Zynodoa

Delicious food with fresh, seasonal creations. We had the marinate tofu «steak» with beer risotto and the crunchy cauliflower. My daughter had homemade pasta and the cornbread. Everyone was very impressed with the vegetarian options available.

The prix fixe was what my wife and I ordered. The toxically salty dessert —I kid you not DESSERT!— stripped this restaurant of stars for us. The chocolate cremeux was unbelievably and inexplicably salty. I soldiered on for a bit with it. My wife tried a couple of bites and put it down. Horrible. Just horrible. It was so awful the only explanation that I could come up with was that the chef was mad that we had «complained» about the short rib, which was 90% fat! I mean you’re paying $ 50 for a prix fixe per person. You get your final course and it’s got less than and ounce of meat to it – just a large bone and huge mounds of fat. (Mine was fine) So, we pointed that out. The waiter returns with the same plate (why?) and sets it down in front of my wife again and delivers this patronizing explanation that while this was very fatty that that was how the short rib was (DUH) –but, he went on, that they would send out a second small piece nevertheless. The replacement was alright but nothing amazing. When the super-​salty (and really inedible) dessert came out it was like you were in an episode of «Chopped» but in a twilight zone nightmare. It occurred to me that the chef might have salted the desert on purpose. It was that bad and weird!
I worked for years in the business in NYC and New England. There’s something wrong with this chef. Attitude. Angry alcoholic? Something. Stay away.

Our group of 6 (3 couples) decided to try Zynodoa based on good reviews out there on the web. The atmosphere is nice, our server was engaging & personable, the food was good (yet expensive!)but the service was slooooow. We waited at least 30 minutes between finishing our appetizers and getting our entrées. Zynodoa was a good one-​time experience but I don’t think we’ll be laying out that kind of money there again.

SO GOOD! fresh food and totally worth the (higher) prices. I drive 45 minutes for this place

Supposedly the best restaurant in Stanton. I hope not. While the service was attentive, the loud new age Jazz on the sound system was toxic, not conducive to fine dining at all. House wines were disappointing, especially at $ 12. We tried several. Cocktails were so-​so. Salads, we shared two, were true to representation and definitely farm to table. The braised short rib was exceptional. The real disappointment was the strip steak, highest priced item on the menu, tough, gristly and flavorless.
We went here expecting an amazing dinner for a special occasion and were seriously let down. Beware.

Nestled on small street in Staunton, this modern restaurant doesn’t miss a beat. Making a reservation is easy by going online using open table.
Their food is all organic and brought from local farmers. This means that their menu often changes each night – since they don’t buy their food in bulk. This is actually why I took away one star. Online their menu showed sea scallops, but when we went there in person, the menu was different. I now understand why, but I still think it’s best to keep the most up to date menu online.
Anyway, the food was extremely fresh and creative. We started out with their mussels and the strawberry mint roasted vanilla gazpacho. The gazpacho was to die for. I got the grilled tofu steak. Tony got the sirloin. My dish was a fresh and filled with veggies. I’ve been a vegetarian/​pescatarian for while, so I can’t say from experience how Tony’s steak was, but he raved about it, and did look like it was cooked exactly to his liking.
We got the benne seed oil cake with honey brittle for dessert. This was okay. I say this bc The cake was a little dry, but the flavor again tasted fresh and rich.
I would definitely recommend this place.

4.5 stars! We were looking for a nice restaurant for dinner during our visit to Staunton and thanks to Unilocal,we found Zynodoa — a farm-​to-​table restaurant where the menus change daily based on what’s avaliable and freshest that day.
STARTERS
–Rappahannock River Fried Oysters with black bean salsa, radish: super lightly fried and you can still taste the flavorful and plump oysters.
–Asparagus & Potato soup with chive crème fraîche: I WANT THIS RECIPE. Velvety, rich, luxurious while maintaining the freshness of the spring asparagus.
ENTREES
–Atlantic Turbot fish with potato and maitake mushroom hash: first time having Turbot and I really enjoyed every bite of this delicate white fish and those mushrooms were seriously the best I’ve ever had.
–Sweet Tea Brined Chicken with white bean ragout: tasty but chicken was a tad dry. Beans were hearty and delicious.
Desserts were an assortment of chocolates and panna cotta which I admit weren’t totally memorable but it’s all good, we clearly enjoyed the rest of the meal.
We had a super knowledgeable, passionate, and efficient server who gave nice recommendations for wine and food. The setting is intimate, trendy, yet approachable. I highly recommend making a reservation here because there are not a ton of tables but there is a spacious bar and you might get lucky to grab seats.
This was my first time visiting Staunton and Zynodoa was definitely a highlight. If you’re looking for a special meal on the town, you gotta check out this restaurant!

We’ve been to a lot of good restaurants but this is one of the best. The food artfully prepared — NY City quality all the way. If you’re in the area, don’t miss it.

