Central Park Fusion Cuisine

If you enjoy gristle, undercooked and un-​trimmed asparagus, & burnt potatoes for $ 57 — this is the perfect place for you. The high ceilings, proximity to downtown, spacious restaurant floor plan make this a good place for conversation, the complimentary rolls, and the wine.

This is THE place to go for super delicious, high-​end cuisine in Hot Springs.
We come here every time we’re in town visiting and we are NEVER disappointed!
From the steaks, to the fish, to the dreamy scallops, always cooked to perfection! I look forward to eating here!
The waiters are always very friendly and knowledgeable and the food is always just so decadent and delicious! It’s a must-​go!

The food was way too salty! Had the sea bass and the chicken. The food took forever and when it arrived we were both disappointed. The service was good. Can’t blame our server for slow kitchen. The food is overpriced. The wine list was pretty good.

The restaurants of Hot Springs have always been lackluster: overpriced, old-​fashioned, and mediocre-​to-​bad. Until now. Central Park Fusion is a totally unexpected gem. Our experience at this restaurant was exceptional: from the service to the food itself, this place delivers. Our server was a true professional: friendly but not overbearing, knowledgable of the menu and wine selections, and he struck that perfect level of attentiveness that the vast majority of waitstaff typically don’t pull off. And most importantly, the food is amazing. Locally sourced salad greens, melt-​in-​your mouth polenta, and an incredible champagne truffle brie soup that I’ll never forget. I am very happy that Hot Springs finally has a restaurant that could hold its own in a major city. Bravo!

Saw on THV 11 how biz is not so good because of the majestic. You should move to bathhouse row… More visibility, free parking…

I don’t go here very often– it’s not cheap. But the food is seriously amazing. I love the fusion vibe. I can say after traveling all over the country– the wagyu steak there is literally the best steak I have ever put in my mouth. It melts in your mouth. it’s of those things that you wish you had more of when you are done. The fried Brie is also delish. Go try it!

This place was great! Out waiter was very knowledgeable and friendly (although I wish he had mentioned the premium whisky menu!) and the food was fantastic. Much of the menu looked awesome and I decided on the mussels. They were well-​cooked in a creamy sauce with pancetta and tomatoes. The mussels were also served with a rather large portion of grilled bread, which was fantastic.
I definitely didn’t know what to expect from Central Park when we chose it, but it was a fantastic choice!

The food was very good. Enjoyed the plates. The drinks and service however were very subpar. Not at all reflective of the food being served.

The best food in Hot Springs, period. This place is everything a great restaurant should be and specializes in the unexpected. How many other restaurants would think to pair purple sweet potatoes with their pork chop entrée? Combine that with their massive portions and relatively inexpensive price point and you get a dining experience unlike any other in the Spa City.

We come to CPF as often as we can and we bring any out of towners that come to visit here, too! I would dare say that this place rivals big city restaurants– it is always a wonderful dining experience (we lived in San Francisco for 8 years, so there’s my «big city» experience haha). The chef (also the owner) really cares about fresh, quality ingredients – and you can definitely taste this in the food. I love the atmosphere: it’s upscale dining with a casual atmosphere– very Hot Springs, to me. OMG let’s talk about the food – I’m kind of boring because I will literally get the same thing EVERY SINGLE TIME if it is there on special: the big eye ahi tuna fillet! It is seared perfection! My husband loves the wagyu filet mignon. But I can honestly say I’ve never had a bad meal here– and they have a pretty great wine list to boot (also have a full bar FYI). We love the staff! We just went in on Wednesday for my birthday dinner with a group of 6– and I had the Tuna (awesome as always), split the BLT salad with my hubs (he had his fave steak), and we got a fun chocolate dessert since it was a special day (HBD to me, duh!). Also all shared a bottle of Schramberg Brut Rose, which was great. As with any nicer restaurant, I’d recommend making a reservation– and then go and enjoy!

The first time we ate here two years ago, the waiter was snooty and the experience lacked. We decided to give it another go and we are sooooo glad we did. The waiter was great and the food was stellar. We will absolutely go again.

A wonderful dining experience all around. Fresh, quality ingredients. Great menu options and excellent service. Well worth the price tag.

