO beautiful rooms-a striking blue carpet and walls of carved curving dark woods with mirrors and (in one of the rooms) also walls of tasteful windows. (See photos I shall be uploading). The ceiling was also striking, decorated with a HUGE stained glass custom piece that covers nearly the entire length. Both fine dining rooms have a stained glass ceiling. I felt like I was in an elegant cruise ship, with its wooden walls and the beautiful finishes. My mother could not put her finger on the type of design, but suffice it to say it's a tasteful Baroque style meets classy contemporary. The silver, dishware and crystal are also a step up from your everyday dining. I better cut to the chase or I'll run out of room: Excellent onion sour dough bread, freshly baked-served with little butter (you can get more) because you also have delicious oil and balsamic vinegar for bread dipping. You can order fine wines here, even served in decanters (the type that aerates the wine--forgive me; I am not an expert on wine) and drinks. The friendly server was well informed and guided us to ordering great choices. Mom enjoyed the fresh Five Palms salad, which includes mint. Gary ordered the French onion soup, served in a bread bowl. It had a distinct tarragon flavor (I think), a unique twist. We all opted for fish dishes, although steak is a specialty as well here. You can choose your preferred sauce for fish. Gary enjoyed a blue-nose grouper with an Andalusian sauce (tomato-based, with peppers, olives, shrimp, a mussel, etc.) while mom and I really enjoyed our Chilean sea bass. It was perfectly prepared, with a sense of a caramelized top and a spinach/Parmesan cheese sauce. Rich and delicious (it also tasted as good the next day--I had a few bites left over). We did not get any vegetable sides. We had to save room for dessert! Check out the photo I will upload-the server wheeled over the freshly baked cakes, which change day to day. Classy way to serve. I was told the cakes are baked locally just for Five Palms. Mom had the tiramisu (EXCELLENT-one of the best ever, she said) and we had a yummy multi-layered chocolate-raspberry cake. I would've loved a taste of the Black Forest cake as well. Our experience at Five Palms was classy, fun, tasty and memorable. My mom pointed out the only thing we could fault (hardly a "fault") was that she felt that being a fancy place, they should "crumb" the table (remove crumbs using a table crumb remover). I do remember those silver items in the old days. Not sure they do that anymore anywhere? We toured the rest of the restaurant and look forward to coming back. Do try Five Palms, and enjoy the artistic ambiance and the tasteful food created with joy by the owner. We left feeling well taken care of and happy!
(5)
Christina C.
The restaurant is beautiful. Music was outstanding with a live violinist. The food was good and the presentation lovely. I would recommend getting the bread pudding for dessert over the creme brulee, a mistake I made. Overall, highly recommended as long as you are prepared to pay the monetary price.
(4)
Gary V.
Wanted to go out for a nice dinner with my wife. This was not it. We should have known when we called while driving there and were able to get a reservation without any problem. We thought we got lucky, but we were wrong. The interior is nice and fancy. There is a moderately talented violist who chimes in on 70's and 80's classics which is a little annoying. We went to the wine shop and got a bottle to go with dinner. Next we ordered salads, lamb porterhouse (for which two lamb chops were substituted without asking us) and a "double prime NY Strip" and some spinach. While we waited for our salads we were offered bread. The outside was good, but the center was not quite cooked and was gooey. Good for smores, not good for bread. The Strip steak was tasteless and very difficult to cut. I sent it back (the waiter did not appear to be surprised) and substituted a "prime ribeye" which was coated in a layer of salt so thick that even after I scraped it off the best I could, I couldn't really eat it. When the bill came the wine was more expensive than listed in the shop. I just paid the $150 and got out of there. We went there a year ago and things were definately better. We won't be going back.
(1)
Sarah L.
Located in the former Cafe'Terra Cotta building, they've redone it up (BIG)- in deep & dark Cherry wood/Chicago Mafia style paneling- complete with stained glass, frescos, chandeliers, and elevators... Yeah, it's quite over the top- for Tucson! After many months of construction and fine tuning, they finally opened April 1, 2013. There are two bars and a restaurant, plus some sort of membership social club that they will store your cases of wine that you buy there (supposedly at their cost) for a fee- so when you come back, you can tell all your friends that you're part of their exclusive "CLUB." The upstairs bar is (according to the staff) "more casual." Before they opened, I went to a private party in the downstairs bar, but since they've opened- I've only tried the upstairs bar. Although it seemed to have the same degree of ostentatiousness as the downstairs bar- the upstairs bar boasts a great freebee of a beautiful patio, complete with a dynamic and panoramic view of the La Paloma golf course and twinkling city lights to the south. They have a happy hour, with some drink specials (well drinks and beer only- no wine on happy hour) and the happy hour also features $6 appetizers until 7 PM. The restaurant seemed pretty packed tonight, albeit mostly the out of state 'snow bird set.' I'll have to go back and try the food. Despite the obvious mafia theme, it seems like a good new hot spot in the foothills. Anyone who lives here knows that we definitely need some new venues on the foothills dining scene.
(4)
C P.
I will keep this one short. Stay away. Food sucks, service is bad, and it is way over priced.
(1)
Russ R.
Food is institutional, but the decor is worse. The previous occupant (Cafe Terra Cotta) exuded class and southwestern chic without any schmaltz. This place looks like grandma's attic. Chintzy paneling and fake plastic stained glass ceiling fixture. Maybe your friends and relatives from the midwest will think it's great, but it reminded or a fun house or some mafioso's mansion.
(1)
Ali G.
The service was too slow. Also the lettuces were not fresh at all. Our salads.went.to the other table. No silverware came to the table till we went and took them.ourselves. Two stars because there was no.health hazard.
(2)
Bryan G.
Made our first visit with a group on Saturday for Happy Hour up at Nino's bar. I will start by saying the Five Palms has perhaps the nicest interior designs for any restaurant in Tucson. My friends and I all enjoyed the great views from the patio on the second floor. Down to dollars and sense... the drink prices were all reasonable for such a nice place. I honestly would have expected them to be higher (not that I'm saying they should be). The appetizers we ordered were delicious! We tried the ceviche, beef tacos, and Mediterranean hummus. Our only small concern was the service was slow. We had a trainee, so I won't judge too harshly. Honestly, had the server been 100%, I would have given 5 stars. When we need anything we asked, and it would be to our table quickly. Their floor manager, Rose, was exceptionally helpful and gave us great information about the other parts to the Palms. As a group, we were all talking later at how we looked forward to going back for a full dinner. Glad something nice with SO MUCH POTENTIAL filled the old Terra Cotta building. Cheers to Nino (the owner who personally greeted us and other guests on the way in)! WE'LL BE BACK!
(4)
Pat S.
We picked this restaurant for our special occasion. We dined down stairs in the formal dining room. They knew it was a special occasion for us and offered us "congratulations" - nothing else. Those at an adjoining table had the same experience. The wait staff was inexperienced and poorly trained. I ordered what the waiter recommended which were a halibut dish special and a Brussels sprouts dish. He didn't even question why I hadn't eaten when he came to remove my plate. I hadn't eaten because the food wasn't edible. The fish was old, dried out and tasteless, buried in a flavorless sauce. The Brussels sprouts were tough and burnt. I discussed the matter with several management people and possibly the owner and all said they were sorry. Sorry? It was a big bill, no reductions were offered or made. I called the next day to ask the owner to call me and I never received a return call. The bread was good. We won't be returning. We went to Vivace's on the way home to get the taste of Five Palms out of our mouths.
(1)
Lawrence L.
This restaurant suffers from a lack of leadership, IMO. We have gone to the happy hour at the Nino's Grill three times. There has always been something wrong either with the food (often cold) or service. The other night was a doozy. We brought a couple who had never been there. First off, a full glass of ice water was dumped in his lap! Then the French fries that came with his burgers were cold, like room temperature cold. The waitress ordered fresh fries from the kitchen but they didn't get there until he was done with his burgers. My partner asked the waitress for some more bread when she was half way through with her pasta dish. The bread came 15 minutes later, after all the dishes, including my partner's, had been cleared. The waitress kept apologizing about the water in the lap, the cold food and late service but didn't offer to reduce the bill. The hostess did the same. A gentleman in a dark suit came around and asked if everything was okay. We said, no, everything was not okay, and proceeded to tell him exactly why. He smiled, said he was sorry, and walked away. The next day I called and asked to speak with the manager. A woman named Kelly asked what I wanted and I told her I had a complaint. She said the manager, John, was due any minute and he would call me back immediately on arrival. I am still waiting for that call.
(2)
Scott S.
I've had better quality steak at outback! Seriously folks this place is not good, service is trying to be 5 star but the staff don't have the training or understanding of how to provide it. They are friendly but the food just isn't anywhere near on par with Flemings or Sullivan's and the prices are the same. If you're going to spend this price point you'll be much much more happy going to Fleming, Sullivan's, or a Ruth's Chris if we eventually get one there is no comparison here these guys don't even come close
(1)
Bruce S.
Five Palms has terrific atmosphere -- amazing view, a live violin player with muted baseball games on big screens, friendly waiters. Too bad you can't eat atmosphere. Steaks were pedestrian and appeared to be mass cooked on the grill. Want yours Rare? Medium? Well done? Doesn't matter; you're getting medium rare; it's all the cook knows. Want them to hold one of your sides? Nope; you're getting it. It's good for you. What could be a terrific restaurant, sabotaged by the kitchen.
(2)
Triada G.
Enjoyed a wonderful date night with my husband and some of our friends on the patio at Nino's bar. We enjoyed some delicious appetizers on the patio while enjoying some drinks and watching the sun set on Tucson. Truly wonderful interior. We loved all the different parts of the layout. We are planning to go back soon for dinner. The prices may seem high on the main dinner menu to some. Since we didn't eat in the main dining room, we judged the smiles on the faces of those walking out of the main restaurant that we saw as we came down the stairs from Nino's bar area. Based on the reviews I've read I'm convinced most people only come on to Yelp to complain, which is a shame. There is NO WAY this should be any less rated overall than 4/5 stars. It's a fantastic destination for Tucsonans. We loved it for the drinks and tappas... can't wait to get back for full dinner! UPDATE: We went back for another visit... service was slower, but the appetizers were still awesome!
(4)
Tim S.
Went for an early Christmas dinner and made it just in time for sunset on the patio. Upon arriving at the restaurant greeted by two friendly people that were able to direct us to the patio. The server upstairs was funny and attentive but which night have had to do with this being his first night working. Happy hour drink and food specials aren't bad. The regular menu is a little pricey but not too far out of the norm for the area. I had the lamb burger and my girlfriend had a pizza. Lamb burger was great, fries were soggy, droopy and sad. Pizza was super doughy had a weird sweet flavor was covered in sesame seeds and a disproportionate amount of cheese to everything else on the pizza. Had a creme Brule for dessert which was served on a wafer which was a little odd. Bottom line this is a great place to go if you wanna hang out in a place with a great view or ritzy decor. Go during happy hour and don't expect too much from the food and you won't be disappointed. To be fair I haven't tried much of the food but if what I have is any indication of the quality of the food then inconsistent would probably be the best word to describe it.
(2)
Roland W.
Everything that could go wrong here did. My reservation was lost, the service was awful, the food took forever to come, my steak was overcooked, and the price was absurd. Even if offered a free meal I wouldn't come back here.
(1)
Kim B.
Great atmosphere and the view is spot on. Haven't been for dinner but the happy hour food and drinks are great.
(4)
Chris C.
A group of us went here recently and were very satisfied with every aspect of the experience. As we arrived we were met by the owner who showed us into the wine shop where we were able to select several bottles to enjoy in the restaurant at the wine shop price. We then headed upstairs to the beautiful panoramic patio to enjoy our wine and some delicious appetizers. Our server was great, and even better was the manager (Rosemary) who was attentive and friendly. I would absolutely recommend this place to anyone looking to enjoy an amazing wine selection and great service.
