Noted by Condé Nast Traveler as a "culinary gem," The Umstead Hotel and Spa's signature restaurant Herons features the refined American cooking of Executive Chef Scott Crawford and Chef de Cuisine John Childers. The extensive 2500-bottle wine selection complements the sophisticated dining experience. Guests will enjoy the elegant setting and exquisite art collection indoors as well as dining on the terrace, with panoramic views of the lake. The Umstead’s Bar is also available to local diners and hotel guests for a more casual experience. Herons, a Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five Diamond Restaurant, serves breakfast and lunch daily, weekend brunch and dinner Monday - Saturday.
"One of the best dining experiences I have had. The food and service was tremendous. The wine pairings surprising and delightful. I am sorry I have waited so long to experience this."
Dined on 5/23/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic, special occasion
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Review 2 for Herons
Overall rating
(Outstanding)5/5
Unique Experience in Triangle Area
OpenTable Diner
Dined on 5/20/2013
Food
(Outstanding)5/5
Service
(Outstanding)5/5
Ambiance
(Outstanding)5/5
Noise Level
Quiet
"Herons is a wonderful place to celebrate a special occasion or have a sophisticated dinner with friends or colleagues. The service is very professional but also warm and friendly. I especially like how they pair wines to each dish. Every dish is presented in a unique and beautiful way and as yummy as they are attractive. The ambiance is formal but very comfortable and inviting. I will go back to try the seasonal menus as well as the chef's selections and will always get the wine pairings as they are exquisitely matched with the dishes served."
Dined on 5/20/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, romantic, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, special occasion
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"We went here for our 20th anniversary and it was a wonderful experience. The service was attentive but not intrusive. We opted to do the chef menu with wine pairings and everything was just amazing! One of the best meals I have had in a long time."
Dined on 5/22/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion
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"Dining at Herons offers not only creatively prepared and beautifully presented menu selections, but is also a visual feast in terms of the art work, floral and plant arrangements, and views of the gorgeous landscape design and the lake fountain."
Dined on 5/21/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, notable wine list, scenic view, neighborhood gem, great for lunch, special occasion
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"We had been to Heron's before and this did not measure up to previous meals there. My cream of sunchoke soup was bland. My brother's steak was excellent but tiny. I tried my mother's seafood terrine and we both found it to have little flavor except a lingering, oily, fishy aftertaste. The dessert selections sounded boring so we just had coffee. When my brother had first arrived, he'd mentioned our mother's birthday and been told there would be something special for her but apparently they forgot. As we were about to leave after paying the bill, my brother inquired about the birthday and then they brought out some chocolates for her which was nice, but by then we had finished our coffee and been waiting quite a while. It took too long."
Dined on 5/21/2013
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"Heron's is truly a magnificent dining experience. The food is superb, the waitstaff is amazing, and you feel like you have been transported to a 5 star restaurant in the best cities. I highly recommend a visit to this beautiful destination."
Dined on 5/13/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, great for brunch, notable wine list, romantic, neighborhood gem, hot spot, special occasion
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"The food at Heron's was marvelous. Almost every dish was delicious in a surprising way. In addition to the courses I ordered, I was given several small additional dishes, including some chocolates to take home. The service was attentive and personallized. The maitre d and my waiter both addressed me by name throughout the meal. Even the dishes were beautiful."
Dined on 5/07/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion
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"Dined at the restaurant on a Saturday night. Service was fast and efficient, without being intrusive, and the staff went out of their way to ensure an excellent experience. The food was the kitchen was consistently excellent, and the restaurant offers great flexibility in terms of upsizing or downsizing courses, altering the order of courses, etc. A really fine meal and experience."
Dined on 5/04/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic, special occasion
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"This was our first visit and we reserved a table for lunch for four. Fabulous lunch that we all enjoyed. Food was tasty; service was great. Harvinder, Asst. Restaurant Manager did a great job of making the dining experience very special and memorable. The pre-fixe lunch menu was innovative and tasty. Highly recommend try this special restaurant!!"
Dined on 5/01/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for outdoor dining, notable wine list, romantic, scenic view, great for lunch, special occasion
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"We are foodies who have dined in the Triangle for decades, so I'm comparing to favorites like Panciuto, Nana's, Lantern, etc. Herons easily had the fanciest environment - warm, modern, sophisticated. The 5 course tasting menu with wine pairing runs $150 per person before tip. The amuse bouche and 3 of 5 courses were exquisite and unparalleled anywhere. Flavors were delicate, exciting and unexpected. 2 courses were disappointing - tilefish was overcooked and jasmine cake was over crusted with sugar and unintegrated molecular gastronomy flourishes. Would definitely try again anyway to see what else they can do. Service was perfect, we especially love the custom-printed souvenir menu with our names and occasion for souvenir."