I want to give this restaurant more stars but I had to take away for two main reasons: first and foremost, my boyfriend got food poisoning. Second, seating/​placement/​ambiance.
Here’s why you should give this place a try:
1) If you are staying at a ski resort like we are (Massanutten) and you’re looking for real fine dining – this restaurant is comparable to a 3.5−4 star in Manhattan so pretty darn good. I had a NY strip… Really good and the sides were fantastic. I had a great meal.
2) we had an excellent waiter and the service was fantastic– honestly, best I’ve ever had. Attentive but he gave us our space. Very much appreciated.
These two factors alone earned three stars.
On the flip side
First star removed: my boyfriend had the pulled pork entrée. He left with an upset stomach – which, progressed into a full on violent pain during the 40 minute drive back to our resort. Without the graphics, the meal didn’t last long. As I type– he’s still battling it out. Now, to be fair, no clue if this was just by chance or a bad batch but from what he told me, his meal was a bit under cooked.
Second star removed: atmosphere. We made a reservation on a Friday night – it wasn’t packed yet we were placed all the way in the back next to the servers window. The entire meal was just plates being served up at the window and checks being rung up at the pos system. For a $ 135.00 meal for two – I don’t expect this atmosphere whatsoever, especially when alternative seating was readily available. Out of sight out of mind is the better policy I’d say.
So all in all, should you give it a try? I think it’s worth a shot. Just be cognizant of the above and I think you’ll enjoy the food. Hopefully, my bfs meal was a fluke b/​c my meal was delicious.
Hopefully, the food poisoning is not the norm but an exception… Good Luck!

Fantastic farm to fork restaurant that lives up to it’s hype.
My husband ordered the 4 course prix fixe dinner. The prixe menu items were cooked, or not with the tartare, to perfection (lamb tartare, shrimp and grits, ribeye steak and a chocolate cake.) Delicious, delicious, delicious and delicious… I know because I took a bite of each. I’m greedy that way, but not too greedy to share a bite of my housemade spinach fettuccine with local mushrooms and my dessert, a pumpkin crème brûlée with him. They were very delectable too! We also shared a fantastic, smooth bottle of wine from their nice wine list.
The best dinner we have had in a while. We are from the NoVa area… that says a lot.

We were traveling through and decided to stay a night at Staunton. I didn’t wanted to waste our only night in town at a bad restaurant. So, I read through Unilocal,tripadvisor and opentable and decided on Zynodoa due to all the good reviews. Boy was I disappointed.
Terrible and overpriced food served by a bunch of snotty obnoxious 20 years old. It felt more like a bar scene than a fancy restaurant. I wouldn’t mind if my intention was to visit a bar. But I brought my wife and kids here expecting a fine dining experience. Everything we ordered was a disappointment. With the bad food, horrible inattentive service and the loud bar atmosphere, the whole night was just a disaster!

Very accommodating and service is wonderful. Had late reservations at 8:45 with request to eat at the bar. They picked a great spot for us, couple just left. My wife & I split a salad, dinner, & had dessert— all out of this world food! Drinks, cocktails actually, were served just right. Bartender even used simple syrup in my mix, hard to find now days.
I recommend this spot while in or near Staunton, Virginia. Pricey, but well worth it. I will come back to this place for sure.

We stopped in for a birthday dinner as a couple on a Monday evening. They were only slightly busy, but had an ample staff. The first impression was chic, modern and well-​planned. Really liked the looks of the restaurant, the bar, the lighting, booths and seats and definitely the ceiling.
Upon being seated and checking out the menu, they offer a very nice selection of VA wines, which is nice to see! The food is all farm-​to-​table (except seafood) and the menu looked amazing! The only knock about the menu in my opinion is that they should have another entrée or two. Otherwise, it was PERFECT!
The stuffed Anaheim pepper was spicy and tasted AMAZING! Salad was also really nice. Steak had a flavor that can only be had from a local, grass-​fed cow and the flame-​grilled carrots were amazing! The pork was absolutely amazing with the apples it came with.
In all, the meal was perfectly done! The server we got was VERY personable, knowledgeable and enjoyed her job.
We really liked the visit and look forward to stopping in again next time we’re in the area!

Love this Farm to Table restaurant! Whenever we are in the area, we go to Zynodoa (it’s very close to the Blackfriars (Shakespeare) Playhouse).
Very unique dishes — had a Chilled Watermelon soup for starters — had an incredible depth of flavor… Hubby had the scallops w/​a succotash side & I had fried chicken. Desserts were phenomenal!