Stay as far away from this restaurant as possible!!! I was in town so my son planned to take me to 5 palms for my birthday. which they asked if we were celebrating anything special. so my son yes, it's my mother's birthday. It all started in the parking lot, no place to park, finally found a spot, went inside to be greeted by the hostess and a gentleman, as they we walking us to our table I noticed they were whispering and looking at us, which I thought was odd, sat down waited for our waiter to come , ordered drinks , said he would be back with some bread, took about 5 minutes to get my glass of wine and a coke for my son. A different waitress asked if we wanted bread? I thought we already established that!.. They have a dinner special a 60z filet, lobster tail,salad and dessert for a fixed price of $50..my son ordered the Caesar salad only to come with 3 large romaine lettuce leaves , croutons and drsg .. not good! really.. the waiter never bothered to come and clear away out salad plates as our dinner was being served.. Our waiter gave me my sons steak which was not done at all, the lobster was a big joke, it was a bite of lobster! mashed potatoes a sm scoop.my son who ordered his steak med rare could not even eat it... we sent back only to get it returned not cooked enough...!My son lost his appetite, offered to cook another one, but said my my mother is almost finished. I gave my son half of my steak because they whisked away his plate after we said we did not want it, Yes they did take $30 off the bill. big deal... Never once did our waiter come back to see if we needed another drink or how our dinner was. Seriously it looked like a zoo in there the wait staff was just running all over and not doing anything right. Why did they ask if we ere celebrating anything if made no difference..I feel bad for my son, he's a college student because he paid for dinner for my birthday.. We are both so disappointed ... This should of been my clue because there was a guy playing the violin, walking around, and I said to my son "I FEEL LIKE I AM ON THE TITANIC' with the ornate rm we were in and the strolling violin... you guessed it we sank!!!!
(1)
Scott J.
My wife and I decided to try Five Palms to celebrate our anniversary. We made a reservation and when we arrived, 10 minutes early, the hostess said to us, in an accusatory tone, "you're early and your table isn't ready"... The restaurant was empty but we said sure, no problem, we will go have a drink in the bar. We did.. The bar service was terrible.. We waited quite some time for service. We were finally served our drinks and the hostess kept looking over at us but made no attempt to update us on the availability of our table. After 20 minute I walked over and asked her what the scoop was and, to my astonishment, she asked ME, why we didn't check in with her! We would have gone to Flemings but at that time on a Friday, we doubted we'd get a table. They sat us right the door and when we asked for a different table we got one... After being made to feel as though we were asking for the moon. To be honest... The service was just plain terrible and food was lacking in taste and WAY overpriced. They also brought our appetizer at the same time as our entrees.... We will never go back!
(1)
Jack S.
Had dinner with friends last evening and was disappointed. Service was spotty and while they have several people pouring water, the waiter was overloaded. Our orders were not delivered accurately and delays were common. Food quality was inconsistent and considering the price not acceptable. There competitors have nothing to be concerned about.
(2)
Jack H.
Ok let me start with the positive, It won't take long. Sunset, there it is. We were a party of ten upstairs on the patio. As soon as I walked in I knew it was trouble, so I ordered a beer at the bar before I went to our table. Good thing it took 40 minutes for a member of our party to get his first beer, honestly 40 minutes. When I said to the waiter, your not going to charge him are you?, he just giggled. I asked how long he had been serving there he said a month. He meant he had only been a server for a month. The only server on the patio was a young man with NO experience. There was approximately 40-50 people on the patio that night. The food was completely forgettable, the Caeser dressing tasted like watered down mayo. We were all locals, you will need us in the summer when the snowbirds are gone. Good luck with that. I suggest if you go for the view bring your own food and drink. The Ravenous Roofer
(1)
NJ- A.
You want attitude...go here! Brought out of town family there for drinks on cinco de mayo...we were the only ones in the bar! Major attitude from everyone who worked there...overpriced drinks...never again!
(1)
Philip S.
I've been there four times this summer, for cocktail hour. First, yes the place is beautiful! BUT don't be afraid, you can dress comfortably. the wait staff is changing and learning, but they are knowledgeable and friendly. Downstairs feels posh, upstairs has great views. Foods within both areas are good to very good. The paella is very nice, terrific hamburger, the shrimp burger is awesome, and the fish and chips are some of the best I've had. House wines are nice, beer is cold and my friends like the Margaritas. Try it, I think you will enjoy it.
(5)
Annie T.
The upstairs bar and grill has amazing views and sweet happy hour deals. Not much selection and the food is just ok. Ambiance makes it worthy.
(3)
Cake A.
It's only operating at maybe half capacity. My food choices: escargot and black cod. Food was exceptional!
(5)
Tom B.
Haven't eaten in the fancy downstairs restaurant yet, but the upstairs outdoor roof terrace happy hour is AMAZING. A beer, wine, or cocktail and a plate of food for eight bucks? Who knew that was possible! And it's all really GOOD, with really great service. The shrimp burger is amazing. Huge chunks of delicious fresh shrimp. Perfect fries. Rose, the upstairs manager, couldn't have been more welcoming or professional. Wait staff was attentive and really competent. I'll be back soon.
(5)
Mar B.
My husband and I had our Valentines dinner up in Tucson at Five Palms Restaurant on Skyline Drive. Decor - a bit over the top - some things like the lit stained glass ceilings were pretty cool but cheap and already deteriorating dark wood walls (paneling of some kind) everywhere including the bathrooms - eh - not so impressive. You can even see where someone has gone around with a furniture pen to fix the dings. Three venues - more if you count the outdoor spaces. One - downstairs to the right - pretty cool bar - lounge like atmosphere and live music as well as a decent sized outdoor space - no view as the parking lot is on the other side of the wall. Upstairs - huge oval shaped bar - very cool - smallish outdoor space with views of Tucson and a fairly inexpensive limited menu. Where we ate is the only part of the place that you should have a reservation (other rooms don't take them). Very very very expensive... White tablecloth,, formal service. Also has outdoor space. Food: apps start at around 12-13$$ and I had an assortment of apps. Amazing Pork Belly!!!!!! Braised and then crisped and browned on the outside and served with some baked pear slices. It was fantastic! Not so great Coquilles St. Jacques not even served on a shell - which I would have expected from this place... Rice a bit dry - on the side... Sauce - too thick and custard like and overly garlicky. One large scallop and I will say the Scallop was delicious and perfectly cooked. Foie Gras was to die for and perfectly cooked/seared and served over poached pear with a sweet brown sauce and pureed pear that almost seemed like a foam. Every bite was an oral orgasm. $49 - pricey but worth it. Randy had the smoked salmon which was commonplace and served on a crostini and kept falling off the bread... Not memorable and Prime Rib which was supposed to be medium rare but was almost raw. Good flavor though. All in all - the place tries too hard -- the dinners come with fancy domes over them that the server removes after placing. I think it's not necessary and wastes valuable server time... and at least the night we went - service was slow - no fault of our waitress Dawn who was fantastic. We retired upstairs for views outdoors and had non-memorable deserts. I will return for foie gras, pork belly and perhaps the caviar and some other apps I did not get to try as well as some meat which they clearly carefully source. Very pricey but worth trying for special occasions
(4)
Cheryl H.
After reading some negative reviews, we were hesitant to try Five Palms, but we are glad we did. We were greeted by a very friendly host who explained all the different areas - formal dining room, elegant downstairs bar, more casual upstairs bar, and wine ship - and we headed to the upstairs bar. Yvette took very good care of us and despite a slight misstep in the serving of the food, we had a great experience. Food and wine were very good. Then we went downstairs to the wine shop, which has a good selection of wines at all price points, and no corkage if you buy something to drink in the bar. We bought a delicious Pauillac and enjoyed a glass at the beautiful downstairs bar, then took the rest home. Service all night was attentive and professional. We will be back!
(4)
Michael R.
Over-priced, underwhelmed. The filet was cold when it arrived, appetizers were just okay, the green beans and mashed potatoes were the best part of the meal. We were a group of 40 people, which may explain the lukewarm food.
(2)
Helen C.
We really liked this restaurant. There was a lot of misconceptions when it first opened i.e. overpriced, pretentious, etc.,but we found it to be just the opposite. The staff was wonderfully charming and helpful. Food was top of the line. A wonderful menu. We will put this as a restaurant to return to.
(4)
Mike H.
My first time at 5 Palms, we had reservations in dinning room and the1st thing you say is wow! The decor might not fit Tucson casual but what a nice refreshing change to have a sincere fine dinning restaurant. We had heard all of the mixed reviews about the food and service, but there was not one thing we (four) could suggest to make our evening better. Frank our waiter was a professional waiter not some temporary job, decanted their house wine, which was very reasonably priced and excellent. Made helpful suggestions on food selection, all was perfect..... I do not rate at a 5 star level, but since the Tack Room, Charles went down we have not had another fine restaurant to enjoy a meal in such elegant atmosphere, so leave your flip flops at home if you want to feel a bit pampered for a nice change.
(5)
Debbie A.
A group of 7 of us went to Ninos bar for happy hour and stayed to watch the fire works. WOW the views are amazing! The food, drinks and services were great! Very nice place anxious to try it again!!
(4)
Tran F.
great place for date nights....delicious food and drinks! :)) love their live romantic music.
(5)
Pierna M.
When you want it done right and you want attention to detail, This is the place. This is a five star experience. If you want to impress someone or want to eat perfectly balanced food, go there. It is pricey but we'll worth it.
(5)
James T.
Had the grouper with fiorintina sauce, delicious. Tasted my sister's ribeye. Outstanding. Opened with the wedge salad, tasted wife's 5 palms salad. Prices are a little high, and the place might be somewhat ostentatious for the Tucson market, especially for its size. It's huge! But it seems to be packed every time I drive by. Will have to try the sports bar upstairs. Went with a group of 8 with our monthly dinner. Everyone gave varying degrees of thumbs up.
(3)
Sofia V.
this place is about as bad as it gets. tacky and kitsch with terrible food and service to boot.
(1)
Steven L.
After being a loyal client to Five Palms have to say they MUST improve the dress code in the bar area! Plebeians are infesting the upscale feel. People with t shirts and flip flops is not an idea of a five star restaurant should be. The servers took a long time to bring my wine and the food was tasteless. I felt that my experience was not worth the money I spent.
(1)
Marcheta G.
Beautiful place! But not worth the $ on the food. Beef is not good quality, other food so-so. Need a place for drinks and a view, recommend it. Dinner? Save your money or go to Flemings.
(2)
JB O.
The first time I went to the five palms it was a wonderful experience. The food was wonderful, the service is wonderful and I really enjoyed myself. I was so excited about it that I told everyone to go. We went back the second time in my experience was very different. Sitting at the table next to us was two ladies and they did not seem to be happy with their food or service. One of the chefsncame out of the kitchen to talk to them and they were speaking in Spanish arguing back-and-forth with each other. This occurred three times. It was distracting and unprofessional. We asked our server what was going on and was told that it was the owner's wife and the chef was her daughter. They continued to argue and were pretty loud. I have never seen anything like this anywhere. Such high hopes for this place because of my first experience. I thought when they first opened it would be a wonderful place to go. But as time goes by I have heard nothing but negative comments on the quality of the service. They have a wonderful jazz band that I went to hear but I could hear them had another venue.
(2)
Paul B.
Happy hour order for 2 Hamburgers. One delivered promptly and the second barely cooked arrived 10 minutes later. Establishment removed the second burger from our bill. Staff needs more training in submitting orders properly..Final bill submitted without customer receipt. Food was marginal and variety on Happy hour menu is lacking.
(2)
Jim E.
Our initial impression was wow! The wine shop was great. The service and recommendations there were amazing. From there everything went down hill. While it appears there are plenty of wait staff and they are attending to your every need, they haven't figured out how to work as a team. We were less than impressed by the food and the value for the money was not great. I hope they figure things out soon otherwise I am not optimistic about their future.
(2)
Eliza E.
