Peerless Restaurant & Bar

Treated ourselves for Christmas Eve. Hands down, the best food ever. The ambiance is wonderful. The service excellent.

My partner and I made reservations here on our way to visit California and the meal was stunning. Our server’s wine pairing abilities impressed us both. My partner is pescatarian and says that they definitely know what they are doing with a piece of fish. As for me, the crusted lamb turned out to be a highlight of my trip. We hope to return in the summertime and dine on the patio!

We ordered a take out Christmas dinner from Peerless and were very pleased with the quality (and quantity, easily enough for two people) of the food. The dinner consisted of four courses: salmon lox appetizer, pumpkin soup, a choice of main courses (beef brisket or game hen, we chose the brisket), and cheesecake for dessert. All of this was top-​notch quality. We’ve eaten at Peerless some years ago, but don’t remember the food being as good then. But based on our take-​out experience, it rates a rave today.

I came here with a group of ten neurologists following my husband’s job interview. We were in the private room that was quiet, perfect for groups. Beautiful decoration, the atmosphere is authentic and has an old-​school feel to it.
Their Pinot Grigio from Oregon is a crisp start. The mushroom bisque is creamy. The spanakopita is crispy yet a bit heavy in the spinach filling. The condiments are matching the meal nicely. The service pace was amazing, our server did a great job. My favourite was the some-​kind-​of-​berry sorbet that I don’t remember; it was a light orange colour. The flavour was amazing!

We had dinner al fresco on a warm October evening. The setting in the garden is very sweet and inviting with the burble of the water fountain making it just perfect for that quiet special meal.
The interior looked inviting also as we were led through the room, with a small intimate bar that beckons, «sit now and have a fancy cocktail and relax».
And I did just that. I started with their Three Worlds Manhattan, up, with a quality cherry. Exquisite. My wife had a glass of MacRostie chard. It was ok.
It was hard deciding among the specials of shared plates but we had a plate consisting of two Kobe beef sliders, a blue crab cake and some of the best edamame we’ve ever had, dressed with sesame oil and other spices. It was a pleasure getting our hands oily for those meaty beans.
I made a good decision to order the the spanikopita with its seasoned softened feta cheese stuffing over a light and well seasoned tomato coulis. My wife had the Draper Valley chicken breast which was tasty and moist, but the smoked paprika polenta cake was a bit dry and had too much paprika for her taste. (Smoked paprika can be very strong – much stronger than regular paprika). The accompanying chard was fresh but a little under-​seasoned.
But the dessert of vanilla bean and Belgian chocolate gelato with an intense whiskey caramel sauce fixed that. My test of good service is if the waiter can manage to bring my coffee WHILE I’m having the dessert. Bridgette did that and was always attentive and personable throughout. She made it perfect.
We can’t wait to go back soon and try the ambience inside on a winter night.

Rather a disappointment. Gave it two stars as our waitress was exceptional. The person who seated us gave a snobbish retort to our bringing our own wine on the way he announced his corkage fee of $ 25. I had their steak. Needless to say at $ 32 not worth it. The outside was a very hard crust. It came with two over cooked very small potatoes cut in half two Brussel sprouts cut in half. My wife had the five spice pork of which she could not tell what the five were and it was very dry. I must say the salad was good but that was it. We would not return. Felt like they were a little too mercenary.

Peerless used to be the best place in town, but it’s not anymore. The garden is lovely, but the food doesn’t justify the high prices and the service is no longer top notch. Too bad. This used to be our special night out place, but I don’t think I ever want to return.

The Lavender Martini started us off on the right foot — SO delicious! We ordered multiple items from their menu including crab cakes, a asian salad, the chicken thighs and a few other items. Everything was absolutely phenomenal. Service was spot on, and the courtyard area in the garden was incredibly beautiful on a beautiful July evening. We enjoyed every minute of our dining experience here. Next time we will stay at the Peerless Hotel, looking forward to it!

My chicken served with polenta and chard was just delicious, perfectly prepared. The desserts looked just fantastic, and I have to say the cheesecake we ordered was one of the best I’ve ever had.
The service was excellent, and I really loved the ambiance and quiet elegance of the rooms.
I will definitely recommend the Peerless Restaurant and return when we’re back in Ashland.

From the beginning appetizer and cocktails to the dessert and coffee, this was a perfect meal. Our servers were helpful and friendly without hovering. The food was expertly prepared and presented. Flavors were beautifully combined. It was a birthday dinner, and two different servers wished my husband a happy birthday. Superb!

It was a HORRIBLE experience. A few hours before our reservation, my husband fell ill and could not come to dinner. Management stubbornly insisted that we were «in contract» to pay for his meal. We were a group of 17 on a Saturday night: it wasn’t as if they wouldn’t be able to sell the meal to someone else. In addition, the food wasn’t really that good. I will never, ever, return.

This was my second time here and both times have been very nice. In the summer eating on the patio is great, but last night it was nice and cozy inside. They had local winery RoxyAnn doing complimentary tasting, which we enjoyed before our meal. The overall menu at Peerless has a nice selection of small plates and entrees plus they offered a sheet of specials.
One person had the Poke appetizer, and the chef’s sampler platter which was more than enough for a meal. I had a salad special, a small plate of sirloin with chimichuri sauce and a very tasty ratatouille side dish. Finally our vegetarian ordered the spanakopita and she loved it! Since she is a student here, we will be back!