Wow. Absolutely delicious meal. We visited over the weekend and decided to make this our «nice» meal during the trip based on the Unilocal ratings. You all did not steer us wrong! The food was done in a way that I Mmmed every bite, and the service was thoughtful and fun.
I got the fried chicken and a side of grits; my husband got the swordfish. We also shared a fried-​something appetizer and chocolate-​roll something dessert. The dessert was just okay – not bad by any means, just not extraordinary. Otherwise everything was knock-​out. Really quite extraordinary.
Loved our waiter. He really spent time joking with us, telling us about the food, guiding us. When my husband was debating the fried chicken that I got but then said other things on the menu interested him, our waiter said something like, «Well, look, I’ll tell you this… that chicken has been sitting in buttermilk for X hours.» It was just really funny and personal. Felt good.
Also loved the art on the walls.
A note: Much of Zynodoa’s menu has pork in it. For non-​pork-​eaters like me, this was a bummer at first, but most of the dishes can be made for non-​pork-​eaters. Hence my chicken had a side of grits; the normal side was mac and cheese with bacon.

8:45 on a Sunday nite and this place is packed ! You figure it out ! It doesn’t matter what anyone says this place has it going on ’ funding place that can accomplish what the set out is always a treat !
Our menu: by strip steak, oysters With a potato Caramelized hash browns case role. Excellent parting ! Scallops and a soufflé with a corn and black bean salad !

We happened to stumble upon Staunton and stumble upon this restaurant and what a gem!
We luckily got the last table for a seating at 5:45pm after arriving without a reservation on a Saturday evening. The whole meal was wonderful with our incredibly attentive server who had wonderful recommendations.
I had the ahi tuna consumme and the bf had the tasting menu which was delish. He was contemplating between the steak and the tasting menu– but wanted the variety that came with the tasting menu. We also ordered the crème brûlée corn cakes and enjoyed their crafted cocktails. Definitely a wonderful dining experience and we will be back when in the area.

Zynodoa was well worth the drive from Charlottesville!
My family and I went here on a Sunday evening, so we missed the crowds but did not miss out on the quality or the service. We ordered several dishes and each of them was a fan favorite but the absolute top picks were the:
— black eyed pea fritters
— cornbread scones (
.goodness.gracious.) (I would return just for the scones)
— strip steak
— tuna steak
Really, though, all of the dishes we had were quite tasty.
As for service, our waitress was fantastic. She was attentive, without being overly attentive, and, most importantly, she was able to roll with my dad’s dad jokes. She also gave honest recommendations, something I really appreciate in a server.
My only gripe is that the scallops were too salty, but I’m pretty sensitive to salt so that might not bother other people.
Will definitely return to Zynodoa again!

This is by far one of the best restaurants I’ve been to. My fiancé and I decided to have a weekend outside of DC and stumbled upon Staunton, VA. Saw that this place might be a great little «date night» spot so made reservations (which seemed like reservations are necessary as this place was packed)! Our waiter was awesome! He was so knowledgeable about everything we got, but not in a pretentious way. He just really cared and enjoyed what he was doing and wanted to share with us what we were eating.
Oh and don’t even get me started on the food. I got a delicious pasta dish and my fiancé got the trout. They also have amazing fries with gravy for appetizers. Another great thing about this place are the portions! I was afraid it was going to be one of those places where you pay too much for the food and get a tiny bit of food and it’s called «art.» Not the case here! They give you plenty to where you aren’t hungry, but not over stuffed. If we ever find our way back down to Staunton, we will definitely be back!

Small Town Dining That Gives Big Cities a Run for the Money!
After a long day of touring an atomic bomb shelter (The Greenbrier) and deciding to stop along the way to our next destination (Jefferson’s estate) for the night we craved a good solid meal. Since it was a small town I was prepared for more «simple» restaurants. This place is far from simple. I’m so glad we came; I hummed and hawed for a while after looking at the higher end prices on the menu, but one Unilocal review (thanks to the man from New York) swayed my decision. I called around 7pm and was able to score a 9pm reservation.
To start I had the Unencumbered — a delicious gin based cocktail with fresh cucumber, gin, St. Germain, and mint. My wife had sparking water.
We got the complimentary roasted spiced nuts (delicious) and ordered the cornbread muffins. The cornbread ($ 3) was excellent, it had a caramelized sugar glazed on top that gave it a unique flavor. I liked it so much I got a second order as dessert.
For mains I had the chicken and grits dish ($ 24), my wife the streak ($ 27) and fries. My chicken was cooked perfect. Moist and flavorful. My wife enjoyed her steak but there was some fatty tough parts that she didn’t eat. My only wish was there were more grits and less chicken. I loved the cheddar grits — something we don’t normally get in San Francisco.
With dinner I had a local beer — a stout from Maryland. It was excellent. Here I’d like to point out the whole menu is local food from local farms. They list the names of the farms or farmers on each menu item.
For dessert we split the seasonal pumpkin mouse. It was excellent. A nice small well balanced portion. I think dessert is their real show stopper.
The service was very good, and the atmosphere perfect for a romantic date.
I came to Stratton thinking it would be a roadside stopover — our next trip it will be a destination. Great restaurants like this along with the coffee shop across the road and the excellent Cigar store made our trip. What a wonderful southern town. Everyone was so friendly!