I went on Friday night for dinner to celebrate some co-worker's birthdays. I'm not in any hurry to go back. Definitely all about the pomp and circumstance. The food wasn't exceptionally great, especially when considering the price. I was expecting spectacular and was disappointed. The service was very formal and reminded me of fine dining back in CT/NYC. (Apparently I park like a New Yorker too...I couldn't find any parking and was running late so I double parked. My native Tucson friends suggested I move my car across the street to the bank and I'm glad I did.) The violinist they had playing was very nice...not too loud so I could actually hear the conversation at my table. I didn't spend anytime in either bar but I can see how they would attract a crowd...the view from the upstairs bar was beautiful. I like to leave a restaurant dying to go back or tell all my friends about how great it was...sorry to say I will not be doing that with this place.
(3)
Niccolle C.
What a great addition to the foothills! Five Palms is a cant miss visual experience! We've had the opportunity to enjoy Five Palms both in fine dining and the downstairs bar for happy hour, both experiences have been wonderful! They have set a precedent in always asking how things are, as well as eliciting an HONEST critique of our total experience. I feel that they are striving to be the very best, and if a customer doesn't get the very best they will do everything in there power to make it so. Five Palms will be one of our mainstays!
(5)
Native A.
A $40 steak can be better spent just about anywhere in Tucson. The staff was clearly untrained in the ART of fine dining, the food is vastly over priced for the quality, the bar was very subpar and took forever to get my drink, etc, etc, etc. It was a chaotic environment and made eating there more stressful than it was enjoyable. Sure, the food was decent tasting, but its nothing I couldnt get at Outback Steakhouse for $12. When you pay that much for a steak and drinks, there is a certain environmental expectation that goes with it and Five Palms ABSOLUTELY did not have it. AVOID.
(1)
Michelle P.
Think we are stretching to give this one star. We went last Wednesday at 5:30 and tried to sit upstairs at Nino's Bar. All of the tables (maybe 10 total) were filled, outside was open but it was cold and windy and there was no heat, so went to the lower ( first floor)Five Palms bar, only tables besides two tops were for 12 or more, but took one for our table of 5, so it was awkward. They brought bar menus but did not come back for at least 35 minutes, finally received drinks. Bar menu is weird, only oysters and sushi and two soups, so very odd. Service was terrible. Never going back, waste of time and money!
As previous reviewers have stated, the views are awesome, as is the ambiance. This evening we found the wait staff to be very friendly, helpful and quite accomodating. We were served fresh-from-the-oven bread with butter to munch on while we decided what to order for dinner. My husband had the wedge salad with the bleu cheese and I ordered the Five Palms salad. The Wedge Salad was very attractively presented and tasted every bit as good. The lettuce was fresh and crisp and the bleu cheese was soft and pungent. The Five Palms salad was delicious with its mediterranean/middle eastern influence in the fresh mint, pita bits, cucumbers and fresh tomatoes dressed with a lime viniagrette that was fresh and tasty. We each ordered the Prime Rib, which was delivered as ordered, though could have been a little bit warmer. The accompaniments were tasty, though a tad boring - potatoes augratin and baked creamed spinach. Still, they were delicious. We're looking forward to a return trip and will try the fish and a steak next time. Bon Appetit!
(4)
Jose Maria S.
We had a delightful night at Five Palms Restaurant, food was excellent, the restaurant is beautiful and elegant, very good taste, we had dinner at L'ATELIER de Joel Robuchon in Tokyo last week and we are very excited to have FIVE PALMS RESTAURANT in Tucson Top of the line restaurants. Congratulations!!!
(5)
arlene c.
Desperately needed to iron out the bumpy road before opening. The apologetic staff is seriously untrained, the kitchen is slow and inconsistent, the managers turn a deaf ear, and the owner stands at the door greeting arriving guests but is nowhere to be seen on the floor or back of the house helping out with every crisis happening around him. Maybe in a year, if they survive that long, it will turn out to be nice. It is too pricey to not deliver good food or service. It does however, have a lovely view from the bar deck. That's comforting since you'll be there a while waiting for service.
(1)
Jane B.
After a long anticipated opening we made our reservation for 6:00 on a Tuesday night. They were doing a brisk business, but we did not anticipate a 2 1/2 hour dinner! The restaurant decor is done to the max with many little extras - reading glasses, purse hangers. The wait staff is obviously in training, from the tableside ham shaving to the clearing of plates, to the bringing of the checks things were slow. One of our party ordered the grouper and after waiting for over 30 minutes after the first course was finished, he was told there was no grouper. We then waited another 30 minutes for the 4 entrees to come to the table and voila! they had found the grouper. The pan fried halibut was unusual - thin and crusted (over cooked?). The accompanying Florentine "sauce" was the best part of the entree. Hopefully, over time, if they can maintain the clientele, the food and service will improve.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : No Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Valet Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : No Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Dressy Ambience : Upscale Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Tina B.
I had the pizza which was delicious. They had my favorite kind of wine, garnacha. I loved the view also.
(5)John L.
Hey Hey! Me and a buddy wanted a nice steak and bourbon after a round of golf. We decided on Five Palms based on reviews and it's proximity to the Weston La Paloma. It had an awesome atmosphere and a very well stocked bar and wine selection. We enjoyed a Manhattan, an Old Fashioned and a couple cold beers. For dinner I had the Prime Ribeye and Wedge Salad. The entree included mash potatoes and and a vegetable. The steak was good, but I ordered it Pittsburgh Rare and it lacked any real char. The restaurant was a little understaffed, so the service did suffer a bit. They were also out of Oysters, so that was also a little disappointing. Overall a good experience, I would go back for sure.
(3)Christina M.
This is for the upstairs. The view is beautiful and they have great happy hour specials but the 3 times I have been here the food has been so/so and service has been terrible. From disappearing waiters to spilled drinks to messed up orders, you would think this was a training facility, instead of the high class establishment it markets itself as.
(3)Carlos S.
I want places like this one to succeed because Tucson needs restaurants across the spectrum. However, I don't expect this place to make it to 2014. The service is slow- 40 minutes for bar appetizers- and the quality of the food in the main dining room doesn't merit the high prices.
(2)Alana J.
I really, really enjoyed this place. Way more than I thought I would after walking in. Granted, we only had drinks and dessert here, but it was such a fun time! We came in to celebrate my dad's birthday, courtesy of my Godfather. We were to go upstairs in time to be able to peruse the martini menu, order drinks, and have a toast at sunset. My dad and I walked in while my mom and husband tried to find somewhere to park, and we noticed first off an out-of-date looking couple sitting in the bar. They had on extravagant, 80's style outfits, and while they looked out of place here, they looked like they went together really well. We sat down, and when the rest of our party arrived we ordered our drinks. We got the Mayan Ruin, the "something or other" Sunset, the "something or other" Sunrise and the Run Of The Roses. All of our drinks were amazing! I got the Mayan Ruin, which was delicious. It was a chocolate martini, which I had never had, with cayenne pepper thrown in. SO yummy, but really, really rich. I wasn't sure I would be able to finish it. After we ordered drinks, we found out the people that looked so out of place when we walked in were part of the live music for the night, part of the 80's And Gentlemen band! They were really loud, and I wasn't sure how my parents would react, but they were singing and dancing and having an awesome time! I guess if the music and drinks and service and atmosphere are great enough, they can change the mind of someone who was sure her parents weren't going to like the live music. We also got this weird dessert pizza. It was ok. My mom and husband really liked it, but my dad and I, while we thought it was good, thought that it wasn't the best thing ever. This really is just a matter of taste. It had pears, feta cheese and caramel sauce. It just didn't sit right with my taste buds, but half of our party thought it rocked. Nothing against the pizza itself, it just wasn't for me. The view was gorgeous. It's an absolutely amazing spot to watch our famous Tucson sunsets! I'm looking forward to my next visit. Maybe I'll even try the food! It sure looked yummy coming out!
(4)Isabella J.
The rumors are true: The Five Palms is certainly a striking place with it's royal blue carpet, stained glass windows, checkers floors, wooden panels and chandeliers. The place is indulgent in every possible way; from the decor to the menu. Not a single trace of Cafe Terra Cotta remains in this building that houses a formal dining room, bar and specialty wine/gift shop downstairs, a conference room, private dining room and Nino's Bar are located upstairs, as is the huge deck that was added on to the building, offering incredible views to the mountains and the city. While I have not enjoyed a meal in the formal dining room, I have taken a tour with the owner, who's intention is to provide a formal & elegant fine dining experience. Tables are set with china, cloth napkins and silverware all selected by Nino, the owner. For those that prefer to dine in a more casual setting you can still enjoy the full menu at the bar downstairs as well as a separate bar menu. Upstairs at Nino's bar, an entirely different menu is offered and you do not have the option to order off the other menus. It makes sense, considering how giant the place is, and it seems as though servers are having to run up and down stairs to run food. We enjoyed a light meal at Nino's bar. The atmosphere upstairs is wildly different from the Filve Palms dining room. The bar is enormous, equipped with 3 or 4 large flat screen TVs, 80s music and waiters in vests. It makes for an interesting experience to say the least. I loved what I ordered. I had the Ceviche with a glass of white wine that was perfectly chilled. My boyfriend ordered the rib-eye sandwich and enjoyed it. We also shared a Caesar Salad that while tasty, we found was a little heavy handed on the dressing and the greens were wilted by the time the salad reached our table. Not a deal breaker, I'll just ask for the chicken to be served on the side next time, since the chicken is served hot. The ceviche was outstanding and very well balanced, perhaps some of the best I;ve had in Tucson. While the portion wasn't huge, it was satisfying. There was plenty of shrimp and fish mixed in with tomato, jalapeno, celery and a little bit of avocado. My only suggestion, is to serve four tostadas with the Ceviche instead of two. My guess is that most people order extra tostadas and to be charged $1.00 extra for two more small tostadas is a little silly in my opinion. All in all we enjoyed our meal. The service was super friendly and we had a server in training who did an excellent job dealing with all my questions. I look forward to trying out the menu downstairs very soon and hope to have a fabulous experience. Additionally, I did mention their retail area. The store is called DoVinos and it's really cool You can purchase wine there at prices much like what you would find at Total Wine and take your bottle with you to your dinner table. They carry a nice selection and even have wines available to taste from their wine keg system. They also have fine imported chocolates, cheeses, gifts and even Jamon Serrano or Parma Prosciutto for sale. Stop by and take look! You can also opt in for a Club membership to store your wines in a locker.
(4)Dr Tim L L.
Well the setting is wonderful. There is a street light so you easily pull in their private parking lot. I found lots of space to park on a Thursday. The outside catches your attention. You can see the exposed patio that looks like it was teleported from a Mexico beach. The entrance is quite grand and spectacular. Hey, I am a kind of mom and pop place kind of guy but I do respect amazing opulence and beauty. The massive stained glass as you enter freezes you in your mad tracks to get upstairs. It is very posh inside like a high end club. I was treated very nicely throughout my visit there. There is a small army of wait staff - and they pump hard. Good looking folks and quite cheery. I love the upper bar area and the patio because of the view. I tried just some bits of food so far. I was there to hear music on Thursday night - Tesoro plays. It tasted very good. I did study the menu and found it to be very different and an adventure that will call me back.
(4)Kathy A.
Skip this place and go to one of the other choices in town like The Keg, Acacia, Flemings, Vivace, The Abbey, The Hub, Janos Downtown Kitchen, you get the idea....even Taco Bell would be better at least you will get what you payed for. We had New York Steak ( it comes served with green beans and potato purée) and Halibut steamed in parchment on rice and started out the meal with the tomato soup and a wedge salad. The soup really was watered down pizza sauce - tomato-y but not great soup and the 'wedge' was really four small pieces of iceberg lettuce (they don't appear to understand the concept of wedge) with lots of bacon and blue cheese - would have been okay but the lettuce was brown both from age and from being cut definitely not worth $10 save your money. The food was okay - not worth the price as the serving sizes were small and the prices large when compared to other restaurants. The steak was cooked perfectly for doneness but was slathered with butter prior to serving obscuring the taste of the meat. (If you want a baked potato be prepared to shell out $6 as it is not an option with your meal.). The parchment cooked halibut was so loaded with lemon it tasted like dish soap. (The rice had peas and carrots mixed in - okay but not special with and no added vegetable - some asparagus or beans or spinach would have been nice.). The kitchen should learn more is not always better.... All in all, add one $12 glass of wine and you are $125 in the hole and really not satisfied. That said, the waiter did what he could with what he had, the violinist was a nice touch, and they work hard to make it look like a nice restaurant. The service was good. One tip for the owner - clean up the patio where everything is stored and covered with tarps? Tablecloths? it is a mess and when you are not the one looking at the mountains you get to look at the umbrella with no canvas, and the other crap stacked along the wall on what could be a beautiful patio with nice landscaping. It probably wouldn't hurt hot o realign the tables so both diners have that nice mountain view.