Dined on 4/29/2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for outdoor dining, romantic, scenic view, notable wine list, hot spot, special occasion
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"Exceptional as always. Enjoyed the new 3 and 4 course menu format which essentially equates to a allowing you to customize a personal tasting menu :)"
Dined on 04/26/2013
2010
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for brunch, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion
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"Our first visit to Heron's and we were impressed. Scott provided EXCELLEN service and the kitchen put out food that was fantastic !! Each dish was beautiful and flavorful. From the hostest to wine service, to bread service everyone was friendly, professional and made it a wonderful evening !!"
Dined on 04/26/2013
2007
Special Features: fit for foodies, notable wine list, special occasion
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"LOVE Heron's brunch and always a fun place to bring guests!"
Dined on 04/21/2013
2009
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for brunch, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion, scenic view, hot spot
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"We were very disappointed!! The scallops were very good, but a baby lettuce salad was fair to poor. The striped bass had the skin on, and when that was removed, the fish had no sear or crispy exterior on either side. Desserts were very limited for gluten sensitive diners. Overall extremely overpriced for the quality!!"
Dined on 04/20/2013
2007
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"My fourth time at Herons - I usually come for lunch or brunch. Saving dinner for a special occasion. The service is wonderful - attentive but not intrusive. The food is beautifully prepared and presented, and the dining room is quiet and comfortable. Highly recommended if you need an escape from everyday life for an hour or two!"
Dined on 04/09/2013
2007
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for brunch, romantic, special occasion
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"Great first visit. Exceeded my expectations by a mile. The food, service and ambiance were superb. I would highly recommend this restaurant to all my friends and family. I will return soon."
Dined on 04/06/2013
2012
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for brunch, great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, romantic, special occasion, scenic view, great for lunch
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"Without a doubt the best restaurant in town! The food,wine,service,ambiance reminded me how much I miss the European restaurants I frequented years ago."
Dined on 04/01/2013
2010
Special Features: great for outdoor dining, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion, great for lunch
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"Heron's has a group of culinary masters that prepare amazing dishes. The food tasted amazing and the preparation and display was something right out of Iron Chef. Phenomenal!!"
Dined on 03/28/2013
2011
Special Features: fit for foodies, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion
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"We celebrated our 30th anniversary at Heron's and could not have been more impressed. The food and the service was impeccable, and the wine pairings we had for each course were outstanding."
Dined on 03/26/2013
2007
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion, scenic view
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"The atmosphere is great! The food was good ! But the service was very ridged!! The head service was not at all friendly or welcoming. They would not make any exceptions and acted like we put them out of their way for service! They required that we get the same selections of food even though we had completely different taste!"
Dined on 03/22/2013
2013
Special Features: romantic
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"The food was delicious, but could have been better considering the price. Service was absolutely excellent, but some very gregarious customers were ignored by staff."
Dined on 03/16/2013
2013
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, notable wine list, romantic, special occasion
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"We went for lunch.. very quiet and peaceful, yet gently energizing even on a cloudy day with windy conditions. Immaculate grounds and interiors, spectacular food presentation and flavor! We had a tough time deciding between the many delicious-sounding offerings. We were delighted with each bite! What a special place. This was our first visit, and we'll make a point of coming here again."
Dined on 03/05/2013
2007
Special Features: fit for foodies, neighborhood gem, notable wine list, special occasion, great for lunch
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"As always everything about Heron's was the best of the best! We stayed after lunch to hear the harpist and have a glass of wine - LOVE IT! This place is so peaceful. The art is unbelievable. The food is always spectacular. And the service is top notch."
Dined on 02/22/2013
2008
Special Features: neighborhood gem, special occasion, scenic view, great for lunch
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"Every attention was paid to us. Our waiter, Derek, was one of the best we've ever had anywhere. Our food was excellent. The snow "storm" the morning we were there added to the ambiance. It was like a winter wonderland. We almost didn't make the drive from Durham, but were so glad that we did."
Dined on 02/16/2013
2007
Special Features: fit for foodies, good for groups, great for brunch, great for outdoor dining, romantic, special occasion, scenic view, great for lunch
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"We went Herons for a late lunch on Valentines Day. The place is beautiful, the service excellent, the food amazing. We loved every bite of everything. They have an excellent wine list as well. The entire experience was perfect. We can't wait to come back as the weather improves to sit outside, it was so inviting."
Dined on 02/14/2013
2012
Special Features: fit for foodies, romantic, special occasion, scenic view, great for lunch
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"Always fabulous food and service. Even better at lunch and brunch than for dinner. Lot's of us appreciate its being not noisy. Also great alfresco dining when the weather is good."
Dined on 02/16/2013
2010
Special Features: fit for foodies, great for brunch, notable wine list, special occasion, great for lunch
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