Cape Fine Dining

Ardeo Grille out of the way

Ardeo Grille at Kingsway in Yarmouthport is only a stepchild to the original in South Yarmouth. 

Known for it's Mediterrrean cuisine, the family run business has become very popular in recent years.  Time to expand, right? Not so fast.

• Food   Even though it took a minute figure out the difference between the two menus, NO PIZZA, the food was prepared the same  actually.  Since you're ordering ala carte here, you're  not getting a salad, and most of the less ethnic appetizers were still there.  There is a wide variety of, grilled meats, the lamb was particularly good, and pasta dishes. But avoid the dishes prepared in a casserole; small portions and overcooked. 

This menu seems limited, both because of kitchen size and the type of clientel. The patrons this evening were decidedly older and residents of the Kingsway community. It looked like the dining room of a retirement village, which it is.

A decent selection of wine by the glass complimented the menu well. As did a short selection of deserts of the day. And you can still order a dizzying array of martinis.

• Atmosphere Ardeo's new digs are in the Kingsway Country Club building, which has housed some of the best dining  in recent memory (Artful Table).  Unfortunately this is a stripped down version of the exquisite dining room of previous years. Devoid of character and table settings, it does the job, but does not excite.

• Service This is where Ardeo falls down. The service was attrocious. From the wait staff right up to the dining room manager.  The dining room has too many seats and tables for the kitchen to accomodate. So you get to be seated right away, but you have to wait a long time between service.

They tried to (over)compensate by putting too many waiters on the floor. Some experienced waitresses were chatting up theircustomers between courses.  But inexperienced waiters were left floundering for direction, while the manager was chatting up the cuter wait staff.  They all could use some (re)training.

Overall we give  Ardeo 2** saved only by the food.  And 2$$ for the price, ala carte can be a little cheaper.  But if you're looking for a fine dining experience,  don't go out of your  (Kings)way.