(2)Sam G.
Our party of 5 came for Happy hour at the downstairs piano bar. What a treat. Not only was the food/drink "happy hour" deal really outstanding, but the place is very classy. What made things really special was the entertainment, especially a saxophonist who was just amazing. We stayed beyond the happy hour for another drink because we really loved the entire experience.
(5)Andrew B.
Dined in twice and been to happy hour 3 times. Love the food, the drinks are stiff and service quick and professional. Ambience is something this town has long needed
(5)Kristine M.
We try to always do a special upscale dinner for Christmas Eve and this was the hands down choice this year. It was a prefixed menu per usual for a special occasion. We all started off with the zucchini soup which was quite possible the best thing I've ever put in my mouth. I had the prime rib, enough for 2 or 3! Very good. The only thing so so was the desserts. I had only been here once before as Cafe Terra Cotta so I was excited to see all the changes. It's much darker as a steakhouse is expected to be. There is a to die for stain glass ceiling in the main dining room and beautiful art pieces leading up the staircase. If you're looking for a special occasion place to dine in tucson this is a must. The topper was the enchanting violinist who played thru out the night.
(4)De S.
The Five Palms is one of the most beautiful restaurants in Tucson. The stained glass ceilings, dark woods, copper bar, etc are gorgeous. Even the restroom is beautiful! Our dining experience was elegant. We were serenaded by a wonderful violinist, and our waiter was very attentive. I had the petite filet, which was served with mashed potatoes and green beans, and it was cooked to perfection. After dinner, we went into the bar and listened to Susan Artemis, who is very talented, play the piano and sing Christmas carols and standards. I can't say enough nice things about The Five Palms. It is nice to see more upscale restaurant with great food in town.
(5)Fred H.
Sad attempt at an upscale restaurant. But it was a big miss. The food left a need for a chef equal to the charges that would lead one to believe it would be worth it, but sadly not. The owner sat at the bar the whole time but never greeted anyone, if it wouldn't have been for the violinist I would have walked out
(1)Dave G.
Really should be rating this a zero as we were never given the opportunity to eat or drink due to service issues. It started when getting out of the car, there is a sign pointing to the right for the wine shop and the stairs going up to the Bar and Grill (where we wanted to go). This led to a closed door so we had to walk all the way back around the restaurant and the ask the maitre d of the main restaurant who pointed to interior stairs providing an alternative. Confusing. Walking into the bar upstairs, there really is no formal greeting station. We stood confused for a little while and then bus boy told us we could sit wherever we want. So we went out to the patio and found a table with a nice view in the corner. We then sat for 15 minutes watching the city lights waiting for someone to bring us water or even acknowledge our presence. The bar was NOT full or busy - one table of four outside, a couple of others inside plus 8-10 people around the bar. So we stood up and left. The waiter stopped us midway and was extremely apologetic, but 15 minutes is my limit. The maitre d was also apologetic as we walked out and said she would talk to the management about it. Bottom line is that it doesn't matter how good the food or view (which is very nice) if you can't get served. There are too many other places to go in La Encantada to have to suffer that much of a wait. (Happy ending was getting a nice window-side table at Acacia after we left Five Palms...)
(1)Bill H.
I didn't want to go back due to the madness of this place but I did with a friend of mine and I went upstairs for the first time. Sat at the bar and service was much better. Food however has lost its flair. Drinks were very good too.
(3)Kamryn C.
What a poor experience, and I didn't even try anything. Came here the other day for happy hour, which is advertised on the website as going until 7. When we were arrived, we were told that it recently changed and is now only until 6. This didn't work for our group as several people had not arrived yet. We pointed out that the website didn't state that, and that if that was the case, we would likely not be staying. The manager offered to extend happy hour until 6:05- how unhelpful is that! We decided to take our group elsewhere. I don't understand a restaurant that would rather lose a group of 8 than give specials currently advertised on their website. I will not be coming here again.
(1)Elizabeth M.
My husband and I were denied access in a very casual way- they locked the doors when we walked up then unlocked them when we walked away. It was during business hours. Mind you we pulled up in an Audi and were wearing jeans but we're otherwise dressed up for a night out. Very offensive. Not sure if there's a demographic being catered to- but whatever it is we didn't fit it.
(1)Kathy N.
A happy hour meeting with my ladies tonight and Five Palms impressed! The restaurant is gorgeous and elegant and the servers are very personable. There seems to be quite an after work crowd here and several of us got a little lost while trying to find our party. Made our way upstairs to the outdoor patio and then tried to get inside from up there but the regular door wouldn't open. A server saw us and opened one of the glass wall panel doors for us. She asked about our group and immediately knew where to send us ~ downstairs to the bar area. While making our way through the upstairs I caught a glimpse of one of the upstairs private dining rooms and it was stunning.The room was being set for a party and everything looked exquisite. Once we found our party and my entire group was finally together it took a while to place our orders. But our server Jarrod was apologetic and funny at the same time. The happy hour specials are fantastic! From that particular menu, any beverage AND any appetizer was only $8 for the two. That's a surprising deal. I had the tamarind frozen margarita and the shrimp and white fish ceviche and there is no way I could have gotten this deal anywhere else in Tucson. The margarita was delicious and fun while the ceviche was perfectly spiced. The portion was perfect, I just wish they had given me more than 2 tostadas for my dish. Kinda forced me to stick that big serving spoon in my mouth to finish off all the ceviche that wouldn't fit on my two little tostadas. I really enjoyed my happy hour "meal" as did all the members of my party. Current happy hour offerings include beverages choices of tamarind frozen margaritas, house red, house chardonnay, white sangria, Bud Light, Miller Light, Full Sail Session and vino verde. Appetizer selections include paella, a pasta dish, tomato soup, chicken Caesar salad, sliders, fried fish, a french dip panini and the ceviche. Choose any of the listed beverages and any of the listed appetizers and your bill will be just $8.49. That my friends, is quite the happy hour deal. I'd love to try their dinner entrees or "fine dining" but it seems a bit out of my price range. But totally within my range for happy hour!!
(4)Robert T.
We had dinner in fine dining the other night. As usual, beyond expectations!!! Niño and staff are wonderful. Food is exceptional, service perfect. What makes the experience at Five Palms so wonderful is consultancy. Bravo!
(5)Roger T.
The amazing chipotle sauce w/ shrimp tempura! Rich, quality, tasty! Can't go wrong! Give it a try! First let's start off by saying this is a place to experience fine dining, fine meals, and an amazing view! I have been here several times now and each experience was just marvelous. My company even brought our CEO's and VP's here to dine in the luxury area of the restaurant. Like I keep saying to myself, it really reminds me as if I'm dining on the titanic. The waitresses stand by and wait for anything that you may need along with refills and taking your plates away super prompt. Now that's luxury dining! They also have a mini wine cellar and cigar cellar you can simply walk to and choose to enjoy with or after your meal! The best part is that if you buy a certain amount of wine you are given your own personal locker to store the wine so every visit you make, you have your own little wine locker. Now that rocks! Alright onto the food, I've had their shrimp burger which is just mouth blowing! The flavor is just so good, especially since burgers are good already, let's make it a shrimp burger boosting it up even more. The sauce it is served with is a chipotle like sauce, which is perfect with the burger. This is a must order. I also ordered a lamb chop on a difference visit and that was also pretty delicious. I ordered it cooked "Blue" which in Australia means to sear the meat for 5 secs on one side and 5 secs on the other. BAM done! The cook was perfect and the meat was just tender with quality flavor. Definitely good to enjoy with one of the wines served there. Overall this is one of my favorite place to dine. Especially when I want to dress up and just feel like I'm on the Titanic! :)
(5)Susan A.
I have eaten at all of the fine dining restaurants in Tucson. My total favorite is Five Palms. Comfortable elegance, fantastic food, outstanding service.
(5)Monica W.
TERRIBLE MANAGEMENT. Made a reservation for six on 3/5/14 over three weeks in advance of our dinner date. I called day of to confirm our reservation and guess what?!? I didn't have a reservation because the entire restaurant was rented out for a private party. When I make a reservation over the phone, I always repeat the day of the week, the day of the month, and the time back to the hostess since we all know that they aren't often the brightest crayons in the box. I asked her to search for my name and came up with a reservation for the following day. Then the manager I spoke to said, "Oh yeah, she's not supposed to be taking reservations" in reference to the hostess who took mind down three weeks previous. Unfortunately, that doesn't resolve my situation. So here we are with no reservation on a Friday night for three couples. Two of the couples had to get childcare in advance for this date night which is now in limbo. Thanks Five Palms - We won't be making another attempt to dine with you.
(1)Patrice N.
(2)Greg B.
We were really looking forward to enjoying a lovely patio bar with drinks and some good food this evening. Your website seemed to indicate that you were open all day... "Summer Specials Available All Day." I admit we missed the actual opening time of 4 pm. So when we arrived, about 10 to 4, we were told you were not open but the bartender upstairs had arrived a little early and we could go up there. We asked about the "Summer of 3 M's" Margarita, Mojito, or Martini for $5.00 and everyone had no idea. My wife had to look it up on your website on her phone and show it to the female we thought was taking our order. Nope, someone else took the order for two mojitos and served us the worst cocktail I have ever tasted... Asked for glasses of water multiple times and never received any. The "club soda" was apparently bad but the young man explained it as he makes the mojitos very strong and we were not used to them. They were not refreshing, had no lime, no sugar (or sweetener), and were flat and warm. So, the flat club soda was just the beginning of the problem. Asked for glasses of water multiple times and never received any. The margarita replacement was no better. It was a poorly made drink by an amateur bartender. Drink was warm, no garnish, forgot to salt rim (but actually got that fixed before serving it). Asked for glasses of water multiple times and never received any. Wife wanted a Vodka tonic replacement and asked for bottled tonic due to the previous flat club soda issue. Bartender brought out a bottle of Pellegrino and another bottle of sparkling water and asked if they would be ok for the Vodka tonic... We explained to him that they were not tonic. My wife asked for a taste of the tonic from the machine and accepted it as "good enough." Asked for glasses of water multiple times and never received any. Went to "The Abbey" and told everyone within earshot of my wonderful date night with my Wife. .. Overall. A miss from the greeter, to the first person at the bar, to the bartender, to the kid that brought our food, to the gentleman sitting at the bar who seemed to be in charge, saw everything wrong that happened and did nothing. Really wanted to try some of the food but just left. Any feedback??? Good luck.
(1)Sylvia M.
I have been here twice. Once at happy hour and the second time was at around 8pm. The first time was terrible. The drinks took a decade and we made the mistake of ordering food. My friend had the tacos off the bar menu and I had the bar burger. He got the tacos about an hour before i got my burger. They then reheated his tacos for him. The burger was awful! It tasted like cheap meatloaf on a burger bun. I asked for no tomatoes or onion but it took another 20 minutes to get the lettuce for my gross burger. The worst part was the millions of flies!!! The manager told us they were going to use some mystery device to get rid of it but it wouldn't get there for another week. Other guests at tables were using their menus to kill the flies. I'm sure those menus were put back into circulation. So disgusting. This place is super over the top and beautiful.... But overrated. Skip it.
(2)Kristy N.
