Zambra in Asheville

Great food, service, and atmosphere

Overall we had a great experience ar Zambra this last time. We have previously eaten here to celebrate our anniversary, and this trip was to celebrate my birthday.One great thing that they did is work is in so that we could be seated, although when we got there, only a handful of tables were sat. It was a nice, but probably unnecessary gesture.Really the only challenging part of our experience was some service snafus and some bad seafood.We were sat and waited over ten minutes for a server to greet us. I had to get up from the table and ask another server to help us find ours.Our server was then acting rushed and pushed us through service. No specials were explained, he just jumped into what do you want to drink.The rushed / short service continued throughout the meal but I'll give credit: he paced the meal nicely even though interactions at the table were very short. It just made us feel like we weren't a priority.The only other issue was that the scallops dish really upset my wife's stomach. By dessert, she was rushing me out the door because she felt ill. We both assumed it was just bad timing, but when she ate the rest of that dish the next day she again felt very I'll within a short time. I don't know what the issue was to be honest, only that the scallops really bugged her stomach both times.Now look, I know this all seems pretty negative but man did the food save the day.I started with crispy brussel sprouts and the chickpea dish. Both were fantastic, although the description of the brussel sprouts dish was VERY different then what was brought out. Don't get me wrong, they were delicious but there were...

Zambra's typically does not disappoint when it comes to flavorful, consistent dishes in Asheville. Our most recent visit was New Years Eve, and unfortunately, this was our least favorite visit. The octopus remains a standout order, but several dishes lacked a key ingredient (salt, acid) to bring the dish together. In the past, the chickpeas and lamb meatballs have been delicious. This past visit, we tried the beef hearts (well cooked but the beets overwhelmed the meat), roasted oysters (Brussel sprouts too strong), and mixed mushrooms. I would stay far away from the crostinis.The service is typically excellent with a couple of lower points during our last visit. I would still recommend Zambra's and hope it will move back to the high place it has on our dining list in Asheville and beyond.