This visit to Ashland we made a trek to the Peerless Hotel/​Restaurant. Apparently, there was a new chef who offered a «Hawaiian» style to cooking and some things had changed from our previous visits. Since he had only been there a couple of weeks, we found the food uneven in preparation and the service definitely inadequate.
The food was: creamy cauliflower with chubud cheese (some kind of cheese I’d never heard of). It was good, but a bit odd-​tasting to all three of our palates. Chilled somen noodles with rice vinegar and cabbage was refreshing, but nothing special. We LOVED the warm olives with blue cheese and the delicious, fine-​textured bread served with dukkah, olive oil and sesame. The flatbread with shrimp entrée which also had a balsamic reduction suffered in execution — the flatbread was flabby and the shrimp huge and not connected to the bread in any way. Sliders with cheese were fine with meat having good flavor and the bread clearly being made in house.
The spicy shrimp with aioli was good in terms of the level of heat and the type of seasoning, but they were tough and overcooked. Fries had good flavor but were really soggy — didn’t even eat them. Espresso had no crema and no taste and the cappuccino was just passable. If you’re going to have expensive espresso equipment, someone at least needs to learn how to pull a proper espresso and how to make the wide variety of coffee drinks one can offer.
The service was pleasant but the timing was always off. The cocktail was not made properly and it took at least ten minutes for the waitress to bring another.
We didn’t have all the things we needed on the table, she forgot wine twice and brought food at all different points in the meal.
We’re not likely to go back unless we hear that the chef has really settled in, determined a workable, appropriate menu and the restaurant gets some better help.

Gayle and I just returned from a most enjoyable 9^th Annual stay at the Peerless. It’s sometimes hard to know when our Hotel experience ends and the Restaurant one begins. This time around the landscaping between the 2 properties had been completely and very nicely been redone. During one early evening, we sat outside on a couple of the lawn chairs in back, brought out some wine from our room, read, and relaxed.
At some point, Gayle suggested that I check in at the restaurant to see if we could order some light bites. I wandered inside and before we knew it, Dotty was taking care of us and providing sparkling lawn-​side service. The Bangkok Thighs, Lamb Meatballs, and the Little Gem Salad were delicious, and were complemented by an IPA for me and a Bombay Sapphire Martini (Up) for her. We really treasure our Peerless experiences, which of course one of the key reasons we keep coming back to Ashland. That and the guy in the Chicken Suit of course. :)

Soooo good! The new chef’s creations are ‘mmmazing! I had cauliflower soup followed by this insane opah with «baked potato» topping. It was lick-​the-​plate good. Hubby had a harvest salad w/​goat cheese and short ribs, which he also really enjoyed. So of course we had to say yes to a dessert — strawberry/​rhubarb pie a la mode. Died and gone to heaven. I love the ambiance of this place. Dining on the patio was a lovely and romantic way to start our Ashland vacation, and everyone was super friendly. Tip: Make your reservation in advance!

Great place, great staff, and wonderful outdoor eating area. It feels like you were invited to a friends house for dinner. We got there early, a bit before the theatre crowd and we had a beautiful area outside almost all to ourselves. Then, 4 LOUD women with LOUD voices came, and fortunately, we were done. I don’t understand why people have to talk so loud at an outdoor restaurant. Some people just don’t feel they can be heard I guess, unless they shout. People need to be AWARE of others around you, and make it pleasant for all of us who want to enjoy the ambience. But, this is in no way a reflection on Peerless. They were awesome and the food was fantastic. Highly recommended! Thank you!

This is true 5 star dining. Service was tops without being overbearing. Drinks were great and server was very knowledgable of the menu. A combo of flatbread, 2 different salads and Ono with a blue crab crust. Everything done to perfection!

The new chef at the Peerless creates absolutely wonderful, surprising dishes. The combination of flavors and selection of ingredients are both brilliant and satisfying.
The current incarnation of the restaurant offers a collection of small plates and a happy number of traditionally sized entrees. The eclectic selection includes spicy shrimp, garlic shrimp, gooey French onion soup, a gem lettuce salad with a fried egg on top, a satisfying cheese platter, fresh oysters, house-​made spanakopita, and tasty ribs with an elegant sauce. The choices are all over the map, in a good way.
In addition, the bar offers unique and classy takes on mixed drinks (we loved the special Manhattan) and fine wine by the glass (the Syrah was our table’s favorite).
The atmosphere is relaxed with seats available both indoors and outside on a covered patio or under the skies. I loved the many choices of wildly different dishes. One friend complained that she couldn’t find dishes she could put together for a dinner with a consistent theme/​taste, but I simply appreciated the variety.
The night we sat in a group of 8 on their comfortable covered patio the service was confused at times. The waiter was very professional and pleasant, but things didn’t come out right. That happens.
What doesn’t usually happen is the intense reaction of the management to make things right.
It’s Saturday morning now. I had posted my original review of Wednesday’s dinner on Thursday morning. In the original review I mentioned specific problems with the service. By Thursday afternoon the manager had messaged me on Unilocal asking for more details on what we experienced. Because I am here seeing plays and friend, I didn’t have time to respond until this morning. Now I see that Crissy, the owner, has also commented. I am also aware from other Ashland friends (it’s a small town), how concerned the staff at the restaurant was they we felt there were problems with our evening.
So, not only was the food wonderful, the staff and management are concerned about great service.

We took advantage of corkage free Wed and so glad we did. My husband’s martini was best of entire trip and the food exceeded our expectations. The Asian inspired Poke was superb as was the special lamb. Previously, we had been put off by the small plates with large plate prices and frankly, mediocre food. There is a new chef from Hawaii and he has brought back the magic infusing a hint of Asian into most dishes. Peerless is back in the rotation and we will be back

This place is nothing special and frankly for what they are charging I think it should be special. The Ceaser salad was mediocre and the croutons tasted totally gross. The sea scallops were prepared well but boy was the sauce a total one dimensional disappointment.
Save your money for a better joint.