We met some friends here on a Tuesday early evening. The place was pretty full for a Tuesday! We sat upstairs on the patio and WOW what a view! The view is 5 star for sure! This is by far the most beautiful restaurant in Tucson - the décor is unbelievable! You can tell that no expense was spared when the owner rehabbed this building! I only hope that he can fix the problems with the servers and make the food more enjoyable and less weird otherwise he is not going to make it. The service was not very good but Rose (floor manager) made up for it. They definitely have some kinks to work out with the service. It seemed like a lot of people buzzing around but no definite role for any one of them except the water boy as he kept our waters full! The food....not really sure where to start. First of all, it is so eclectic that nothing really goes together. Granted we were in the upstairs bar which I understand is completely different from the other areas; however, I would suggest that no matter where you sit - you should be able to get food from any menu offered - that is my tip for the owner. Back to the food - we had several appetizers and the food was just okay, not great. We had the guacamole, shrimp/scallop ceviche, beef tacos, hummus plate, and some very strange sombrero "pizza" that was so odd it should be taken off the menu immediately. You cannot share the "sombrero" and you have to hold the tip of the hat in your hand while you eat it - it was not very good as it was doughy. Stay away from the sombrero! We will definitely go back and try it again and I will update my review when I do. If anything, this place is great to go for drinks and enjoy the magnificent view of the mountains and golf course.
(2)Jim H.
These comments relate to the 2nd floor patio. In the past, service and food have been pretty good. On a recent Friday night, the service was horrible. They have a new manager and staff and nobody knew what they were doing. It took 15 minutes before anybody showed up to take a drink order and they left before getting all the orders. Fifteen minutes later, no drinks, but they show up to take dinner orders. Within 1 minute, they delivered 3 meals obviously intended for another table. They insisted, incorrectly, that they were ours. It wasn't even what we ordered. This goes on and on. One person didn't get their meal until everybody else had finished more than an hour later. Then, the manager showed up to explain that everybody was new and he's sorry. Where was he for the last hour and a half? I think this place is in serious trouble and probably won't be around much longer. Too bad because it used to be pretty good.
(1)Anna T.
Amazing food and atmosphere. Gorgeous, elegant, and romantic restaurant. Beautiful view from upstairs bar, especially at sunset. Downstairs piano bar and outside patio are so relaxing. The Smoked Salmon Bisque is to die for. Perfect flavors with a subtle fleeting spice. The melt in your mouth Chilean Seabass is the best I have ever had, even from a five star Santa Monica restaurant, which was actually not good. I have finally found a restaurant in Tucson that has high quality delicious seafood. Being a pescatarian, this means even more. A palate and mood satisfying experience.
(5)Dawn K.
I was able to enjoy a outdoor patio lunch with a good friend last Monday; my friend made reservations for us a week in advance. The building is a visual feast, with multiple options to dine in one facility. There is a lot of bold colors and with the weather in the 80's I couldn't imagine a better outdoor dining experience location; we chose to sit on their patio. The full lunch menu was not fully ready and we had a temporary lunch menu to order from which included fresh fish, burger, sandwiches, muscles, and salads. I believe it will be changed by mid May. I ordered the Ahi tuna salad and my friend ordered the steak and egg sandwich. I had really wanted to start with appetizers but they were a little more than I was wanting to spend, since my friend was not interested in a starter. While waiting for our food, a hot loaf of break was brought to the table; on onion loaf. It was a minute out of the oven or so and extremely hot. So I loved how it tasted, but my poor friend burt her fingers slicing it open for us. My salad came it was the best Ahi salad I've enjoyed in Arizona. The salad was topped with a tuna steak, cooked to order( I prefer seared), atop a cucumber, tomato and romaine lettuce chopped mixture with a mint herb vinaigrette pre mixed into the salad and not on the tuna steak. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this salad. My friend ordered the steak (medium rare) and egg sandwich; her steak was cooked well (brown throughout). She reported the steak was tender and tasted good; she didn't have it sent back. The staff were attentive and constantly filling my ice tea and cleaning away spenda packets and so on; so I felt we were looked after. The floor manager came by to ensure we were enjoying the meal. I would recommend this place for based on my wonderful salad; overall my lunch was $25 after tip. I am going to confess that the fancy decor was too much for me, but for a business lunch I think it would be a perfect choice.
(3)Juan B.
This place looks the part, great upstairs open bar, great dinning area, cool setting, wine & cigar area, room. Ate there twice, haven't been impressed by the food, all that said, I here mixed reviews, so... I decided to give it another try, this time I wanted to experience the cigar concept, maybe some appetizers upstairs. I park out in front, couldn't find the entrance immediately , but I did, then... here it comes... Came through the front, looked like the owner was busy playing around at the cash register, totally ignored the fact that there was a customer, me, looking confused. I then looked towards what looked like a hostess, but she also ignored me, the customer. I found my way to the back, where the stairs/elevator was, finally I asked for help.... The hostess, waitress, not sure, pointed to the elevator after some coaxing, so I went up anxious to sit and enjoy a cigar. I walked into the upstairs bar, that leads to the outside covered patio/bar. I asked where it would be best to sit and enjoy my cigar, the waitress then proceeded to tell me it was to wet out by the deck/patio, so she told me to go back down by the wine/cigar room and look for a place. Well you know where this is going... I went back down, saw a bartender across the so-called wine/cigar area/room, ignored, so I went in, know one there to attend the customers, all the while the owner still playing with a list, register, whatever...., I walked out the same door, and guess what!!, know one cared or asked any questions, that is what I call a recipe for failure... Never will I ever go back.... terrible....
(3)Shae S.
Yikes! They certainly do make party planning complicated. COOL: - I called during the holidays to plan a retirement farewell dinner with only two weeks notice. They made room for us, even though they already had several events booked for the same night. Super cool. - As our guests arrived, the staff at the front door was expecting us and they provided directions to our private room. Cool. - We were in the Louis XVI Room. Wow! The ambiance is incredible! The stained glass ceiling is mesmerizing. Cool. - We had two dedicated waiters that took care of everything so that our guests could enjoy themselves - from pouring drinks and serving food to adjusting the thermostat, they provided a full-service experience. Cool. - The holiday decorations were just beautiful! Such a festive environment. It really got me into the spirit of the season. Cool. - We stayed an hour longer than we anticipated and there was no rush for us to leave. Cool. NOT SO COOL: - Until the day of the party, I wasn't 100% sure we were booked. Their communication was horrible. I worked with four different people in the span of two weeks. One person took a sudden leave of absence, and I don't know what happened to the rest. I only found out because my emails went unanswered and I had to call the restaurant to make sure they hadn't forgotten about us. Not cool. - We weren't told about or asked to sign a contract until hours before our party. Not cool. - We had an agreed upon price per person, which went up $5 per person just to add a salad before the meal. That's a little much. Not cool. - When our waiter presented the meal options, he told us that the catch of the day was tilapia, when the food was served, it turned out to be salmon. I was fine with that, but several guests just picked at their food. When questioned our server said "is there a problem with that?" He really should have let us know about the change before presenting our dinners so that our guests could have had an option to order another entree. That was so not cool. All in all it was an OK experience. Our guests had no idea what I went through to plan the party, so the only snafu they observed was the debacle with the fish. I would plan to have another event here, now that I know what to expect.
(3)Kurt P.
Group of 10 had an early dinner at five palms, it was the worst dining experience I've had in Tucson in a long time. None of us had anything positive to say about the food or the service!
(1)Christine W.
After reading negative reviews it is obvious some people confuse service with entree preparation. Tucson has always been a difficult town for fine dining establishments. And yes, Tucson is a town mentality culture. Being a well traveled native I find the entree's at Five Palms refreshing with expertise in preparation, pairing, and service. Reviews regarding mixed drinks being too spicy, strong, etc....that is a matter of taste and the drinks are made FROM A MIX. Get it? Excellent wine menu here. In short, it is the patron's resonsibility to know what they are ordering. I am a frequent patron and support excellence in fine cuisine, and save up for it. I highly reccomend Five Palms for those who appreciate beautiful atmosphere, cuisine and an understanding not based on price.
(5)Jenny H.
LESS THAN IMPRESSED. We made reservations for Valentine's Day for dinner on OpenTable and received a call the following day saying the had a set menu and the dinner was $75 per person. We then ordered a very nice red wine since we both chose the beef entre. The appetizer was Russian caviar served on a tiny crepe-like disc with a small dallop of crème fraiche (great concept, however the disc was cold?) Room temp would have been ideal. My husband got the lobster bisque which he enjoyed and I had the featured salad - nothing exciting about my choice. Then the entrees arrived - wow what a disappointment. The beef (5 thin slices) was cooked as I ordered, covered in a mushroom gravy with three thinly sliced mushroom shavings, the potato side was completely inedible - thinly slice potatoes with a "window screen" texture, flavored with parmesan cheese (so the server told me) and the veggie side was nothing more than 2 tablespoons of shredded carrot and shredded zucchini. The dessert was good. This was the most disappointing meal I have had in awhile - especially, especially for the price. Absolutely no plans to return.......ever.
(1)Stephanie Q.
Went here for a date a couple weeks ago. The ambience was romantic, the violinist was awesome, and the service was great. The food was average on my part. I had the fish dish and my date had the lamb. I would give the food a second chance, but most likely won't.
(3)Daniel B.
I judge all steakhouses against SW in Las Vegas and Sullivan's does a lot of things well. The Filet Mignon was perfectly cooked and was outstanding. Service was excellent too. The crab cake appetizer and salads were top-notch. The bar area was hoppin' despite REALLY expansive prices. Which leads me to my only real complaint. Even for top quality food and drink, their prices are insane, especially for Tucson. So unless you can afford it, it's a place for special occasions only. For food quality and service, though, it's among the best in Tucson. I withhold one star only because of the prices.
(4)JC A.
Last week, I suggested this place to my friends, as I have always had great experience... i was disappointed at the service. We went upstairs for dinner, thinking it would be more relaxed. The AC wasnt working. .. they moved a fan to blow on our table before we decided to move out. Flies and insects flying all over. Drinks were lukewarm... They offered us the Fine Dining Menu option , with Dining Menu Prices but without service. The waiters were unorganized, new waitress shared with us her views on the internal tensions of the busssiness, and every mistake she made was excused by reminding us she was new. Suggestions.. Dont open upstairs if AC is not working. Dont offer fine dining menu and prices if your not offering fine service. Dont leave a rookie in charge of anything.
(2)RoLea E.
This restaurant experience started out rough for us but gradually got better as the evening progressed. We were seated but not greeted by our server or provided menus for at least 5 minutes or more. It was like they were short staffed. A server finally came to help us but we couldn't tell if she was our real server at first. It wasn't the usual grand welcome u get when first sitting at an upscale restaurant. It was more like, "oh do you want to here the special for today and are you ready to order?" For the price of the food, I was expecting top notch exceptional service that I receive at one of my favorite date night restaurants located down the street from here. We ordered the scallops as the appetizer but was disappointed in the portion. It actually ended up being one scallop and rice pilaf with wild mushrooms. The rice and mushrooms had lots of flavor but the scallop was not so flavorful. For the entree I ordered the salmon and my husband had the prime ribeye. Both entrees were very good. My salmon was cooked perfectly but had rice pilaf and mushrooms again. I was kind of over the rice/mushroom by the second time around. Wish I had asked for substitutes but it was fine. My husband really enjoyed his ribeye. For dessert the pastry chef recommended the Apple Crumble. I had a taste for ice cream so we ordered a side of vanilla ice cream to go with it and it was great! Definitely could tell the dish was made from scratch with fresh apples. All in all we the atmosphere was nice, the service was good but not spectacular. The entrees really made up for the appetizer. Would I go again?...maybe:-/ it was kind of pricey for the overall quality/experience
(3)Laura G.
The food is good but the menu is very unimaginative. The views from the rooftop bar are amazing as are the happy hour deals. A bit of a warning, watch your check when ordering off the 8 dollar happy hour menu, twice now ours have been wrong.
(3)Jeanne H.
