Irises Café and Wine Bar

If you are looking for a restaurant with a delightful atmosphere and menu featuring foods from many different countries, then downtown Plattsburgh has the place for you. Irises Café and Wine Bar, located at 20-22 City Hall Place, has become one of the more popular elegant restaurants in the North Country.

The restaurant offers plenty of seating

Greeted by the dark green canopy that marks the restaurant, I made my way inside. Dim lighting coupled with instrumental music made the mood inviting. I was immediately welcomed by a friendly hostess who pointed out the sign for the specials for the day. When asked if I preferred a table or a booth, I elected for the booth, preferring the cushioned seats to the wooden chairs.

Before I was even able to get settled in, I was welcomed by a waiter who gave me a glass of water and a menu. As I opened up the menu, I saw a variety of foods encompassing many different types of cuisine, all varying in price. You can order anything from the “world's best” crab cake, which costs $9, to teriyaki beef brochettes, which cost $12.

As I was glancing through the menu, my waiter returned and asked if I would like to start out with an appetizer. I decided to ask him what he preferred, and he strongly recommended the herb chicken vegetable soup, which cost $4. After another glance at the appetizers, I decided to take his advice.

He returned with a small bowl of soup, placed on plate with a decorative doily set under the bowl. As he set it down, he asked if I was ready to order. I decided to go with the café sandwich. With a choice of roasted turkey or sliced ham and French fries or potato chips on the side, I chose the turkey and French fries.

As the waiter left, I dug into the chicken vegetable soup and I knew I made the right decision. While there could have been more chicken in the soup, it was still satisfying. The vegetables were tasty and the herbs and spices were just right.

After finishing, I had to make a trip to the bathroom. To my surprise, it was nothing like the clean, classy, and inviting atmosphere that restaurant seemed to foster.

The inside of Irises offers a great view of the downtown area

I returned to my seat and took a look around the restaurant while I waited for my food. The walls are decorated with colorful paintings done by local artist Jimmy Golovach. The paintings seemed just right for the setting as most of them were abstract. They were also painted with light shaded colors which stood out against the green, which is the dominant color of the restaurant.

The waiter returned with my food after only ten minutes. He set down a plate filled with a fairly large roasted turkey sandwich and a good amount of fries. With one bite of the sandwich, I realized that I could have made this at home. It was pretty tasty, but the turkey that they used was no different from the turkey you could find at your local supermarket. The sandwich was worth the price however, as the turkey was stacked roughly an inch thick. A little disappointed, I tried the fries and found them to be tasty. They were salted to perfection and large in size.

All together, my meal was pretty good. Everything tasted wonderful. My only disappointment was the quality of the turkey. Other than that, everything met my expectations and then some.

Overall the atmosphere was excellent, and the price was not too steep. If you are looking for a place to go on a date or just for a nice restaurant, I would recommend Irises Café. It has good food and a wonderful atmosphere—a combination you rarely find anymore.

Do you have an experience at Irises? Let us know!

Irises Cafe & Wine Bar
20-22 City Hall Place
Plattsburgh, NY 12901