While the staff was very friendly and apologetic, the food was mediocre, way over priced, and took forever to arrive (approximately 2 hrs). The venue is very loud and they were out of half of the items in the menu by 7:30.

It has been a couple of years since the last time we dined at Central Park Fusion together. Always had a great meal in the past, and when we decided to visit Hot Springs this weekend (without kids), my wife’s first comment was «Can we eat at Central Park Fusion?» Who am I to deny a great woman?
Booked our reservation for 8:30pm on Saturday and arrived right on time. By that time, they weren’t very busy. The greeter showed us to our table promptly, and the waiter (named Eric) was there right behind her. Apparently, they have the wait staff mix the drinks because he said he would be our waiter and our bartender. My wife ordered a dirty martini, and I got a gin and tonic. He mixed them both perfectly. (Both times…)
After he brought the drinks, he asked if we were ready to order. Of course we were. Wifey ordered a half-​dozen oysters on the half-​shell. I was a bit skeptical considering how far we were from the Gulf Coast, but they were fresh and just as you would hope for. I got the Caesar salad, and it was also very good.
For the entrée, we both got the same thing — caramelized scallops with asparagus and polenta. While ordering second, I jokingly asked if they had more than one of that dish. As it turned out, we wiped them out of scallops apart from two for the next person to order the scallops appetizer. That meal was to die for — I don’t usually post photos on Unilocal,but I did tor this one. The scallops were cooked perfectly, the asparagus was tender and well-​seasoned, and the polenta was the best. Neither my wife nor I is/​am used to gourmet cooking, but this was the best meal we have had since our last visit to New Orleans.
We rarely order dessert, but when Eric offered the Key Lime Pie, my wife went for it. He brought an extra spoon for me. I don’t ordinarily eat sweets, but I made an exception and ate most of it. Again, it was excellent.
The place is not cheap. With drinks, expect to pay $ 60 – 70 per person. But, it is worth it for a special occasion or when you’re trying to impress a date. The special occasion for us — a rare long weekend without kids.
If you can afford it, go there, and you won’t be disappointed.

Fantastic restaurant. Fried Brie appetizer was very good. Told the wife I am going to try and make that at home. Doubtful though.
Double cut pork chops was great. Good mix of flavor.
This restaurant is not on the main drag but VERY close and well worth it. Currently it is dinner only.

We had the pork chop with mashed potatoes and snow peas and the seared Ahi tuna with Jasmine rice. The pork chop stands alone and does not need the bacon infused bbq sauce the chop is presented on. We requested it on the side, but our wish was not granted. The chef would not even consider our request to sear the Tuna just a minute longer for my wife.
Overall, the food was absolutely fantastic and we cannot wait to return.

First, I would like to say that the food was excellent. However, the whole dining experience was ruined by the waiter. My boyfriend and I both found the waiter to be very pushy and condescending.
The first instance was when he was telling us about the ceviche special. He highly recommended it and even tried to pressure us into ordering it. We said we would consider it, but wanted to look at the rest of the menu. After he walked away, we further looked at the menu. We didn’t even think twice about ordering the ceviche. It was fish (which I dislike) and it was spicy (which my boyfriend dislikes).
When he returned, he brought the ceviche, as if we had ordered it! I was shocked because we very clearly hadn’t ordered this. We only ordered drinks up to this point. We were both very surprised and disappointed. Our intent was to order an appetizer to share.
As soon as he delivered the ceviche, he rushed us into ordering and I had not had a chance to fully look through the menu. I ordered an entrée and decided against an appetizer since it had already been decided for us by the waiter.
My boyfriend ordered an appetizer for a meal. The waiter very condescendingly said «that’s IT?»
He then asked me what I wanted for an appetizer, and I was so upset about the arrival of ceviche, I told him that I didn’t want anything but the entrée I ordered. He again said «that’s IT?»
It wasn’t just what he said, but how he said things. We were the first people to arrive for dinner when they opened at 4:30pm, so I don’t understand why we were being rushed. It really is a shame that this place provided excellent food, but you could not pay me to visit there again, just because the service was so bad.
As we were there, I kept trying to give the waiter the benefit of the doubt, thinking maybe he misunderstood us. My boyfriend, who rarely if ever says anything negative about anything, clearly stated that there is no way he misunderstood us. It seemed purely that the waiter was trying to make some kind of quota or was going to receive some kind of bonus for selling this particular item to us. We left the restaurant with a very bad feeling the rest of the night.
The waiter lacked any warmth and just came across as angry and not wanting to be there. I hope the owner/​chef reads this review and knows how excellent the food is, but please teach this guy customer service or replace him. I really loved my entrée, but I just can’t reiterate enough that the whole evening was ruined 100% due to this waiter.
UPDATE: I would like to provide an update. Within only a few days of my above experience, I was very pleased to receive a phone call from the chef and owner. I could tell that he genuinely cares about each customer’s dining experience and he was very concerned about my experience. I really wish him well with the restaurant. I used to be a waitress before I became a nurse, so I am familiar with the restaurant business. The chef is a gem to reach out to me. This restaurant has spectacular food and I hope other people get to experience that!