It's a beautiful place BUT that is it!! Skip this place if you want great service. There was a group of us and we waited 20 minutes for the first round of drinks. Water service came once during our 2 hour stay. Finally someone in our party went and got their own pitcher. The waiter was irritated when we asked for champagne glasses for champagne instead of wine glasses. Food- well lets just say everything came cold and took over an hour to get to us. Save the frustration and head to Flemings!
(1)Saba B.
To say Five Palms pulled no stops in decor is a massive understatement. The signature blue carpet mutes the bar chatter, but the chandeliers, frescos, and stained glass are a bit overdone and frankly intimidating. The patio which I will henceforth call the sky deck offers spectacular twinkling lights. The bar tacos, moist carne asada, could have used some salsa, and the bartenders look a little uncomfortable in their Prince Valiant blue velvet vests, but if you are looking for a place to wear that New Year's tux and sport your taffeta, you've found it. Next time I arrive in a convertible, I'll do my hair before walking in.
(4)Tracy A.
Steak and lobster was the best I've ever had. Wait staff was great and overall the are doing great. Give it a try you won't be disappointed
(5)Dave P.
If you took an autistic 14 year-old, forced him to sniff glue and then asked him to design a "real fancy big city restaurant" from 1978 the output would probably look a lot like 5 Palms- the latest in double ghastly overpriced Catalina Foothills eateries. As you enter the vast multi-layered 5 Palms compound a liveried doorwoman anticipates your entrance and opens the portal into a foyer with black and white tile, wood-paneled walls, blue carpet, and fluted columns that seems like an off-brand cruise ship steakhouse crossed with a striving brothel. The host is in a suit and the wait staff are formally attired; this contrasts really painfully with the elderly guests in their Tommy Bahama shirts tucked into pleated shorts. The menu consists of both surf and turf. Our order took over an hour to leave the kitchen. The steak was adequate but at $70 for a ribeye it turned to ash in my mouth. The sauteed spinach looked like a child with pertussis blew some snot into a bowl. My guests seemed to enjoy their Chilean Sea Bass and Halibut but it looked like fish night at the nursing home to my jaundiced eye. There is a bar upstairs with great views of hard-eyed middle aged divorcees and their natural prey: well-to-do Foothills geezers. There were a few youngsters that appeared to be rich kid Sonorans trying to look cosmopolitan. So, to sum it up pithily: this place should be called 1 Palm! Hey-oh!
(1)Scott F.
I am saddened that I can't work out how to give this place zero stars. Positives: the "hook" of cheap wine. Negatives: Decor is crossed between a vampire lair and bad English pub. Staff asked us over seven times if everything was ok, including two visits from the "manager"... it was okay... just ok... until I got home and was violently ill. Maybe I was just unlucky but how hard is it to screw up french onion soup? The menu was limited and no specials or variation was available. Far better places to go for a fraction of the price
(1)Sylvia Y.
Went for Happy Hour with impression that it went until seven, as on the website AND the Happy Hour menu given at our table. Got there at 6. First told that a few things were out on the menu, so only beer on happy hour was Bud and Bud Light, also out of pork sliders :\. Really? Put in drink orders. Waitress came back to say that as of today, happy hour ended at 6. Manager and owner wouldn't budge despite what was still on top of happy hour menu so we left for friendlier Tavalinos. Palm is a cheesy pretentious place, over priced. Don't waste your time. Many other better places to go. Who was their interior designer, anyways? What was he or she smoking?
(1)Sam S.
Easter morning brunch left more to be desired. However, they made it up with great dinner service with a nice selection of wine.
(5)C C.
I LOVE the new desserts here!!! They outshine those from a few months ago - so much that I ordered some to-go to serve at a dinner party. The beautiful new pastry chef brought them out to me and showed me how to properly plate them for my guests at home. Everyone was impressed. I've had great experiences both at dinner and at happy hour. This is a special place and now with the exceptional desserts, it's definitely a go-to place for me.
(4)John K.
So I decide to go for Happy Hour and check out the new place, it's around 3 PM on a Wednesday and I go to the open air bar on the top floor, very nice. I'm shocked to find beer being offered for $2.-! As I relax I notice there are no less than 9 service people milling about and a total of 7 customers. Anyway I ask for a wine by the glass list, the bartender leaves to get it and never returns, odd. Another bartender brings me the list and says I should check out the restaurant bar on the street level that also offers a happy hour but is completely different. Intrigued, I head downstairs and sit at the bar, a young bartender greets me and says "I guess your part of this private party?" I say No I am here for Happy Hour to which he promptly replies: "This is a private party so you need to leave." That's a nice first impression don't you think?
(2)Leslie M.
The ambiance is great. Loved the look of the place but upon entering into the bar on the 2nd floor you noticed a 20 degree temp jump. We ordered a martini upstairs and noticed the happy hour specials. There are no real appetizers unless you want to call a taco one. We sat for a few upstairs and decided it was best to move to the bar downstairs to finish our dinner. Downstairs is cooler in the summer of Tucson. We ordered food in that bar area. Service is VERY slow. If you are an advertised high end establishment I should not have to notify anyone (waiter, bartender) my martini needs a refill. They should be all over my needs. This was imply not the case. I had to hail down someone even for my water to be refilled. Steak was good, but the end price of $66.00 for it was a bit pricey when the service to support it was not there. Hey guys you have been open for a while now. Let's train your staff in customer service and turn down the AC in the summer of AZ.
(2)Andrea G.
Gary and I celebrated our anniversary here, along with mom, who treated. Lucky us! The Dining Trio was in full force, excited to try a new and much anticipated establishment. It just opened one week ago. Five Palms Steak and Seafood is the vision of owner Nino Aidi, who I met at the end of the meal. He has created an experience in the former Cafe Terra Cotta building, that overlooks all of Tucson with incredible views. The building houses multiple separate experiences, including both fine and casual dining, two bars, a boardroom to be (that will seat up to 18, I think) with fine views of the Catalinas, and yet unfinished meeting room. Nino himself is the fine artistic hand behind the interior design and finishes, which he said have taken a year to orchestrate. You are met by a stunning HUGE stained class piece of art and inlaid table, and multiple friendly hostesses. You have walked into a different time and place; the desert fades away as you spot huge framed copies of 18th and 19th century artwork replicas. For our special evening, we had reserved a table in the fine dining room (thanks so much again, mom!). You walk through dark carved wood arches into a beautiful room. Actually, TWO beautiful rooms-a striking blue carpet and walls of carved curving dark woods with mirrors and (in one of the rooms) also walls of tasteful windows. (See photos I shall be uploading). The ceiling was also striking, decorated with a HUGE stained glass custom piece that covers nearly the entire length. Both fine dining rooms have a stained glass ceiling. I felt like I was in an elegant cruise ship, with its wooden walls and the beautiful finishes. My mother could not put her finger on the type of design, but suffice it to say it's a tasteful Baroque style meets classy contemporary. The silver, dishware and crystal are also a step up from your everyday dining. I better cut to the chase or I'll run out of room: Excellent onion sour dough bread, freshly baked-served with little butter (you can get more) because you also have delicious oil and balsamic vinegar for bread dipping. You can order fine wines here, even served in decanters (the type that aerates the wine--forgive me; I am not an expert on wine) and drinks. The friendly server was well informed and guided us to ordering great choices. Mom enjoyed the fresh Five Palms salad, which includes mint. Gary ordered the French onion soup, served in a bread bowl. It had a distinct tarragon flavor (I think), a unique twist. We all opted for fish dishes, although steak is a specialty as well here. You can choose your preferred sauce for fish. Gary enjoyed a blue-nose grouper with an Andalusian sauce (tomato-based, with peppers, olives, shrimp, a mussel, etc.) while mom and I really enjoyed our Chilean sea bass. It was perfectly prepared, with a sense of a caramelized top and a spinach/Parmesan cheese sauce. Rich and delicious (it also tasted as good the next day--I had a few bites left over). We did not get any vegetable sides. We had to save room for dessert! Check out the photo I will upload-the server wheeled over the freshly baked cakes, which change day to day. Classy way to serve. I was told the cakes are baked locally just for Five Palms. Mom had the tiramisu (EXCELLENT-one of the best ever, she said) and we had a yummy multi-layered chocolate-raspberry cake. I would've loved a taste of the Black Forest cake as well. Our experience at Five Palms was classy, fun, tasty and memorable. My mom pointed out the only thing we could fault (hardly a "fault") was that she felt that being a fancy place, they should "crumb" the table (remove crumbs using a table crumb remover). I do remember those silver items in the old days. Not sure they do that anymore anywhere? We toured the rest of the restaurant and look forward to coming back. Do try Five Palms, and enjoy the artistic ambiance and the tasteful food created with joy by the owner. We left feeling well taken care of and happy!
(5)Christina C.
The restaurant is beautiful. Music was outstanding with a live violinist. The food was good and the presentation lovely. I would recommend getting the bread pudding for dessert over the creme brulee, a mistake I made. Overall, highly recommended as long as you are prepared to pay the monetary price.
(4)Gary V.
Wanted to go out for a nice dinner with my wife. This was not it. We should have known when we called while driving there and were able to get a reservation without any problem. We thought we got lucky, but we were wrong. The interior is nice and fancy. There is a moderately talented violist who chimes in on 70's and 80's classics which is a little annoying. We went to the wine shop and got a bottle to go with dinner. Next we ordered salads, lamb porterhouse (for which two lamb chops were substituted without asking us) and a "double prime NY Strip" and some spinach. While we waited for our salads we were offered bread. The outside was good, but the center was not quite cooked and was gooey. Good for smores, not good for bread. The Strip steak was tasteless and very difficult to cut. I sent it back (the waiter did not appear to be surprised) and substituted a "prime ribeye" which was coated in a layer of salt so thick that even after I scraped it off the best I could, I couldn't really eat it. When the bill came the wine was more expensive than listed in the shop. I just paid the $150 and got out of there. We went there a year ago and things were definately better. We won't be going back.
(1)Sarah L.
Located in the former Cafe'Terra Cotta building, they've redone it up (BIG)- in deep & dark Cherry wood/Chicago Mafia style paneling- complete with stained glass, frescos, chandeliers, and elevators... Yeah, it's quite over the top- for Tucson! After many months of construction and fine tuning, they finally opened April 1, 2013. There are two bars and a restaurant, plus some sort of membership social club that they will store your cases of wine that you buy there (supposedly at their cost) for a fee- so when you come back, you can tell all your friends that you're part of their exclusive "CLUB." The upstairs bar is (according to the staff) "more casual." Before they opened, I went to a private party in the downstairs bar, but since they've opened- I've only tried the upstairs bar. Although it seemed to have the same degree of ostentatiousness as the downstairs bar- the upstairs bar boasts a great freebee of a beautiful patio, complete with a dynamic and panoramic view of the La Paloma golf course and twinkling city lights to the south. They have a happy hour, with some drink specials (well drinks and beer only- no wine on happy hour) and the happy hour also features $6 appetizers until 7 PM. The restaurant seemed pretty packed tonight, albeit mostly the out of state 'snow bird set.' I'll have to go back and try the food. Despite the obvious mafia theme, it seems like a good new hot spot in the foothills. Anyone who lives here knows that we definitely need some new venues on the foothills dining scene.
(4)C P.
I will keep this one short. Stay away. Food sucks, service is bad, and it is way over priced.
(1)Russ R.
Food is institutional, but the decor is worse. The previous occupant (Cafe Terra Cotta) exuded class and southwestern chic without any schmaltz. This place looks like grandma's attic. Chintzy paneling and fake plastic stained glass ceiling fixture. Maybe your friends and relatives from the midwest will think it's great, but it reminded or a fun house or some mafioso's mansion.
(1)Ali G.
The service was too slow. Also the lettuces were not fresh at all. Our salads.went.to the other table. No silverware came to the table till we went and took them.ourselves. Two stars because there was no.health hazard.
(2)Bryan G.
Made our first visit with a group on Saturday for Happy Hour up at Nino's bar. I will start by saying the Five Palms has perhaps the nicest interior designs for any restaurant in Tucson. My friends and I all enjoyed the great views from the patio on the second floor. Down to dollars and sense... the drink prices were all reasonable for such a nice place. I honestly would have expected them to be higher (not that I'm saying they should be). The appetizers we ordered were delicious! We tried the ceviche, beef tacos, and Mediterranean hummus. Our only small concern was the service was slow. We had a trainee, so I won't judge too harshly. Honestly, had the server been 100%, I would have given 5 stars. When we need anything we asked, and it would be to our table quickly. Their floor manager, Rose, was exceptionally helpful and gave us great information about the other parts to the Palms. As a group, we were all talking later at how we looked forward to going back for a full dinner. Glad something nice with SO MUCH POTENTIAL filled the old Terra Cotta building. Cheers to Nino (the owner who personally greeted us and other guests on the way in)! WE'LL BE BACK!
(4)Pat S.
We picked this restaurant for our special occasion. We dined down stairs in the formal dining room. They knew it was a special occasion for us and offered us "congratulations" - nothing else. Those at an adjoining table had the same experience. The wait staff was inexperienced and poorly trained. I ordered what the waiter recommended which were a halibut dish special and a Brussels sprouts dish. He didn't even question why I hadn't eaten when he came to remove my plate. I hadn't eaten because the food wasn't edible. The fish was old, dried out and tasteless, buried in a flavorless sauce. The Brussels sprouts were tough and burnt. I discussed the matter with several management people and possibly the owner and all said they were sorry. Sorry? It was a big bill, no reductions were offered or made. I called the next day to ask the owner to call me and I never received a return call. The bread was good. We won't be returning. We went to Vivace's on the way home to get the taste of Five Palms out of our mouths.
(1)Lawrence L.
This restaurant suffers from a lack of leadership, IMO. We have gone to the happy hour at the Nino's Grill three times. There has always been something wrong either with the food (often cold) or service. The other night was a doozy. We brought a couple who had never been there. First off, a full glass of ice water was dumped in his lap! Then the French fries that came with his burgers were cold, like room temperature cold. The waitress ordered fresh fries from the kitchen but they didn't get there until he was done with his burgers. My partner asked the waitress for some more bread when she was half way through with her pasta dish. The bread came 15 minutes later, after all the dishes, including my partner's, had been cleared. The waitress kept apologizing about the water in the lap, the cold food and late service but didn't offer to reduce the bill. The hostess did the same. A gentleman in a dark suit came around and asked if everything was okay. We said, no, everything was not okay, and proceeded to tell him exactly why. He smiled, said he was sorry, and walked away. The next day I called and asked to speak with the manager. A woman named Kelly asked what I wanted and I told her I had a complaint. She said the manager, John, was due any minute and he would call me back immediately on arrival. I am still waiting for that call.
(2)Scott S.
I've had better quality steak at outback! Seriously folks this place is not good, service is trying to be 5 star but the staff don't have the training or understanding of how to provide it. They are friendly but the food just isn't anywhere near on par with Flemings or Sullivan's and the prices are the same. If you're going to spend this price point you'll be much much more happy going to Fleming, Sullivan's, or a Ruth's Chris if we eventually get one there is no comparison here these guys don't even come close
(1)Bruce S.
Five Palms has terrific atmosphere -- amazing view, a live violin player with muted baseball games on big screens, friendly waiters. Too bad you can't eat atmosphere. Steaks were pedestrian and appeared to be mass cooked on the grill. Want yours Rare? Medium? Well done? Doesn't matter; you're getting medium rare; it's all the cook knows. Want them to hold one of your sides? Nope; you're getting it. It's good for you. What could be a terrific restaurant, sabotaged by the kitchen.
(2)Triada G.
Enjoyed a wonderful date night with my husband and some of our friends on the patio at Nino's bar. We enjoyed some delicious appetizers on the patio while enjoying some drinks and watching the sun set on Tucson. Truly wonderful interior. We loved all the different parts of the layout. We are planning to go back soon for dinner. The prices may seem high on the main dinner menu to some. Since we didn't eat in the main dining room, we judged the smiles on the faces of those walking out of the main restaurant that we saw as we came down the stairs from Nino's bar area. Based on the reviews I've read I'm convinced most people only come on to Yelp to complain, which is a shame. There is NO WAY this should be any less rated overall than 4/5 stars. It's a fantastic destination for Tucsonans. We loved it for the drinks and tappas... can't wait to get back for full dinner! UPDATE: We went back for another visit... service was slower, but the appetizers were still awesome!
(4)Tim S.
Went for an early Christmas dinner and made it just in time for sunset on the patio. Upon arriving at the restaurant greeted by two friendly people that were able to direct us to the patio. The server upstairs was funny and attentive but which night have had to do with this being his first night working. Happy hour drink and food specials aren't bad. The regular menu is a little pricey but not too far out of the norm for the area. I had the lamb burger and my girlfriend had a pizza. Lamb burger was great, fries were soggy, droopy and sad. Pizza was super doughy had a weird sweet flavor was covered in sesame seeds and a disproportionate amount of cheese to everything else on the pizza. Had a creme Brule for dessert which was served on a wafer which was a little odd. Bottom line this is a great place to go if you wanna hang out in a place with a great view or ritzy decor. Go during happy hour and don't expect too much from the food and you won't be disappointed. To be fair I haven't tried much of the food but if what I have is any indication of the quality of the food then inconsistent would probably be the best word to describe it.
(2)Roland W.
Everything that could go wrong here did. My reservation was lost, the service was awful, the food took forever to come, my steak was overcooked, and the price was absurd. Even if offered a free meal I wouldn't come back here.
(1)Kim B.
Great atmosphere and the view is spot on. Haven't been for dinner but the happy hour food and drinks are great.
(4)Chris C.
A group of us went here recently and were very satisfied with every aspect of the experience. As we arrived we were met by the owner who showed us into the wine shop where we were able to select several bottles to enjoy in the restaurant at the wine shop price. We then headed upstairs to the beautiful panoramic patio to enjoy our wine and some delicious appetizers. Our server was great, and even better was the manager (Rosemary) who was attentive and friendly. I would absolutely recommend this place to anyone looking to enjoy an amazing wine selection and great service.
(5)David B.
The owners contacted via Twitter to offer their most sincere apologies for our dreadful experience and invited us back. We returned and requested the deck patio and were seated at the same table as before. Kinda scared, we ordered drinks. I saw they had cachaça so I ordered the caipirinha. It was served up in a martini glass & was red. I asked the server if the drink was correct as I had never seen one served that way or that color. He assured me that it was correct and said the addition of açai berry juice made it red. A decent drink, I'll stick to beer, as long as it's not 90 Shilling, as they were out of it. The pork belly appetizer was delicious, the ribeye was masterfully prepared and large enough to feed 2 at a full 16 ounces. Get the Brussels sprouts and thank me later-amazing. Others in our party enjoyed the food as well except for dessert. The flour less chocolate cake was so dense, you needed a knife to cut through it & the crème brûlée was a sever disappointment. All in all, the food was good, the service was better and the owners took accountability for their mess-up to which I must applaud them. Thanks to Nino, Erica & the entire Five Palms crew for making it right!
(3)Sharon K.
Stay as far away from this restaurant as possible!!! I was in town so my son planned to take me to 5 palms for my birthday. which they asked if we were celebrating anything special. so my son yes, it's my mother's birthday. It all started in the parking lot, no place to park, finally found a spot, went inside to be greeted by the hostess and a gentleman, as they we walking us to our table I noticed they were whispering and looking at us, which I thought was odd, sat down waited for our waiter to come , ordered drinks , said he would be back with some bread, took about 5 minutes to get my glass of wine and a coke for my son. A different waitress asked if we wanted bread? I thought we already established that!.. They have a dinner special a 60z filet, lobster tail,salad and dessert for a fixed price of $50..my son ordered the Caesar salad only to come with 3 large romaine lettuce leaves , croutons and drsg .. not good! really.. the waiter never bothered to come and clear away out salad plates as our dinner was being served.. Our waiter gave me my sons steak which was not done at all, the lobster was a big joke, it was a bite of lobster! mashed potatoes a sm scoop.my son who ordered his steak med rare could not even eat it... we sent back only to get it returned not cooked enough...!My son lost his appetite, offered to cook another one, but said my my mother is almost finished. I gave my son half of my steak because they whisked away his plate after we said we did not want it, Yes they did take $30 off the bill. big deal... Never once did our waiter come back to see if we needed another drink or how our dinner was. Seriously it looked like a zoo in there the wait staff was just running all over and not doing anything right. Why did they ask if we ere celebrating anything if made no difference..I feel bad for my son, he's a college student because he paid for dinner for my birthday.. We are both so disappointed ... This should of been my clue because there was a guy playing the violin, walking around, and I said to my son "I FEEL LIKE I AM ON THE TITANIC' with the ornate rm we were in and the strolling violin... you guessed it we sank!!!!
(1)Scott J.
My wife and I decided to try Five Palms to celebrate our anniversary. We made a reservation and when we arrived, 10 minutes early, the hostess said to us, in an accusatory tone, "you're early and your table isn't ready"... The restaurant was empty but we said sure, no problem, we will go have a drink in the bar. We did.. The bar service was terrible.. We waited quite some time for service. We were finally served our drinks and the hostess kept looking over at us but made no attempt to update us on the availability of our table. After 20 minute I walked over and asked her what the scoop was and, to my astonishment, she asked ME, why we didn't check in with her! We would have gone to Flemings but at that time on a Friday, we doubted we'd get a table. They sat us right the door and when we asked for a different table we got one... After being made to feel as though we were asking for the moon. To be honest... The service was just plain terrible and food was lacking in taste and WAY overpriced. They also brought our appetizer at the same time as our entrees.... We will never go back!
(1)Jack S.
Had dinner with friends last evening and was disappointed. Service was spotty and while they have several people pouring water, the waiter was overloaded. Our orders were not delivered accurately and delays were common. Food quality was inconsistent and considering the price not acceptable. There competitors have nothing to be concerned about.
(2)Jack H.
Ok let me start with the positive, It won't take long. Sunset, there it is. We were a party of ten upstairs on the patio. As soon as I walked in I knew it was trouble, so I ordered a beer at the bar before I went to our table. Good thing it took 40 minutes for a member of our party to get his first beer, honestly 40 minutes. When I said to the waiter, your not going to charge him are you?, he just giggled. I asked how long he had been serving there he said a month. He meant he had only been a server for a month. The only server on the patio was a young man with NO experience. There was approximately 40-50 people on the patio that night. The food was completely forgettable, the Caeser dressing tasted like watered down mayo. We were all locals, you will need us in the summer when the snowbirds are gone. Good luck with that. I suggest if you go for the view bring your own food and drink. The Ravenous Roofer
(1)NJ- A.
You want attitude...go here! Brought out of town family there for drinks on cinco de mayo...we were the only ones in the bar! Major attitude from everyone who worked there...overpriced drinks...never again!
(1)Philip S.
I've been there four times this summer, for cocktail hour. First, yes the place is beautiful! BUT don't be afraid, you can dress comfortably. the wait staff is changing and learning, but they are knowledgeable and friendly. Downstairs feels posh, upstairs has great views. Foods within both areas are good to very good. The paella is very nice, terrific hamburger, the shrimp burger is awesome, and the fish and chips are some of the best I've had. House wines are nice, beer is cold and my friends like the Margaritas. Try it, I think you will enjoy it.
(5)Annie T.
The upstairs bar and grill has amazing views and sweet happy hour deals. Not much selection and the food is just ok. Ambiance makes it worthy.
(3)Cake A.
It's only operating at maybe half capacity. My food choices: escargot and black cod. Food was exceptional!
(5)Tom B.
Haven't eaten in the fancy downstairs restaurant yet, but the upstairs outdoor roof terrace happy hour is AMAZING. A beer, wine, or cocktail and a plate of food for eight bucks? Who knew that was possible! And it's all really GOOD, with really great service. The shrimp burger is amazing. Huge chunks of delicious fresh shrimp. Perfect fries. Rose, the upstairs manager, couldn't have been more welcoming or professional. Wait staff was attentive and really competent. I'll be back soon.