Park Central would be considered high end, fine dining for the area — it is a nice place for usually a pretty decent and fairly innovative meal — but depending on which time and what day you go can effect the quality of the service you receive. It is an interesting mix of fusion food, most everything I have ordered off the menu has been good, some great dishes, but not always.
I have eaten at this restaurant well over a dozen times, at various times of the day and different days of the week — from limited rsvp pairing tastings (a lot of fun), intimate dinners for two, late night drinks and dessert, take out, large group meals for a holiday, lunch by myself and happy hour with friends.
Personally, the best value is happy hour with appetizers — you can usually get a couple drinks and a nice appetizer (sliders, etc) and it not set you back to much (20 – 25 $)
On the other end, dinner for two with a nice bottle of wine, and whatever you want — appetizers, entrees and desserts — can easily run you 200 $+
The rsvp pairing/​tastings are a lot of fun and can make for a great evening with your significant other or as a group of friends — I usually do this with a group (6 – 12) and its a blast! A fixed price event — they book and fill up quickly — so you have to be aware and keep an eye out for these special events — always a great time. These run anywhere from 45 $ a person and up depending on how complex the tasting is — with an average of around 65 – 85 $ per person for a multi plate/​glass — pairing/​tasting. (you have to be on their email list for this/​or follow them on facebook to get information about these limited events)
This is usually a solid place to have a nice upper end meal.
A Solid 3 ½ Stars and I rounded up for the tasting/​pairing events, they are that much fun.
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Nice place to have a good meal. I had the Austrailian wygu steak and my wife had a Mediterranean fish, Bream?, and we shared a wedge salad. We had some wine so it was a nice meal. Now the positives and negatives.
The lettuce was definately not fresh, that is an inexcusable error give that iceberg lettuce is in every grocery store in america. QUALITY, QUALITY, QUALITY if you portray yourself as a fine dining establishment. The blue cheese dressing was very good.
The steak was not cooked correctly, I expect a medium rare steak to come out with a think sear line and red to pink interior. Turn up the temp on the grill to sear the steak. Rookie mistake. The shitake mushrooms were a nice adition. The palenta was very good.
The fish was very good.
Now, here are a couple of observations. Our server didn’t offer a personal recommendation compared to the server that had the table next to us. He provided that party with some good information that would have affected my menu choice. Other than that we had very good service and it is not necessarily a knock on our service but something that may be a subject of a training session.
I even tested the humor of the person that delivered our food. As he set down my steak I looked at him and asked «Do you have any ketchup?», instantly his jaw dropped and I couldn’t hold a straight face. Obviously a joke and he handled it great.
Would I try it again? Yes, I would give it another try.

Party of four, Saturday night and nearly everything that was recommended and had great reviews (salmon, pork chops)…they were out of. The waiter said they run out all the time. How is that good management? The manager seemed to care less. We ordered the scallops appetizer. A bit too caramelized for my liking.
With that said, I orders the Boursin wagyu filet mignon and it was fabulous. I could have licked the plate clean. All in all, it’s seemed to me to be a place «trying» to be upscale with definite upscale prices (really? $ 18 for a steakburger ?) but falling very short. I probably won’t go there again. My two stars was simply because of my entrée.