(5)Mar B.
My husband and I had our Valentines dinner up in Tucson at Five Palms Restaurant on Skyline Drive. Decor - a bit over the top - some things like the lit stained glass ceilings were pretty cool but cheap and already deteriorating dark wood walls (paneling of some kind) everywhere including the bathrooms - eh - not so impressive. You can even see where someone has gone around with a furniture pen to fix the dings. Three venues - more if you count the outdoor spaces. One - downstairs to the right - pretty cool bar - lounge like atmosphere and live music as well as a decent sized outdoor space - no view as the parking lot is on the other side of the wall. Upstairs - huge oval shaped bar - very cool - smallish outdoor space with views of Tucson and a fairly inexpensive limited menu. Where we ate is the only part of the place that you should have a reservation (other rooms don't take them). Very very very expensive... White tablecloth,, formal service. Also has outdoor space. Food: apps start at around 12-13$$ and I had an assortment of apps. Amazing Pork Belly!!!!!! Braised and then crisped and browned on the outside and served with some baked pear slices. It was fantastic! Not so great Coquilles St. Jacques not even served on a shell - which I would have expected from this place... Rice a bit dry - on the side... Sauce - too thick and custard like and overly garlicky. One large scallop and I will say the Scallop was delicious and perfectly cooked. Foie Gras was to die for and perfectly cooked/seared and served over poached pear with a sweet brown sauce and pureed pear that almost seemed like a foam. Every bite was an oral orgasm. $49 - pricey but worth it. Randy had the smoked salmon which was commonplace and served on a crostini and kept falling off the bread... Not memorable and Prime Rib which was supposed to be medium rare but was almost raw. Good flavor though. All in all - the place tries too hard -- the dinners come with fancy domes over them that the server removes after placing. I think it's not necessary and wastes valuable server time... and at least the night we went - service was slow - no fault of our waitress Dawn who was fantastic. We retired upstairs for views outdoors and had non-memorable deserts. I will return for foie gras, pork belly and perhaps the caviar and some other apps I did not get to try as well as some meat which they clearly carefully source. Very pricey but worth trying for special occasions
(4)Cheryl H.
After reading some negative reviews, we were hesitant to try Five Palms, but we are glad we did. We were greeted by a very friendly host who explained all the different areas - formal dining room, elegant downstairs bar, more casual upstairs bar, and wine ship - and we headed to the upstairs bar. Yvette took very good care of us and despite a slight misstep in the serving of the food, we had a great experience. Food and wine were very good. Then we went downstairs to the wine shop, which has a good selection of wines at all price points, and no corkage if you buy something to drink in the bar. We bought a delicious Pauillac and enjoyed a glass at the beautiful downstairs bar, then took the rest home. Service all night was attentive and professional. We will be back!
(4)Michael R.
Over-priced, underwhelmed. The filet was cold when it arrived, appetizers were just okay, the green beans and mashed potatoes were the best part of the meal. We were a group of 40 people, which may explain the lukewarm food.
(2)Helen C.
We really liked this restaurant. There was a lot of misconceptions when it first opened i.e. overpriced, pretentious, etc.,but we found it to be just the opposite. The staff was wonderfully charming and helpful. Food was top of the line. A wonderful menu. We will put this as a restaurant to return to.
(4)Mike H.
My first time at 5 Palms, we had reservations in dinning room and the1st thing you say is wow! The decor might not fit Tucson casual but what a nice refreshing change to have a sincere fine dinning restaurant. We had heard all of the mixed reviews about the food and service, but there was not one thing we (four) could suggest to make our evening better. Frank our waiter was a professional waiter not some temporary job, decanted their house wine, which was very reasonably priced and excellent. Made helpful suggestions on food selection, all was perfect..... I do not rate at a 5 star level, but since the Tack Room, Charles went down we have not had another fine restaurant to enjoy a meal in such elegant atmosphere, so leave your flip flops at home if you want to feel a bit pampered for a nice change.
(5)Debbie A.
A group of 7 of us went to Ninos bar for happy hour and stayed to watch the fire works. WOW the views are amazing! The food, drinks and services were great! Very nice place anxious to try it again!!
(4)Tran F.
great place for date nights....delicious food and drinks! :)) love their live romantic music.
(5)Pierna M.
When you want it done right and you want attention to detail, This is the place. This is a five star experience. If you want to impress someone or want to eat perfectly balanced food, go there. It is pricey but we'll worth it.
(5)James T.
Had the grouper with fiorintina sauce, delicious. Tasted my sister's ribeye. Outstanding. Opened with the wedge salad, tasted wife's 5 palms salad. Prices are a little high, and the place might be somewhat ostentatious for the Tucson market, especially for its size. It's huge! But it seems to be packed every time I drive by. Will have to try the sports bar upstairs. Went with a group of 8 with our monthly dinner. Everyone gave varying degrees of thumbs up.
(3)Sofia V.
this place is about as bad as it gets. tacky and kitsch with terrible food and service to boot.
(1)Steven L.
After being a loyal client to Five Palms have to say they MUST improve the dress code in the bar area! Plebeians are infesting the upscale feel. People with t shirts and flip flops is not an idea of a five star restaurant should be. The servers took a long time to bring my wine and the food was tasteless. I felt that my experience was not worth the money I spent.
(1)Marcheta G.
Beautiful place! But not worth the $ on the food. Beef is not good quality, other food so-so. Need a place for drinks and a view, recommend it. Dinner? Save your money or go to Flemings.
(2)JB O.
The first time I went to the five palms it was a wonderful experience. The food was wonderful, the service is wonderful and I really enjoyed myself. I was so excited about it that I told everyone to go. We went back the second time in my experience was very different. Sitting at the table next to us was two ladies and they did not seem to be happy with their food or service. One of the chefsncame out of the kitchen to talk to them and they were speaking in Spanish arguing back-and-forth with each other. This occurred three times. It was distracting and unprofessional. We asked our server what was going on and was told that it was the owner's wife and the chef was her daughter. They continued to argue and were pretty loud. I have never seen anything like this anywhere. Such high hopes for this place because of my first experience. I thought when they first opened it would be a wonderful place to go. But as time goes by I have heard nothing but negative comments on the quality of the service. They have a wonderful jazz band that I went to hear but I could hear them had another venue.
(2)Paul B.
Happy hour order for 2 Hamburgers. One delivered promptly and the second barely cooked arrived 10 minutes later. Establishment removed the second burger from our bill. Staff needs more training in submitting orders properly..Final bill submitted without customer receipt. Food was marginal and variety on Happy hour menu is lacking.
(2)Jim E.
Our initial impression was wow! The wine shop was great. The service and recommendations there were amazing. From there everything went down hill. While it appears there are plenty of wait staff and they are attending to your every need, they haven't figured out how to work as a team. We were less than impressed by the food and the value for the money was not great. I hope they figure things out soon otherwise I am not optimistic about their future.
(2)Eliza E.
I went on Friday night for dinner to celebrate some co-worker's birthdays. I'm not in any hurry to go back. Definitely all about the pomp and circumstance. The food wasn't exceptionally great, especially when considering the price. I was expecting spectacular and was disappointed. The service was very formal and reminded me of fine dining back in CT/NYC. (Apparently I park like a New Yorker too...I couldn't find any parking and was running late so I double parked. My native Tucson friends suggested I move my car across the street to the bank and I'm glad I did.) The violinist they had playing was very nice...not too loud so I could actually hear the conversation at my table. I didn't spend anytime in either bar but I can see how they would attract a crowd...the view from the upstairs bar was beautiful. I like to leave a restaurant dying to go back or tell all my friends about how great it was...sorry to say I will not be doing that with this place.
(3)Niccolle C.
What a great addition to the foothills! Five Palms is a cant miss visual experience! We've had the opportunity to enjoy Five Palms both in fine dining and the downstairs bar for happy hour, both experiences have been wonderful! They have set a precedent in always asking how things are, as well as eliciting an HONEST critique of our total experience. I feel that they are striving to be the very best, and if a customer doesn't get the very best they will do everything in there power to make it so. Five Palms will be one of our mainstays!
(5)Native A.
A $40 steak can be better spent just about anywhere in Tucson. The staff was clearly untrained in the ART of fine dining, the food is vastly over priced for the quality, the bar was very subpar and took forever to get my drink, etc, etc, etc. It was a chaotic environment and made eating there more stressful than it was enjoyable. Sure, the food was decent tasting, but its nothing I couldnt get at Outback Steakhouse for $12. When you pay that much for a steak and drinks, there is a certain environmental expectation that goes with it and Five Palms ABSOLUTELY did not have it. AVOID.
(1)Michelle P.
Think we are stretching to give this one star. We went last Wednesday at 5:30 and tried to sit upstairs at Nino's Bar. All of the tables (maybe 10 total) were filled, outside was open but it was cold and windy and there was no heat, so went to the lower ( first floor)Five Palms bar, only tables besides two tops were for 12 or more, but took one for our table of 5, so it was awkward. They brought bar menus but did not come back for at least 35 minutes, finally received drinks. Bar menu is weird, only oysters and sushi and two soups, so very odd. Service was terrible. Never going back, waste of time and money!
(1)Betty P.
A long anticipated new restaurant that took forever to redo. We go out to lunch often with business associates and made lunch reservations as well as attending happy hour. After one lunch and one happy hour we went back to our old favorites like Flemings( great happy hour) and Acacia. Whereas we were going to meet people at Five Palms, we called them and changed to another restaurant. A lot of money went into the décor, but food and service will bring it down unless changed. It's great if you like lots of cucumber and mint
(1)G D.
As previous reviewers have stated, the views are awesome, as is the ambiance. This evening we found the wait staff to be very friendly, helpful and quite accomodating. We were served fresh-from-the-oven bread with butter to munch on while we decided what to order for dinner. My husband had the wedge salad with the bleu cheese and I ordered the Five Palms salad. The Wedge Salad was very attractively presented and tasted every bit as good. The lettuce was fresh and crisp and the bleu cheese was soft and pungent. The Five Palms salad was delicious with its mediterranean/middle eastern influence in the fresh mint, pita bits, cucumbers and fresh tomatoes dressed with a lime viniagrette that was fresh and tasty. We each ordered the Prime Rib, which was delivered as ordered, though could have been a little bit warmer. The accompaniments were tasty, though a tad boring - potatoes augratin and baked creamed spinach. Still, they were delicious. We're looking forward to a return trip and will try the fish and a steak next time. Bon Appetit!
(4)Jose Maria S.
We had a delightful night at Five Palms Restaurant, food was excellent, the restaurant is beautiful and elegant, very good taste, we had dinner at L'ATELIER de Joel Robuchon in Tokyo last week and we are very excited to have FIVE PALMS RESTAURANT in Tucson Top of the line restaurants. Congratulations!!!
(5)arlene c.
Desperately needed to iron out the bumpy road before opening. The apologetic staff is seriously untrained, the kitchen is slow and inconsistent, the managers turn a deaf ear, and the owner stands at the door greeting arriving guests but is nowhere to be seen on the floor or back of the house helping out with every crisis happening around him. Maybe in a year, if they survive that long, it will turn out to be nice. It is too pricey to not deliver good food or service. It does however, have a lovely view from the bar deck. That's comforting since you'll be there a while waiting for service.
(1)Jane B.
After a long anticipated opening we made our reservation for 6:00 on a Tuesday night. They were doing a brisk business, but we did not anticipate a 2 1/2 hour dinner! The restaurant decor is done to the max with many little extras - reading glasses, purse hangers. The wait staff is obviously in training, from the tableside ham shaving to the clearing of plates, to the bringing of the checks things were slow. One of our party ordered the grouper and after waiting for over 30 minutes after the first course was finished, he was told there was no grouper. We then waited another 30 minutes for the 4 entrees to come to the table and voila! they had found the grouper. The pan fried halibut was unusual - thin and crusted (over cooked?). The accompanying Florentine "sauce" was the best part of the entree. Hopefully, over time, if they can maintain the clientele, the food and service will improve.
(3)